Boro Power Past McClaren's Derby

Middlesbrough    2        Derby    0

                           Bamford  6    Leadbitter (Pen)  63

 

 

Steve McClaren said he rued the decision not to re-sign Patrick Bamford at the end of last season; it took just six minutes for everyone at the Riverside to see why.

Bamford has now scored 6 goals in 7 games

Bamford, still owned by parent club Chelsea but on loan at Middlesbrough, is in the form of his life and has now scored six in his last seven games. He struck again as Boro knocked McLaren’s Derby off their perch at the top of the Championship and extend their unbeaten record to eight games.

Boro captain Grant Leadbitter added a second from the penalty spot after Derby defender Ryan Shotton was sent off. That followed Bamford’s first half strike which opened the scoring, but this was far from a one or even two man show from Aitor Karanka’s side who strung together an ominous team performance to move top of the Championship after the lunch time kick off.

Derby were the league leaders coming into this game, the second highest scorers in the division, yet they barely had a sniff at the Boro goal. Their top goal scorer Chris Martin had more moans at the referee than touches in the opposition penalty area that was largely down Boro’s compact shape which rarely broke down.

Overall the hosts didn’t see much of the ball and the stats may suggest Derby dominated with 61% possession. However most of that was spent in the visitors own half as Boro pressed from the front, won the ball back in dangerous areas and counter attacked sharply, in truth it could have been more than two.

Karanka made just one change from the team which crushed Millwall at the New Den last weekend. Ben Gibson replaced Kenneth Omeruo in the heart of defence as the Boro manager stuck with the 4-4-2 formation which allows Bamford and Jelle Vossen to start together upfront.

Former Boro manager McLaren also made just the single change from the Derby side which prevailed 3-0 at home to Brighton, captain Richard Keogh returned at centre half replacing Jake Buxton.

As the league leaders Derby tried to stamp their authority on the match from the kick-off, nevertheless it was Boro who scored with their first genuine attack.

With six minutes gone Leadbitter won possession inside opposition territory and fed the ball to Vossen whose path to goal was halted by a Derby challenge. That wasn’t the end. Reach was first to the loose ball and drove to the by-line, his cut back to Bamford was inviting and Boro’s in form striker accepted the invitation to stroke the ball low into the far corner.    

Spirits were up but work had to be done to channel the following Derby pressure. In the middle of the park Leadbitter and Adam Clayton were making up for the visitors extra man in midfield, while up top Bamford and Vossen were working equally as hard to pin the opposition back.

In the 27^th minute Boro received the chance to go further ahead. Bamford was released through on goal, from a tight angle his shot was palmed away by Derby goalkeeper Lee Grant who then made an even more impressive save to deny Vossen’s follow up.

Clear cut chances were rare and Boro’s only other effort came on the stroke of half time when Emilo Nsue’s deflected shot needed Grant to intervene. There was still time for Derby to come up with their first shot on target when a lapse in Boro’s back line allowed Jeff Hendrick to shoot but Dimi Konstantopulos saved comfortably.

At half time McClaren made a double change allowing Derby to go 4-4-2. Leon Best was introduced to act as an extra striker as Omar Mascarell made way; on the left Jordan Ibe replaced Simon Dawkins.

Immediately the game was a much more open affair with the chances falling Boro’s way. Reach looped a header just wide before the winger’s cross caused chaos in the Derby penalty area. Vossen then had an effort blocked before Grant saved Bamford’s shot on the rebound.

They came even closer when Grant kept out Daniel Ayala’s glancing header on 58 minutes however it wasn’t long Boro landed the knockout blow. Bamford broke clear inside the Derby penalty area and prepared to shoot, in an attempt to stop him Shotton got nowhere near the ball with a late challenge which earned him a straight red card and left his team facing a Leadbitter penalty which the Boro skipper smashed past Grant.

Bamford nearly added a deserved second when he turned Albert Adomah’s low cross goal bound only to be denied by another specular save from Grant. That proved to be his last contribution as he was replaced by Kike with 18 minutes to go, a standing ovation was well deserved as was the one for Vossen who made way for Yanic Wildchut moments later.

Derby could have set up a nervy finish with four minutes to go when Ibe cut the ball back to Craig Bryson forcing Konstatopulos into action, but this was Boro’s day “We are top of the league” was the chant at full time. For a few hours at least.

Player Ratings      

Dimi Konstantopulos   7- Made two saves when he had to, not much to do

George Friend   6.5- Russell caused him problems in the first half

Daniel Ayala   7.5- Commanding figure at the back

Ben Gibson   6.5- Got caught in possession a few times but got away with it

Emilo Nsue   7- Had little problem defensively and got forward well in the second half  

Grant Leadbitter (C)  8.5- Picked up the loose ball and made up for Derby’s extra midfielder   

Adam Clayton   8.5- Battled tirelessly in midfield, put in challenge after challenge

Adam Reach   7.5 caused problems on the left all game

Albert Adomah   6.5- Quiet at times came alive more in the second half

Patrick Bamford   8.5- Now scored 6 in 7, a handful all game

Jelle Vossen   7.5- Defended from the front and was sharp on the counter

Subs

Kike   6.5- Came on for last 18 minutes held the ball up well  

Yanic Wildchut – came on for the last 12 minutes not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: Grant Leadbitter

 

 

Bitter Taste For Boro

Middlesbrough    1        Blackburn    1

Bamford  82                                                          Gestede  90+5 

 

 

 

It’s no secret that refereeing decisions can change games, make seasons or ruin promotion campaigns, the fact of the matter is if you’re good enough the odd bad call here or there shouldn’t make a difference. Aitor Karanka will hope that is the case.



