Royals Defeat Throws Boro Back Off Track

Middlesbrough     0        Reading     1

                                                                      Cox  7

Back to back home defeats won’t have been the way Aitor Karanka expected to go into next week’s international break after another substandard performance left Boro floating adrift from the Championships front runners. 

For the second week in succession Boro fans left the Riverside in sheer disbelief, after defeat to Nigel Adkins’ Reading, wondering how a side who appeared to be contenders for promotion a few weeks ago now look a team who know very little about demands for England’s second tier.

Fans will remain optimistic but at the same time they will know 6 points out of 15 is hardly play-off material. For the second Saturday’s running last season’s solid defence had crumbled inside seven minutes and for the most part of 90 minutes they produced little creativity to restore the disrupted order.

Simon Cox’s first half goal was enough to give the Royals all three points in a match which is highly unlikely to feature high up the list on tonight’s football league show. With only one other shot on target it was a real case of “smash and grab” from the visiting Royals, not that the 100 or so traveling away fans will be that fussed.

Karanka made two changes from the side which lost 3-2 to Sheffield Wednesday seven days ago. Seb Hines replaced Daniel Ayala in the heart of defence while Adam Clayton lined up alongside captain Grant Leadbitter in midfield. Dean Whitehead dropped to the beach where he was joined by new loan signing Patrick Bamford, who signed from Chelsea on Friday.

In an opening five minute spell Boro set the early tempo and nearly took the lead through a well worked free kick when Clayton set up Kike but his low shot was easily saved by Reading keeper Adam Federici. With their tails up the hosts quickly pressed again, Tomlin set up Adomah on the edge of the Royals penalty area, the Ghanaian’s low effort across the goal required a more impressive save.

However Boro’s bubble was quickly burst minutes later, a long ball forward from the visitors caught the Boro defence sheepishly off guard, a further flick on helped the ball onto Cox on the edge of the area, the Ireland international was quick to spot Mejias off his line and produced a delicate chip over the Boro keeper who will once again share some of the blame.

Boro searched for an immediate response however Reading’s tactics of simply trying to run the clock down started as early as the 20^th minute to the frustration of the Riverside crowd. The visitor’s extra man in midfield made it difficult for Leadbitter or Clayton to get on the ball while the alternative “long ball” strategy was also having little effect.

It took until the 32^nd minute before Boro really threatened once again when Tomlin forced another save out of Federici. Moments later Reach’s cross from the left picked out Clayton in the box however he struck his volley wide of the target, then on the stroke of half time Leadbitter’s corner fell perfectly on the head of Kike but the Boro striker skewed his chance over the bar.

After the break the hosts made an attempt to reapply the pressure; however Reading were keen to break up the game at every opportunity. Federici received an aggrieved response from the home fans as he seemed to take an age over every goal kick while two early substitutes, Hope Akpan for Aaron Kuhl and Craig Tanner for Cox, also slowed the game down.

As Boro pushed for an equaliser Karanka made a change of his own, introducing Bamford in place of Tomlin as the hosts switched to a more attacking 4-4-2.

Minutes later they almost received their reward, Reach’s cross from the left deflected off a Reading defender before clattering onto Federici’s near post. Minutes later Leadbitter’s in swinging corner was headed goal bound by Adomah but the Reading keeper made a smart save low down.

With 15 minutes to go Karanka seemingly went all out attack by switching to a back three, Hines made way for Dean Whitehead while Luke Williams was also introduced with Clayton making way.

What followed were constant waves of Boro attacks, a low cross from Williams appeared to set up Kike but the striker couldn’t apply the finishing touch. With six added minutes shown Bamford went close with a spectacular volleyed effort from range; however that concluded a frustrating afternoon in which leaves Boro seven points behind top placed Nottingham Forest.

