A long-range effort from Stewart Downing cancelled out a first half opener to
deny the team home victory over Middlesbrough on Saturday.
An own goal on 25
minutes after Aaron Lennon fired back across goal saw the initiative grabbed,
but Boro rallied in the second half and were rewarded when Downing's speculative
shot took a slight deflection and bounced into the bottom corner. It was
probably a fair outcome in a game that didn't really spark into any thrills and
spills, while Boro will be satisfied with an effective away-day display. The
Boro bench held arms aloft in the first couple of minutes when Radek Cerny
spilled a shot from Jeremie Aliadiere and Alfonso Alves tapped in the rebound.
Celebrations were promptly curtailed by the flag of the assistant. The early
alert did not really affect the ebb and flow of the performance, with the team
in white posing much of the threat, but the final ball was not possessing the
composure required on a quick surface. There was an exquisite final ball on 11
minutes when Lennon seized the ball back in midfield and set Robbie Keane
darting down the left. Keane delivered a flighted and measured centre onto the
head of Dimitar Berbatov, but Mark Schwarzer was able to field on his line. The
Australian goalkeeper was called on again on 19 minutes when Jermaine Jenas
forged a route through using his speed and looked set to add to his account
before Schwarzer advanced off his line and denied the midfielder a memorable
goal. The deadlock was broken six minutes later when Berbatov picked up the
scraps of an attack and simply lofted back into the danger zone, where Lennon in
turn drilled into the six yard box and the knee of Jon Grounds diverted the ball
past a helpless Schwarzer. Boro launched a robust reaction without creating a
significant threat and the scoreline remained unaltered at the break. It was not
an enthralling contest immediately after the interval, a David Wheater header
knocked off the line by Lennon offered the visitors a little hope, but there was
not a huge degree of urgency. Michael Dawson and Jonathan Woodgate were not
offering any encouragement to the strikeforce of Aliadiere and and Alves with
strong performances. A Berbatov shot hit the post before a Lennon cross was
flicked off the head of Woodgate, but just beyond the Bulgarian. Gareth
Southgate responded with the introduction of England Under-21 international Adam
Johnson, quickly followed by the Brazilian Fabio Rochemback. Downing tried his
luck with 68 minutes on the clock from all of 30-odd yards, his shot clipping
the head of Jenas and flying into the bottom left hand corner. It had a
quietening effect on an atmosphere that was bubbling up with the crowd
attempting to stir the team into further goals. Darren Bent was introduced in
place of Lennon in an attempt to inject more drive into attack, but the momentum
was with Boro and Alves sped through with ten minutes remaining and rolled the
ball just wide with only Cerny to beat. Substitute Gilberto then had to throw
himself in the way of a goalbound shot from Tuncay, before Aliadiere spun and
shot just wide in the closing moments.Tom Huddlestone came close to forcing a
howler out of Schwarzer when his free-kick bounced back off the goalkeeper, but
he lurched forward and redeemed himself to ensure this contest ended level.
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