Rangers Leave It Late To Deny Boro

Middlesbrough    1        QPR    3     

                                          Friend  18                                              Benayoun  45

                                                                   Zamora  90+4

                                                                      Morrison  90+6 

If Boro’s 3-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers tells us anything about Aitor Karanka it’s that he will stick to his tactics no matter what.

If there was ever a chance for the Spaniard to throw caution to the wind and abandon his traditional defensive policy, today was that opportunity. At this late stage in the season the table clearly shows Boro won’t go down, neither will they go up and seemingly have nothing to lose.

Boro left to suffer after stoppage time goals  

However experimenting with the formation doesn’t appear be on the Boro manager’s agenda. At 1-1 in today’s fixture his decision to persist with a lone striker rather than switch to a more offensive formation was a sign that he is convinced the system will work. In the long term maybe it will, from Jose Mourinho he has learnt from the best.

In the meantime Boro will have to make do with another painful defeat. After taking a first half lead through a rare George Friend goal, the hosts were undone by Yossi Benayoun’s equaliser on the stroke of half time before a double sucker punch when Bobby Zamora and Ravel Morrison were both on target in second half stoppage time.

Karanka made three changes from the side which drew 0-0 at Bournemouth the weekend before. The defence along with keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos were unchanged, further forward captain Grant Leadbitter was suspended after picking up his 10^th booking of the season at Dean Court; he was replaced by Nathaniel Chalobah who partnered stand in skipper Dean Whitehead in midfield.

In front of then Kei Kamara and Jacob Butterfield came in replacing Lee Tomlin, who dropped to the bench, and Mustapha Carayol who will miss the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Danny Graham remained the lone centre forward.     

QPR’s play-off hopes suffered a worrying dent in mid-week when they were convincingly beaten by Sheffield Wednesday. Manager Harry Redknapp made six changes from that evening recalling goalkeeper Robert Green, Suk-Young Yun, Tom Carroll, Niko Kranjcar, Will Keane and Benayoun. Former Boro midfielder Gary O’Neil was on the bench.

Before kick-off the Boro side wore bright blue “T-shirts with the words “Get well soon Muzzy” written on the front. With eight goals to his name it’s clear the winger will be a huge loss.  

The Rangers side was sprinkled with a number of ex-Premier League players following their relegation last year. One of whom was the, never short of controversy, Joey Barton, his long range shot with just two minutes played forced Konstantopoulos to parry the ball away, it dropped kindly at the feet of Carroll, whose rebound was denied by the foot of the Boro keeper.

Boro responded two minutes later when Butterfield turned towards goal on the edge of a crowded Rangers penalty area but fired over the cross bar, not long after he tried his luck again with a better view of goal however Green was on hand to palm the ball away.

The game’s opening goal came on eighteen minutes. Friend advanced on one of his adventurous runs from left back into the Rangers penalty area where he cut inside, avoiding the attempted challenges, he pulled the trigger at goal; Green got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out.

It was clear to see that the Rangers midfield had quality; they were comfortable and composed on the ball however, to Boro’s credit, they failed to do much with it and the best chances fell the host’s way.

Just before the half hour mark Chalobah played a well measured through ball to Friend on the left, the full back’s low cross towards the box was dangerous however there was a lack of Boro players there to convert it.     

Moments later the visitor’s goal was under threat again, Whitehead’s well hit effort required a block from Barton to send it over the bar, before Friend went close once more, his low half volley fizzed along the ground but was comfortable for Green to gather.

Back came the visitors minutes before half time, Morrison, on loan from Tottenham, showed why he is one of England’s hot prospects when he drove at the Boro defence before unleashing a shot which Konstantopoulos had to tip over the bar.

It wasn’t long before the Boro keeper was beaten though. In first half stoppage time Kranjcar’s shot deflected into the path Benayoun who could barely miss from close range; there were some Boro appeals for offside and at the half time whistle the boos from the home fans were at the linesman who turned them down.

It turned out to be the tale of two halves. Boro had attacked with purpose and prevented the Rangers threat before the interval but after the break they appeared to stall.

Five minutes after the re-start Konstantopoulos had to be alert to catch Aaron Hughes’ cross which was heading goal bound, as the visitors started to apply the pressure.

With just under half an hour to go Tomlin replaced Butterfield as the attacking midfield, with Karanka electing not to change the balance of the team.   

A series of fouls and stray passes saw the match enter a scrappy period. Chaloboh was booked when he appeared to win the ball, which sparked an aggrieved reaction from the home fans. Tempers flared further when words were exchanged between Morrison and Kei Kamara, Barton also got involved and all three earned a place in the referee’s notebook.

The events had set up a grandstand finish, with ten minutes remaining Albert Adomah cut in from the right but the Boro winger was denied by Green at his near post.

