Monday, April 17, 2006
Boro 2 West Ham 0
More first team rest days and starts for Bates, Wheater and substitutes role for Massimo Maccarone. As Bernie Slaven said on Century FM commentary, we had maybe five or six who would start next Sunday, whereas they were almost full strength. Even so, it was obvious very early on who was most likely to win the day. It is getting hard to keep track of what happened in what game as the Easter schedule piles the pressure on the joints and the muscles and you have to wonder how much the players are on auto-pilot too?Franck Queudrue came back in, still sporting his bandages and looked like the first goalscorer of the afternoon with some delightful interplay with Viduka to burst through their defense, one two and just miss at the far post. The wait wasn't too long though before Jimmy Floyd fired in yet another bullet to put pressure on the Yak for seasons top scorer. At the break we looked totally in control. In the second half when Adam Johnson went down in the box it was all set for an easy afternoon. Jimmy was in charitable mood and allowed Maccarone to step up for the penalty, which he jst managed to squeeze past Hislop's outstretched right hand. Game over and a chance to ease of the pedals as the clock ticked down.
Everybody knows the FA cup semi will be a completely different game, but, to be honest, I can't see what they can do to live with us full strength, unless luck is the biggest factor of the day - and it often is, so I'm not counting any chickens, but if we score early it is ours to lose; they are average at best, and even though very tough when they have their backs up, so are we and I predict a similar scoreline at Villa Park come the Sabbeth. In the league, up to 13th and above Man City with 43 points and a game in hand. 50 points and a top ten finish are still a slight possibility, but now let's turn our heads to Romania...!
My MOTM: Matthew Bates, a classy assist for the first goal and solid at the back covering for the big boys.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Portsmouth 1 Boro 0
Back to Fratton Park for the Yak and a game that was ten times more essential for them to win than us. Pompey have done miracles in recent weeks to put together a string of wins and draws to drag themselves out of the relegation zone and todays narrow win was enough to build a gap between them and the two midlands sides whose form is nowhere near as good. MaClaren made use of the squad to give starts to Brad Jones, Andrew Taylor and Matthew Bates and to give another youngster a chance later on in the shape of David Wheater. Altogether six players from the win against Charlton were rested, wisely.There were chances to clinch this one without too much effort in the first half, with Yakubu, understandably looking sharp against his old team. Both keepers were mostly redundant, however, and it took a bit of above average skill from Gary O'Neill, one of their better talents on the day, to win it. Jones, who had had a good game deputising for Mark Schwarzer up to that point, was blameless really and takes no shame from conceding. Going frorward in an effort to get back into it we looked in third gear until very late on when a chance fell to Wheater at the back post, missed by inches to make it a memorable day for him. Full time and Boro remain on 40 points in 14th place.
Next up: the FA cup dress rehearsal at the Riverside, as West Ham come up north to see what we are made of! You can bet the general effort will go up a notch or two as we strive to show them who's boss and strike the fear of God into them. Following two league defeats I feel it is important that we win this one to stay in the habit of success - we need to get the balance right and not risk too many key players. This schedule is intense and next Thursday and Sunday are the important ones...
My MOTM: Impressed by Brad Jones and Andrew Taylor who can share a weakly contested prize.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Boro 4 Charlton 2
With so many games recently it would be easy to make excuses for defeat in such important games, but Basle gave us the scent of winning, confidence and goalscoring ease. Charlton made a fast start from the blocks and the much talked about Darren Bent could have had two in the first ten minutes, forcing us into comeback mode again. But no, their early ascendence was snuffed out by a long range Rochemback free kick that curled, caught their keeper unsighted and crept in the net. "Operation Riverside" (Charlton fans attempt to turn the away disadvantage into a home game atmosphere) was derailed and then back on again in about a minute, when Bryan Hughes found himself totally undefended in the penalty area straight from the re-start. The makings of a good game, but quite frustrating.More possession and control led to our second from James Morrison, with a hint of an own goal from replacement defender Fortune. Either way we had the lead again and looked wary of letting it go so easily this time. A classic cup tie developed in the second half with chances for both sides until the pressure was relieved by Jimmy Floyd, a sweet move and a trademark netbuster to make it 3-1. Mirroring the first half, our celebrations were still echoing in our throats when they replied with a lucky goal, deflected off Gareth Southgate from a goalmouth scramble. Unphased, Morrison, Downing and Rochemback did everything right, as they had done most of the game, eventually presenting Mark Viduka with a chance 99% of all players in the world would not have been able to make - twisting one way then the other before placing it inch perfect for a decisive winner. The Aussie is in the form of his life and it was a delight to end the tie in that way.
