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

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

Three In A Row

Middlesbrough     4        Brentford     0

                         Leadbitter  35  Adomah  50 

                              Bamford  68  Kike  89

Boro’s ongoing quest for promotion notched up another gear as they recorded their third straight victory in the Championship and climb into the top six.

On an almost perfect afternoon, manager Aitor Karanka watched with delight as his captain Grant Leadbitter scored another 30 yard screamer and striker Partrick Bamford opened his Boro account in an emphatic 4-0 victory over Brentford.  The only downside came seven minutes from time when Dean Whitehead received a harsh looking red card for a challenge on Alan Judge.

Albert Adomah celebrates his first goal of the season

Nevertheless Karanka can proudly look back on a very fine team performance which demonstrated the vast competition for places in a very healthy looking squad. New right back Ryan Fredericks, on loan from Tottenham, didn’t look an inch out of place; Emilo Nsue now appears a useful Championship player, while last season’s player of the season Albert Adomah is finally re-finding his form.

Add into the equation Jelle Vossen who made his home debut and Kike, who came off the bench to score his fourth goal of the season, then you’re left with a rich Boro following now re-engrossed with the very idea of promotion.   

Boro’s strong away contingent can now travel to Liverpool for a Capital One cup tie on Tuesday night with seemingly nothing to lose; an upset there would surely send optimism through the roof.

Following back to back away wins at Huddersfield and Cardiff, Karanka’s side were welcomed by a buoyant Riverside crowd who were fully expecting three points against a Brentford side who were promoted from League One last season.

The Boro manager made five changes from the side which started at Cardiff on Tuesday night; one was enforced following Damia Abella’s long term injury, which allowed Fredericks to make his Boro debut at right back.

Elsewhere Dean Whitehead replaced Adam Clayton who dropped to the bench and Nsue came in for Adam Reach on the left side of midfield. Upfront Kike also had to play the role of substitute as Bamford received his chance, in defence Ben Gibson started in place of Dani Ayala who was suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.

In truth Boro dominated from start to finish but for 35 minutes there was touch of doubt that it could be one of those days. The hosts played some attractive football in the opening half hour but didn’t pose a serious test to David Button in the Brentford goal.

With less than a minute played Bamford fired over the cross bar, a few minutes later Vossen’s header was straight at Button. In contrast the visitors offered very little going forward and it appeared only a matter of time before Boro took the lead, however when Nsue and Adomah passed up further opportunities the deadlock continued.

In the end it took something special to open the scoring, and who else, but Boro’s Mr Reliable and captain Grant Leadbitter. He received possession about 30 yards from goal and with space to shoot the Boro skipper unleashed another one of his long range firecrackers which flew past Button high into the keeper’s top right corner.

That set the tone for a joyous afternoon for the home fans who leapt off their seats and remained in good spirits throughout the 90 minutes.

Momentum could have swung after the break but Boro quickly made sure it didn’t. Five minutes after the re-start Vossen threaded a nicely weighted ball through to Nsue, his low cross was the ideal invitation for Adomah to burst into the penalty area and tuck away his first goal of the season from close range.

It was like the shackles had been blown off, from then on Boro played with confidence and at times arrogance like all the top teams do. The icing on the cake would have been a goal for either Vossen or Bamford, on 57 minutes the latter came close when Adomah’s cross from the left was only inches away from Bamford’s outstretched leg.

But it wasn’t long before the striker was celebrating his first ever Boro goal, a short corner to Nsue, whose crossing was impressive all game, was delivered into the area where Bamford’s glancing header nestled into the net off the far post with just over 20 minutes to go.

Nsue deserved a goal for his contribution and nearly claimed one a few minutes later, but Button was able to tip his shot from the edge of the area over the bar. With 71 minutes gone Clayton was introduced as Leadbitter was withdrawn and received a standing ovation for another immaculate performance.

