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BORO v NUNEATON BOROUGH FA CUP R3 REPLAY - FULL TIME REPORT
Steve McClaren rang the changes for this do or die encounter. Rochemback was dropped to the bench where he sat alongside Ray Parlour who made a very welcome return to the first team squad.
This is a game that Middlesbrough simply had to win and doing so could go a long way towards restoring lost confidence. Nuneaton Borough had to be put to the sword. No mercy or no pride.
Jones, Pogatetz, Bates, Riggott, Taylor, Mendieta, Cattermole, Johnson, Parnaby, Viduka, Yakubu.
Schwarzer, Parlour, Rochemback, Wheater, Maccarone
THE FIRST HALF
This kind of scintillating atmosphere inside The Riverside had not been experienced since the opening day against Liverpool and it was great to see. Nuneaton Borough were well organised and as expected, were marking as tightly as they did in the first match.
It was Middlesbrough who had the first shot when Stuart Parnaby hit a powerful shot but Gez Murphy gave us a fright on three minutes when one ball beat our complete backline and the penalty hero found himself clear on goal. If he had taken another second to compose himself, it would have been disaster for us but Brad Jones pulled off a fantastic save.
Middlesbrough's defence were in disarray again a few minutes later when Whittaker sent a great ball into the box. Quailey got on the end of it but scuffed his shot. Nuneaton's constant movement was going to be a big problem tonight.
It was a nervy first ten minutes with Nuneaton literally all over the place in terms of tackle and movement and Middlesbrough just all over the place really.
Blood was spilt on sixteen minutes when Gary Fitzpatrick clashed with Chris Riggott and Nuneaton went down to ten men as the Nuneaton man received treatment. They took him to the dressing room to stitch him up so Boro would have the advantage for some minutes.
We nearly made that advantage pay on twenty minutes when a classy touch from Mark Viduka allowed Yakubu to enter play but he was unable to get his shot on target. Fitzpatrick re-entered the action on twenty-three minutes.
Tempers were starting to become a little frayed at this stage and Mad-Dog Pogatetz gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position when needlessly fouling Quailey. There was no danger from the shot though which went sailing high over the bar.
Both sides created attacking moves just before the half-hour mark and both came to nothing but it was Middlesbrough who should have made more of theirs but Yakubu took one touch too many and the oppportunity went to waste. Stuart Parnaby was booked just afterwards for lashing out at a Nuneaton midfielder.
Two wasted corners and a free-kick later, Middlesbrough were starting to look a bit ropey but just as Nuneaton were threatening to break again, we got the breakthrough when the ball was unexpectedly sent upfield again by Matthew Bates and skipper Chris Riggott abandoned his backtrack and crashed in an excellent finish from eighteen yards. It was Viduka-esque.
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 NUNEATON BOROUGH 0 (Riggott 34)
The relief was felt right across The Riverside stadium but Nuneaton were not about to throw in the towel yet and they went forward immediately after the restart. But we were equal to the challenges and made a move of our own on fourty-one minutes as the red shirts streamed forward. Yakubu was ready in the box but Mendieta was brought down as he prepared to pass and our old mate Mike Riley had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
MIDDLESBROUGH 2 NUNEATON BOROUGH 0 (Yakubu pen 41)
Yakubu just doesn't miss penalties and had no trouble converting his thirteenth goal of the season. But still Nuneaton came forward and it seemed like the game plan was now to hit them on the break.
Boro went into the break with a solid foundation from which to build from. We were far from convincing in the first half but the result is everything and the overall feeling was that this really could be the night where we turn the corner.
FIRST HALF FAN REACTION
"They'll never score two against us... Will they?"
John
"We're almost home and dry now. This is the start of the comeback for us..."
Mike Read
THE SECOND HALF
Both Boro's came out fighting for the second half and Big Boro thought that they had gone into a 3-0 lead when Gaizka Mendieta struck a fierce shot into the side netting.
Five minutes into the half and Middlesbrough effectively wrapped up the game when once again Mendieta led the breakaway and found Parnaby unmarked, who hit a sweet shot that went screaming into the net after taking a deflection off Mark Viduka.
MIDDLESBROUGH 3 NUNEATON BOROUGH 0 (Parnaby 50)
Nuneaton were deflated after that and Middlesbrough took their foot off the gas a little, which was quite understandable under the circumstances. But it still wasn't game over as Big Boro were now able to up the tempo whenever they pleased. And we did just before the hour mark as Stuart Parnaby was instrumental in the move that found Yakubu in space in the box. He only had to roll it in and we were already thinking about Coventry now.
MIDDLESBROUGH 4 NUNEATON BOROUGH 0 (Yakubu 58)
There were still three ghosts to be exorcised from Saturday and the team were up for finishing the job in style. We were all over the opposition by now and showing our long lost class and a goal scoring hero was reborn as Viduka picked up Parnaby's through ball and banged home number five. Two more to go...
MIDDLESBROUGH 5 NUNEATON BOROUGH 0 (Viduka 63)
Stuart Parnaby, who had probably played his best ever game for Middlesbrough was taken off just after the fifth and so was Mark Viduka. They were replaced by Ray Parlour, making his first appearance since September and Hail Massimo Maccarone, respectively.
But there was to be no reverse of Saturday's massacre as Gez Murphy gave the Nuneaton fans something to shout about. Confusion had reigned a minute earlier as a collision meant Mad-Dog Pogataetz had to leave the field and Middlesbrough didn't properly regroup when he returned. Murphy was allowed too much space and Brad Jones made a hash of the save as Murphy headed in his second of the tie.
MIDDLESBROUGH 5 NUNEATON BOROUGH 1 (Murphy 71)
"You're not singing anymore" sang the visiting supporters but the team were certainly still giving it some out on the field. Mendieta was proving that his only true position is central midfield as he bossed the show and continued to skilfully provide the front men. Yakubu almost got his hat-trick on eighty minutes but was denied by a superb save from goalkeeper Acton.
INTO THE RED ZONE
Yakubu had a better opportunity to get our sixth a minute later but as provider this time when Hail Massimo was left with a gaping open goal at his mercy but Yakubu chose to go it alone and gave himself too much to do. He was determined to get his hat-trick and he deserved it as well.
Amazingly, Nuneaton won a penalty with just four mninutes to go. Gez Murphy was instrumental yet again as he powered forward and was the victim of a quite innocent challenge from Andrew Taylor. Murphy took the penalty himself and got his third of the tie as Brad Jones' valiant attempt to stop it narrowly failed.
MIDDLESBROUGH 5 NUNEATON BOROUGH 2 (Murphy pen 86)
And it was Gez Murphy again who led the line as Nuneaton immediately dispossessed us from the restart and outran the Middlesbrough right hand side. The shot was only just wide and Murphy will be disappointed not to have got his hat-trick.
Brad Jones was called into action again as he pulled off another save, this time from Fitzpatrick. It was the last shot of the game and all credit to Nuneaton for carrying on battling right until the very end. But this was Middlesbrough's night and perhaps it really was the night that we turned the corner.
FULL TIME FAN REACTION
"A wins a win but for God's sake, get the defence sorted out!"
Snoop Smoggy Smog
"Credit to Nuneaton but we were magnificent!"
Datsun
Final Whistle- 2148 : Report Online- 2153
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