Player Ratings       

Tomas Mejias    5 - Caught off his line for the goal, had little to do after that       

George Friend   6- A bit indecisive when going forward, little to do defensively

Seb Hines   5.5- Sloppy in possession giving too many long balls away

Kenneth Omeruo   6.5- Calming figure in Boro’s backline, cleaned the danger when he had to

Damia Abella   6- Good on the ball, tried to start Boro attacks

Grant Leadbitter (C)   6.5- Tried to keep the game rolling but found it tough due to Reading’s antics

Adam Clayton   5.5- Struggled to get on the ball and dictate the game

Adam Reach   6- Made a few promising runs, crossing was hit and miss

Albert Adomah   6- Rarely used in the first half, found a bit more space to run in after the break

Lee Tomlin   5- Did little to influence the game subbed after an hour

Kike   5- Struggled to hold the ball up and wasted a few chances

Subs   

Patrick Bamford   6- Showed signs that he could be a good addition but received few chances

Luke Williams   5.5- Struggled to link up with the rest of the team after coming on with 15 minutes
to go

Dean Whitehead   6- Allowed more offensive players to get forward as Boro pushed for an equaliser

My Boro Man Of The Match: Kenneth Omeruo

US Open Day 4 - Top Seeds Show Their Worth

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams proved their worth as the number one seeds on day four of the US Open as both progressed into the third round of the competition with comfortable straight set victories.

In back to back matches on the Arthur Ashe stadium Williams, top seed in the Women’s draw, dropped just a single game on her way to victory a 6-1 6-0 over fellow American Vania King. That was followed by a similarly emphatic win for the men’s number one Novak Djokovic who beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-1 6-3 6-0 just under an hour and a half.

Djokovic, Murray and Williams all progressed to round three

For Williams it was a triumph which reinstated the American as the favourite for this year’s event following a difficult year where she has failed to reach the quarter final stage in any of the three previous majors.

However in this second round clash her credentials as the defending champion were under little scrutiny. King simply had no answer to the power and speed that Williams possessed as the 17 time major winner appeared back to her ruthless best to reach the third round in under an hour.

A few minutes later it was Djokoivc’s turn and after early defeats in recent tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati the Serb also appeared back on top of his game and ready to reproduce to sort of form which saw him claim his second Wimbledon title back in July.

Djokovic broke the world number 81 Mathieu in the first game of the match and from then on the Serb’s solid all-round game showed no signs of cracking. After a one sided first set Mathieu did his best to make the second more of a contest however his erratic hitting did little to puncture Djokovic’s impeccable defence.

If anyone learnt anything in the third and final set it was how big the gulf in class actually was. Djokovic dominated it without wasting an ounce of energy that wasn’t required and should remain in optimum shape to face American Sam Querrey in the third round on Sunday.

Elsewhere in the men’s draw Andy Murray averted any fears that he’s not 100% fit at this year’s Championships with a straight sets 6-3 6-3 6-4 win over German Matthias Bachinger. The Brit will now face Andrey Kuznetsov in the third round after he beat Fernando Verdasco in five sets.

There were also second round wins for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga over  Aleksandr Nedovyesov, Milos Raonic over Peter Gojowczyk and home favourite John Isner over  German Jan-Lennard Struff.

In the Women’s draw Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova progressed by beating Petra Cetkovska 6-4 6-2, while Eugenie Bouchard needed three sets to overcome Heather Watson’s conqueror  Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-7(4) 6-4.

There were also wins for Victoria Azarenka and 11^th seed Flavia Pennetta, however 8^th seed Ana Ivanovic and American hopeful Madison Keys both crashed out.

 

US Open Day 2 And 3 - Dimitrov Claims First Win

Grigor Dimitrov’s reaction under the lights of the Louis Armstrong stadium wasn’t one of a man who had just won his first match at the US Open but one from player who believes he can go all the way over the next fortnight.   

A wry smile, a wave to his ever going fan club and a few trademark autographs was all that was required in a routine celebration from the 23 year old Bulgarian which showed his aspirations at this tournament go far beyond the second week.