With the match in the balance up came five minutes of injury time. Boro appeared to have snatched all three points when the ball dropped to Friend inside the crowded Rangers box, he made a clean connection but his shot whistled the wrong side of the post.

Then just like that the game flipped on its head, a back pass from Kenneth Omeruo to his keeper took a wicked bobble off the turf taking it past the stranded Konstantopoulos presenting Rangers substitute Zamora a routine tap-in.

Boro had little time to respond but as they pushed forward the visitors pounced again, Morrison latched on to the loose ball inside the Boro half and lashed it across goal into the roof of the net to seal all the points for his side.

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopoulos   6.5- Solid game, caught out for second goal by unlucky bobble

Jozsef Varga   7- Provided good secure cover at right back as Rangers struggled to break through     

Ben Gibson   7- Cleared the danger when he had to and saw out his duties

Kenneth Omeruo   7- Another consistent performance at the heart of the defence

George Friend   7.5- Mostly untroubled defensively, chose when to get forward and rewarded with a goal

Dean Whitehead (C)   6.5- Gave protection to the back four in midfield

Nathaniel Chalobah   6- Could have had more impact on the game as Rangers controlled midfield

Albert Adomah   6- Tracked back well but was quite quiet going forward

Kei Kamara   5.5- Looked out position on the left hand side

Jacob Butterfield   7- Got in to some good forward positions, replaced after an hour

Danny Graham   5.5- Struggled upfront on his own and had little effect on the game

Subs

Lee Tomlin   6- Replaced Butterfield with half an hour to go

Emmanuel Ledesma – Came on for the last two minutes not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: George Friend

Boro Denied By Controversial Goal

Middlesbrough  1     Nottingham Forest   1

                             Carayol  53                                                         Henderson 80

Boro may have scored their first goal for seven games on Saturday, but they remain far from the finished package.

Victory over Nottingham Forest last night would have only disguised  what was on the whole a disappointing display from a Boro side who should have been brimming with confidence following their 2-0 victory over Ipswich at the weekend.

Henderson's goal ten minutes from time denies Boro victory 

The hosts probably didn’t deserve the win but neither did they deserve the misfortune that prevented it. After taking the lead through Mustapha Carayol’s second half strike Boro looked set to pick up all three points for the second time in four days, only to be undone by another controversial referee decision when Forest striker Darius Henderson appeared to bundle the ball in using his hand.

Despite that, Boro can have no complaints about the final result in what was an anti-climax to Saturday’s performance. Forest, who came into the game off the back three successive defeats, failed to capitalise on their dominant first half showing and in the end just managed to scrape a point to keep their play-off bid on track.

  On last nights’ evidence Forest are a team worthy of their current play-off position, yet for large spells Boro were able to resist the waves of pressure that came their way, Henderson’s goal ten minutes from time was the first goal Boro have conceded at the Riverside for 11 hours 54 minutes, a statistic which shows just how difficult Aitor Karanka’s side are to beat.

At 1-0 Boro’s counter attacking style created chances for them to double their lead but they couldn’t convert them. Their lack of conviction upfront appears to have already ended their play-off aspirations this campaign and still looks the difference between Boro and the top six.

For the first time since his appointment in November Karanka named an unchanged side from the previous match. The only changes from Saturday’s victory over Ipswich were on the bench where Albert Adomah returned along with Dean Whitehead who was suspended at the weekend.

Forest boss Billy Davis was serving a five match touchline ban, his side showed two changes from the team which lost at Barnsley on Saturday, Greg Halford and Kevin Gomis made way for Danny Collins and ex-Boro midfielder Jonathan Greening.

The opening exchanges played out like a game of chess as the two sides bided their time to make a move. Set pieces looked to be both team’s greatest weapons. On ten minutes Forest defender Jamaal Lascelles headed wide from the visitor’s first corner. Minutes later it was Boro’s turn, Carayol managed to steer his header on target but Lascelles was placed to clear it on the line.

Despite their poor run of form Forest were showing few signs of a team low in confidence, their passing was crisp as they kept possession for long spells. In contrast Boro struggled to retain the ball and were spending a majority of their time camped in their own half.

Before long the visitors began to turn their possession into chances, with twenty minutes played Jamie Paterson’s low cross from the left found fellow forward Jamie Mackie whose shot required a block from Boro captain Grant Leadbitter.

Boro’s defence continued to stand firm but twelve minutes later Forest really should have opened the scoring. Djamel Abdoun, who was a threat for the visitors all game, crossed from the left to provide Simon Cox with a free header however it was tamely directed in to the gloves of Boro keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos.

The crowd needed a lift and ironically it came from a Boro injury, Lee Tomlin had been one of the host’s most creative players before he limped off ten minutes before half time. His departure saw the introduction of top scorer Adomah who received a warm welcome.

