Can Karanka Save Boro?

Aitor Karanka will be greeted by a hero’s welcome when he makes his much anticipated appearance at the Riverside tomorrow afternoon, as he embarks on his mission to rescue Boro’s fading season.  

After 16 league games Boro sit 19^th in the Championship table on 16 points, half the points that they had accumulated at this stage last year.

Chairman Steve Gibson with his new manager Aitor Karanka

Dating back to their relegation from the Premier League back in 2008 Boro’s sinking fortunes have forced Chairman and local fan Steve Gibson to adopt a new approach by appointing Boro’s first foreign manager in a bid to return to England’s top flight .

His decision to appoint Karanka as Tony Mowbray’s successor is no questionably a risk, but a calculated one at least. At 40 years of age Karanka has learnt his traits at the very top making 93 appearances for Spanish giants Real Madrid along with two spells at Athletic Bilbao.      

 

His managerial career began in 2008, on the periphery of the Spanish national team; taking charge of the Spain under 16 side for two years embedding the foundations and philosophy of the Spanish game. Now look at them five years down line.

That set Karanka up nicely for a new role back at Madrid as Jose Mourinho’s assistant, a stand out on any CV. With the so called ”special one” Karanka helped guide his former club to a La Liga title and their first Copa Del Rey for eight years while also reaching two Champions League semi-finals.

After three years as Mouirinho’s apprentice, like Steve Clarke and Andre Villas-Boas, Karanka now prepares for a career of his own, but will his apparent class and elegance be enough to hurl Boro back to the targeted Premier League.

Many will view the current season as a diminishing lost cause and that Karanka’s aim will be to rebuild a side ready to compete at the right end of the Championship next campaign.

However Karanka has taken no time at all in stamping his own mark, he may only have been in the job a fortnight but already reports claim the Spaniard has introduced new high intensity training methods and has been working the players harder than ever. Maybe the season isn’t lost after all.

With his new players Karanka looks set to establish a team with a high tempo, determined to close players down and win the ball back quickly. As a former defender Karanka should also be able to sort out some of Boro defensive mishaps which have been a frequent setback this season.

Despite his opening match defeat away at Leeds; Karanka claimed that he was happy with the efforts of the team and ticket sales for his first home game have already passed the 17,500 mark, and the club still hope they can surpass the 22,000 that were present for the 4-0 victory over Doncaster earlier this season.

Karanka’s first game at the Riverside is against a Bolton side who have won their last three away games, while Boro are without a win in their last three, something Karanka will hope to put right tomorrow afternoon. 

One Point Gained, But It Could Have Been Three

Middlesbrough     2           Watford     2   

                                 Adomah  23                                                     Deeney  32

                                  Ayala  90+2                                                    Forestieri  73

It’s a year to the day since Boro recorded that memorable home win over Sheffield Wednesday to briefly move top of the Championship table with promotion in their sights. How times have changed.

Twelve months on Boro only have half the points they had accumulated at this stage last season, as hopes for a top six finish this time around are beginning to fade fast.

Daniel Ayala amends for his earlier mistake with a late equaliser 

In yesterday’s 2-2- draw at home to Watford, Boro once again gave their rendition of the good, the bad and the ugly, salvaging a late point, which could easily have been three.  

Caretaker manager Mark Venus will now wonder whether his brief reign will extend beyond next week’s international break, with Boro’s next game away at Leeds in two weeks time. Yesterday’s stalemate neither hindered nor strengthened his chances of landing the job permanently.

After defeat at Blackburn last time out Venus made three changes, two were enforced as Jonathan Woodgate and Jozsef Varga dropped out with injuries, in came Seb Hines and Mustapha Carayol.

In Woodgate’s absence Kei Kamara wore the captain’s armband for the first time while the other change saw George Friend drop to the bench as he was replaced by Ben Gibson at left back.

A minutes silence took place to remember those who lost their lives in World War 1; its conclusion brought a roaring applause from the 14,000 Boro fans, who were fired up for the afternoon ahead.

However after a quiet opening Boro were caught off guard with ten minutes on the clock, Lewis McGugan slipped a pass through to Marco Faraoni inside the Boro box, but the Watford full back was denied by Jason Steele who fisted the ball away at his near post.

Watford’s attacking duo of Troy Deeney and Fernando Forestieri continued to cause problems, with some threatening runs in behind the Boro back four.