After his first win at the US Open how far can Dimitrov go?

Seeded seventh at this year’s Championship, his highest ever seeding at a major, Dimitrov spent little time in reaching the second round coming through a potential tricky match with a American Ryan Harrison 6-2 7-6(4) 6-2 after 2 hours and 4 minutes of play.

Nicknamed “Baby Federer”, a colossal burden for any player, Dimitrov could face the great Swiss in the quarter finals if the seedings go to plan. On this sort of form that’s a real possibility, as Dimitrov began the final Slam of the year the same way he finished the last one, producing the same assured, athletic tennis which saw him reach the Wimbledon semi-final.

After breaking Harrison early in the match the first set never looked in doubt. Dimitrov used his large variety of shots to outmanoeuvre his opponent, his superb slice back hand zipped effortlessly through the court while his hammering top spin also inflicted plenty of damage.

However Harrison, currently ranked outside the top 100 due to an injury hit year, showed more resistance in the second set and struck the first blow of it by breaking Dimitrov for the first time of the match.

But when the American was faced with a chance to serve for the set, Dimirov, aided by a few Harrison double faults, broke back before hustling to a two set lead on a tie break which he won by 7 points to 4.

From that point on Harrison had little in reserve, as Dimitrov stormed to victory to set up a second round match with Israel’s Dudi Sela who beat Carlos Berlocq in four sets.

Elsewhere Dimitrov’s other half Maria Sharapova came through her second round with Alexandra Dulgheru in a match which proved to be the contest of the day. Sharapova seeded fifth at these Championships dropped the first set to her Romanian opponent before finally prevailing 4-6 6-3 6-2 in 2 hours 38 minutes.

After three days the first real shock of the tournament came when fourth seed in the women’s draw Agnieszka Radwanska lost her second round match to Shuai Peng of China.

With both first and second rounds being played out on the third day, Tomas Berdych began his tournament with a straight sets win over Lleyton Hewitt. It was a landmark win for the sixth seeded Czech who also recorded his 100^th Grand Slam victory.

Elsewhere Stanislas Wawrinka and Blaz Kavcic became the first two men to reach the third round after winning their second round matches.

 

Boro Back On Track After Cup Win

Middlesbrough    3        Preston    1

                         Tomlin  51,66  Clarke (OG) 57                                      Hugill 54

 

 

There is a time and a place for the romance of England’s cup competitions to weave their magic and produce a memorable giant killing, however for Middlesbrough last night the task was simply to get the job done.

If Saturday’s home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday was the storm which had trampled some of Boro’s early promotion optimism their third round Capital One cup tie with Preston was a case of rebuilding the bridges that had abruptly been knocked down.

Match winner Lee Tomlin celebrates his first goal

After a first half with minimum action, the match was ultimately decided by two moments of magic from Boro forward Lee Tomlin whose second half goals were decisive in a 3-1 victory which leaves Boro in good stead for Saturday’s home clash with Reading.

Manager Aitor Karanka made six changes from the side which started Saturday’s game including a change in goal where Dimi Konstantopulos replaced Tomas Mejias. Seb Hines and home debutant James Husband were included in a new looking back four with Adam Clayton Emilo Nsue and Bradley Fewster also coming in. Grant Leadbitter, Kenneth Omeruo, George Friend and Kike dropped to a strong looking bench.   

"The lads didn't play so well in the first half, and that is normal when you feel like you are better than the other team and you feel a little bit too comfortable on the pitch. The second half was much better. Said the Boro manager after the match”

In a first half with few opportunities the best chances came through Boro winger Nsue, on 16 minutes his cross from the right hand side had to be headed over his own cross bar by Preston defender Tom Clarke who was fortunate to avoid an early own goal.

Eight minutes later Nsue was at it again but after beating his full back he could only flash his shot wide of goalkeeper Jamie Jones’ far post, as both sides appeared content to keep the ball in their own half.