So, two semi-finals! Bloody hell! And we deserve it. Key players are coming to form at just the right time, and with a congested fixture list of six games in 14 days we are sure going to need that. We are one game away form another season in Europe through the FA cup, with Liverpool and Chelsea not needing their Uefa spot whoever gets to the final from West Ham and us gets the prize! On current form the Hammers must be terrified of us, with only a scrappy league win over us during our bad patch and our possible fatigue to pin their hopes to. As the boss says - we must take advantage of this position. I suspect the upcoming league games will be an opportunity to field some more youngsters as we prepare for the big ones. Exciting times regardless.
My MOTM: Praise to Morrison and Downing out wide, but Mark Viduka is different class just now and wins my vote.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Boro 1 Newcastle 2
Difficult fixture: to have a local derby at home shortly after the adrenalin rush of reaching a Uefa cup semi-final and shortly before an FA cup quarter-final replay - of course we wanted to win, but surely energy conservation and not picking up injuries had to come into it. Poor old Franck Queudrue then, who having bled for the cause in both of the last two victories, head tightly bandaged, got a third knock to the same spot from a defensive header early on. Nice to see bravery and battling, but that must put him out for a bit now. And for the rest, it certainly looked like we attempted to cruise through at about 80%, making it a pretty even contest, as we are clearly the better team at this point of the season.Ameobi caused us most concern in the first half for them, looking bright and fast onto the ball, getting in all sorts of positions. A goal came for them from a set-piece (an area of our game that needs real work in the run-in) before the half, and another in the second half from Ameobi's industry and guile. The game seemed dead for a few minutes until Boro pride kicked in and we decided to make a fight of it. Pushing forward more adventurously we piled a few shots onto the stats sheet before good old George popped up with a rare goal. The game opened up in the last quarter and an equaliser would not have been too surprising. However, a little fatigue crept in inevitably and The Toon held on for a mostly bloodless victory.
No big deal to lose this one now our premiership status for next season is assured and we must concentrate on the silverware. It was an opportunity, like the recent Charlton league game, to leapfrog a few teams we deserve to be ahead of, but it was not to be. We may well end up 15th or 16th this season and win two cups! I would certainly settle for that at this (or any) point, but so far we have won nothing and our season is in a strange limbo - success and failure separated by a very thin line.