There was still time for both sides to threaten the deadlock before the break. Abdoun latched on to a loose pass from Boro’s Nathaniel Chalobah however his low shot from range was easily held by Konstantopoulos. Minutes before the interval Carayol cut inside from the left to hit a skimming shot along the ground which whistled inches wide of Forest keeper Karl Darlow’s near post.

That late effort prompted the majority to applaud at half time, but overall Forest had been the better side and Boro needed to improve.

A miss-kick from Darlow when attempting to clear the ball from a back pass at the start of the second half resulted in a roar of jeers from the home fans behind the goal and Boro’s first corner of the half, however that was as far as the danger went.

Boro had been waiting for their chance on the counter attack all evening, which came in the fifty-third minute. With Forest busy appealing for a penalty a one end the hosts piled forward, Adomah led the charge as he dribbled deep into the Forest half, he picked out Carayol to his left who then took over cutting inside to curl the ball inside Darlow’s far post.

Forest saw another chance go begging when Cox’s shot was denied by Ben Gibson’s last ditch challenge. Boro should have been out of sight when Leadbitter broke forward and found Carayol in an almost identical position to where he scored the goal, once again he cut inside his full back but this time he placed his shot wide.

With an hour gone Karanka brought on Whitehead in place of Ledesma with the idea of protecting the defence. Forest introduced Andy Reid with twenty minutes to go before a double change saw strikers Henderson and Matt Derbyshire join the action, and the subs soon paid off.

A long ball forward into the Boro half caught right back Jozsef Varga off guard allowing Reid to advance on the left, his low cross across the box was met by Henderson who when lunging forward appeared  turn the ball in using his hand. The Boro appeals were ones of anger but referee Roger East wasn’t going to change his mind.

Kei Kamara for Carayol was Boro’s final substitution and the striker nearly played a key role in a Boro winner when his flick on fell at the feet of Graham whose effort from close range could only find the post leaving Boro to wonder what might have been. 

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopoulos   6.5- Made some important saves to keep Boro level

Joszsef Varga   6.5- Stuck to his duties at right back but caught out for the goal late on

Kenneth Omeruo   7- Dealt with the danger caused by Forest attack

Ben Gibson   7.5- Put in some important tackles and cleared the danger when he had to

George Friend   7- Got forward to good effect but at time his final product let him down

Nathaniel Chalobah   6- Failed to impose himself on the game with any great effect

Grant Leadbitter (C)   6- Struggled to impose himself on the game as Forest dominated for large parts  

Emmanuel Ledesma   5.5- struggled to get in to the game, subbed in the second half

Mustapha Carayol   7- Again looked Boro’s brightest spark, but failed to convert chance to go 2-0 up

Lee Tomlin   6- Struggled to get in the game, showed signs of what he can do before going off injured

Danny Graham   5.5- Failed to hold the ball up, at times looked a lost figure upfront

Subs

Albert Adomah   6.5- Added extra pace on the wing after coming on in the first half

Dean Whitehead   6- Came on with 30 minutes to go to sure up the midfield

Kei Kamara- Came on with 7 minutes to go not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: Ben Gibson

The Wait Is Over

Middlesbrough     2          Ipswich     0    

                              Graham 29, 45

Boro's goals come like buses you wait over 12 hours for one then two come at once!  

It’s ironic that a side who have failed to score in seven consecutive games are then able to find the net twice in a mere quarter of an hour.

Graham celebrate's his double

Danny Graham’s two goals before half time were the striker’s first in a Boro shirt since his loan move from Sunderland back in January, his first came in the shape of a tap in from close range, his second a glancing header right before the interval in a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town at the Riverside.

Overall the visitors may have been a little disappointing but take nothing away from Boro who were efficient and professional in closing out their first win for over a month.

Aitor Karanka’s philosophy of keeping things tight at the back was a key part of this overdue victory. Boro haven’t conceded a goal at the Riverside since December and that never looked like changing, for this was another dominant defensive display from the hosts who were rarely troubled by an out of sort Ipswich side.

“Finally the goals arrived and I'm very happy. Firstly, our supporters deserved to see us scoring goals and winning and secondly it's great for my team to reward their hard work,” said Karanka after the match.

"But I was never worried. I always believed 100 per cent in myself and in the team and I know that when we work hard and play like that we can beat anybody."

The Boro boss made six changes from the side that lost away at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend. In goal Dimi Konstantopoulos was preferred to Jason Steele and replaced the injured Tomas Mejias. The defence showed one change as Ben Gibson came in for Jonathan Woodgate who had picked up a calf strain.

Further forward Grant Leadbitter returned as captain in place of Dean Whitehead who was sent off at Hillsborough and was serving his suspension, the other changes saw Mustapha Carayol, Lee Tomlin and Ledsema all line up behind Graham upfront, Jacob Butterfield and Kei Kamara dropped to the bench which didn’t feature Albert Adomah.

Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side from their 1-0 victory over Birmingham the previous Saturday.

Before this game Boro had taken just four points from a possible twenty-one and their poor form was reflected by a rather subdued atmosphere in the early exchanges.

Nevertheless the first chance of the afternoon fell the way of the hosts. With three minutes gone Graham received the ball on the edge of the Ipswich penalty where he laid the ball back to Ledesma who could only drag his shot wide of the near post.

Boro continued to look a threat especially down the left hand side where Carayol and George Friend were causing the visitors all kinds of problems. On eighteen minutes Friend’s run from left back into the opposition box looked promising, however his shot on the end of it was well off target.

Minutes later it was Carayol’s turn when he made a diagonal run from left to right inside the Ipswich half, after working himself some space the winger finally pulled the trigger only to see his effort roll past the far post.

Ipswich had begun to apply some pressure to the Boro back line to which they had resisted. However on twenty-seven minutes the visitors should have taken the lead Daryl Murphy’s shot took a deflection off Gibson and fell nicely into the path of Town forward Paul Taylor, who blazed the ball over the bar with a clear sight of goal.

Then at last it came, Boro’s first goal since the 18^th of January. With just under half an hour played Carayol cut in from the left before attempting a low shot from range, Ipswich keeper Dean Gerkin should have done better but could only spill the ball into the path of Graham who was on hand to tuck the ball home.

Boro suddenly had a spring in their step and had chances to double their lead; the most notable was another act from Carayol who once again got the better of Ipswich right back Luke Chambers, except this time Gerkin was quick to react and block the shot.

It wasn’t long before Boro clinched their second, on the stroke of half time. Boro’s captain Leadbitter, formerly of Ipswich, took an in swinging corner from the left which was met Graham who flicked his header across goal into the far corner of the net.

The half time whistle immediately followed, welcomed with a resounding applause from the home fans.

At half time McCarthy brought on Luke Hyam in place of Frank Nouble, but after the break Boro continued where they left off. This time Carayol found himself on the right side where he sent a low cross in search of Nathanial Chalobah at the far post, but the ball was cut out at the last minute by a backtracking defender.

There were few goal scoring opportunities for either side after that, Boro were effective in closing the game out but in truth the visitors offered little threat going forward.

With twenty minutes to go Karanka denied Graham the chance to complete his hat-trick; however the striker received standing ovation as he was replaced by Kei Kamara. McCarthy also made his final changes introducing Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Jonathan Williams.

Further changes saw Tomlin make way for Butterfield and Carayol, who had been impressive all afternoon, depart for Curtis Main.

Boro came close to adding a third but Main could only find the side netting from a tight angle. Then in four minutes of stoppage time Taylor wasted a chance for the visitors curling his shot over the cross bar.

Player Ratings

Dimi Konstantopoulos   6.5- Not a lot to do on his league debut, only faced one shot on target

George Friend   7.5- Linked up well with Carayol and caused lots of problems down the left  

Ben Gibson   7.5- Solid display never looked troubled by the opposition

Kenneth Omeruo   7.5- No nonsense defending, cleared the danger when it came

Jozsef Varga   7- Does his job with minimum fuss week in week out at right back  

Grant Leadbitter   7- Put in some good deliveries from set piece and was firm in midfield

Nathaniel Chalobah   7- Wasn’t afraid to make a challenge in midfield, put himself about well

Emmanuel Ledesma   6- Made a few cynical challenges, at times struggled to get in the game

Mustapha Carayol   8- Caused problems down the left all afternoon

Lee Tomlin   6.5- drifted in and out of the game, was a threat at times

Danny Graham   7.5- Took both his goals well which made the difference

Subs

Kei Kamara   6- Came on for the last 20 minutes upfront

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

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

My Boro Man Of The Match: Mustapha Carayol

Groundhog Day For Boro

Middlesbrough     0          Leeds     0

Boro’s goal drought is showing no signs of ending, unfortunately the same can’t be said for their play-off aspirations which now appear all but extinct.

After a promising Christmas period Aitor Karanka’s team have drifted ten points off the top six with fourteen games to go and another mediocre season in the Championship is beginning to look imminent.

Boro fail to score for the sixth game in succession

To the Boro fans who haven’t seen their side score for six matches in a row, setting an unwanted club record, today’s 0-0 draw at home to Leeds United will have felt like Groundhog Day as another game of few chances only appeared to have one conclusion.

On the balance of things Boro shaded what was for the most part a scrappy affair and were unfortunate to come up against Leeds’ new on loan Keeper Jack Butland who came up with some critical saves at the key moments in the match.    

In the other goal it was only fitting that in Shay Given’s final game, before his return to parent club Aston Villa, that the Irishman kept his tenth clean sheet after sixteen games on loan at Boro which earned him a warm farewell at full time.