Gestede converts a Blackburn equaliser

The two points his Boro side dropped on Saturday afternoon at home to Blackburn were far from fatal to their promotion aspirations, nevertheless too many and a position in the top two could slowly drift away.

Denied a late penalty last week at Wigan, undone seven days later by a Blackburn equaliser which looked more like a karate move than a Championship football match, all that was missing was the black belt to go with it. No wonder Karanka’s calm demeanour was briefly unrecognisable.  


The Boro manager was sent to the stands by referee Mark Clattenburg following Rude Gestede’s stoppage time goal, which left Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos in a heap and Boro without a win in three league games.

The hosts looked to be heading for three hard earned points when Patrick Bamford’s strike eight minutes from time finally broke the band of Blackburn resistance; it wasn’t until the dying seconds of the game when the wheels fell off.

With a last gasp corner the visitors packed the Boro box where Konstantopulos appeared to be clobbered by Blackburn substitute Chris Brown. No foul given, Gestede fired home and with emotions running high things boiled out of hand, in the dugout and in the crowd.

“I want to apologise for my behaviour,” said Karanka. “I was very frustrated, and I will fight for this club until the last seconds, but I want to apologise.

“You can imagine my frustration because no one saw the foul. I was asked immediately afterwards if I had seen it and I said I didn’t need to. My keeper was on the treatment table to so I didn’t need to see it. He took a kick on the hip.

“My players had been fighting for 94 minutes and we had the three points in our hands – then they were taken from our hands by other people”.

Anyone who has followed Karanka over his past year will know he’s not one for excuses or hammering referees, he will only comment if he feels there is a strong case.

Like at Wigan last week there probably was.  However you can’t help feeling these referring decisions have allowed people to paper over the cracks. Boro were poor at the DW stadium last weekend, and didn’t exactly burst out of the blocks against Blackburn or take their chance to box the ball in the corner and run the clock down.

For a team currently in the top six and two points off the top, they still appear to lack the confidence to really get at teams from the off. Nevertheless in Boro’s defence they were the better team in this one and could easily have had four or five if it wasn’t for Blackburn keeper  Simon Eastwood whose second half heroics kept the visitors afloat.

Karanka made five changes from the side which started at Wigan a week ago, Adam Clayton was suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card so Dean Whitehead came into midfield.

Elsewhere Ryan Fredericks and Kenneth Omeruo returned in defence replacing Emilo Nsue and Ben Gibson. Bamford’s goal at the DW stadium earned him a start on the left, while Jelle Vossen replaced Kike upfront, the Spanish striker dropped to the bench alongside Adam Reach.

Blackburn boss Gary Bower made two changes from the team which started Rovers victory at Leeds. Jason Steele on loan from Boro was ineligible to play so Eastwood received his chance. Tom Cairney was sent off in that game so Ryan Tunnicliffe replaced him.

Before the game the crowd of over 18,000 welcomed back Boro legend Juninho, his intervention would have been more than welcome in a bog-standard first half.

Rovers’ strike force contained the potent duo of Gestede and Jordan Rhodes and the pair looked a potential handful in the early exchanges. Nevertheless it was the hosts who came closest to breaking the deadlock, Grant Leadbitter had long range efforts saved by Eastwood, minutes later Bamford tied his luck and Vossen was inches away from turning the rebound home.

Vossen, who is yet to resister for Boro, must currently feel like a man who can’t even buy a goal. He had two more efforts saved by Eastwood before the break as Boro began to assert themselves. Before the interval Daniel Ayala glanced over a Leadbittrer corner before Bamford tested the Blackburn keeper once again.    

The only negative for the hosts came in the shape of an injury to Fredericks who was forced off minutes before the interval, as predicted Nsue took his place. Despite a bright start Rovers had created very little in front of goal, Rhodes’ attempted overhead kick was comfortably saved by Konstantopulos, that aside they rarely threatened.

After the restart Boro quickly flicked through the gears. Five minutes after half time Tomlin found Bamford inside the area whose low effort forced Eastwood back into action, that however had nothing on the save moments later when Friend hit an inviting first time cross from the left.  In the middle Vossen looked poised to score and hit the target with a close range header, somehow Eastwood kept it out.

In a more open second half Blackburn also threatened to open the scoring, Ben Marshall forced a full stretch fingertip save from Konstantoplos to his left before Gestede’s header required a more comfortable save.  

Eastwood continued to have the match of his life, his next act a low save with his feet to deny Nsue who connected well with a right foot volley. Tomlin was next to try his luck from range but again the keeper matched the effort.

With seventeen minutes to go Karanka introduced Kike in place of Vossen, on the other side of the dugout Bower brought on Craig Conway for Rhodes.

With eight minutes left Eastwood was finally beaten, Rovers failed to fully clear a cross into the box and on the edge of the area the ball fell to Bamford who lashed the ball goal bound, a deflection off a Blackburn defender made sure the ball found its way in.

Cue euphoria, three points and Boro would be joint top. As it finished they ended up fifth. With the last kick of the game a Blackburn corner caused havoc, appeals for a foul were turned down and an equaliser followed. Referee Clattenburg was booed off the pitch but the decision wasn’t going to change.

