Derby day stalemate! – Middlesbrough 2-2 Newcastle United.
Posted on March 13th, 2010 | 108 Comments |
It was another abject performance from the lads today although it’s hard to tell whether our own short-comings or Middlesbrough’s crisp play and pressing ability were the main contributing factors to it. Regardless of that we yet again came away from a game which could easily have been lost with a point in the bag, and with third-placed Nottingham Forest slipping up at Preston means the gap between automatic promotion and the play-off places has been extended to nine points.
The shell of the team that done so well last week against Barnsley remained intact with the only surprise absentee being Mike Williamson, allegedly now out for a month with a broken hand, with Fitz Hall deputising and Tamas Kadar replacing the recovering Jose Enrique at left back.
The match started very much in favour of the home side with Newcastle looking unable to get a foothold in the game. Against the run of play it was Newcastle who drew first blood in what was our first attack of the match, some quick play between Kevin Nolan and Jonas Gutierrez enabled the Argentine to thread the ball through to Peter Lovenkrands who struck a first time left foot shot past Tommy Coyne and into the opposite corner of the ‘Boro net.
That didn’t stop the home side from playing some really nice football with players like Scott McDonald being a constant thorn in the sides of the Newcastle defence. Then around ten minutes before half-time, ‘Boro got the equaliser their industry and play deserved. Scott McDonald and Barry Robson exchanging a quick one-two before Robson smashed the ball past a stranded Steve Harper from 20 yards to equalise and make the score 1-1 going into half-time.
The second half started much like the first with the home side on top and pressing the game. On 50 minutes Newcastle were forced into making a substitution with Fabricio Coloccini limping out of action with a dead leg. Ryan Taylor replaced the Argie and that meant a defensive shuffle for the Toon with Taylor playing at right back, Simpson moved to left back and Kadar moved into the centre.
On 66 minutes, Tamas Kadar nearly put the away side ahead, his header from a Danny Guthrie corner stopped almost on the goal-line by Middlesbrough ‘keeper Coyne. The home side took a deserved lead on 74 minutes, Barry Robson’s right wing free kick was knocked down across the six yard box by Chris Killen allowing Scott McDonald to tap into an empty net from point blank range.
With only 8 minutes remaining, Andy Carroll somehow managed to miss-hit into the net from Ryan Taylor’s cross to make it 2-2, again whilst looking unlikely to snatch the equaliser. Both sides pressed for the winner in the final few minutes but it wasn’t to be and the 116th Tyne/Tees derby ended in stalemate.
More views and reaction from our fan at the match, bowburnmag, will follow in the fullness of time. That’s assuming he got out of Middlesbrough alive and without some form of third world disease from the River Tees.
‘Boro – Coyne, Taylor, McManus, Wheater, Naughton, Williams, O’Neill, Arca, Robson, Killen, McDonald.
Subs – Jones, Hoyte, Riggott, Bennett, Lita, Franks, Miller
Newcastle – Harper, Kadar, Hall, Coloccini, Simpson, Gutierrez, Nolan, Guthrie, Pancrate, Lovenkrands, Carroll.
Subs – Krul, Enrique, Taylor, Routledge, Butt, Best, Ranger
Attendance – 27,342 (officially featuring 3,743 Mags)
got to admit boro!s first goal was a good!un never rated pancake but seems worse away from home we seemed one sided today,cannot belive williamson out a month,i think he will miss one game,then have a cast on, many have