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

Brave Boro Suffer Penalty Heartbreak

Liverpool    2        Middlesbrough    2

                    Rossiter  10   Suso  109                          Reach  62   Bamford  120 (Pen)

Liverpool Win 14-13 on Penalties

When you score 13 goals at the Kop End at Anfield, you’d usually expect a greater reward than being shown the exit door out of England’s first cup competition.

There were stories left right and centre, penalties as well for that matter, in Middlesbrough’s third round Capital One Cup tie with Liverpool, from 17 old year Jordan Rossiter scoring on his Liverpool debut to Boro goalkeeper Jamal Blackman, on loan from Chelsea, recovering from a first half hiccup to score in a shootout which the word epic didn’t do justice. It finally finished 14-13



Adam Reach celebrates equaliser

For those who were looking at the record books it didn’t quite beat the most successful consecutive kicks in English football, that came when Brockenhurst beat Andover 15-14 in the Hampshire Senior Cup last year, this however was on a much bigger scale.

Boro, one of the Championship’s in form teams after three wins in a row, had pushed Champions League Liverpool to the very edge. Twice they came from behind; twice they had most of Anfield quaking in their boots the second time when Patrick Bamford converted a penalty in the final minute of extra time.

Yes, Liverpool had rested a few key players, yes, they had one eye on this weekend’s Merseyside derby however this was still a side which bolstered England internationals such as Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana and Ricky Lambert before they were forced to bring £16 million striker Mario Ballotelli.

That same price tag could probably account for most of the Boro squad and yet it took 29 penalty kicks to finally knock them out, when Albert Adomah placed his penalty wide in a shootout so long that both keepers got a crack, some players even had to go again.

"These are the kind of games where you have to be very proud of your players, your group, your club, everything” Said Boro manager Aitor Karanka after the match, “I think we have shown everybody what kind of club Middlesbrough are. I don't have many words to explain my feelings right now.”

And the Spaniard had every right to be proud of a side which showed six changes for the side that beat Brentford on Saturday. Blackman made his debut in goal while Kike, Lee Tomlin, Adam Reach, Adam Clayton and Daniel Ayala were all recalled.  

They were behind inside ten minutes after a nightmare incident involving Blackman and defender Kenneth Omeruo who both made a mess of a routine clearance. Blackman saved the follow up from Ricky Lambert but the ball then fell at the feet of Rositer whose shot from range bobbled past the foot of the stranded keeper.

The visitors could have folded; Sterling was by far the stand out player with Liverpool dominating possession. However Boro were reluctant to let down their 3,000 traveling fans, they made their support heard and in response their team were strong, well organised and resolute.    

Karanka’s side were dangerous on the break but it was a more traditional free-kick from which they equalised. Leadbitter swung in a teasing ball from the edge of the area, where Adam Reach had timed his run perfectly and flicked the ball beyond Liverpool keeper Simon Mingnolet.

Boro could have stolen the game before extra time when Clayton tested Mingnolet from range, minutes later he hit the post from inside the box. Brendon Rodgers’ response was to introduce the ever-entertaining Ballotelli in place of Lambert.

Liverpool celebrate after winning epic shootout

In the early stages of extra time it was Liverpool who were calling the shots, Blackman was forced into some instinctive saves but couldn’t keep out a left foot effort from substitute Suso who scored with ten minutes remaining after some good build up play from Lallana and Sterling down Liverpool’s left.

The hosts appeared to be home and dry but were denied victory in the last minute of extra time when Kolo Toure chopped down Boro substitute Bamford in the box, the Boro striker on loan from Chelsea converted in a calm fashion.

A classic shoot-out followed, Bamford, who had scored moments earlier, then missed second time around, six successful penalties later man of the match Raheem Sterling had the chance to seal it for the hosts but Blackman saved.

It kept on going until Adomah finally sent one wide, Liverpool through by the skin of their teeth.

 

Player Ratings

Jamal Blackman   6.5- Recovered from an early mistake to make some good saves and catches

George Friend   7.5 – Had the tough job of dealing with Sterling, never stopped working in attack and defence

Daniel Ayala   8.5 – Rock solid at the back, Lambert barley had a sniff

Kenneth Omeruo   7 – Early mistake for the goal but recovered and was impressive the rest of the night

Ryan Fredericks   7.5 - Build on Saturday’s performance despite cramping at the end

Grant Leadbitter   7.5 - Struggled to get to grips with Liverpool midfield in the first half but persisted and got more success

Adam Clayton   8 – Impressive range of passing, disciplined in midfield and started number of Boro attacks 

Albert Adomah   7.5 – Added pace to Boro attack which gave Liverpool’s defence problems 

Adam Reach   8.5 – Worked tirelessly down the left and scored vital equaliser

Lee Tomlin   8 – Played between the lines and profited in role behind the striker

Kike   7.5 – Worked hard upfront as Boro spent large period defending

Subs

Yanick Wilchet   6.5 – Replaced Kike and added fresh legs in the second half

Patrick Bamford   7.5 – Intelligent run to win penalty which he converted calmly    

Jelle Vossen   6.5 – Extra body upfront when Boro were attacking

 My Boro Man Of The Match: Daniel Ayala

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

US Open Day 15 - Cilic Reigns In New York

Turn the clock back twelve months and Marin Cilic wasn’t even a part of the 2013 US Open, a nine month ban after testing positive for a banned supplement left his career in serious doubt.  