Player Ratings  

Dimi Konstantopulos   6.5- Had little to do before the goal, unfortunate not to get foul

George Friend   6.5- Provided width on the left  

Daniel Ayala   7.5- Prepared to put his head where it hurts and came off with some bruises for it

Kenneth Omeruo   7.5- Returned to the team with little fuss

Ryan Fredericks   6- Replaced before half time due to injury

Dean Whitehead   7- Kept it simple rarely gave the ball away

Grant Leadbitter   7-Thretened a few times from corners

Albert Adomah   5.5- Looked lost and out of position for most of the afternoon

Patrick Bamford   8- Cut inside well from the right and was Boro’s main threat

Lee Tomlin   7- Dropped deep and played some creative passes  

Jelle Vossen   6.5- Can’t buy a goal at the minute, his potential and hunger showed though. Unlucky

Subs

Emilo Nsue   6.5- Got forward from right back well, crossing was dangerous

Kike   5.5- Came on for the last 17 minutes and work rate appeared to be lacking

Ben Gibson- Came on for the last 4 minutes can’t give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: Patrick Bamford

ATP World Tour Finals Day 3 - Murray Keeps Hopes Alive

On Sunday it looked like Andy Murray’s busy schedule to reach the ATP World Tour finals had finally caught up with him, two days and a victory later he appears a man reformed.

After a disappointing defeat to Kei Nishikori in his opening group B match, Murray simply had to beat Canadian Milos Raonic to stand a chance of reaching Saturday's semi final, thankfully for the home fans the Brit delivered and still has a chance of qualifying from the group when he faces Roger Federer on Thursday.   

Relief for Murray after his crucial victory

With the permutations still up in the air Murray’s potential route to the last four remains unclear There is a scenario where Murray could beat the Swiss maestro and not qualify, likewise there is one where he could lose his final match and still progress depending on the result between Raonic and Nishikori. That however is a job for a mathematician, Murray can only let his tennis do the talking and that’s exactly what he did.

He cut out the unforced errors, dominated from the baseline and ultimately wrapped up the match in straight sets with a 6-3 7-5 victory which lasted 1 hour 31 minutes.

At times Raonic was his own worst ememy as a number of errors contributed to the Canadian’s downfall, nevertheless that shouldn’t be counted against Murray who was timing the ball much better than he had done against Nishikori and produced an all-round neater display.


Lets not forget Murray arrives in London in good form with titles from Shenzhen, Vienna and Valencia. His attacks were measured and precise as he soaked up the Raonic pressure, his serve rarely faltered, perhaps the most important aspect of this performance is that his hunger for success is still be burning strong.

     

In his pre-match press conference Raonic gave the impression of a nervous character and just like in his match against Federer the Canadian was vulnerable in the early stages. His monstrous first serve may be a real asset when it’s on song however when its only dwindling around the 30% mark it can quickly backfire.

Two break points came and went for Murray in the fourth game; nevertheless he regrouped two games later, reapplied the pressure and Raonic quickly buckled.

Murray broke to lead 4-2 and unlike in his previous match cemented with a comfortable hold. He closed out a tidy and efficient set by 6 games to 3, receiving a roaring ovation from the 02 crowd in the process.

The Brit then appeared to have struck the killer blow when he broke Raonic again to lead 2-1 in the second however in the next game his serve let up for the first time and the Canadian punished him to draw level.

At 5-5 Murray pounced again, digging two spectacular backhands out of his immense armoury which allowed him to serve for the match. Raonic threatened to spoil an almost perfect victory however Murray was able to close out proceeding and get his tournament back on track.

 

 

ATP World Tour Finals Days 1 and 2 - Wawrikna And Djokovic Set The Standard

Only the top eight players in the world are accepted in the season ending ATP world tour finals, however yesterday’s action felt more like the opening week of a Grand Slam rather than a showdown between the very best.

Djokovic made light work of Cilic in the second match of the day

It took less than an hour for both Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic to claim their opening victories in a ruthless fashion, the two opening matches from Group B didn’t exactly support the argument that strength in depth in the men’s game is stronger than ever, not that the two victors will care their tennis alone should be enough of an attraction. 

Wawrinka, this year’s Australian Open champion, spent less than an hour on court as he brushed aside Czech Tomas Berdych 6-1 6-1. That was followed by an equally impressive performance from the world number one Djokovic who dismissed US Open champion Marin Cilic by the same score line.

Some will no doubt point to the slow indoor courts which are supposed to favour the better movers and hinder the big servers. Of course that will be no consolation to either Berdych or Cilic; both were well and truly outplayed and can have few excuses.

Nevertheless, the beauty of this particular tennis event is the unique format which splits the eight top players into two groups of four, before the top two from each progress.

That means despite their early defeats Berdych and Cilic can still qualify, as can home favourite Andy Murray who lost his opening Group A match in straight sets falling 6-4 6-4 to Kei Nishikori in Sunday’s opener. 

Even so the British number one must surely have to beat Canada’s Milos Raonic in tonight’s second match to stand any sort of realistic chance. Like Murray, Raonic failed to take a set in his opening match, losing 6-1 7-6(0) to a potent looking Roger Federer.

Murray can take some positives from the 6ft5 Canadian’s nervy start against Federer, which clearly cost him on his first appearance at this event. However in previous meetings its Raonic who leads by three matches to one and will no doubt be a dangerous opponent.

In today’s other match Federer will go up against Nishikori, where the winner will take a huge step towards booking their place in one of Sunday’s semi-finals, with Federer looking for an unprecedented 7th title at the end of season championships.

