Middlesbrough 0 Leeds 0
Boro’s goal drought is showing no signs of ending, unfortunately
the same can’t be said for their play-off aspirations which now appear all but
extinct.
After a promising Christmas period Aitor Karanka’s team have
drifted ten points off the top six with fourteen games to go and another mediocre
season in the Championship is beginning to look imminent.
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| Boro fail to score for the sixth game in succession |
To the Boro fans who haven’t seen their side score for six matches
in a row, setting an unwanted club record, today’s 0-0 draw at home to Leeds
United will have felt like Groundhog Day as another game of few chances only appeared
to have one conclusion.
On the balance of things Boro shaded what was for the most
part a scrappy affair and were unfortunate to come up against Leeds’ new on
loan Keeper Jack Butland who came up with some critical saves at the key
moments in the match.
In the other goal it was only fitting that in Shay Given’s final game,
before his return to parent club Aston Villa, that the Irishman kept his tenth
clean sheet after sixteen games on loan at Boro which earned him a warm
farewell at full time.
This match marked the ten year anniversary since Boro lifted
the Carling Cup back in 2004, before the game Red Faction paid their tribute by
showing banners with the names of the eleven that started that day, any of whom
would have been a welcome addition to the current side.
Karanka made four changes from the side which were beaten
1-0 away at Watford the previous Saturday. One was enforced as Ben Gibson’s red
card at Vicarage Road meant he was suspended so was replaced by Kenneth Omeruo who
partnered captain Jonathan Woodgate at centre back.
Further forward Grant Leadbitter and Nathanial Chalobah kept
their place in the heart of midfield to fit Karanka’s 4-2-3-1 formation. Albert
Adomah, Dean Whitehead and Emmanuel Ledesma all dropped to the bench, their
replacements were Jacob Butterfield in the centre and Curtis Main and Kei
Kamara on the wings, Danny Graham kept his place upfront.
Leeds made five changes from their defeat to Brighton;
Butland replaced the injured Paddy Kenny in goal while Lee Peltier, Scott Wooton, Cameron Stewart and Noel
Hunt also came into the side.
In a vibrant atmosphere created by a crowd of over 20,000,
Boro had most of the early running; however they failed to test Butland in the
Leeds goal and had nothing to show for their early pressure.
At the other end Hunt led a weak Leeds penalty claim when he
was challenged by Omeruo in the Boro box as the striker tried to get on the end
of Cameron Stewart’s low cross from the left but his appeal was turned down by
referee Anthony Taylor.
Both sets of fans were poised to celebrate, yet after a
vocal start the match entered a weary lull as neither side could break a
frustrating stalemate. On the half hour mark a slight mix up between Given and
Omeruo led to an instinctive punch from the Boro keeper with Hunt ready to
pounce.
The two best efforts of the half both came minutes before the
interval. Leeds midfielder Luke Murphy tried his luck from outside the box but
fizzed a low shot inches wide of the post, minutes later Boro finally had their
first shot on target when Leadbitter’s in swinging corner was cleared as far as
Butterfield who cracked a vicious effort which forced Butland to tip the ball
over the cross bar.
Three minutes after the re-start Leeds defender Steven
Warnock was lucky not to put through his own net after he diverted the ball towards
goal from George Friend’s low cross, fortunately for the visitors Butland was
on hand to spare their blushes.
Boro continued to crank up the pressure when Graham went
for the spectacular over head kick from Main’s header across the penalty area,
however the effort was straight at Butland. Sensing his first Boro goal Graham
continued to be in the thick of the action, on the hour mark he latched on to
Leadbitter’s pass but fired over from a tight angle.
The Championship’s top scorer Ross McCormack had been kept quiet
all afternoon, but with twenty minutes to go he showed a glimpse of why he has
found the net twenty-two times this season when his shot from range whistled just
wide of the post.
There was a Boro debut for January signing Lee Tomlin who
replaced Kamara on sixty-six minutes with the game there for the taking. Karanka also sent on Adomah and Ledesma in search
of a winner.
The changes were nearly instantly rewarded, with thirteen
minutes to go Ledesma split the defence with a teasing lofted pass which Adomah
chested down to advance to a one on one with Butland. However the keeper was
quick to react and spread himself well to deny the Ghanaian.
Deep into stoppage time the hosts managed to fashion up one
last chance when Chalobah slipped a pass through to Adomah, but with the Leeds defenders bearing down on him he could only blaze the ball
high into the stands and add to Boro’s painful wait without a goal.
Player Ratings
Shay Given 7- Had
next to nothing to do on his final appearance for the club while claiming his
10th clean sheet
George Friend 7.5- Snubbed
out numerous Leeds attacks, got forward when he could
Kenneth Omeruo 8-
Won everything in the air and kept McCormack very quiet
Jonathan Woogate 8-
Swept up any danger when it came his way, as Boro looked a solid unit at the
back
Jossef Varga 7- Has
become Boro’s regular right back by consistent performances
Nathanial Chalobah 7-
Grew in to the game and became more effective in midfield
Grant Leadbitter 7-
Showed good range of passes in midfield
Jacob Butterfield 6.5-
Played behind the striker, created some chances
Kei Kamara 6- Played
on the left, at times looked out of position
Curtis Main 6-
Dipped in and out of the game on the right hand side
Danny Graham 6.5-
Got into some good positions, but wasn’t given a clear cut opportunity
Subs
Lee Tomlin 6- Came
on with 25 minutes to go for debut as Boro pushed for a winner
Albert Adomah 6-Injected
some pace into the game, missed to opportunities late on
Emmanuel Ledesma 6-
Came on with 15 minutes to go, added some creativity to Boro attack
My Boro Man Of The Match Jonathan Woodgate
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