Overall Boro had edged proceedings however they almost fell behind when a visitors cross from the left found the unmarked Will Hayhurst but the Preston midfielders touch was well off allowing Konstantopulos to gather the ball easily.

Five minutes before half time Nsue’s evening was ended when he came off worst in a 50/50 challenge, after being helped off the pitch he was replaced by Adam Reach.

After the break Boro were quick to apply some early pressure and took the lead on 51 minutes, Tomlin was fouled on the edge of the visitor’s box and from the resulting free kick he curled a perfect effort past the stranded Jones.

However Boro’s lead lasted just three minutes when Clarke flicked on a Preston free kick towards striker Jordan Hugill who was on hand to head the ball beyond Konstantopulos.

The action didn’t stop there and a further three minutes later Boro led once again, Adomah received the ball on the left and swept a low cross across the penalty area where the ball deflected off the unfortunate Clarke who could only bundle the ball into his own net.

On 64 minutes came the goal of the night which all but concluded the match as a contest, Tomlin claimed possession just inside the Preston half and suddenly drove at the visitors defence before firing a low shot past Jones from the edge of the area.

There were late chances for Boro striker Fewster who was denied by a last ditch challenge from Clarke and Preston substitute Andy Little who blazed a clear shot at goal over the bar, as neither side added to the score line meaning Boro’s cup run extended to the third round.

Player Ratings    

Dimi Konstantopulos   7- Could do little about the goal, assured when coming for crosses

Damia Abella   7- Comfortable at right back, dealt with danger and moved ball forward well

Daniel Ayala   6.5- Didn’t face much of a test at centre back and offered a threat from set plays

Seb Hines   6.5- Solid performance in the heart of defence  

James Husband    7- A impressive home debut got forward to good effect from left back

Dean Whitehead   6.5- Broke out play well and rarely gave the ball away    

Adam Clayton   7.5- Dominated the midfield spraying the ball across the park

Albert Adomah   6- Had a good 10 minute spell but on the whole had a quiet evening

Emilo Nsue   6.5- Made a strong start but forced off after 40 minutes   

Lee Tomlin   7.5- Produced two match winning moments which proved decisive

Bradley Fewster   6- Struggled to hold the ball up, unlucky with a few chances

Subs
Adam Reach   6.5- Operated well down the left wing after coming on in the first half

Emmanuel Ledesma   6- came on for the last 20 minutes after return from injury

Kike – Came on for last 10 minutes not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match : Lee Tomlin  

    

     

US Open Day 1 - Stan Starts Open Bid

He may have won the Australian Open back in January but in many ways Stanislas Wawrinka is still the forgotten man at the head of men’s tennis.

In the absence of Rafael Nadal, Wawrika, the Swiss number two, comes in to this year’s US Open as the third seed behind tournament favourites Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, as he looks build on a mixed year.

Wawrinka could be a real force over the next fortnight  

A semi-finalist last year, Wawrinka began this year’s competition with a straight sets victory over Czech Jiri Vesely, however his 6-2 7-6(6) 7-6(3) was further evidence of the Swiss’ contrasting form over the past twelve months.

For a set and a half Wawrinka’s stupendous ball striking from the back of the court epitomised that of a Grand Slam Champion. He broke Vesily in the second game of the match before dominating a one sided first set which was over in 25 minutes

However Vesely, currently just 21 years of age, wasn’t going to be despatched easily and capitalised on a number of Wawrinka lapses to force a second set tie break which he narrowly lost by  8 points to 6.

To Vesely’s credit another breaker was required to decide the third; Wawrinka still unable to reproduce the astounding tennis of the first set. However the Swiss spared the agony of a fourth set, taking a more convincing tie break by 7 points to 3 completing the match in 2 hours 15 minutes to set up a second round tie with Brazilian Tomaz Bellucci.

