Sunday, November 20, 2005
Boro 3 Fulham 2
On paper it looked like a must win game if Boro were to avoid getting dragged firmly into the bottom half of the table, and also if we were to consolidate our home form, which until now has been scrappy. A good rest for most of the players (Aussies Schwarzer and Viduka the exception) meant no excuses for fatigue, Southgate was back in charge at the back and our strikers were in form. So when an early wonder goal for Collins John shook the Riverside it was depressing to think it was going to be another one of those Sundays. Despite some good build up play and several near misses it took a good long while for parity to arrive thanks to a Yakubu cross and a Morrison finish, only for Fulham to come straight back and extend the lead again to 2-1...With a little over quarter of an hour left the situation for all 3 points looked grim, but a controversial goal hit by Hasselbaink and deflected into the net by The Yak soon after lifted the crowd and spurred on the home team to push everything forward in search of the winner. And luckily enough it came, with Jimmy stepping up his game (had looked due for substitution after a few easy misses) once more at a crucial time to make it 3! The skipper then rallied his men at the back to make an impenetrable wall no one defended better than Franck Queudrue.
So important to stay with the teams from 2nd to 13th, and with this win we moved to 11th above Blackburn and Newcastle with a six point gap to Fulham in 14th. It nearly went pear shaped but it didn't and that's all that matters - a good fighting win to make it 5 league victories for the season so far.
My MOTM: An outstanding Yakubu who was at the heart of every positive move.