Brentford did have the occasional chance but couldn’t find a passage back into the game, when the score was still 2-0 Andre Gray wriggled through the Boro defence however keeper Dimi Konstantopulos made an instinctive save from close range. On the hour mark a deflected shot from Jota Peleteiro forced another save from the Greek keeper but that was about as good as it got for the visitors.  

The only sour note for Karanka came on 83 minutes when Whitehead was dismissed after lunging in for a challenge with Judge, the Boro midfielder was late yet it came as a huge shock when referee Jeremy Simpson unveiled a straight red card.

Even with ten men Boro added a fourth when substitute Kike sealed a great all round performance, his delicate chip from inside the area sailed over Button to seal Boro’s third victory on the bounce.

 

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopulos   8- Not much action but made important saves when he had to  

George Friend   8- Joined in with attacks at times, defended very well

Ben Gibson   7- Dealt with little threat posed by the opposition’s attack

Kenneth Omeruo   7- Cleared the danger without any nonsense, solid game

Ryan Fredericks   9- Consistently won the ball in deep areas and drove forward, outstanding debut  

Dean Whitehead   7- Provided good protection in front of the back four, unfortunate to get sent off at the end

Grant Leadbitter   9- Controlled the midfield, won the ball well, great range of passing and another wonder goal

Emilo Nsue   8.5- Constantly found space on the left, crossing was excellent, by far best Boro performance to date   

Albert Adomah   8- Looks back to player from last season, ran at defenders in dangerous areas

Jelle Vossen   7- Good linked up with midfield, couldn’t top it off with a goal

Patrick Bamford   7- Scored his first goal for the club should give him confidence

Subs

Adam Clayton   6.5- Impressed for a 20 minute spell, passing opened up Brentford defence

Kike   7- Added forth goal of the season after coming on as a second half sub

Adam Reach – Came on for the last 5 minutes not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match : Grant Leadbitter

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.

Boro Relegate Tykes To End On High

 Middlesbrough     3        Barnsley     1 

                       Tomlin 54 , 90+3    Graham  90                                   M'Voto  52

 

Boro’s preparations for next season are already underway and Aitor Karanka’s task to rebuild a team ready for the opening game in September is now in full operation.

Tomlin and Graham celebrate Boro's second goal 

In a year full of ups and downs Boro bid farewell to the Riverside crowd in their final home fixture with an entertaining 3-1 victory over Barnsley, which confirmed their relegation to league one.

Karanka described the win as “the best way to end at home” and even though next week’s trip to Yeovil has little significance for either side’s league position the Spaniard will be aware that momentum going into the next campaign is key.

The same can also be said about Karanka’s business in the summer transfer market and whether he can seek assistance from his contacts at Madrid and with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

Today it was the manager’s signings in January that earned Boro a late win in the penultimate game of the season as two goals from Lee Tomlin and one from Danny Graham secured all points.   

Karanka made four changes from the side which lost at Reading on Tuesday night, Grant Leadbitter and George Friend were both suffering from injury niggles while Nathaniel Chalobah and Emmanuel Ledesma dropped to the bench. 

They were replaced by Jonathan Woodgate, who returned as captain, Jacob Butterfield, Lee Tomlin and Adam Reach as Boro returned to their favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

Before kick-off Barnsley sat four points from safety with six left to play for, knowing they realistically needed a win to avoid the drop. They made three changes from their defeat to Derby last time out, in came Ryan McLaughlin, Kelvin Etuhu and Marcus Pederson. Tomasz Cywka dropped to the bench while Lewin Nyatanga and Paddy McCourt missed out altogether.

Even in the early stages it was clear to see that Barnsley were a side lacking in confidence. It was a complete contrast to Boro’s previous match at the Riverside where Millwall, also threatened by the drop, had actually played like their lives depended on it.

Boro’s first attempt came from the lively Reach who skipped past Barnsley defender Jean Yves M’Voto but fired his shot wide. At the other end Pederson’s shot from the edge of the area took a deflection but still fell kindly into the hands of Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos.