Nevertheless Boro began to find their feet, their biggest menace came in the shape of Albert Adomah whose high cross on sixteen minutes found Kei Kamara in the box, however the forward’s header was blocked by the crowd of Watford defender’s.

With twenty three minutes played Boro strung together a move to produce arguably their best goal of the season so far. A fluent move saw Marvin Emnes combine with Kamara on the edge of the Watford box, Kamara then picked out the advanced figure of Rhys Williams on the right, whose back heal sat perfectly for Adomah to lash the ball past Watford keeper Manual Almunia at his near post.

With the wind in their sails Boro pushed for a second, however they were effortlessly undone eight minutes later. There was a suspicion of offside when Forestieri drifted a pass over the Boro defence towards Deeney; however the linesman’s flag stayed down and with only Steele to beat the Watford striker slotted in his seventh goal of the season.

The almost silent response felt like the life had been sucked out of stadium, some verbal criticism of the linesman followed, however the lack of Boro appeals suggested he got it right. 

Boro reacted but couldn’t edge back in front before the break. Carayol earned a free kick on the cusp of the Watford area, which was nearly put to good use by Grant Leadbitter who forced an unconvincing save from Almunia who punched the ball to safety.

There was still time for one more chance at each end, for the visitors McGugan set up Daniel Pudil in the host’s box however the Czech international flashed his shot wide.

Minutes later Emnes’ delivered a cross from the left, where Kamara did well to steer his acrobatic scissor kick on target, forcing Almunia to scurry and save at his far post.

The second half was a much scrappier affair, where clear cut chances were hard to come by, Richard Smallwood’s speculative volley from the edge of the area flew well over the Watford cross bar, while the visitor’s best opportunity came when Sean Murray broke down the right, however his tame shot was always off target.

Boro claimed for a penalty when Gibson’s header from Leadbitter’s corner appeared to strike the hand of Gabriele Angella however appeals were turned down by referee Paul Tierney.

Forestieri registered the second half’s first shot on target after a neat Watford move, however the Italian’s low effort rolled kindly into Steele’s grasp.

With little to choose between the two sides it became questionable whether something would give. With just over twenty minutes to go Watford manager Gianfranco Zola introduced former Boro loanee Josh McEachran which drew a mixed reception from the home crowd.

With seventeen minutes to go Boro found themselves their own worst enemy as they fell behind to the softest of goals. A mistake from Daniel Ayala, when he failed to make a routine clearance in Boro territory, was pounced upon by Forestieri who stole the ball from the defender before tucking it past the defenceless Steele.

It looked like it was going to be another game which slipped through Boro’s fingers, with twelve minutes to go Venus introduced Jacob Butterfield and Andy Haliday in desperate hope of an equaliser.

Five minutes from time it appeared the chance had gone when Leadbitter’s free kick was nodded back across goal by Ayala in to  Kamara’s path however his header was denied by Almunia at point blank range.

But Boro didn’t give up and were rewarded deep into to injury when Ayala redeemed himself for his earlier error out leaping the defender’s to head home a last ditch goal from Leadbitter’s in swinging corner.

Player Rating  

Jason Steele   6.5- Left defenceless for both goals, made a couple of saves when called upon

Rhys Williams   6.5- Got forward to good effect, caught out a few times at right back  

Daniel Ayala   6- Mixed afternoon, made a critical mistake leading to Watford’s 2^nd, but made amends with last minute equaliser

Seb Hines   5.5- Carrying a slight injury, struggled to get to grips with Watford strikers Deeney and Forestieri

Ben Gibson   6- Got caught out for the first goal at unfamiliar left back position

Albert Adomah   7.5- Boro’s main threat charging down the right, netted his seventh goal of the season after brilliant Boro move

Grant Leadbitter   6.5- Kept battling in scrappy second half, at times a bit too committed though  

Richard Smallwood   6.5- Worked continuously in midfield winning loose ball 

Mustapha Carayol   6- Made some promising runs but struggled to get the better of his full back

Marvin Emnes   7- Posed a threat with energetic runs which created Boro chances    

Kei Kamara   7- Linked up well with midfield, made a good outlet up front     

Subs

Jacob Butterfield   6- Came on with 12 minutes to go, freshened up midfield, as he looked to move the ball forward

Andy Haliday   6- Came on with 12 minutes to go but saw little of the ball on the left wing

George Friend – Replaced Hines with 2 minutes to go as Boro pushed for an equaliser

My Boro Man Of The Match Albert Adomah

What Should The Fans Expect?