This match marked the ten year anniversary since Boro lifted the Carling Cup back in 2004, before the game Red Faction paid their tribute by showing banners with the names of the eleven that started that day, any of whom would have been a welcome addition to the current side.

Karanka made four changes from the side which were beaten 1-0 away at Watford the previous Saturday. One was enforced as Ben Gibson’s red card at Vicarage Road meant he was suspended so was replaced by Kenneth Omeruo who partnered captain Jonathan Woodgate at centre back.

Further forward Grant Leadbitter and Nathanial Chalobah kept their place in the heart of midfield to fit Karanka’s 4-2-3-1 formation. Albert Adomah, Dean Whitehead and Emmanuel Ledesma all dropped to the bench, their replacements were Jacob Butterfield in the centre and Curtis Main and Kei Kamara on the wings, Danny Graham kept his place upfront.

Leeds made five changes from their defeat to Brighton; Butland replaced the injured Paddy Kenny in goal while Lee Peltier, Scott Wooton, Cameron Stewart and Noel Hunt also came into the side.

In a vibrant atmosphere created by a crowd of over 20,000, Boro had most of the early running; however they failed to test Butland in the Leeds goal and had nothing to show for their early pressure.

At the other end Hunt led a weak Leeds penalty claim when he was challenged by Omeruo in the Boro box as the striker tried to get on the end of Cameron Stewart’s low cross from the left but his appeal was turned down by referee Anthony Taylor.

Both sets of fans were poised to celebrate, yet after a vocal start the match entered a weary lull as neither side could break a frustrating stalemate. On the half hour mark a slight mix up between Given and Omeruo led to an instinctive punch from the Boro keeper with Hunt ready to pounce.

The two best efforts of the half both came minutes before the interval. Leeds midfielder Luke Murphy tried his luck from outside the box but fizzed a low shot inches wide of the post, minutes later Boro finally had their first shot on target when Leadbitter’s in swinging corner was cleared as far as Butterfield who cracked a vicious effort which forced Butland to tip the ball over the cross bar.

Three minutes after the re-start Leeds defender Steven Warnock was lucky not to put through his own net after he diverted the ball towards goal from George Friend’s low cross, fortunately for the visitors Butland was on hand to spare their blushes.  

Boro continued to crank up the pressure when Graham went for the spectacular over head kick from Main’s header across the penalty area, however the effort was straight at Butland. Sensing his first Boro goal Graham continued to be in the thick of the action, on the hour mark he latched on to Leadbitter’s pass but fired over from a tight angle.

The Championship’s top scorer Ross McCormack had been kept quiet all afternoon, but with twenty minutes to go he showed a glimpse of why he has found the net twenty-two times this season when his shot from range whistled just wide of the post.

There was a Boro debut for January signing Lee Tomlin who replaced Kamara on sixty-six minutes with the game there for the taking.  Karanka also sent on Adomah and Ledesma in search of a winner.

The changes were nearly instantly rewarded, with thirteen minutes to go Ledesma split the defence with a teasing lofted pass which Adomah chested down to advance to a one on one with Butland. However the keeper was quick to react and spread himself well to deny the Ghanaian.

Deep into stoppage time the hosts managed to fashion up one last chance when Chalobah slipped a pass through to Adomah, but with the Leeds defenders bearing down on him he could only blaze the ball high into the stands and add to Boro’s painful wait without a goal.

  

Player Ratings

Shay Given   7- Had next to nothing to do on his final appearance for the club while claiming his 10^th clean sheet

George Friend   7.5- Snubbed out numerous Leeds attacks, got forward when he could  

Kenneth Omeruo   8- Won everything in the air and kept McCormack very quiet   

Jonathan Woogate   8- Swept up any danger when it came his way, as Boro looked a solid unit at the back

Jossef Varga   7- Has become Boro’s regular right back by consistent performances

Nathanial Chalobah   7- Grew in to the game and became more effective in midfield    

Grant Leadbitter   7- Showed good range of passes in midfield  

Jacob Butterfield   6.5- Played behind the striker, created some chances

Kei Kamara   6- Played on the left, at times looked out of position  

Curtis Main   6- Dipped in and out of the game on the right hand side   

Danny Graham   6.5- Got into some good positions, but wasn’t given a clear cut opportunity

Subs

Lee Tomlin   6- Came on with 25 minutes to go for debut as Boro pushed for a winner  

Albert Adomah   6-Injected some pace into the game, missed to opportunities late on

Emmanuel Ledesma   6- Came on with 15 minutes to go, added some creativity to Boro attack  

My Boro Man Of The Match Jonathan Woodgate

Boro's Goal Drought Continues

Middlesbrough     0          Blackburn     0

It’s a well known fact that goals win games and at the moment Boro just aren’t scoring enough. They haven’t found the net in over seven hours of football, that’s far from play-off material.