 

Goalless Draw Keeps Boro In Touch At The Top

Middlesbrough    0        Bournemouth    0

 

 

It is often the case when two in form sides at the top of the table meet and end up cancelling each other out, begging the question what was all the hype was about?

Boro’s 0-0 draw with Bournemouth was built up as the Championship’s game of the day, as 2^nd hosted 1^st at the Riverside. However in the final assessment of a match with few goal scoring opportunities it was a game both sides saw as a must not lose rather than a must win.

Lee Tomlin Couldn't work his magic to open the scoring 

It means that managers Aitor Karanka and Eddie Howe can now go into next week’s international break knowing their sides have lost little ground in the race at the top of the table. Derby’s 5-0 over Wolves may have moved them to the summit; nevertheless both Boro and Bournemouth remain well placed only one point back.

Boro came into this game off the back of an impressive 4-0 victory over Norwich on Tuesday night; Karanka opted to make two changes from that game with Yanic Wildschut and Adam Reach replacing Kike and Albert Adomah who both dropped to the bench. That meant Patrick Bamford moved in from the right into the lone striker position in Karanka’s preferred 4-2-3-1.     

Bournemouth were also full of confidence after winning their last six league games, with Howe picking up the October manager of the month award along the way. Their team showed one change from the side which beat Sheffield Wednesday in mid-week with Yann Kermogant coming in for Brett Pitman.

Even before kick-off the magnitude of this match was clear to see with 22,930 fans present at the Riverside to watch the league’s top two teams. A traditional minutes silence was held prior to the match to remember those who lost their lives at war; its ending prompted a roaring applause and so it began.

Boro were spurred on to a fast start by the home fans in a lively atmosphere, however it took until the ninth minute for them to test Bournemouth keeper Artur Boruc when Lee Tomlin’s promising run lacked a prolific finish.

The visitors responded when Kermogant turned a cross from the left hand side towards the Boro goal but his effort was right at keeper Dimi Konstantopulos. Things may have been different if Reach’s well struck effort had found the back of the Bournemouth net, however the Boro winger could only watch as his shot from range rebounded off the cross-bar.

The midfield stalemate continued as Boro’s central duo of Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton found themselves in an ongoing battle with Bournemouth’s Harry Arter and Andrew Surman.

Another run from Tomlin got bums off seats in anticipation but this time his shot was blocked. A spell of Bournemouth pressure followed, first Matt Ritchie forced Konstantopulos to make an impressive save, tipping the ball over his own cross bar. From the resulting corner Surman’s shot deflected off Bamford and looked for a second as if it was going in for an own goal instead it drifted over the bar.

At half time Karanka withdrew the peripheral figure of Wildschut to introduce Kike, who moved into the centre forward role with Bamford switching to the right.

However the move appeared to have little impact, eight minutes after the re-start Leadbitter could only clear the ball as far as Bournemouth’s top scorer Callum Wilson but the player who was recently awarded the Championship’s player of the month could only scoop the opportunity over into the jeering Boro fans.

Goal scoring chances were now a rarity, as the battle to gain the upper hand went on.  Clayton, who had received a booking in the first half, escaped a second yellow card following a foul near the centre circle, the Boro midfielder had put in a worthy performance but Karanka did have Dean Whitehead on the bench and it must have crossed his mind.

Instead the Boro manager brought on Adomah in place of Bamford, who was beginning to struggle out on the right hand side. Moments later Bournemouth winger Marc Pugh was allowed to turn and shoot on the half volley, the effort bounced awkwardly but Konstantopulos smothered it with ease.

With ten minutes to go Karanka used his final substitution as Jelle Vossen replaced Tomlin. Likewise Howe threw on Pitman and Ryan Fraser to try and steal the game, nevertheless it remained goalless and despite not offering much as a spectacle it’s a result which keeps the points total rolling.

Player Rating   

Dimi Konstantopulos   7- Reliable when called upon but wasn’t tested much

 

Ryan Fredericks   7.5- Always gives Boro an outlet going forward and defends well

Ben Gibson   7.5- Won the majority of headers and came out on top of battle with Wilson

Daniel Ayala   7.5- Came out to win the ball on numerous occasions

George Friend   6.5- Wasn’t his best game, struggled to make his usual impact

Grant Leadbitter (C)   7- Gave his usual 100%

Adam Clayton   8- Rarely gave away possession, all-round strong performance in midfield

Yanic Wildschut   5- Didn’t take his chance looked lost on the wing before being subbed at half time

Adam Reach   6- A few good efforts but wasn’t a regular threat

Lee Tomlin   7- Looked like he could be the difference with moments of class but his final shot sometimes let him down

Patrick Bamford   6- Worked hard upfront in the first half, struggled when he moved to the left

Subs

Kike   5.5- Didn’t have a major impact after coming on at half time

Albert Adomah   6- Came on with 20 minutes to go, a few promising runs

Jelle Vossen – Came on with 10 minutes to go, not enough time to give a fair rating

 

My Boro Man Of The Match: Adam Clayton

Boro Crush Canaries To Go Second

Middlesbrough    4        Norwich    0

                     Bamford  5    Leadbitter  33 (Pen), 69

                                    Wildschut  85 

Middlesbrough laid down the gauntlet to the rest of the Championship with an eye-opening 4-0 victory over promotion rivals Norwich, a result which moves Aitor Karanka’s side up to second in the league and sets up a top of the table clash with 1^st place Bournemouth on Saturday.

