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PORTSMOUTH v MIDDLESBROUGH, PREMIER LEAGUE, 15th APRIL 2006
This has to be the most low-key Boro game for many seasons. It remains to be seen whether Monday's clash with West Ham will bypass it but with two semi-finals fast approaching, the league now seems irrelevant.
Steve McClaren rested several players and opted for a 4-5-1 formation with ex-Pompey man Yakubu up front. Brad Jones made a rare start.
Jones, Taylor, Ehiogu, Bates, Parnaby, Downing, Boateng, Doriva, Rochemback, Morrison, Yakubu
Knight, Kennedy, Wheater, Johnson, Christie
THE FIRST HALF
The game was hardly a high-tempo affair as the teams struggled to get going in the first fiften minutes. Both sides found it difficult to settle and neither seemed able to put two passes together or make an attempt on goal.
But Boro began to find their feet and managed to get some flowing movement into their game. With the first decent passes of the game came the first shot as Doriva crashed a shot over the bar.
That made Portsmouth spring into life and a sweeping attack culminated in a great cross in by Sean Davies and a shot by Todorov that would have been in had it not deflected off Matthew Bates.
Just before the twenty minute mark, Portsmouth had two penalty appeals turned down and another shot blocked by the Boro defence. The penalty appeals were clearly a case of Todorov diving but Portsmouth were out of their shell now and were starting to look as though they were capable of causing problems for Boro in defence.
On twenty-two minutes, Stewey Downing turned it round when he demonstrated a brilliant bit of skill. He took the ball twenty yards and forged a scoring chance from nothing. The shot went only just wide but it was a signal to Pompey that Boro could step up the pace whenever we wanted to.
That was the start of a spell of leisurely pressure from Boro. Pompey were still able to come forward but their attacks were infrequent and usually snuffed out by Ugo or Andrew Taylor. And then Boro would counter-attack but rarely managed to pick out Yakubu who had been isolated for most of the match.
Brad Jones produced the save of the half in the fourtieth minute when he made a diving stoppgae from a Todorov shot but he was beaten a minute later and Bates could not quite clear off the line. But the referee had ruled foul anyway and monitor replays showed that the ball had not crossed the line.
Just before half-time it was Boro's turn to almost open the scoring as Yakubu was played in by Downing and left himself clear on the keeper who pulled off a great save to deny the striker. The game was left goalless and there for the taking for either side.
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