Monday, December 19, 2005
Boro 3 Spurs 3
An action packed game played at high tempo, there was no doubt we were aiming to win this in an attacking way - and we should have done. Going forward we were very tasty, looking threatening from every angle. Unfortunately a defensive record that is worse than every other team bar Sunderland again let us down. The match was so incident packed it is difficult to say that if one thing hadn't happened things would have been different, but the fiasco behind the Spurs opener made us look pathetic. Thank God for the Yak, who goes from strength to strength, scoring a beautiful volley before they had a chance to grow too much in confidence. Then came a stunning run and finish from James Morisson (since accredited to Yakubu who gave it a slight deflection) to take us ahead. From which point we should have sown it up but for Paul Robinson's heroics against drives from Yak and Vids.But again, their equaliser shouldn't have happened. Thank God for fighting Franck, popping up with a fierce header. Surely we would hold on now... but no, the effort dipped once more and Mido was there to take a share of the points for the visitors - very annoying, for fans and the manager alike! A great spectacle for the neutral, but it doesn't aid our premiership cause that much; 20 points and 13th place coming up to Christmas is way below expectation and even with a solid run of undefeated games we will struggle to keep a foothold in the top half now. Still, never give up.
A game noteworthy for one other incident: the sickening knock-out of Morisson from a boot to the face. Every player on the pitch was concerned as he lay motionless and it was a huge relief to hear he was alright afterwards after such a good game.
My MOTM: Morisson. He looks better and better and must keep his place in the starting line-up. Yak was next best for me.