Patrick Bamford celebrates the opening goal

After Patrick Bamford got the ball rolling with a close range header, Boro captain Grant Leadbitter notched his league goal tally up to eight with two contrasting goals, his first a calm finish from the penalty spot his second a swooping header over Norwich keeper John Ruddy. Substitute Yanic Wildschut added a fourth to round off an emphatic win

With only 16 games gone it’s still far too early to start thinking about any promotion celebrations; however this was clear evidence that Karanka’s side can do more than just go toe to toe with one of the early season favourites, it was evidence they have the ability to take them apart.

Norwich are no pushovers and this time last year were holding their own in the Premier league, nevertheless Boro had drained the energy from their opponents by half time and in the second half, hung them out to dry for all of the Championship to see.

The Canaries could point to the awarding of harsh looking penalty when Russell Martin collided with George Friend inside the visitors box before Leadbitter made it 2-0. Manager Neil Adams gave no excuses though saying “We got what we deserved. It was not good enough at all” He was right and after a bright start the Norwich heads soon dropped after half time.

Contrastingly Karakna was understandingly upbeat but wary of any premature celebrations "We have very good players and a very good squad. We are in a very good way but these kind of games cannot confuse us into thinking everything is done” Said the Boro manager after the match “I am very happy and very pleased but we want to keep our feet on the ground. We would like to be in this position in May."

The Boro team showed three changes from the side that started in the 3-0 victory over Rotherham on Saturday. Ryan Fredericks returned at right back in place of Emilo Nsue who dropped to the bench, he was joined by Wildschut and Adam Reach with Albert Adomah returning on the right and Lee Tomlin in behind the striker. That meant Bamford moved out to the left with Kike upfront.

Norwich were unchanged from the side which won 2-1 at home to Bolton last time out, Cameron Jerome scored twice in that game and remained the lone frontman. Ex-Boro midfielder Gary O’Neil also started in the centre of midfield.

Nevertheless the hosts were in front inside five minutes, following an energetic start. Kike released Adomah down the left channel, from there the Ghanaian international picked out Bamford in the Norwich box, who managed to steer his low header beyond Ruddy.    

The goal came just after Boro right back Ryan Fredericks had fired over the bar from the edge of the area, however in the following exchanges it was Norwich who created the better openings

Nathan Redmond was particularly lively on the visitors left, with 9 minutes gone he cut inside to shoot but Daniel Ayala was on hand to block to effort. The pressure didn’t stop there, and Norwich continued to press high up the pitch, pinning Boro back.

O’Neil came closest to levelling the scoring on 12 minutes when he played a neat give and go on the edge of the Boro box, the resulting shot forced Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos to make a low save. Jerome and Kyle Lafferty also had chances but were wasteful and off target.

Boro battled on, and when the chance to launch a counter attack arose they took it. Kike was again involved, this time finding Friend on the overlap in the visitor’s box; he appeared to be going nowhere when he tangled with Martin but referee Nigel Miller pointed to the spot and Leadbitter coolly converted.  

Two could have become three before half time with Boro now on top. The best of the chances fell to Kike whose close range shot was blocked; nevertheless the home fans were more than grateful for a 2-0 advantage at half time.

A tactical chance at the break saw Adams bring on Gary Hooper for Alex Tettey switching to a 4-4-2. It wasn’t long before Karanka responded three minutes after the restart with the introduction of Reach who replaced Adomah.

The next goal was significant, but after the interval it appeared the canaries’ energy had deserted them. Jerome fired wide again for the visitors, at the other end Ayala headed Reach’s cross over the bar.

It was at that point Boro stepped up proceedings, Leadbitter’s long range effort brushed the side netting before a cleared Boro corner fell to Fredericks on the edge of the box, the full back’s low effort required Ruddy to turn the shot wide.

On 69 minutes Boro made the decisive move. Karanka had just brought on Wildschut in place of Kike and Norwich were still readjusting. Then came the moment of real quality for Boro’s third, a delicate ball from Tomlin over the Norwich defence picked out Leadbitter ,who had broken from midfield, the Boro skipper’s looping header caught Ruddy in no-man’s land and put a seal on the result.

The icing on the cake would have been a first Boro goal for Jelle Vossen who replaced Bamford with 15 minutes to go. Boro’s fourth came ten minutes later when Ruddy dropped Leadbitter’s corner and Wildschut poked the ball home.

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopulos   8- Not overly tested but made key saves when he had to and was comfortable when coming for crosses     

George Friend   8- Stayed disciplined defensively and added option going forward

Ben Gibson   7- Overall solid, gave a few long balls away in the first half

Daniel Ayala   7.5- Boro’s first choice centre half barely put a foot wrong

Ryan Fredericks   7.5- His consistent performances are becoming expected another strong display

Adam Clayton   7.5- Looked to be struggling in the first half but became Boro’s unsung hero working hard in midfield

Grant Leadbitter   9- Fought for control in midfield and never let it go, two goals were a fitting reward 

Albert Adomah   6.5- Played major role in the first goal, subbed after half time

Patrick Bamford   8- Added third league goal of the season, movement was a problem for Norwich

Lee Tomlin   7.5- possessed moments of magic in the final third which helped unlock the Norwich backline

Kike   7- Battled well against the Norwich centre backs but missed a few opportunities

Subs

Adam Reach   7- disciplined performance after coming on after half time

Yanic Wildchut   7- Scored second goal in as many games and added pace on the wing

Jelle Vossen - Came on with 15 minutes to go, not enough time to give a fair rating 

 

My Boro Man Of The Match: Grant Leadbitter

Honours Even

Middlesbrough    1        Watford    1

   Kike  49                                                      Deeney  60

 

 

There are two ways Aitor Karanka could view Middlesbrough’s 1-1 draw against Watford, but whether the Spaniard decides to praise the team who were good value for their 1-0 lead, or criticize the side that surrendered it will be an interesting dilemma.     

