Irish-Ghanaian defender James Abankwah got on the scoresheet for Watford FC, but his effort was not enough to prevent a heavy 5-1 defeat to Middlesbrough FC at the Riverside Stadium in Round 45 of the Championship.
The 22-year-old centre-back struck early in the second half, finishing off a pass from Kévin Keben in the 48th minute to momentarily cut the deficit to 2-1.
However, Middlesbrough were firmly in control throughout the contest. Morgan Whittaker netted twice, opening the scoring in the 6th minute and adding another after the break.
David Strelec extended the lead in first-half stoppage time, while Tommy Conway sealed the emphatic win with a penalty in the 75th minute and a late goal in the 90th minute.Abankwah has now featured in 30 matches in the 2025/26 Championship season, accumulating 2,512 minutes of action.
His goal in this match marks his first of the campaign, although he was also shown a yellow card—his fifth booking of the season.Watford currently sit 16th on the league table with 57 points from 45 matches. They will aim to respond to the setback when they host Coventry City FC at Vicarage Road on May 2.