That chance proved to be one of the visitors few, while Boro should have capitalised on the opportunities they created. On seventeen minutes Tomlin released Graham who eventually brought the ball under control but blazed the ball over the cross bar.

For the remainder of the first half Barnsley had keeper Luke Steele to thank that the scores stay level. Tomlin twice tried his luck from range but on both occasions Steele came to the visitors rescue, moments later Albert Adomah wriggled his way into a shooting position but the keeper was again on hand to hold his low shot across goal.

The hosts had two penalty appeals turned down five minutes before half time when Reach’s low cross picked out Adomah in the opposition box, his shot was blocked and fell at the feet of Butterfield whose goal bound shot was also stopped, both claimed their shots had hit their opponents hands.

Karanka was forced into his first change when Woodgate limped off and was replaced by Daniel Ayala. But that didn’t disrupt Boro’s rhythm and if it wasn’t for Steele the hosts could have been out of sight.

In the dying minutes of the first half Butterfield smashed a vicious shot which the Barnsley keeper matched by flinging himself to the left. He was also on hand to deny Ayala’s close range effort from Tomlin’s cross, as the visitors hung on until half time.

Seven minutes after the restart the goal came but it wasn’t the way anyone had expected. From Martin Cranie’s in swinging corner M’Voto was left unmarked and able to side foot the ball back across goal and past Konstantopoulos, suddenly the visitors had a hope for their survival.

However that hope evaporated within two minutes. M’Voto, Barnsley’s hero at one end became their downfall at the other when his misplaced pass was seized upon by Tomlin who lashed the ball low across goal into Steele’s bottom right corner.

Boro now had a spring in their step, Graham cracked a powerful free kick which Steele saved at full stretch, as the hosts threatened to take the lead. With an hour gone Karanka withdrew Butterfield who made way for Chalobah. Barnsley manager Danny Wilson introduced Nick Proschwitz and Jim O’Brien who replaced Pederson and Liam Lawrence.

Those change appeared to have a negative effect on the game which entered a scrappy phase. A draw would have sent Barnsley down and they had to go for it, Proschwitz had only been on the pitch five minutes but with the match in the balance he could only drag his chance inside the area wide of the far post.  

Seb Hines for Kenneth Omeruo was Boro’s final change with twenty minutes to go, like Woodgate the Chelsea loanee limped off and couldn’t continue.     

Something had to give and with one minute of normal time remaining it did. With the game more open than ever Boro broke forward in numbers, Adomah received the ball to the left of the Barnsley penalty area, his shot was saved by Steele who couldn’t prevent the ball dropping into the path of Graham who tucked the ball into the unguarded net.

Not even the four added minutes could save Barnsley’s inevitable fate, but that didn’t stop Boro finishing in style. In the third minute of stoppage time Tomlin played a neat one-two with Adomah which released him into the Barnsley box, with time on his side Tomlin picked his spot at the far post and buried the ball past Steele.

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopoulos     7- Wasn’t given much to do but reliable when called upon

Jozsef Varga   7- Another solid game at right back, would be welcomed back if he signs next season

Kenneth Omeruo   8- Won everything in the air and commanded the defence

Jonathan Woodgate   7- Was controlling the weak Barnsley attack before he was forced off

Ben Gibson   7- Looked more comfortable at unfamiliar left back position

Dean Whitehead   7- Broke up the play in the middle of the park

Jacob Butterfield   8- Boro’s most creative player, team lost momentum when he was replaced

Albert Adomah   6.5- Dipped in and out of the game, set up the third goal  

Adam Reach   7- Lively in the first half, faded after the break

Lee Tomlin   8- Two goals made the difference, was instrumental in Boro’s attacks  

Danny Graham   6.5- Late goal but struggled impose himself 

Subs

Daniel Ayala   7- Replaced Woodgate in the first half and never looked troubled

Nathaniel Chalobah   6- Offered little to the game after coming on

Seb Hines   6.5- Came on with 20 minutes to go and was given little trouble

My Boro Man Of The Match : Lee Tomlin