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WEST BROM HOME 23-4-05
Final whistle: 1657 - Report online: 1702
Jones, Cooper, Ehiogu, Southgate, Queudrue, Downing, Boateng, Doriva, Zenden, Nemeth, Hasselbaink
Knight, Parlour, Davies, Graham, Wheater
The First Half
Robbo received a fantastic standing ovation that appeared to overwhelm him. There was hope in the air that Boro could do the same to his West Brom side, who had not won on Teesside since 1924.
Brad Jones was called into action after just a few minutes. The young keeper managed to get a fingertip to Campbell's excellent shot. Boro's response was to put together a neat move utilising both wings and a superb Downing cross was met by the head of JFH who was unlucky to see his effort spin wide.
Ugo Ehiogu nearly dropped a clanger when he spent too much time waiting for the ball to stop bouncing and Robert Earnshaw whisked it away from him and looked certain to bury it but Brad Jones pulled another marvellous save out of the bag.
And then yet another as a free header from a corner was drilled in but somehow, this revelation of a keeper was there again to keep the game scoreless after seventeen minutes.
But West Brom looked like they wanted it more at this stage despite a rousing attack from our lads that resulted in Colin Cooper being clattered and left on the floor for several minutes. Davies warmed up but Coops recovered and on we went.
Once again, Ugo was nearly left flat footed and red faced as he was easily dispossessed by Earnshaw. Boro had to wake up otherwise Robbo would be taking home the spoils.
And wake up they did, in fine style. On twenty-six minutes, the ball broke in midfield to JFH who took it forward and shot. It was not a great effort but it rebounded off the keeper and fell to The Lizard who made absolutely no mistake. 1-0 Boro and we had the vital first strike of the match.
Seven minutes later, almost the reverse happened as the ball fell to The Lizard who played a smart pass that put JFH through on goal. His shot was going in but The Lizard made sure and he had his brace in quick time.
But it got even better three minutes later on thirty-six as the beleagured Baggies backline were once again outwitted. We were actually looking like a team who were enjoying passing the ball around now and the fluid movement that had been absent for so long produced yet another dividend as The Lizard was picked out and full of confidence, finished the move off himself. 3-0. Goodnight Robbo and Big Nige.
Our outstanding lead prompted the boss to risk Cooper no longer and off he came for Andy Davies. He had been obviously struggling ever since he had been clattered in the early stages and it was a sensible substitution.
Boro played out the rest of the half at a fairly leisurely pace. At 3-0 with up with another half to play, you could have forgiven the players for thinking that this one was in the bag already.
Fan Reaction
"They should build a statue of Nemeth outside the ground!"
James B
"We can't possibly throw away a three goal lead. That's just impossible..."
The Oort Cloud
The Second Half
It turned out The Lizard had not got his hat trick at all. Referee Howard Webb had awarded the second goal to JFH. But The Lizard had a complete fourty-five minutes in which to grab Boro's second hat trick of the season.
It looked like Boro's defence may lose another of its number with just five minutes of the second half gone. Franck Queudrue was felled as he tried to take the ball into the Boro midfield and for some time, it looked like he had kicked his last ball in this match. He recovered and carried on though and after a few minutes, made a complete recovery.
Boro were sitting on their handsome lead and this led to the McPhone being used for the first time today. Mc urged the players to go forward and attack but the lads preferred to knock the ball around without exerting themselves too much.
A big scoreline today could make a massive difference at the end of the season but the boss must have been thinking about protecting our rocky defence as well. The request soon turned into an order and the boss' face became redder and redder as we continued to play it easy.
A needless free kick was given away after eighteen minutes of the half as Zoltan Gera was unnecessarily fouled. Neil Clement's dead ball strike sailed over the bar and immediately afterwards, Ray Parlour replaced Bolo Zenden who received a massive round of applause.
The substitution allowed Stewey Downing to move back to his natural left position and it was then that Boro started to step up the pace.
The bizarre catalogue of injuries at The Riverside continued when one of the linesmen pulled up with a leg injury. He wasn't actually moving at the time. It couldn't have happened at any other ground in the country. The offer to treat the fallen official at Hurworth was politely declined, apparently.
Another great save from Brad Jones, his fourth of the afternoon denied Kanu, who was surely determined to make up for his miss of the season at The Hawthorns in November. But today, it looked very likely that he would beat Boro's latest star.
Into The Red Zone
The pace of the red zone today matched that of most of the second half with Boro controlling the play in their own time.
Brad Jones did make his sixth spectacular save of the afternoon from a Geoff Horsfield blast. All in all, Brad Jones had played an absolute blinder and maybe Skippy will not get his place back so easily when he returns from injury?
The Lizard was taken off for Danny Graham with the final four minutes of injury time remaining. It was a shame that The Lizard didn't complete his hat trick. But he should get four more chances this season.
And with just a minute or so remaining, Boro were awarded a free kick from twenty-five yards out. Up stepped Stewey Downing and buried the ball with a vicious strike into the top corner. 4-0 to Boro from one of the goals of the season.
And on the day that the The Mackems were promoted back to the Premier League, Boro had reasserted their position as the region's best team. Maybe now, the good times will start to roll again. The Geordies will be quaking in their boots ahead of Wednesday's clash.
Fan Reaction
"I can go out tonight with a big smile on my face now."
The Oort Cloud
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