Not even transfer deadline day signing Danny Graham, on his Riverside return, could prevent Boro from extending their unwanted run to four games without a goal, after a third consecutive 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn.   

Karanka hasn't seen his side score in 4 consecutive games 

Whether it’s the system to play a lone striker or just a lack of quality upfront which is letting them down remains a topic for debate. Bearing in mind, while Boro were once again left puzzled in front of goal, former striker Lukas Jutkiewitz, on loan at Bolton, was busy enjoying his first goal for his new club, after scoring just two in twenty earlier this season for Boro.

In many ways this goalless draw was even more frustrating than the tedious one Boro recorded at home to Wigan last week, as the hosts squandered a catalogue of chances missing an opportunity to close the gap on the top six which now stands at eight points.

Luckily for Boro, manager Aitor Karanka has settled what was at times a patchy defence; this was their eighth clean sheet in ten league games even without the centre back pairing of Rhys Williams and Daniel Ayala who both face lengthy injury absences.

"It's frustrating for me because we didn't play well against Doncaster, and we didn't deserve to win the game against Wigan but [against Blackburn] we had a lot of chances” said Karanka after the match.

"We didn't score but that's football and I'm more confident than I was after the last game. The keeper did very, very well and stopped us so we have to improve with our chances."

Despite the calls for a more offensive formation, Karanka stuck with his preferred 4-2-3-1, but made four changes from the side which drew at Doncaster last Saturday.

   

Jonathan Woodgate returned to captain the side replacing the injured Ayala at centre back while Jozsef Varga was a straight swap for Kenneth Omeruo at right back.

Further forward Dean Whitehead came in for Jacob Butterfield to join Nathanial Chalobah in midfield, with Grant Leadbitter, Mustapha Carayol and Emmanuel Ledesma ahead of them. Graham was preferred to Curtis Main upfront, who dropped to the bench where he was joined by the fit again Albert Adomah.

Boro took no time at all to get started, within a minute Carayol had charged down the left to whip a low cross into the box; however his team mates were late to arrive. Minutes later Carayol was at it again, this time cutting in from the left to force a save at the near post from Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson, who was also on hand to stop Chaloboh’s header from the resulting corner.

The hosts continued to have the better chances, especially down the left hand side. On twenty-six minutes George Friend made a powerful run into the Blackburn penalty area where he curled in a cross which evaded everyone and forced another save from Robinson.

There was more work for Robinson moments after; Carayol’s latest shot was once again tipped around the near post by Robinson, before Ledesma’s cross from the right looked like it had been spilled by the Blackburn keeper, however he recovered well to smother the ball quickly.

It took until the thirtieth minute for the visitors to finally threaten the Boro goal. Blackburn striker Jordan Rhodes has already netted sixteen times in the league so far and he could have made it seventeen if wasn’t for a brilliant block from Ben Gibson inside the area. From the following corner Rhodes’ strike Rudy Gestede found space to shoot but fired wide.

On balance Boro had been the better side which prompted more cheers than boos at half time. However their lack of ambition upfront had once again been frustrating and for most of the half Graham had been isolated upfront.

Boro had earned nine corners to Blackburn’s one in the first half, a statistic they continued to improve after the break. Six minutes after the re-start, Friend’s cross took a wicked deflection off Blackburn midfielder Jason Lowe causing the ball to dip toward his own goal however it landed inches wide of the post.

A goal looked imminent, but still it didn’t come. From a Blackburn corner Graham led a promising counter attack before feeding a delightful pass through to Carayol, who shrugged off the last defender but couldn’t beat the advancing figure of Robinson who saved with his leg.

Blackburn had done little to trouble Boro keeper Shay Given, who made a rare intervention to deny Tom Carney’s effort from range. However Boro still looked more likely to snatch it, with twenty minutes to go Karanka threw on Adomah, who made an immediate impact with a shot from distance which Robinson tipped over the bar.

In desperation for a goal Karanka also introduced Kei Kamara and Curtis Main; however their late surge slowly faded and was washed away be the heavy rain which only added to Boro’s misery.

Player Ratings

Shay Given   7- Not much to do but reliable when called upon

George Friend   7.5- Linked up well with Carayol to cause problems on the left  

Ben Gibson   7.5- Slotted in well to defence kept Rhodes quiet

Jonathan Woodgate   7- Solid afternoon not posed huge threat by the opposition

Joszef Varga   6.5- Wasn’t caused much trouble by opposition at right back

Dean Whitehead   6.5- Protected the back four and broke up play in midfield

Nathanial Chalobah   6- Liked to get on the ball, sometimes a little too casual

Grant Leadbitter   6- Played in unfamiliar role of attacking midfielder, didn’t have the same effect on the game Emmanuel Ledesma   6- Created a few chances, but went missing for spells in the game

