Boro Click As Promotion Charge Continues

Middlesbrough    2        Wolves    1

Vossen  3 Bamford  12                                          Sako  53

 

 

Albert Adomah lay flat on the floor, there were 12 minutes still to play and Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka had just one substitute left in his hand; however Adomah was cooked and needed to be replaced. 

Patrick Bamford celebrates Boro's second goal

On came, centre back Fernando Amorebieta, Karanka’s mind-set was clear. Defend. Defend as if your life depends on it. That may have been Adomah’s last intervention but his commitment to this cause was unquestionable and as a consequence his body had deserted him.

The Ghanaian winger had been superb and one of the main reason’s Boro led this gripping encounter by 2 goals to 1 courtesy of goals from Jelle Vossen and Patrick Bamford. He had taken hit after hit blow after blow and run himself into the ground, to be fair so had the rest of his teammates and it was no surprise that they were now running off sheer fumes and encouragement from a raucous crowd.

The Riverside was bouncing, buzzing and brimming with energy as fans checked their watches, bit their finger nails before attempting to roar their team over the line and starting the process all over again. In the end it worked, just, and Karanka’s side can now look forward to at least a play-off place, if not more with three games remaining.

As the cliché goes “it takes two to tango” and Wolves played their part in what was a pivotal game at the top of the league, even so for the first twenty minutes it was Boro who well and truly dominated. The intensity was high, the passing slick and the finishing clinical; two goals up with just 11 minutes gone, starts don’t get much better than that.

Wolves may have fought and probed but in the end Bakary Sako’s second half goal proved to be in vain as Kenny Jackett’s side lost their second game in succession to drop three points outside the play-off places.

They couldn’t live with Boro early on and one can only wonder just how much energy Karanka’s high pressing, energetic game plan took out of his players considering they face promotion rivals Norwich on Friday night.

They will have to do it without Jonathan Woodgate who limped off after an hour; likewise Adomah’s condition will be monitored after he was stretchered off, Daniel Ayala didn’t even feature but this was a night for other players to stand up and make their mark.

Adam Forshaw, starting his second successive game in place of the suspended Grant Leadbitter, was outstanding, man of the match, as he acquired loose balls in midfield and rarely misplaced a pass. Jelle Vossen worked his socks, as he often does, George Friend was fired up like he was ready to do battle and that’s without mentioning the often spoke about talents possessed by Lee Tomlin and Patrick Bamford.

Karanka will know automatic promotion remains out of his side’s hands and that he will need either Bournemouth, two points ahead, or Watford, two points behind but with a game in hand to slip up somewhere. That is also providing Boro take care of Norwich, a point ahead of them, in a few days time before a trip to Fulham and a home fixture against Brighton.          

Nevertheless a surge of momentum could pave a route to promotion even if it leads to the play-offs, with that in mind Karanka made just two changes from the side which beat Rotherham on Saturday as Woodgate came in for Ayala, whose ongoing injury wasn’t risked. Upfront Vossen replaced Kike allowing Bamford to move central while Tomlin was shifted to the left.

Blink and you might have missed it, three minutes gone and the hosts were ahead. Some high pressure from Wolves early on saw them caught up field and Boro were quick spring in behind. With the visitor’s defence stretched a pass forward to Bamford appeared ominous, on the edge of the box he had time to look up and square the ball to Vossen who slotted the ball into the open net.

Eight minutes later Wolves were breached again, a fluent eye catching move saw Adomah slide a nicely weighted pass through to the on-running Tomas Kalas on the right flank, after advancing further Kalas’ low cross picked out Bamford who exquisitely flicked the ball up, turned and volleyed home with his opposite foot. That alone was worth coming to see.

Spirits were up and the fans were in good voice, it seemingly couldn’t get better. Yet it almost did on 18 minutes when Adomah demonstrated his memorising skills to skip past two players before cutting in from the right and curling a long range shot which clattered back off the crossbar.

Boro also had a faint penalty appeal turned down when Bamford appeared to be shoved over inside the area, that came before another Adomah effort was deflected wide. Wolves’ only threatened when Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos tipped away Sako’s corner, but at 2-0 a single goal could still swing things.

Eight minutes after the restart it did. But not after Boro had the chance to clinch a third when Kalas’s low cross from the right was jerked over the cross bar by Vossen.

This time a swift a Wolves move forward caught a couple of Boro players out of position and the visitors abruptly capitalised. A sweeping attack from right to left saw David Edwards pick out Sako, who had been Wolves’ main threat, in space and with  time to shoot he cannoned a left foot shot low past Konstantopulos.