After taking a deserved lead through Kike’s finish minutes after half time, Boro could count themselves fortunate to escape with a point after substitute Troy Deeney levelled the score. That was followed by a frantic few minutes in which the visitors hit the post and forced Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos to make a fingertip save.  



Troy Deeney rescues a point for Watford  

Nonetheless in the overall assessment both managers should see this as a valuable point gained in what is shaping up to be a tight Championship season. Watford remain second only behind leaders Derby on goal difference, Boro may have slipped from third to fifth however they still sit just two points away from the top spot.

Karanka made four changes from the Boro side which lost 2-0 at Wolves in mid-week, captain Grant Leadbitter was suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season so Adam Clayton took his place in midfield. Elsewhere Kike, Lee Tomlin and Ben Gibson all returned as Jelle Vossen, Adam Reach and Kenneth Omeruo dropped to the bench.

Watford were forced to make a change minutes before kick off after goalkeeper  Heurelho Gomes was injured in the warm up, Jonathan Bond was his replacement. The visitors only other change from their 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest last time out saw Almen Abdi make way for Ikechi Anya.

In the opening exchanges it took Boro a while to adjust to the visitor’s flexible system which appeared to flicker from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2, there were even signs of the traditional 4-4-2, with minimum fuss.

However it wasn’t long before Boro found their rhythm and began to pick holes in the visitors’ formation, not least down the left hand side where George Friend was finding acres of space and being allowed to cross in dangerous areas.

The visitors came close when Dániel Tozser’s low shot was deflected wide, however that aside it was Boro who were creating the majority of chances, with Patrick Bamford and Albert Adomah having shots blocked before Friend’s low drive was turned goal bound by Kike forcing Bond into an instinctive save.

Friend continued to be Boro’s main outlet on the left and regularly had the beating of Watford full back Juan Carlos Paredes, with half an hour gone the Boro man flashed a low cross along the penalty area but it lacked a finishing touch, moments later his cross was met by Kike who headed over.

Watford didn’t threaten again until the 33^rd minute when Matej Vydra weaved his way into a shooting position and struck a low effort which required Konstantopulos to react quickly and turn it round the post.

After the break Boro appeared to pick up where they left off and continued to find joy in wide areas. This time it was the other full back Ryan Fredericks whose shot was just off target after some clever play on the edge of the visitors’ box.

Nevertheless Boro went ahead on 49 minutes. Fredericks was again involved cutting inside to find Adam Clayton, who then released Bamford in the left hand side of the Watford penalty area, finally he squared the ball to Kike and the Spanish striker made no mistake in tucking the ball home from close range.

One could have quickly become two when Bamford’s good work left him through on goal however his shot was straight at Bond. Minutes later the hosts were nearly made to pay when a ball into their own penalty was only half cleared, however on the rebound Vydra’s shot sailed over the bar.

Despite that let off Boro appeared to have lost confidence and were gradually being forced back towards their own goal. With an hour gone they paid the price when Anya picked up possession in a dangerous position on the left, his cut back found substitute Deeney who dispatched the chance first time.

Six minutes later Keith Andrews, another Watford sub, had a shot blocked for a corner, two minutes after that centre back Joel Ekstrand flicked a header onto Konstantopulos’ far post as Boro hung on.

Karanka introduced Reach and Vossen late on but neither side could snatch a winner, Fredericks’ cross picked out Kike who failed to hit the target before an ambitious volley from Tomlin was deflected wide. At the other end Tozser’s low free kick had to be pushed wide by the fingertips of Konstantopulos. In the end a draw was probably a fair result.  

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopulos   7- Could do little about the goal and made some important saves when required

George Friend   8- Got forward to good effect in the first half and was Boro’s main outlet

Ben Gibson   6- At times a little indecisive when clearing the ball

Daniel Ayala   6.5- Has become Boro’s first choice centre half and living up to it

Ryan Fredericks   7.5- Found more space in the second half and exploited it well

Dean Whitehead   6.5- Shielded the back four, dropped a little deep after Boro’s goal

Adam Clayton   6.5- Battled hard in congested midfield, played a few probing passes   

Albert Adomah   6- Didn’t have a major impact on the game, had to spend most of time helping in the middle of midfield   

Patrick Bamford   6.5- Made a few intelligent runs and set up the goal

Lee Tomlin   6.5- Dropped deep on a number of occasions and played some decent balls forward

Kike   6.5- Took chance for the goal but passed up a few opportunities

Subs

Adam Reach   6.5- Provided extra energy with 18 minutes to go

Jelle Vossen – Only on for the last 8 minutes not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match : George Friend

Six Unbeaten

Middlesbrough    2        Fulham    0

                                    Reach  46    Adomah  82

 

 

Adam Reach and Albert Adomah cost Middlesbrough twelve times less than what Fulham paid for summer signing Ross McCormack, but on this occasion money didn’t buy success.



Boro’s 2-0 victory at the Riverside on Saturday may not have been as easy or straight forward as the score line suggests, however it does conclude that Aitor Karanka’s Boro will occupy a place in the top six going into next week’s international break.

Adam Reach Puts Boro Ahead After Half Time



Second half goals from Reach, a graduate from Boro’s youth academy, and Adomah a £1 million signing from Bristol City last year, proved the difference in a hard-fought Championship win over manager-less Fulham, who remain in the bottom three following a disappointing start.