My MOTM: Fabio Rochemback looked good, confident at last, but Boateng is our unsung talisman and deserves some credit just now.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Boro 4 Basle 1 (4-3 agg)
The greatest game played at the Riverside! We have heard that a few times this season but, speaking personally, this is it. Deflated but not totally flat following the first leg defeat in Switzerland we certainly had it all to do and set up the team with an eye to doing it. Two goals would bring us level and into extra time, three goals would win it, but an away goal from them would leave us needing four and facing an almost certain exit from our European adventure for this year. It is hard to criticise players who played every minute of the match like it was the last but we were almost too panicky at the start - looking dangerous going forward but rushing a little too much in the search for the killer pass. Ultimately this led to their break and the dreaded away goal, coming from Eduardo, one of their most promising players from the away leg.Rather than let our heads drop, however, we steeled ourselves to one hell of a battle in the run up to the final whistle and desperation seemed to lift everyone's game - it was do or die, and slowly but surely we began to do. Crucially Viduka used his sheer strength to make our pressure yield gold at last before half time - a platform to build on, even though three second half goals without reply were still required. Second half and it was all Boro as the Swiss began to run scared, sensing the fire in our bellies and banking on the odds-on likelihood of being able to shut us down before the end. Our response was to bring on a third striker in Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and go for broke. Shortly after and hope sprang eternal as Yakubu's ball put through Vids one on one with the keeper - quick sidestep and a lovely finish brought us within two with almost half an hour left. Practically every ball was ours - we camped out in their half and they remained backs to the wall. On came Massimo Maccarone to make it four strikers on the pitch, and to say I was on the edge of my seat is a monster understatement! Time ticked, nails were bitten as shot after shot was saved, deflected or missed. Just as I was cursing their man of the match, the keeper, up popped Jimmy with the cheekiest of chip / lobs from outside the area leaving him rooted and the Boro fans in ecstasy, screaming "one more" with ten minutes to go. Unbelievable stuff. Then their big centre half (who looked like Frankenstein's monster) was sent off and we were almost favourites to progress! Rochemback, Viduka, Yakubu all missed chances and the nerves were threadbare when fairytale took over and Roch's shot was parried into the bald Italian's path for a narrow angle shot... tipped, going towards goal... IN!!! At which point I ran two full circuits of the bar I was in, kissing strangers and spilling everyone's drinks!
THE most amazing comeback I have ever seen was complete - forget Liverpool in the Champs league final, this was better! I have not felt such a surge of sport related joy in years - truly magnificent!!! One late corner and an all too near miss from the visitors to give one last heart in mouth moment that would have been too cruel for words. We did it, but more importantly we deserved it - we were the best team and proved it in the hardest way. And now a semi-final with Steaua Bucharest. No fear - is our name on this cup or what?! Mustn't get carried away but with football like this how can you not? Glory that I will never forget and a match that goes straight to the top of my list of great Boro games ever. Wonderful!
My MOTM: Every man Jack of them! Talk of lack of commitment buried forever - incredible team effort.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Man City 0 Boro 1
What a story and what a season it has been for eighteen year old Lee Cattermole! No Boro fan could deny that the tears shed at the end of the 4-0 defeat by Villa and then the howls of badge-kissing joy yesterday are not exactly what every football supporter wants to see from one of its players. The entire football league are jealous of our youngsters at the moment and it is this young man's time to take the spotlight, deservedly so. Stepping in for more experienced players earning several times his wage, because of injury, Cattermole has outplayed them all. Now alongside James Morrison, he is a must pick ahead of his inconsistent seniors.The first half of this match was pretty dull, both sides struggling to get a decent chance in on the opposing keeper - City just didn't appear to be trying and Boro looked a little weary if much more willing. After the break though it was a different matter as Downing, Rochemback, Yakubu, Cattermole and Boateng all found their passing boots and began stringing together move after move. The inevitable goal came from Downing's pinpoint pass on to the head of Cattermole for a never to be forgotten debut strike. And it looked like only the beginning - a dozen or so clear cut chances for the Yak, Parnaby and notably Morrison went astray in mostly unlucky circumstances, or through the guile of David James in goal, City's best player by a street on the day.
One nil did the job though and as the boss said, let's save the goals for Thursday, we will need them. It was certainly an encouraging display second half and playing that well must give us a chance at least against the Swiss champions in the game of the season so far. Praise should go to captain Chris Riggott and stand in keeper Brad Jones for the clean sheet (his best performance all year in my opinion) - perhaps it was their performances that won this for us rather than the attackers? Still in 14th place, but level on points with Pearce's warhorses now, and still closing in on that top ten place that will allow us to be as proud as we deserve to be.
My MOTM: Who could take the occasion away from Lee Cattermole? Effort, enthusiasm, toughness, determination and now finishing - good on you, lad!!!