Boro had begun to retract and needed to gain some ground back before it was too late, the loss of Woodgate and then Adomah didn’t help. Vossen was also withdrawn but substitutes Kenneth Omeruo, Emilo Nsue and Amorebieta all know their roles pulled their weight.

In an attempt to salvage something, Jackett introduced striker Nouha Dicko with half an hour to go, the visitors came closest when Rajiv van La Parra emerged at the back post to strike a hanging volley onto the bar from a right wing cross.   

Boro were now doing the majority of defending but still had chances as Tomlin flashed an effort wide before Bamford lobed Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme but hit the bar.

Another win, another tight win at that, Boro certainly don’t do things the easy way but that’s eleven wins out of twelve at home and a top two place remains in touching distance.   

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopulos   6- Didn’t have any difficult saves to make, got a hand to the goal

Tomas Kalas   7.5- Was a good outlet once again from right back, assisted second goal

Ben Gibson   7- Held his own and swept up danger when it arrived

Jonathan Woodgate   7- Needed to go off with half an hour remaining, was a worthy replacement for Ayala

George Friend   8- Pumped up, energetic in attack and defence, showed his passion

Adam Clayton   7.5- Picked up loose balls in midfield and broke up play well in front of back four

Adam Forshaw   8.5- Took his opportunity with both hands, rarely gave the ball away was cool under pressure and distributed the ball well, man of the match material

Albert Adomah   8.5- Was unplayable for 20 minutes, Wolves marked him a little tighter after that but he never stopped

Lee Tomlin   7.5- Made some clever moves inside from the wing to link up with midfield and cause Wolves problems

Jelle Vossen   7.5- Got goal early, worked incredibly hard as Boro applied pressure from the front

Patrick Bamford   8- Took goal very well but also rolled his sleeves up and put a shift in for the team

Subs

Kenneth Omeruo   7- Didn’t put a foot wrong after replacing Woodgate with 30 minutes to go

Emilo Nsue   6- Helpped see out danger with 16 minutes to go

Fernando Amorebieta – Only on for the last 12 minutes not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: Adam Forshaw

   

Boro Keep The Pressure On At The Top

Middlesbrough    2        Rotherham    0

                     Tomlin  49  Bamford  66

 

 

It was the calm before the storm as Middlesbrough recorded their fifth straight victory at the Riverside Stadium. They beat relegation threatened Rotherham by 2 goals to 0 on a sunlit but chilly afternoon; in all honesty they were expected to and had to if they wanted to keep alive their hopes of automatic promotion.  

Lee Tomlin opens the scoring for Boro

Goals from Lee Tomlin and Patrick Bamford meant Aitor Karanka’s men stayed fourth in the table with four games left to play, on Tuesday night they’re back on home turf to face eighth place Wolves, before a tasty looking trip to third place Norwich on Friday evening rounds off another pivotal week.

As for this afternoon’s event’s it wasn’t a classic, far from it but Boro got the job done. They may not have moved up the table or back into one of the automatic promotion spots, but at least behind them results went their way and without any calamities they should finish in the play offs due to their seven point buffer over seventh place Brentford.

Leaders Bournemouth are still only two points better off than Karanka’s side with Norwich and Watford sandwiched in between, after a weekend where the top four teams all triumphed.

Out of the four it’s Boro’s goal difference which is inferior to the rest, with more adventure they could have added more goals here and after a frustrating first half, thankfully for the 19,000 home fans the hosts finally clicked into gear.

There were alterations from the side which lost at Watford on Easter Monday; the most notable one was a recall for Spanish striker Kike, whose inclusion meant top scorer Bamford was moved out to the right where the Chelsea loanee was fairly ineffective for most of the game.

It may be the lack of fire power upfront which eventually costs Karanka and his team, especially in the bigger games, however at the back they are the sternest in the league. That is in no small part down to imposing centre back Daniel Ayala who returned from an ongoing injury to put in a dominant defensive display alongside Ben Gibson at the back.

Boro’s other changes saw Tomas Kalas and Adam Forshaw come in as Fernando Amorebieta and Jonathan Woodgate dropped to the bench while Dwight Tiendalli, Adam Reach and the suspended Grant Leadbitter missed out altogether.

Rotherham manager Steve Evans made two alterations after beating Brighton on Monday, as Jordan Bowery and former Boro loanee Adam Hammill came in. Ex-Boro midfielder Richard Smallwood was also included and received a warm reception from the home fans before kick-off.