Things haven’t been the same at the Riverside since Boro’s relegation from the Premier League five years ago.

 In that time the same fans who watched their club reach the final of the 2006 UFEA Cup have been forced to settle for significantly less, with home attendances almost half as a flourish of promising managers have failed to propel Boro back to England’s top flight.

Will the Boro fans witness a return to the Premier league?

Each Championship season has brought its own promotion optimism, however whether it was former captain Garth Southgate, big spending Gordon Strachan or club legend Tony Mowbray in charge, each campaign has frustratingly peated out, and now after just fourteen games, their fifth year in the second tier threatens to do the same.

Two weeks after Mowbray’s dismissal Chairman Steve Gibson appears no closer to appointing a predecessor. With Boro currently 16^th in the table eight points away the final play-off spot, the Premier League return appears more distant than ever, so is it time for the fans to accept their status for this season at least?

Under Mowbray Boro looked on the brink of promotion two seasons running only for their hopes to be catastrophically dashed at the turn of the year on both occasions.

Even then the fans still viewed Boro as one of England’s big clubs with the third biggest stadium in the Championship, only behind Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday, excellent training facilities and a recent Premier League history.

Gibson has even expressed that at present Boro are a Premier League club in every aspect apart from on the pitch, and that is where the problem lies.

Gone are the parachute payments which last four years after relegation, gone are past Premier League and local heroes like Adam Johnson and David Wheatear, and what we appear to be left with is a mid-table championship side rather than one destined for promotion.

Thanks to Mowbray the new manager will start with the foundations already in place and won’t have to work with an unmanageable wage bill.

However as caretaker boss Mark Venus admitted after this week’s defeat at Blackburn this Boro side “aren’t [yet] good enough for promotion”    

As hard as this is for the loyal fans who have witnessed the great Premier League and European days, and still continue to support their club in some of its darkest hours, maybe this is the time rebuild and start over again.

Yes the long term goal will be a return to the Premier league and a top half finish should still be expected rather than a relegation scrap, but for the foreseeable future promotion seems a distant dream, hopefully a new manager can change that.

The fans will expect the new manager to lead Boro into a promotion battling campaign, why shouldn’t they? However in a new era for the club success may have to come in the long run rather than instantly.  

Its A Job Worth Taking

Middlesbrough   4        Doncaster   0  

                                    Adomah  7  35

                                     Kamara  67

                                     Ayala  82  

After all it’s been through in the recent weeks and months the spirit of Teesside is still burning strong.

Despite the tough times at the Riverside which have led to the sacking of manager, club legend and lifelong Boro fan Tony Mowbray, the fans were still quick to show their love and desire for their town and team on a night where pride, passion and excitement were all rolled into one.

Boro's new formed attack could be a real asset for the new manager

For the first time in a while you could be proud to say you’re from Teesside. Proud to see the banner of the transporter bridge before kickoff, proud to see the Riverside bouncing with over 21,000 inside, but most of all proud to see a demolishing victory.

As a fan no one would have enjoyed last night’s 4-0 triumph over Doncaster more than Mowbray himself, but as a manager he must wonder why the same players didn’t perform like that when he was in the dugout.

Two first half goals from Albert Adomah got the vibrant show started before Kei Kamara and new loan signing Daniel Ayala added their names to the score sheet after the interval.

It was a result which certainly stated a claim for current caretaker boss Mark Venus to take the vacant manager’s job full time, however there may be a few more candidates interested after watching  last night’s performance.

Venus, who has been Mowbray’s assistant at all of his previous jobs, made no hesitation in stamping his own mark on the team making six changes from last week’s embarrassing 3-2 defeat at Barnsley.

In came Rhys Williams, Jonathan Woodgate, Richard Smallwood Mustapha Carayol and Marvin Emnes along with Ayala who signed a 93 day loan deal from Norwich earlier this week.

Seb Hines, George Friend, Jacob Butterfield and Lukas Jutkiewicz all dropped to the bench where they were joined by Curtis Main who has just returned from a loan spell at Shrewsbury. Frazer Richardson and Dean Whitehead were the other casualties as they missed out all together.

