Middlesbrough moved to within three points of Sky Bet Championship leaders Coventry by heaping more misery on 10-man Preston at the Riverside, with Alan Browne netting against his former club in a 4-0 victory.
Browne, who made more than 400 appearance in a decade for North End from 2014-2024, put Boro ahead, while Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker exploited defensive lapses to leave the hosts three up at half-time.
Jordan Storey was red-carded shortly after the resumption and Conway rounded off the scoring to give second-placed Middlesbrough a thumping victory – their fourth in a row in the league that leaves them breathing down the neck of Frank Lampard’s Coventry, who travel to struggling Norwich on Monday.
Play-off chasing Preston, meanwhile, slipped to a fourth successive defeat in all competitions and face questions over their backline after conceding seven goals in their last two matches.
For Browne, who has 37 Ireland caps to his name, it’s his second goal for Boro after his loan move from Sunderland. It came after Matt Targett’s teasing cross over the top saw the Corkman shrug off Jamal Lewis, who fell to the floor, and the midfielder excellently controlled the ball with his right foot before finishing coolly with his left.
Browne then missed the chance to double his and Middlesbrough’s tally by curling wide of goalkeeper Jack Walton’s far post.
Millwall consolidated their position in the play-off places by brushing aside south London rivals Charlton with a 4-0 victory at The Den.
An early own goal from Charlton right-back Kayne Ramsay was added to by late strikes from Caleb Taylor, Luke Cundle and Aidomo Emakhu as the high-flying Lions recorded their fourth win in six league games.
It was also their biggest victory of the season, and it left the abject Addicks still in the relegation mire.