They didn’t have much more to cheer about in a first half which served up few goal scoring opportunities. With nine minutes gone Ayala tried an audacious overhead kick after a half cleared set piece however Rotherham keeper Emiliano Martínez saved comfortably. Minutes later stand in captain George Friend slipped a pass through to Bamford on the left however the strikers cut back across goal missed a finishing touch.

The hosts may have dominated possession but Rotherham’s defensive set up with two banks of four was proving difficult to break down and Martínez was rarely tested. The same could be said for Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopulos who was all but a spectator at the other end, the next chance fell to Albert Adomah however he couldn’t hit the target when Kike picked him out on the left.

Boro finally cranked up the pressure after half an hour when Adam Clayton’s corner was turned goal bound and had to be parried off the line by Martínez. The Rotherham keeper was called upon again, twice denying Adomah from distance in quick succession after a Boro corner. The clearest chance came eight minutes from the break when Kike squared the ball to Adomah after a neat Boro move, however the Ghanaian winger failed to make significant contact and the ball was scrambled to safety.

Four minutes after the restart Boro’s vast possession was finally rewarded and some wary Rotherham legs may have been a factor. Lee Tomlin, who had been anonymous, for most of the first half received the ball on the edge of the Rotherham penalty area and with defenders in front of him he skipped into the box where space opened up allowing him to slot a shot low into the bottom right corner.

There were chances for a second, Kike headed Kalas’ cross over the bar before the striker had a shot blocked by defender Kirk Broadfoot, but it wasn’t until the 66^th minute when Boro finally put the game beyond any doubt.

Scorer of the first, Tomlin again showed just what he brings to the side as he drove into the Rotherham box, on arrival and under pressure he knocked the ball back to Bamford who side footed the ball low beyond Martínez. The points were as good as safe.

Rotherham, still not mathematically safe from relegation, only briefly threatened when Hammil and Lee Frecklington tried their luck from range but both failed to hit the target.  Boro had a golden chance to add a third when Kike won a penalty late on, but after some debate about who should take it, Martínez made a low save to his right to deny Bamford.

It didn’t matter as Boro kept up the pressure on the top three in the race for promotion.

Player Ratings  

Dimi Konatantopulos   6- Was a spectator for most of the game

Tomas Kalas   7- Battled hard on the right hand side wasn’t afraid to make a challenge

Daniel Ayala   7- Dominated at the back and won everything in the air

Ben Gibson   6.5- Swept up the danger in defence

George Friend   6- Got in to some attacking positions but final ball let him down

Albert Adomah   6.5- A bit sloppy in possession but produced some decent attacking moves

Adam Clayton   6.5 Took a while for him and Forshaw to get to grips with each other, in the end sat deep and broke up play

Adam Forshaw   6- Slow start but improved gradually    

Patrick Bamford   6- Was on the fringes of proceedings until his goal

Lee Tomlin   7- Frustrating at times but ultimately produced two match winning moments

Kike   6- Struggled to hold the ball up long enough to receive support

Subs

Jonathan Woodgate   6- Replaced Ayala with 20 minutes to go

Emilo Nsue – Only on for the last few minutes, not enough time to give a fair rating

Dean Whitehead - Only on for the last few minutes, not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: Daniel Ayala

Boro Back On Top With Six Left To Play

Middlesbrough    1        Wigan    0

                                           Bamford  20

 

 

It is becoming more and more likely that Patrick Bamford will one day find himself playing in the riches of the Premier League. Whether that is with his current club Middlesbrough or not, the next few weeks could decide.

Bamford's finish secured all the points for the hosts

The Chelsea loanee was on target yet again to score his 17^th goal of the season in Boro’s 1-0 victory over relegation threatened Wigan; it’s a victory with sends Aitor Karanka’s side back to the top of the pile in what has been the tightest of Championship promotion races with just six games left.

Bamford will take deserved credit as he often does, but this is far from a one man team. Boro weren’t at their best had to dig their heels in to claim all three points, however keeper Dimi Konnstantopulos was rarely tested as the hosts prevailed.

Overall this was a far more compact and disciplined Boro side than the one which was torn apart at Bournemouth before the international break. Jonathan Woodgate, back in the team after missing the trip to the South coast, was invaluable as he read the Wigan attacks like the back of his hand. That boded well for Tomas Kalas who was allowed to return to his natural right back position and looked like a player transformed from the centre half who was tormented a fortnight ago.