There was also an evident change to the Boro system as they set up to play 4-4-2 with Carayol and Adomah operating the wings while Emnes linked up with Kamara as a front two.

Doncaster’s team showed just one change from their defeat at Reading last time out, Richie Wellens was suspended so replaced by Theo Robinson, while in goal Ross Turnbull made his first return to Boro since leaving in 2009.

Following the week’s events it was a nervy but energetic start as the half price ticket offer resulted in an attendance of 21,882, Boro’s highest in the league since Boxing Day.

However it was the visitors who earned themselves the opening chance when a mix up in the Boro defence allowed the ball to fall at the feet of James Coppinger, but with a clear sight of goal his low shot failed to hit the target.

Boro’s attack force showed plenty of promise and with only seven minutes played they had taken the lead.

Kamara received the ball mid way inside his own half before sending a perfectly measured pass over the top of the defence towards Adomah. The Ghanaian international reacted shapely to beat the defenders to the loose ball then with Turnbull slightly off his line, Adomah produced the calmest of finishes looping the ball over the stranded keeper from the edge of the area where it dipped into the net.

The hosts bided their time picking their moments to get forward. On the left Carayol’s direct runs were causing Doncaster all sorts of problems, on sixteen minutes he cut inside on to his favoured right foot; however his low effort was denied by Turnbull who palmed the ball away.

Conditions were made tricky as the rain began to lash down however Boro soaked up the growing Doncaster pressure. The visitor’s only shot on target came in the form of a speculative effort from full back Reece Wabara whose long range shot from the edge of the area flew straight into the gloves of Jason Steele.

It remained a buoyant atmosphere as Boro posed the bigger threat going forward. On 23 minutes Kamara made a powerful leap to connect with Carayol’s cross however he couldn’t steer his header on target.

Minutes later Boro strung together another well worked move, but when Emnes teed off Carayol in the Doncaster penalty area he could only fire over the cross bar.

It took until the 35^th minute but Boro finally doubled their advantage, Carayol once again charged down the left before laying the ball back to Smallwood who had took up the space in midfield, with plenty of time he swung the ball into the box where it was met by the diving header from Adomah which cannoned into the ground before bouncing over Turnbull and into the roof of the net.

Doncaster should have pulled one back on the stroke of half time when captain Rob Jones failed to make contact with the ball from a teasing corner.

However Boro could have been out of sight when Kamara slipped the ball through to Carayol however he was denied by the outstretched Turnbull.

At half time the fans were treated to a performance by last year’s X factor winner James Arthur, who was given a warm reception.

After the break Williams was fortunate he didn’t turn Mark Duffy’s free kick into his own net, as the ball bounced off the Aussie's shin before going for a corner.

Boro gradually clawed back their authority, Ayala’s header had to be cleared off the line by Jones but it wasn’t long before the hosts wrapped up a third.

Leadbitter’s free kick mid way inside the Doncaster half floated towards the far post where Kamara was on hand to tuck the ball past Turnbull sealing the game and sparing a nervy climax.

The visitors missed the chance to salvage a consolation goal when substitute Chris Brown’s header ten minutes from time rebounded off Steele’s far post.

Boro’s fourth was ominous and nearly came when Emnes received the ball from Carayol in the area however the Dutch forward couldn’t beat Turnbull.

The night was completed with eight minutes remaining; an in swinging corner from Leadbitter was powered into the net from Ayala’s header who hustled off the crowd of defenders to mark a debut goal.

After making an admitted “tough decision” to sack his manager, chairman Steve Gibson will hope the man he appoints in the coming weeks can produce more victories like last night.

Whoever gets the job still has plenty of work to do, but one thing’s for sure the role definitely looks a lot more appealing than it did a week ago.  