The visitors were dangerous, nothing that you wouldn’t expect from a side relegated from the Premier League last year and at times Boro rode their luck a little. Yet at the back Fulham looked a little soft centred, going forward the Boro’s defence always seemed to have them in check.  

Karanka opted to make four changes following Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Blackpool with George Friend and Kenneth Omeruo returning to the back four in place of Ben Gibson and James Husband. Adomah was back from a suspension and replaced Emmanuel Ledesma while Kike was prepared as the lone striker over Jelle Vossen who started on the bench and Patrick Bamford who didn’t.

Fulham had made a slow start to the new season but came into this match off the back of two wins in a row. They were unchanged from the side which thrashed Bolton 4-0 in mid-week, with £12 million striker Ross McCormack leading the line alongside Hugo Rodallega, Scott Parker and Bryan Ruiz were also included .

It was the hosts who carved out the first real chance of note. Spanish striker Kike started the move when he fed the ball out to Ryan Fredericks on the right, his following cross picked out Adomah inside the penalty area who flicked the ball onto the inside post with Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli well beaten.

For the remainder of the first half the majority of Boro’s attacks came down the opposite side through Reach and George Friend. With 20 minutes gone Reach beat his full back before squaring the ball to Kike in the box, his shot was on target however a deflection off a Fulham defender took any sort of sting out of it.

Despite Boro’s chances it was the visitors who were dominating possession, with Karakna’s side spending large periods camped in their own half. At times it was frustrating for the home supporters that their side weren’t imposing themselves on the game, nevertheless Fulham weren’t creating many clear cut chances and emotions stayed in check.

Fulham’s best chance came when McCormack dinked a ball through to Rodallega, but Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos was quick off his line to collect the loose ball. The host’s continued to create a few chances on the break; the most memorable when Reach’s cross evaded Kike ten minutes before half time, though in truth it was a half with few opportunities and was a match which could only improve as a spectacle.

45 seconds after half time it did. For the first time in the match Boro put pressure on the Fulham defence and in the blink of an eye it cracked. Direct from the kick-off the hosts quickly found Adomah on the right hand side, his cross was met by a weak attempt at an overhead kick from Lee Tomlin; however the ball fell nicely for Reach who reacted quickest to poke the ball home.

A second nearly followed for the Boro winger when his header, from another Adomah cross, rebounded off the far post, his first goal hadn’t even been announced on the tannoy.

A second goal would have been a welcome buffer for Boro fans and with half an hour to go it soon became a real backs against the wall job. With 60 minutes gone Fulham defender Tim Hoogland hit the cross bar from a corner, five minutes later Rodallega squandered a glorious opening firing a volley into the stands when he was through on goal.

Karanka did his best to try and weather the storm with Vossen replacing Tomlin however the chances continued to fall the visitor’s way. With 18 minutes to go the Boro penalty area went on red alert due to chaotic goal mouth scramble. The ball finally fell to Lasse Christensen whose shot required a spectacular goal line clearance from Daniel Ayala to maintain Boro’s advantage.

The visitors went close again when McCormack’s free kick demanded a virtuous save from Konstantopulos. The anxious finish was spared eight minutes from time when Vossen released Adomah on the counter attack, after a well worked one- two deep inside the Fulham half the Ghanaian international finish the move and in many ways the match with a neat finish.

Vossen was unlucky not to mark the day with his first Boro goal, his closest effort being a late header which was cleared off the line. However in the bigger picture this was a strong result for Karanka’s side against a team slowly growing in confidence. The international break provides another chance to regroup before they go again at Brighton in a fortnight’s time.

Player Ratings    

Dimi Konstantopulos   7.5- Made some important saves a key moments, never lacking confidence

Ryan Fredericks   7.5- Another tidy game at right back defensively very sound

Daniel Ayala   8.5- Literally put his body on the line, won headers and gave an all-round good performance

Kenneth Omeruo   7.5- Gave McCormack and Rodallega very little

George Friend   7.5- Slotted nicely back into the side, got forward at times but most of his work was defensive

Grant Leadbitter (C)   7.5- Did a lot of the dirty work in midfield which sometimes goes unnoticed

Adam Clayton   7- Played some decent passes across midfield, imposed himself more in the second half

Albert Adomah   8- Great going forward, questions defensively but in the end proved the match winner

Adam Reach   8.5- Crossing was a threat, appeared regularly in the box and added a goal to his name

Lee Tomlin   6- Struggled to hold the ball up run at the Fulham back line

Kike   7.5- Link up play improved and produced clear play to set up the second goal

Subs

Jelle Vossen   6.5- Unlucky not to score on numerous occasions

Dean Whitehead - Came on with 7 minutes to go not enough time to give a fair rating   

Emilo Nsue- Came on in stoppage time not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match : Daniel Ayala

Miller Back To Bite Boro

Middlesbrough    1        Blackpool    1

Ayala  19                                                         Miller  25

 

 

Ishmal Miller scored just four times at the Riverside when on loan at Boro two seasons ago; if only he’d had more nights like the one on Tuesday his career on Teesside may not have been so short lived.
 

The 27 year old striker returned to his old club as the pantomime villain and in the end it was no surprise when he popped up to score his first goal for new club Blackpool and deny Aitor Karanka’s side two valuable points in a 1-1 draw.

Boro had looked comfortable after taking the lead through Daniel Ayala’s 19th minute header, but after being pegged back six minutes later this suddenly appeared a game too far for a side who a week earlier were preparing for penalties at Anfield.