Mustapha Carayol   8- By far Boro’s brightest player causing all sorts of problems crossing and shooting from the left

Danny Graham   6- Showed good signs with his movement, but overall isolated upfront

Subs

Albert Adomah   6- Added a spark when he came on surprising he didn’t start

Kei Kamara   6- Came on with 15 minutes to go as Boro pushed for a winner

Curtis Main- Replaced Graham with 7 minutes to go, not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match: Mustapha Carayol

Goalless Draw Leave's Boro Crying Out For A Striker

Middlesbrough     0          Wigan     0

With the transfer window set to shut in two day’s time, Boro’s ongoing search for a goal scoring centre forward is beginning to reach a critical stage.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out where Boro’s weaknesses are when their four recognized strikers have only scored seven goals between them all season. That’s less than winger and current top scorer Albert Adomah alone who has already netted nine times this campaign.

Shay Given Boro makes it six clean sheet's in eight games  

Last night’s goalless draw at home to Wigan Athletic was another game Boro could and probably should have won, but just like their 2-0 defeat at top of the table Leicester on Saturday they lacked the required fire power upfront, passing up decent opportunities when they arose.

It was a match which nether side will have fond memories of, especially Boro centre back Rhys Williams who suffered an Achilles injury minutes before half time meaning he could miss the remainder of the season.

"The game was not a good one for us. It was difficult as Wigan are a good team”. Said Karanka after the match.

"We did not play with personality and we did not do enough to win the game. But when you cannot win a game it is important that you do not lose it."

The result and performance in general should prompt a return to the drawing board for Boro, after taking a remarkable 16 points out of 18 over the Christmas period, they have now taken just 1 from the last 6 leaving them seven points off the final playoff position.

Under Karanka, Boro’s defence has transformed into one of the best in the league, this was Boro’s fourth straight clean sheet at home for the first time in over a decade. However at the other end their lack of offence currently looks the difference between Boro and the top six.

Karanka made two changes from the side that started at Leicester, sticking with his traditional 4-2-3-1 formation. Lukas Jutkiewitz had since completed a loan move to Bolton until the end of the season so Curtis Main replaced him as the lone striker.

The other change saw Adomah, who had been carrying an ankle injury at the weekend, start on the bench making way for Marvin Emnes.

FA Cup holders Wigan are still in with a chance of defending that title this year, after a fourth round win over Crystal Palace. Their manager Uwe Rosler made four changes from that match, James McArthur, James McClean and Nicky Maynard all dropped to the bench while Callum McManaman missed out altogether. 

Their replacements were Stephen Crainey, Chris McCann, Marc-Antoine Fortune and Nick Powell.

It was a bright start from Boro, straight from the kickoff Main robbed the ball off Wigan defender Leon Barnett on the left. However the striker lacked support and his cross was easily cleared.

The hosts spent large parts of the first half boxed in their own half, as Wigan bolstered a healthy looking attack and weren’t afraid to venture forward when they had the chance. Their best opportunity of the half came from Ben Watson’s free kick, which fell at the feet of Chris McCann, however Williams was alert to block a goal bound shot.

Boro’s best chance to score appeared to be from a set piece, as they lacked bodies in the attacking third in open play. On seventeen minutes Ledesma’s dipping free kick forced the first save from Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi low to his left hand side.

It took until the twenty-seventh minute before the game finally sprung into life due to Mustapha Carayol who cut in from the left to curl a low shot inches wide of the near post. A minute later Carayol was the provider for Main, whose shot was on target but comfortably into the grasp of Al Habsi.

On thirty two minutes it looked like Boro had broken through when Ledesma’s in swinging corner was flicked goal bound by the head of Daniel Ayala, a few of the home fans thought it had found the net, only to be disappointed when it rebounded off the far post.

The misery began to pile on Boro when Williams when down near the centre circle, after a lengthy delay he was carried off on a stretcher with a reported long team Achilles injury.

After the break it was Carayol again who provided the spark, five minutes after the re-start his cross along the ground was towards Main in the box but he couldn’t beat the back tracking Wigan defender who turned it behind for a corner.

A double substitution on the hour mark saw Emnes make way for Adomah. For Wigan Watson and Marc-Antoine Fortune were replaced by MacArthur and ex-Sunderland winger McLean who received a chorus of boos.

It was Boro who continued to look the most likely to break the deadlock, Carayol again picked out Main, who this time had space in the area but blazed it over the cross bar.

Wigan could have stolen the game late on. Mclean was lively on the right and twice fired over the bar after promising runs.

The highlight of the match came with fifteen minutes remaining when Stephen Crainey’s shot from the edge of the Boro penalty area was deflected forcing Boro keeper Shay Given to change direction just tipping the ball over the cross bar. It wasn’t the first time the chant “there’s only one Shay Given!” resounded through the crowd.