Player Ratings

Jason Steele   6- Wasn’t required to make any top class saves, still looked a little shaky when dealing with crosses

Ben Gibson   6- Unfamiliar position of left back but coped well

Jonathan Woodgate (C)   7- Took up good positions to snub out Doncaster danger

Daniel Ayala   7.5- Looked comfortable at the back, capped of Boro debut with a powerful headed goal 

Rhys Williams   6- became more adventurous as the game went on, occasionally got caught out of position at right back  

Richard Smallwood   7.5- Worked continuously in midfield, cross picked out Adomah for second goal

Grant Leadbitter   7.5- Kept the midfield ticking through work rate and variety of passing

Mustapha Carayol   7.5- Created plenty of chances with Direct runs at the defence in the first half 

Albert Adomah   8.5- Two well taken goals, never stopped charging forward down the right

Marvin Emnes   8- Found pockets of space in front of the Doncaster defence to cause them plenty of problems

Kei Kamara   7.5- Linked up well with other forwards, continues to look a goal threat

Subs

Players were not on the pitch long enough to give a fair score

Jacob Butterfield- Came on with 8 minutes to go to sure up the midfield

Curtis Main- Made his return for the last few minutes after loan spell at Shrewsbury    

Jozsef Varga- Replaced Adomah in the last minute as the Ghanaian received a standing ovation

My Boro Man Of The Match Albert Adomah

England Power Past Poland To Begin World Cup Countdown

England     2          Poland     0

                                    Rooney  40

                                    Gerrard  87

Raise the banners, cue the optimism, for England have finally qualified for next year’s World Cup.

Can they win it?  It remains unlikely, although this time people are actually admitting it. But at least we’ll be there and have the chance to relive the hope, the drama and the frequent heartbreak; it just wouldn’t be the same without. Who knows they may even surprise us.

Steven Gerrard celebrates the goal which sends England to Brazil 

There were no excuses or what if’s from manager Roy Hodgson and his players last night as they booked their ticket’s to Brazil next Summer with a 2-0 victory over Poland at Wembley, to conclude an up and down qualifying campaign which England finished unbeaten.

Yes it was tense for most of the night; it was always going to be. England needed to win to top group H anything less would result in the unpredictability of a play-off.

They led through Wayne Rooney’s header five minutes before half time. However it wasn’t until the 87^th minute when Captain Steven Gerrard shrugged off two Polish defenders and converted England’s second, that the nation could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Hodgson later described the victory as the “proudest moment” [of his career] that was clear from the beaming smile on his face at the final whistle.

“We knew how important it is to so many people England is a very big football nation. So many people are desperate to see England participate and hopefully do well in a world cup so we knew it was on our shoulder’s to make certain we didn’t disappoint them.” Hodgson said after the match.

The England manager only made two changes from the side that conquered Montenegro on Friday night. One was enforced as Chris Smalling replaced the suspended Kyle Walker at right back, while Frank Lampard dropped to the bench and made way for Michael Carrick.

After a cagey opening the game suddenly sprung into life. England made the first move when Leighton Baines whipped a low cross from the left which required a vital interception from Poland defender Grzegorz Wojtkowiak who prevented the ball entering the heart of the penalty area.

Then it was the visitors turn. From the resulting corner Poland’s most recognised asset, Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski, launched an immediate counter attack. Urged on by the 18,000 Poland fans inside Wembley he charged to the edge of the England box however his tame shot was straight at keeper Joe Hart.

An end to end game must have been turning into an entertaining spectacle, for the neutral at least. England’s new wonder kid Andros Townsend backed up his man of the match performance on Friday night and brought the first save out of Poland and Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczęsny.

However the hosts were left exposed at the back once again with twenty minutes on the clock, Jakub Błaszczykowski’s clever dummy fooled the England defence, the ball fell perfectly at the feet of Lewandowski but with only Hart to beat the Polish number nine dragged his shot hopelessly wide. 

   

England had been let off the hook; however they soon regrouped and dominated the remainder of the half.

Townsend was at it again and nearly opened the scoring when he cut inside from the left before unleashing a spectacular effort which arched towards the goal but cannoned back off the cross bar.

Chances continued to come, Welbeck fired wide after a scramble from a corner, Sturridge then scuffed one past the post from the edge of the box, before Rooney forced Szczęsny back into action.

It could have quite easily turned into one of those agonising nights where England just couldn’t score. However those thoughts were abolished five minutes before the interval, Baines yet again found space on the left, his ominous cross fell perfectly onto the head of Rooney who glanced the ball into the far corner of the net for his 38^th international goal.

England had seized momentum before the break but seconds after half time they nearly handed it back. Błaszczykowski’s low cross from the right picked out Mateusz Klich, who had just come on as a substitute, fortunately for England his shot was blocked by the outstretched leg of Gary Cahill.

At 1-0 the situation was far from comfortable in a nail-biting climax. England came close to folding when a pass over the defence was controlled by Lewandowski however he couldn’t beat the outrushing Hart who made a critical block with his right arm.