Elsewhere in the men’s draw eighth seed Andy Murray had to overcame a worrying cramp issue to beat Robin Haase 6-3 7-6(6) 1-6 7-5 and set up a second round match with German Matthias Bachinger.

There were comfortable straight sets wins for top seed Novak Djokovic over Diego Schwartzman and fifth seed Milos Raonic over Taro Daniel while Jo Wilfred Tsonga beat Juan Monaco in four sets.

On the women’s side the match of the day was contested by two of the oldest players in the draw as Venus Williams took on 43 year old Kimiko Date-Krumm. There was a potential early shock on the cards as Date-Krumm stormed into a set lead however it was the home favourite Williams who finally prevailed 2-6 6-3 6-3.

Second seed Simona Halep was also given a first round scare, dropping the first set to 20 year old American Danielle Rose Collins. However Halep, still yet to win a Grand Slam title, recovered to claim a 6-7(2) 6-1 6-2 victory.

There were more convincing wins for fifth seed Maria Sharapova who lost just four games to Russian compatriot Maria Kirilenko in a 6-4 6-0 victory and fourth seed  Agnieszka Radwanska who beat Sharon Fichman 6-1 6-0.

 

Boro Lose Momentum

Middlesbrough     2        Sheffield Wednesday     3

         Leadbitter 72 (Pen), 90 (Pen)                                                Nuhiu  6, 57   May  42 


Boro conceded momentum in the early stages of their hunt for a top six finish with a 3-2 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday as they lost at the Riverside for the first time in the new season.

In the end it was a score line which almost flattered the, at times, lacklustre hosts whose mid-week triumph at Bolton on Tuesday night quickly became a distant memory.

Atdhe Nuhiu proved a problem for the Boro defence

Two goals from Atdhe Nuhiu and one from new signing Stevie May hoisted Wednesday into a 3-0 lead as Boro’s so-often reliable defence crumbled inside 57 minutes.

Grant Leadbitter set up a tense finish by converting two late penalties sparing the total embarrassment, however it will be of little consolation to Boro manager Aitor Karanka who described the defeat as the “worst” since his appointment last November.

“It is very difficult to explain. I prefer to keep calm now and analyse the game when I arrive home because it is difficult to explain what happened” He said after the match.

"But the positive is that we still had a chance to draw it at the end despite conceding three goals from set-pieces and playing our worst game since I arrived here, I don't know if some of my players think they are untouchable but it is disappointing the way some played."

The Boro team showed three changes from the side which started at Bolton four days earlier. In defence Daniel Ayala returned in place of Seb Hines who dropped to the bench along with Emilo Nsue and Adam Clayton who were replaced by Adam Reach and Dean Whitehead.

Another healthy attendance, just fewer than 18,000, was down to a decent showing from both Boro and Wednesday fans; however it was the away section of the crowd who were making their voices heard when they took the lead after just 6 minutes.

Boro keeper Tomas Mejias failed to deal with Jacques Maghoma's in swinging corner and when the ball fell at the feet Nuhiu, the striker made no mistake in poking the ball home for his first league goal of the season.

Mejias’ error wasn’t taken lightly by the home supporters behind goal, many of whom also believe the keeper was to blame for the winning goal at Leeds a week ago.

The game remained an open contest and Boro could have drawn level four minutes later when Kike released Reach on the left but his low effort was well saved by ex-Sunderland keeper Kieran Westwood.

However the early mistake had evidentially shaken Boro’s backline and after 24 minutes the visitors came within inches of doubling their advantage. Once again Maghoma was the provider as he charged down Wednesday’s left, his low cross was turned goal bound by May and Mejias was only just able to turn the ball onto the post.

Boro continued to search for a way back into the game however their attacks were regularly breaking down and posed little threat to the opposition.

But it was on 42 minutes when Wednesday landed a pivotal blow; Leadbitter conceded a cheap free kick mid-way inside the Boro half and when the ball was finally clipped into the hosts penalty area May was on hand to volley the ball over Mejias who was caught half way between his line and the striker. For the first time this season the half time whistle was greeted by a number of boos from the home fans which reflected a poor 45 minutes.