Further forward Jelle Vossen’s recall gave Boro options upfront; it was the Belgium’s miss-control which set up Bamford’s goal after twenty minutes. That may not have been deliberate but there is something about Vossen’s graft and relentless work rate which appears to get the best out of the headline grabbing Bamford.

Top of the table for now then, but this is no time for Boro to rest on their laurels, on Monday they must travel to fourth placed Watford, who Boro leapfrogged due to the hornets 2-2 draw at Derby, that game comes prior to back to back home games against Rotherham and Wolves before a trip to promotion rivals Norwich who currently sit just two points behind Karanka’s side.

In all likelihood it will probably be drawn out right to the wire, it would be fitting of a promotion race which has simmered with excitement and uncertainty throughout the season. 

Karanka can take solace from the amount of fans who returned to the Riverside yesterday afternoon, just over 24,000 watched this second tier encounter and there are signs that the Premier League vibe lost six years ago is slowly returning.

In contrast Wigan’s fall from grace couldn’t be more concerning for the fans who watched their side lift the FA Cup trophy in 2013. With six matches left to play they remain locked in the clutches of the relegation zone, six points from safety, and a sudden drop to League One is becoming a real possibility.

Their side did have quality Kim Bo-Kyung, James McClean and goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi were some of the few who were playing in the Premier League a few years ago however Malky Mackay’s experienced side went down with something of a whimper here.

There were only two changes from the Boro side which were outplayed at Bournemouth, however they were significant ones as Woodgate and Vossen replaced Emilo Nsue and Lee Tomlin. New loan signings Fernando Amorbieta and Dwight Tiendalli started on the bench.

It took until the 20^th minute for the first real chance to arise and when it did there were no surprises that it was Bamford who opened the scoring.  Albert Adomah was the main catalyst as he skipped past his fullback before curling a low cross into the box from the right flank. At full stretch Vossen couldn’t bring the ball under control, however his touch knocked the ball back to Bamford who had time to set his sights and curl the ball beyond Al-Habsi from the edge of the box.

Two minutes later Bamford almost doubled his afternoon tally, but Al-Habsi was able to push the striker’s left foot shot wide of the post. Boro’s only other opportunities before half time came through the adventure of George Friend on 31 minutes the full back’s low cross into a crowded penalty area was eventually cleared, minutes before half time Friend set up Adam Clayton from a similar crossing position however the midfielder’s shot was blocked.

Wigan’s only real chance of note came from a free kick situation when Konstantopulos appeared to be fouled when coming off his line to collect the ball, nevertheless the Boro keeper recovered well and made himself big enough to block Leon Clake’s consequent shot.

Boro created chances to seal the result after the break, Vossen diverted Reach’s cross into Adomah’s path, however the Ghanaian winger flashed his effort wide from inside the box.

 With just over 20 minutes to go substitute Tomlin flicked Kalas’ low cross towards goal however Al-Habsi made an impressive save with his outstretched leg , Boro also had their keeper to thank when Wigan forward Marc Antione Fortune demonstrated good control in the area and forced Konstantopulos to tip a fizzing effort wide.       

In their bid for survival Wigan attempted to throw caution to the wind late on, McClean’s pace was their biggest asset but Boro made sure they kept a close eye on him. In the end the final few chances fell Boro’s way as Al-Habsi saved Bamford’s bobbling effort before Tomlin fired wide after going through one on one with the keeper.

1-0 it stayed as the Championship promotion race took yet another turn. Boro back to the top of the league, until Monday at least.

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopulos   7- Didn’t have many saves to make but made impressive save to deny Fortune

Tomas Kalas   7.5- Looked far more comfortable at right back, defended well and provided good outlet

Jonathan Woodgate   8- Read the game exceptionally, averting any danger which came his way

Ben Gibson   6.5- Appeared more assured alongside Woodgate’s experience

George Friend   7- Defended well and added an attacking option, it’s what everyone has come to expect 

Albert Adomah   6.5- Started move for the goal and battled hard on the right

Grant Leadbitter   7- Controlled the game in the first half, forced a little deeper after the break

Adam Clayton   6.5- Came close to getting his first goal for the club but shot was blocked wide

Adam Reach   6- Appears to be lacking confidence to take a defenders on, improved in second half

Jelle Vossen   6.5- Worked very hard for the team, unlucky not to be rewarded more

Patrick Bamford   7.5- Took goal well as he received, looked like scoring whenever he received the ball close to goal  

Subs

 Lee Tomlin   6- Denied by an impressive Al-Habsi save late on

Kike- Only on the pitch for last 2 minutes, not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: Jonathan Woodgate