A substitution saw Lampard replace Carrick as England looked to put the game out of sight. It was agonising for both Hodgson and the fans, both Rooney and Sturrridge came close but both had efforts impressively saved by Szczęsny.

However with three minutes to go the long road to Brazil was completed in style, Gerrard latched on to a loose ball with only one thing in mind, determined to send his country to the World Cup finals, he brushed aside two Polish defenders before poking the ball past  Szczęsny causing Wembley to erupt.

The countdown for next summer starts now, so let the excitement begin!   

A Home Win At Last

Middlesbrough     4          Yeovil     1

                    Leadbitter  8                                                  Davis  4

                    Adomah  27

                    Butterfield  49 

                     Kamara  74

It may have been a long time coming but Boro finally have their first home win of the season.

In the end the victory was a comfortable and one-sided affair against an at best, average Yeovil side who will be more than happy to retain their Championship status come May.

Grant Leadbitter celebrates Boro's equalizer

Boro were good value for their 4-1 victory and could have easily scored more goals, but in truth so could Yeovil on an afternoon full of open, free flowing football which made for an entertaining spectacle.

Goals from Grant Leadbitter, Albert Adomah, Jacob Butterfield and Kei Kamara ensured Boro finally abolished their eight game winning drought going into next week’s international break allowing some much needed respite for manager Tony Mowbray.     

The Boro boss expressed that his side got what they deserved in the 3 points but admitted that “it wasn't the perfect performance and that the problems are still there in front of my eyes” Not least in the defensive areas.

Mowbray made just one change from the side which was held to a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield on Tuesday night. Marvin Emnes replaced Mustapha Carayol who dropped to the bench following his apology on twitter for his performance last time out.

Empty seats were again clear to see as Boro recorded their two lowest  league attendances at the Riverside back to back. 13,181 was a minor improvement on the 12,793 who were present on Tuesday night, however it’s still miles off the great Premier league and European days five years ago.

Against a Yeovil side who sat second from bottom before kick-off with just five points, the Boro fans expected nothing less than a victory to kick start their sluggish opening to the season.

However things didn’t go to plan as Boro were yet again punished for a defensive mishap which resulted in the opening goal.

Just four minutes were on clock when a Yeovil clearance up field was misjudged by Rhys Williams who allowed the ball to bounce deep inside his own half. Before the Boro captain had time to rethink the situation his mistake had been pounced on by Yeovil’s Liam Davis who latched onto the ball and drove towards the Boro penalty area, before slotting his effort past Jason Steele.

It was the worst possible start to a must win game and the fans made their thoughts clear channeling their frustration towards Mowbray, who was again the victim of individual error that was out of his control.

Boro’s response had to be imminent and they made sure they weren’t behind for long. Four minutes later Albert Adomah retrieved possession mid-way inside the opposition  half, he charged toward Yeovil goal before drifting a cross from the right in to the path of Grant Leadbitter, who cannoned his volley into the ground before it flew into the roof of the net.

More than anything there was a sense of relief around the ground, but Boro didn’t rest on their laurels as they went in search of a second. Kei Kamara was inches away when he met George Friend’s cross, the Sierra Leone international steered his original header onto the crossbar, before he pounced on the rebound but was denied by the post.

After 20 minutes it was obvious to see why Yeovil had lost five games on the bounce, the Glovers defensive frailties were again exploited on 22 minutes when Dean Whitehead threaded a menacing pass towards Friend in the Yeovil penalty area, where the Boro full back was chopped down by Joel Grant; referee Dean Whitestone immediately signalled a penalty.

Leadbitter elected to take it but was denied by an outstanding save from Wayne Hennessy who turned the ball onto his right hand post. However the Yeovil keeper was left helpless when Adomah was quickest to react and followed in the rebound which bounced in to the net.

Boro had another strong penalty appeal turned down when Adomah went for a one-two pass with Kamara in the Yeovil box. Adomah was visibly blocked by Shane Duffy when going for the return however the referee stood by his decision.    

Adomah was running the show as Boro piled on the pressure, with half an hour played, the Ghanaian's quick feet allowed him to dance his way past two Yeovil defenders opposition before he firing a left foot shot over the bar.