The half time break allowed Karanka to switch from his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation to a more attacking 3-5-2 as Clayton was introduced in place of right back Damià Abella

It was a change which almost paid off instantly as Kike worked his way into a good shooting position but saw his shot blocked, minutes later he forced Westwood into action but the keeper saved with ease.

However Wednesday hadn’t gone away. Maghoma and Chris Maguire were still big threats on the wings but it was from another set piece that Boro fell further behind.  

On 56 minutes the hosts were once again guilty of some shoddy defending when Maghoma’s free kick was flicked on and into the net by the unmarked Nuhiu who added to his earlier goal.

Kike continued to have the best of the Boro chances and continued to keep Westwood busy however the Wednesday keeper produced a sharp save to deny the Boro striker from a tight angle on 62 minutes.

Karanka used his second substitution minutes later, withdrawing Lee Tomlin and bringing on Luke Williams. With 18 minutes to go there was a glimmer of hope. Kike spun past and was brought down by Wednesday defender Glen Loovens. The referee pointed straight to the spot before Leadbitter took over slotting the ball away low to keeper’s left.

That wasn’t the end as chances kept on coming, for the visitors Giles Coke saw his header rebound off the post before Kike’s close range header minutes later was once again saved by Westwood.

With the clock ticking it appeared that time for a Boro comeback would quickly run out, however with four added minutes to go they were awarded a second penalty when Loovens handled the ball in the area allowing Leadbitter to smash the ball beyond Westwood.

There was even still time for a late Boro equaliser when Adomah burst down the right and squared the ball across goal; however it was too far ahead of the incoming Williams and Leadbitter. It was simply a case of too little too late.

Player Ratings

Tomas Mejias   4- At fault for the first goal, never looked confident when coming for crosses

Damia Abella   5- Subbed at half time as Boro switched to a more attacking line up

Daniel Ayala   5.5- Couldn’t stop strike force of May and Nuhiu as the defence quickly cracked

Kenneth Omeruo   6- Cleared the danger when he could but received little help

George Friend   6- Made a few overlapping runs in the first half

Dean Whitehead   5.5- Struggled to get to grips with the game in midfield

Grant Leadbitter   6.5- One stand out leader in Boro’s time of need, converted both penalties

Albert Adomah   5- Offered little on the right and gave the ball away too often

Adam Reach   6- Boro’s brightest spark in the first half, faded after the break

Lee Tomlin   5- Indecisive in the final third subbed after an hour

Kike   6- Posed some sort of threat but received little support

Subs

Adam Clayton   6- Looked to move the ball around but had few options

Luke Williams   5.5- Came on for the last 25 minute but received few chances

My Boro Man Of The Match:  Tough to pick for the wrong reasons but for his persistence Leadbitter gets it   

A Winning Start For Boro

Middlesbrough     2        Birmingham     0

                     Ayala  33    Kike  65

 

 

There’s a sense of optimism around Teesside, a sense that Boro’s five year stay in the Championship may finally be close to its end.

The last time they won on the opening day of a new league season they were enjoying the thrills and drama of the Premier League. At the start of this campaign there’s a strong belief that England’s top tier isn’t far away.

Kike celebrates his first ever Boro goal

Of course a 2-0 victory over Birmingham City was only the first in what is bound to be a long and hard 46 game Championship season but after goals from Daniel Ayala and new striker Kike the signs definitely look bright for Aitor Karanka’s side.

 "It was very good; a very good result and performance. You never know in the first game of the season” said the Boro manager. "We started in the same way as we finished last season, with confidence."

That confidence proved to be a key factor, Lee Clark’s Birmingham side lost 24 times last season and only survived relegation to league one on goal difference. Boro on the other hand finished their last campaign with back to back wins and were spurred on by a Riverside crowd of over 18,000 filled with the positivity only an opening day can bring.