Ishmal Miller after his first ever Blackpool goal

Even so that was no excuse and Karanka had made five changes to the side which played out a 0-0 draw at Charlton on Saturday. At the back Ryan Fredericks, on loan from Tottenham, and Ben Gibson both returned while James Husband was handed his first league start for Boro at left back, as George Friend was rotated to the bench.

After being rested at The Valley captain Grant Leadbitter came back into the heart of midfield, Albert Adomah was sent off in that game and therefore suspended so Emmanuel Ledesma received his chance on the left of midfield.

Blackpool, the only side in the Championship without a win, were unfortunate not pick up any points at home to Norwich on Saturday, they made three changes from the team which started in that 3-1 defeat with Andrea Orlandi, Jeffrey Rentmeister and Edu Oriol replacing Francios Zoko, Nile Ranger and John Lundstram.

There was a first return to the Riverside for former Boro player and Blackpool captain Tony McMahon who received a warm reception from both sets of fans, his teammate Miller didn’t share the same ovation. Before the match Leadbitter was presented with Boro’s Ramsdems’ player of the month award, his goals against Huddersfield and Brentford will live long in the memory.

Karanka appeared to have reverted back to his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation after making alterations in previous games. With Kike on the bench and Jelle Vossen currently nursing a hamstring problem, Patrick Bamford took on the role as the lone striker with Lee Tomlin playing just behind him.

The early signs were encouraging for the hosts and it didn’t take them long to test what looked like a susceptible Blackpool defence. Within in two minutes Ledesma had cut in from the left hand side before his shot stung the palms of Blackpool keeper Joe Lewis.

On Boro’s left Reach was giving McMahon nightmares on his return, however it was a set piece from which they finally took the lead on nineteen minutes. Leadbitter’s direct free kick was cleared out as far as Ledesma who headed back into the penalty area where the ball sat up nicely for Ayala who looped his header over Lewis.

After beating Brentford 4-0 in their last home game there was a belief that Boro could go on and grab goals 2 and 3, however on this occasion a 1-0 advantage was as good as it got. Seven minutes later Joan Oriol was provided too much space on the visitors left; his cross was one of high quality as he picked out Miller and the former Boro striker slid in from close range to level the score.

The situation didn’t improve for Karanka; moments later he lost Adam Clayton who had been suffering from illness before the game, after half an hour the Boro midfielder was withdrawn and replaced by Kike. That meant a change of system as the Boro manager switched back to the 4-1-2-1-2 he played at Charlton with Kike joining Bamford upfront and Tomlin playing as an advanced midfielder.

It was a change which clearly unsettled the team and at times they were fortunate to stay level. Blackpool went close when Orlandi’s shot from the edge of the area took a heavy deflection forcing Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos to tip over his cross bar. Seven minutes before half time the visitors came even closer when David Perkins found space on the edge of the area, his shot rattled back of the post.

After half time the emphasis was on Boro to attack, however the Blackpool side that reappeared from the tunnel suddenly looked a more organised and compact unit. The hosts dominated possession but rarely found the floating figures of Bamford, Kike or Tomlin who spent most of the game swamped by visiting white shirts.

After the loss of Clayton this was a side which now had a large imbalance to it, with Leadbitter seemingly battling on his own to keep hold of midfield. Another set piece appeared Boro’s best chance to retake the lead, but Bamford couldn’t turn in Leadbitter’s in swinging corner at the far post.

At the other end Blackpool were finding gaps on the break but fortunately for Boro Miller couldn’t add a second when his header 18 minutes from time was off target. That was followed last ditch challenge from Fredericks, who regularly spared Boro’s blushes, then an Edu Oriol volley which forced Konstantopulos to make a firm save.

For the most part Boro looked tried and out of ideas, but it took until the 74^th minute for Karanka to make his second change, introducing Emilo Nsue in place of Ledesma. The Spanish winger nearly made an immediate impact with a few promising runs down the right but Blackpool stood firm.

Boro came closest to a winner when Kike flicked on a Leadbitter corner but Lewis held comfortably, moments earlier Tomlin’s deflected shot had also forced the keeper in to action, but nothing too taxing. In the end this was a case of two points dropped for a Boro side with higher ambitions than their opposition, they’ll get another crack at it on Saturday when they host Fulham before another international break.   

Player Ratings 

Dimi Konstantopulos   7- Wasn’t overly worked but made some important saves when called upon

Ryan Fredericks   7.5- Defended well, added energy and extra dimension going forward

Ben Gibson   6.5- Wasn’t posed too many questions in defence as Boro dominated possession

Daniel Ayala   7- Opened the scoring and won a majority of headers when defending

James Husband   6- Solid defensively but struggled to produce in advanced areas 

Adam Clayton   5- Replaced after half an hour due to illness

Grant Leadbitter   7- Battled hard after losing midfield partner, Clayton, and lacked support

Emmanual Ledesma   5.5- Looked a threat early on but lack defensive discipline was exposed

Adam Reach   6- Started well but struggled as Blackpool doubled up on him after half time

Lee Tomlin   5- Ineffective for most of the game and committed too many fouls

Patrick Bamford   5.5- Looked lost up front on his own, lacked service for most of the night

Subs

Kike   6- Spent most of the night surrounded by Blackpool defenders after coming on in the first half

Emilo Nsue   6- Made some threating runs after coming on for the last 15 minutes

My Boro Man Of The Match: Ryan Fredericks