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BORO v EVERTON, PREMIER LEAGUE, 29th APRIL 2006
All the pre-match talk in Middlesbrough was of the Uefa Cup final with the Everton match seemingly a mere sideshow. But there was a wave of enthusiasm just before kick-off brought about by a 'we may as well go and win it' attitude.
Brad Jones and Andy Taylor were the only two starters today from Thursday's lineup. This was a big opportunity for some of the fringe players to shine and put themselves in the reckoning for a possible Uefa Cup final appearance.
Jones, McMahon, Wheater, Ehiogu, Taylor, Morrison, Parlour, Doriva (Cattermole 73), Johnson, Christie (Bates 73), Yakubu
Knight, Davies, Graham
THE FIRST HALF
Any thoughts that the minds of the Boro players would be firmly fixed on Eindhoven were quickly dispelled as there was an urgency in Boro's play that suggested that we were going all out to impress today.
David Moyes became animated on the touchline in the very early stages as Malcolm Christie threatened to over-run the Everton defence, ably assisted by a nimble Adam Johnson with Ray Parlour and Doriva holing the midfield line superbly well.
Everton tried to fight their way back into contention and were looking as though they may be able to create something positive down the right wing until Yobbo picked up a bad knock. Moyes considered taking him off and although he carried on, he seemed to have lost some pace and most of his threat.
Boro picked up the game again after a scrappy spell at the midway point in the half and as James Morrison and Adam Johnson were brought more and more into the play, Everton started to look increasingly fragile.
The Yak was starting to show his strength as the half hour mark passed and was clearly in the mood to get his twentieth goal of the season. It was also clear that he could easily out-muscle the Everton defence and should the chances come, he just needed to be there to put them away.
He nearly did put one away in the fourtieth minute as a Boro cavalry charge descended on the Everton goal and with Parlour and Morrison breaking ranks and outpacing the Everton defence, it came down to a four on one situation but somehow The Yak scuffed his shot and wasted the best opportunity of the match so far.
Ray Parlour was booked just after the attack when he fouled Van Der Meyde but it was unclear whether the yellow card was actually for the foul or for unsporting behaviour.
All in all, neither team had really created enough opportunities to have deserved the lead but the reality was that Boro's reserve side had held their own against Everton's first team and they went into the break with every chance of winning this match.
THE SECOND HALF
It was all Boro in the first fifteen minutes of the second half as an unchanged line-up took the bull by the horns and went into all out attack mode.
The few attempts that Everton made were quickly snuffed by Ugo Ehiogu. Ugo was marshalling the backline with some confidence and was proving equal to any of Everton's infrequent attacks.
Everton keeper Richard Wright collided with James Morrison on fifty-three minutes and was unable to continue. He was replaced by Iain Turner.
A run of twelve throw-ins in five minutes did nothing to dampen the urgency of the half as Boro kept the pressure on but despite best attempts, there was little creativity in terms of attacking movement and although Boro were now dominating, keeper Turner remained completely untested.
On seventy-three minutes, Boro broke a record. On came Lee Cattermole and Matthew Bates in place of Doriva and Malcolm Christie which meant that there were now eight academy players in the Middlesbrough side.
Everton picked up the pace as the game moved into the last fifteen minutes but the only threat was from Kilbane who saw a couple of shots go wide and little else.
It didn't take Boro much effort to wrestle control of the game from Everton and once possession was re-established with Boro, a chance was created as The Yak received the ball in the Everton half and took it past three Everton defenders but he put his shot wide when he really should have given Boro the lead.
The game was played out with Boro looking for a grandstand finish that never arrived. Instead Boro were left looking for another last minute miracle as McFadden burst forward and Jones reacted too early, coming forward as soon as McFadden broke and completely over committing himself. Having said that, it was an excellent twenty yard chip from McFadden, although the lead was hardly deserved.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 EVERTON 1 (McFadden 88)
The comeback kings were all at home today and Boro didn't find a way back into it. But it's a learning experience for most of this young side and they certainly took much more than defeat from this match today.
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