Karanka stuck to his guns and deployed the same 4-2-3-1 formation he drilled into the side last year. In goal new signing Tomas Mejias received the nod over Dimi Konstantopoulos and Jason Steele, while Seb Hines was a surprise inclusion at right back as he joined Ayala, Ben Gibson and George Friend in the back four.

Captain Grant Leadbitter and Dean Whitehead occupied the two central midfield slots, with Albert Adomah, Lee Tomlin and Adam Reach in front of them and Kike operating as the lone striker. New signings James Husband and Emilio Nsue started on the bench as did Chelsea Loanee Kenneth Omeruo.

Birmingham handed out a debut to former Boro defender Jonathan Grounds along with Grant Hall, on loan from Tottenham, and Stephen Gleeson who signed from MK Dons.

At last the new season was under way but for Ben Gibson it didn’t last long at all, with less than one minute on the clock the Boro centre back went in for a 50/50 ball inside his own half and came out second best. He limped off with what appeared an ankle injury and was finally replaced by Omeruo.

Nevertheless the hosts were creating all the early chances with Kike and Tomlin looking sharp at the spearhead of the Boro attack. With 7 minutes gone Friend picked out Tomlin from a throw in, with his back towards goal he turned and tried his luck from range but his shot was just off target.

Minutes later Tomlin turned provider and after a neat passage of play from Boro he threaded a cutting pass through to Kike inside the visitor’s penalty area, but the finish whistled over the bar. Birmingham’s only real effort of the half came when Demarai Gray was fouled a couple of yards outside the Boro box however from the resulting free kick he couldn’t test Mejias.

Birmingham’s confidence was visibly beginning to grow however Boro quickly put a stop to it and made sure momentum didn’t change hands. On 33 minutes the deadlock was broken when Leadbitter’s in swinging corner was met by Ayala who connected with a powerful header which City keeper Darren Randolph couldn’t keep out.    

Boro could have inflicted further damage before the break, Leadbitter managed to carve out a threatening cross from the left hand side however there was no one to apply the finishing touch. Moments later Friend produced one of his trademark runs into the heart of the opposition penalty area however his final shot let him down.

The second half began a much more open affair as gaps began appear in both side’s back lines. On Boro’s right Adomah was now enjoying far more space and three minutes after the re-start he nearly made it count, however from a tight angle the Ghanaian was denied by Randolph who made an impressive full-stretch save at his near post.

Clark’s side were posing a little more resistance than they had done before the interval however it was Boro who were still creating the clear opportunities. After 65 minutes the hosts had their second when Reach’s cross was cleared as far as Whitehead, his scuffed shot fell into the path of Kike who tucked the ball away from close range. Already a fan favourite Boro’s new striker was then greeted by the chats of “olé olé olé olé Kike Kike”

With 20 minutes to go Karanka made a second change by introducing Nsue in place of Adomah, the visitors also reacted by bringing on Clayton Donaldson for Wes Thomas.

The hosts nearly added a third from a crafty training ground free kick which was passed short setting up Kike inside the area however Randolph was equal to it and made a smart save low down. The Birmingham keeper was also on hand to keep out late efforts from Nsue and substitute Luke Williams but it didn’t matter Boro had claimed the points and were off to a winning start.