Yeovil thought they had an equalizer when Steele could only parry Sam Hoskins’ low shot; Andy Williams converted the rebound only for the linesman’s flag to cut his celebrations short.

Half time was a chance to draw breath from what had been a relentless 45 minutes. For the majority Boro had dominated and could have been out of sight, on the other hand they could have easily been level.

It was crucial for Boro to regain their momentum after the interval and they did it in emphatic style. Four minutes after the restart Emnes cut in field from the left before laying the ball off to Butterfield about 30 yards from goal, the Boro midfielder turned into space before unleashing a darting shot which fizzed low into the bottom right corner and doubling Boro’s advantage.

However their lead should have been slashed back to one minutes later, when careless play from Whitehead saw him dispossessed in middfield allowing Yeovil to break. 

It was two on one in the visitors favour and when Davis squared the ball to Hoskins he looked certain to score however with almost the whole goal to aim at he could only find the post to let Boro off the hook.

Boro did well to take the sting out of an end to end game and hold their advantage. With half an hour to go Mowbray introduced Carayol to replace Emnes who’d had a decent game on his return to the side.

Brimming with confidence after his first goal in a Boro shirt, Butterfield continued to shine winning tackles and driving the team forward from midfield. With twenty minutes to go he almost added Boro’s fourth when another long range effort had to beaten away by Hennessey.

That didn’t matter though as Boro soon moved out of sight on seventy four minutes, Carayol’s in swinging corner was powered into the net by the head of Kamara to seal a much needed three points.

Once more Boro were caught napping at the back, when Yeovil substitute Keiffer Moore was presented with a golden chance from Hoskins’ cross, however with the goal gaping Moore released a contender for miss of the season from two yards out.

That concluded Boro’s first home win this campaign, next up for Mowbray is an away trip to Barnsley after the international break. Their next home game is on the 25th of October against Doncaster, when the club will hope reduced tickets prices will lure fans back to the Riverside.

Player Ratings

Jason Steele   5.5- Not overly worked, but again looked unconvincing when coming for crosses

George Friend   7- Played key role in Boro’s attack got forward to good effect and won the penalty

Rhys Williams (C)   5.5- Mistake led to first goal and looked shaky all afternoon

Ben Gibson   7- Only 20 years old but at time was the leader in defence, backed up performance on Tuesday night

Frazer Richardson   6.5- Tried to get forward but didn’t see much of the ball

Dean Whitehead   5.5- Great pass led to penalty, but made a few too many errors which could have been costly

Grant Leadbitter   7.5- Scored equaliser, worked hard all afternoon in midfield

Jacob Butterfield   8- By far his best game in a Boro shirt, always looked to get forward resulting in brilliant goal

Marvin Emnes   6.5- Caused a few problems in and around the Yeovil penalty area  

Albert Adomah   7.5- Ran the show in the first half, faded after half time but still an impressive performance
Kei Kamara   7.5- Linked up well with teammates, looks a goal threat, strong header put the game out of sight

Subs

Mustapha Carayol   6- Added fresh legs with 30 minutes to go, showed flashes of his ability

Jozsef Varga -came on with 10 minutes to go so can’t give a fair score

Justin Hoyte -came on with 10 minutes to go so can’t give a fair score

My Boro Man Of The Match: Jacob Butterfield

Another Chance Missed

Middlesbrough   1       Huddersfield   1   

                         

                       Gibson  79                                           Vaughan  58

No matter how hard they try this season Boro can only continue to find new ways to draw football matches, especially at the Riverside.

After five home games Boro are still winless on their own turf, losing one while the other four have finished all square, hardly the form of a mid-table side let alone playoff contenders.

Ben Gibson celebrates his first Boro goal

In last night 1-1 draw with Huddersfield there were signs and flashes of a team who are beginning to make progress, but in small steps rather than huge strides.  

Boro dominated for large spells of the game mounting up 8 shots on target to Huddersfield’s 1, which inevitability found the back of the net, as Boro’s inability to concentrate for the full ninety minutes was once again exploited.  

The lowest ever league attendance at the Riverside, a mere 12,793 watched the latest chapter in Boro’s chain of frustrating results which after ten games leaves then 19^th in the table, four points from the relegation zone, but more alarming ten points adrift from the final playoff spot.

Following a disheartening defeat away to QPR last weekend Tony Mowbray made two changes from the side which started at Loftus road, captain Rhys Williams replaced the injured Jonathan Woodgate while Mustapha Carayol came in for Jozsef Varga.