One year on and the Croatian’s story of the event suggest he was innocent, the fact that the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the ban from nine months to four also implied the punishment was a little harsh.



It was the first major final for both men

But not even the Croatian himself could have imaged the euphoria which would follow the devastating storm, the latest Grand Slam Champion in an era many have described as the best ever, the stuff of dreams doesn’t describe it. 

He outplayed Japan’s Kei Nishikori in a historic major final, the first one since 2005 which didn’t include Nadal, Federer or Djokovic. After his remarkable dismissal of Federer in the semi-final the great Swiss had described Cilic’s game as “Old school tennis, big first serve, big forehand, and finish at the net” A deadly combination when executed well.

Some will even say that Cilic’s ban helped him; in the time he was away he clearly added more firepower onto his already effective serve while the asset of coach, former Wimbledon Champion, Goran Ivanišević has also injected some belief back into his game.

In the end it was a step too far for Nishikori who couldn’t repeat his heroic semi-final victory over Djokovic, which also came fresh off the back of two five setters. Cilic was merciless in securing a 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory and his first major title in 1 hour and 54 minutes to become the first Croatian since Ivanišević to triumph at the highest level.     

It was a match where no-one quite knew what to expect, both in their first major final, ultimately it would come down to who could handle the occasion better.

After straight set wins over Tomas Berdych and Federer, Cilic’s confidence was sky high and it was the Croatian who made the better start, breaking Nishikori in the sixth game. The single break was enough due to Cilic’s immaculate serve, he took the opening set in 33 minutes.

In the second set the momentum didn’t chance and for the majority of the match it appeared that Nishikori was clinging on for dear life. Cilic showed a greater variety of shots from the baseline and as he seized a 5-2 second set lead, despite then losing serve for the first time he had little trouble in closing it out.

The energy was visibly being drained from Nisikori’s robust tank. Anything short Cilic pounced on it and for a man at 6 ft 6 the Croatian moved well, returned well and soaked up his opponents pressure, before dishing it out with greater effect. There were a few signs of nerves but not enough to deny Cilic his first major at the age of 25, a further suggestion that the reign of tennis’s “big four” could be nearing its end. 

US Open Day 14 - Williams Powers To 18th Major

Serena Williams claimed her place in tennis’s illustrious history books, as she joined Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert with 18 Grand Slam titles.

The top seeded American powered her way to third straight US Open, in a fortnight where she never came close to dropping a set, let alone a match. She went into the final with her good friend and rival Caroline Wozniacki as the heavy favourite, 1 hour and 15 minutes later she had once again emerged the victor in typical Williams fashion.     

Williams wins her third US Open in a row

Just like the six players before her Wozniacki was simply blown away by Williams’ lethal attack, the American’s hammering forehand and thundering serve helped tear down the Dane’s so often stern defence in a ruthless 6-3 6-3 victory.

Every second serve that dropped short, Williams punished it. Every extended rally which appeared to be materialising into a trademark Wozniacki point, the world number one quickly extinguished it. In the end it was one of those days when it didn’t matter who was on the other side of the net.

The pair had gone the distance in recent matches in Cincinnati and Montreal but in truth Wozniacki never really looked like repeating those occasions in a match which many pundits described as “on Serena’s racquet”. After saving a break point with an ace in the opening game Williams broke the Dane’s serve straight away, even at that early stage Wozniacki’s task appeared a vast one.

In an uncharacteristic Williams service game Wozniacki broke straight back and the pattern of breaking serve continued as the next three games went against the server. It was then that the American seized control; she hauled herself to a 5-2 lead, the set soon followed, and she stormed into a position she has only lost from once in her US Open history.   

Despite the Dane’s efforts that statistic never looked like changing as Williams broke serve once again in the first game of the second set, from then on her own reliable serve did the rest.

Williams wasn’t broken in the remainder of the match as Wozniacki had no answer to the gulf in power between the two players, the Dane couldn’t impose her physical and demanding game on the world number one, every time she tried the ball was swept away for another winner from the top seed.

To her credit Wozniacki held her own serve with greater ease in the second set however the American remained in full control and served out the match to seal her sixth title in New York. The only record which seems left to surpass is Steffi Graf’s 22 major titles, with Williams still at the head of the game it may not be beyond her.