Minutes later Given was on hand to make a more routine save from Nick Powell’s header. However the game remained goalless resulting in Boro’s first 0-0 of the season. It’s not a result they’ll want to experience that often especially at home.         

Player Ratings

Shay Given   7- Not much to do in the first half, came up with two vital saves after half time to keep Boro in the game

George Friend   6- Tried to join in with attacks when he could, struggled against Mclean in second half

Rhys Williams   6- Stretchered off before half time could miss rest of the season with a Achilles injury

Daniel Ayala   6.5 – Not a great deal to do at the back, came close to scoring with first half header,

Jozsef Varga   6- Made a few mistakes at right back as Boro sat deep

Dean Whitehead   6- Kept shape in midfield but made a few loose passes

Grant Leadbitter (C)   6.5- Core of the side in midfield, keeping team going    

Mustapha Carayol   7- Boro’s best weapon using his pace to get forward down the left

Emmanuel Ledesma   6- Set pieces looked dangerous, but dipped in and out of the game

Marvin Emnes   5- Had little impact on the game upfront  

Curtis Main   5.5- Worked hard but received little support and missed decent opportunities

Subs

 Ben Gibson   6.5- Replaced Williams before half time, solid at the back

Albert Adomah   6- Came on with 30 minutes to go as Boro searched for a winner

Kei Kamara- Came on with 10 minutes to go not enough time to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of Match: Shay Given

Stan's The Man In Australia

Tennis has a new Grand Slam Champion, the first man to beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same major, his name Stanislas Wawrinka.

Many will question the manor of his 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 final victory over a depleted Nadal, who sustained a back injury half way through the second set. However take nothing away from Wawrinka who played some stimulating tennis and controlled his emotions to claim his first Slam.

Wawrinka celebrates his first Grand Slam

Wawrinka, who earned his place in the final with victories over Djokovic and Tomas Berdych, outplayed the World number one and heavy favourite Nadal for a set and half firing winners from the back of the court.

It had the makings of a classic match and surely would have been if Nadal’s body didn’t give up on him, the Spaniard was nearly reduced to tears after a medical time out, as the thrilling contest that had been created slowly faded away.

Sheer adrenaline kept Nadal going as Wawrinka’s understandable nerves in his first Slam final presented Nadal the third set, and despite the Spaniard’s improving condition and tenacious fight back Wawrinka was able to close out by far the biggest moment of his career.

After living in the shadows of Swiss compatriot Roger Federer for most of his career, Wawrinka will now move up to Swiss number one for the first time, furthermore he will reach his highest ever ranking of number three in the world, a remarkable achievement in this golden era.

In twelve previous meetings Wawrinka had never beaten Nadal; he had never even taken a set off him. Many expected this to be the match where Nadal made history by equalling Pete Sampras on fourteen Slams and moving ever closer to Federer’s record seventeen.

However Wawrinka had other ideas. Not only did he settle in his first final at this level he dominated ripping winners from inside the baseline with nothing to lose.

The break came in the fourth game and was consolidated by Wawrinka’s immaculate serving to give him a 4-1 lead. He wasn’t afraid to come to the net, and despite going 0-40 when serving for the set he resisted the Nadal pressure saving the break points before finishing the set with an ace.

Anything left short by Nadal, Wawrinka was pouncing on it. The Swiss earned another break in the first game of the second set with some more sublime tennis as it was turning into an intriguing match.

But then came the moment that no one wanted to see, a Nadal grimace followed by a clutch at his back wasn’t a good sign. At the next changeover he called for a 3 minute medical time out which enabled him to leave the court, to the clear frustration of Wawrinka.

When the Spaniard returned it was clear something was wrong, his serve wasn’t even half its normal pace while his movement had also deserted him. Wawrinka broke again to lead 4-1 before Nadal received more treatment on his back in obvious pain.

Wawrinka closed out the set and at that point could have been forgiven in thinking the match was over as Nadal looked ready to throw in the towel. However the Spaniard kept on going and amazingly broke at the start of the third in staggering circumstances.

Spare a thought for Wawrinka who had gone from being on the brink of winning his first Slam to being hunted down by arguably the greatest player the game has ever seen.

Nadal’s situation had evidently improved, however Wawrinka had lost his rhythm in the dilemma of playing an injured opponent. The Swiss became too passive allowing Nadal to dictate the rallies and somehow claim the third set.

It was a time for Wawrinka to re-group and clear his head. Nadal was hanging on saving two break points in the fourth game before recovering from 4-2 down; however Wawrinka wouldn’t let his opportunity pass as he broke to lead 5-3 before serving for the title.  

He makes history by becoming the first man to beat the number one and two seeds in a major since Sergi Bruguera at the French Open in 1993. His breakthrough could be a sign of even greater things to come as the depth at the top of the men’s game appears stronger than ever.