Player Ratings    

Tomas Mejias   7- Wasn’t given much to do, composed when catching crosses and looked a safe choice in goal

Seb Hines   7- Solid performance in the unfamiliar right back position making few errors

Ben Gibson - Forced off with ankle injury after less than a minute

Daniel Ayala   7.5- Strong in the air and scored a powerful header for the opener

George Friend   8- Did a good job defensively and got forward to good effect from left back

Grant Leadbitter   7- Good deliveries from set pieces, kept the team organised in midfield

Dean Whitehead   7.5- Protected the back four well, disciplined performance in midfield

Albert Adomah   6- quiet in the first half, found more space after the break but couldn’t always use it

Adam Reach   7.5- Crossing was effective and created chances, linked up well with Friend on the left

Lee Tomlin   7.5- A constant threat in the first half and tracked back well, faded a little after half time

Kike   8.5- Linked up well with the rest of the team, movement was excellent and topped it off with a goal

Subs

Kenneth Omeruo   8- Snubbed out all of Birmingham’s attacks and cleared the danger immediately

Emilio Nsue   6- Came on for the last 20 minutes but didn’t see much of the ball

Luke Williams – Came on for the last 5 minutes, not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: Kike   

The Season Starts Here

With the Fifa World Cup firmly set over the Brazilian horizon, the time for the football league season to retake the centre stage is finally upon us.

England’s performance in South America may not have been the highlight of what has been another successful sporting summer. However, as so often is the case, football fans across the country will no doubt return to their respective club sides with more optimism than ever before.



Aitor Karanka prepares for his first full season in the Championship

For Middlesbrough the 2014/15 season is in many ways a step into the unknown, as the club prepare for the for their first full campaign under Spanish manager Aitor Karanka, the man who learnt his craft as Jose Mourinho’s assistant at Real Madrid.

Karanka’s relationship with the so called “special one” has already worked in Boro’s favour, with Centre back Kenneth Omeruo agreeing to re-join Boro on a season long loan from Chelsea. The Nigerian international impressed the Riverside crowd in a shorter loan spell last campaign when he was a regular selection in the heart of Boro’s defence alongside rising star Ben Gibson and the pair have both expressed that they are keen to reignite the partnership.

Omeruo may not be the only player to make the switch from South London to Teesside, his Chelsea team mates Patrick Bamford, George Saville and Nathaniel Chalobah have all been linked with moves to the Riverside but for time being they are still yet to materialise.

However Chelsea hasn’t been the only destination on Karanka’s transfer shopping list and it’s far from a case of the Spaniard placing all his eggs in one basket. Backed by chairman Steve Gibson, Karanka splashed a reported £2.7 million on Real Murcia striker Enrique 'Kike' Garcia on a three year deal. The 24 year old striker is now expected lead the line of the Boro attack in Karanka’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation following the sales of Lukas Jutkiewitz to Burnley and Marvin Emnes to Swansea.

Boro’s other additions this summer include the versatile Emilio Nsue who was a free agent from Real Mallorca and can play as a winger or full back, while Goalkeeper Tomas Mejias is expected to challenge Dimi Konstantopoulos and Jason Steele for the number one spot between the posts after signing from Real Madrid on a two year deal. Karanka’s only other piece of business was to sign the promising 20 year old full back James Husband who arrives from Doncaster for an undisclosed fee with striker Curtis Main moving the other way as part of the deal.

Pre-season has been something of a mixed affair, with the bulk of preparation for the new campaign taking part in the heat of Southern Spain where Boro recorded emphatic wins over local opposition. However Karanka didn’t hold back his criticism when his side suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Lucena CF, a team who play in the third tier of Spanish football . The final tests before the new season took place on more familiar ground, a 2-0 victory over Hartlepool at Victoria Park was followed by a 2-0 home defeat to Villarreal with all the summer signings participating in some way.

The sights of both fans and players are now set on the 9^th of August as the opening day of a 46 game Championship season sees Boro host Birmingham at the Riverside. Attentions will abruptly switch to a Capital One cup tie with Oldham three days later, then a derby match at Leeds the following weekend.

But as the cliché goes “a week is a long time in football” and Boro’s squad could still look a very different outfit before the transfer window closes on the 31^st of August. There’s still a vacant place for an experienced right back and a regular midfield partner for Grant Leadbitter. More attacking options would also be a welcome addition with Mustapha Carayol set to miss the start of the campaign with torn anterior cruciate ligament injury which he suffered towards the end of last season.