The host’s poor form was clear to see and hear in the opening exchanges; at times the Riverside was almost silent, a subdued atmosphere wasn’t helped by the action on the pitch.

Huddersfield came into the game unbeaten in four league games and their confidence was clear to see, as visitors pinned Boro back for a majority of the opening half an hour.

Despite their early pressure the visitor failed to threaten Jason Steele’s goal. It took until the 22^nd minute but Boro finally stuttered into action; Mustapha Carayol made a darting run towards the opposition box where he traded passes with Kei Kamara before testing Huddersfield Alex Smithies who palmed the ball away.

    

Ten minutes later Boro found a new gear all together, Carayol again broke away before firing his effort across goal forcing another save from Smithies.

At this point Boro were in the ascendency and continued to keep Smithies busy, Kamara did well to turn his defender before unleashing a shot on target to warm the gloves of the keeper, minutes later Frazier Richardson’s teasing cross was heading towards the Huddersfield goal and once again triggered Smithies into action.

Half time made an unwelcome interruption to Boro’s progress, after a sluggish start they had created plenty of chances.      

Five minutes after the restart Grant Leadbitter’s long range effort rolled nicely into the Smithies grasp for one of his easier saves of the night.

Huddersfield manager Mark Robins opted to replace Sean Scannel with Danny Ward, with just seven minutes of the second half played, as the visitor’s patiently waited for their opportunity.

It came minutes later when former Boro loanee Adam Hammill drifted a cross from the right into the host’s penalty area; Steele made the mistake of leaving the ball allowing Ward to clatter a close range header against the post. The ball bounced out to Oscar Goburn whose shot was diverted into the Boro net by James Vaughan for the striker’s ninth goal of the season.    

  

With just under half an hour to go a tribute went out to lifelong Boro fan Frankie Bam Bam who recently passed away. A banner was paraded around the ground resulting in applause from both sets of supporters.

In search for an equaliser Mowbray switched to 4-4-2 replacing Carayol and Jacob Butterfield with Lukas Jutkiewitz and Andy Halliday.

The change nearly made an instant impact when Jutkiewitz cut in from the left hand side, his cross sat up nicely for Kamara who had found space in the box however Boro’s deadline day signing steered his header the wrong side of the post.

At the start of the night a draw for Boro would have been extremely disappointing, but a defeat would have been catastrophic. However the hosts spared their blushes with eleven minutes remaining.

An in swinging corner from the left was taken by Leadbitter and cannoned in by a header from Ben Gibson, a well deserved goal for a player making his first league appearance at the Riverside.

 Mowbray replaced Richardson with Justin Hoyte in search of a winner.It almost came six minutes from time. Hoyte’s cross was met by the head of Williams who had made a charging run into the opposition box, only to see his header rebound off the underside of the crossbar.  

Deep into injury time Leadbitter fired the final chance wide, as Boro let another two points slip through the net while adding a further draw to their growing collection.

Mowbray will now turn his attention to Saturday’s home game against Yeovil as the need for three points becomes greater by the day.  

Player Ratings

Jason Steele   5 – Could have prevented the goal, otherwise had a game with little to do  

George Friend   6 – Got forward to good effect down the left but struggled defensively

Ryes Williams (C)   7 – Urged the team forward while looking solid in defence

Ben Gibson   7.5 – Scored vital equaliser while looking comfortable on the ball in defence 

Fraiser Richardson   6.5 – Got forward to good effect and not troubled much defensively

Dean Whitehead   5.5 – Continued to play sideways or backwards passes  

Grant Leadbitter   6.5 – Took on a role further forward threatening at times

Jacob Butterfield   6.5 – Provided energy in the midfield

Albert Adomah   5.5 – Quiet game didn’t see enough of the ball to cause a threat

Mustapha Carayol   6 – Improved as the first half went on causing a few problems for the opposition

Kei Kamara   6.5 – Linked up well testing the keeper on a couple of occasions

Subs

Lukas Jutkiewitz   6.5 – Added extra body up front giving Huddersfield more problems    

Andy Hallidy   5 – Had little impact after coming on with twenty minutes to go

Justin Hoyte   6 – Looked to get forward, cross nearly resulted in the winning goal

My Boro Man Of The Match: Ben Gibson