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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v MIDDLESBROUGH, Premier League, 20th August 2005
Schwarzer, Reiziger, Bates (Doriva), Southgate, Queudrue, Mendieta (Morrison), Parlour, Boateng, Downing, Hasselbaink, Yakubu (Viduka)
Jones, Wheater,
THE FIRST HALF
How suspicious should you be of somebody who wears swimming goggles on a football pitch?
Ray Parlour gave Edgar Davids his first taste of the Premiership and let him know in no uncertain terms that his big name would earn him no respect from Boro today.
The game had started at a frenetic pace and Matthew Bates got his first taste of action in the first minute as he expertly blocked Mido's shot from the resulting free kick after Davids had fallen clumsily to the floor from Ray's tackle..
Michael Reiziger, composed and in charge was obviously going to pose problems for the Spurs attack. How nice to see him looking back to his best.
With only nine minutes gone, Spurs went temporarily down to ten men as Dawson left the field with a nosebleed. It was inevitable, given Spurs' current high league position.
Boro almost took full advantage as Stewey Downing made a fantastic run and played JFH into a scoring chance. The ball ricocheted off a defender and the referee inexplicably gave a goal kick.
Dawson returned after a few minutes and Tottenham needed him as Boro were on the march now. It was Downing again who made our next move, this time playing Yakubu in. He won a corner which was headed wide by JFH. We should have been one up.
After twenty minutes Boro were looking the stronger and more creative team by far and dirty Mido was having serious trouble dealing with our latest teenage sensation.
Boro were starting to knock the ball about with authority now and despite having the advantage height wise, Spurs were looking rattled. But we still needed the opening goal.
It nearly came at the wrong end as a move that Edgar Davids was heavily involved in resulted in Michael Carrick letting loose a twenty yard screamer that beat Skippy and only just went over the bar.
The ball went straight up the other end and another piece of sublime skill from Stewey Downing saw Yakubu released but he failed to get a clean strike on the ball.
With thirty-three minutes gone, George Boateng needed treatment for what looked like a calf injury and despite continuing, he looked genuinely in distress. It was worrying.
Yakubu also took a knock and had to temporarily leave the field and as The V-Bomber warmed up, you had to wonder if our injury jinx was in full flow again.
The interruptions disturbed our flow and Davids was allowed in for a shot from distance which didn't overly trouble Skippy but certainly sent Boro a warning.
Even so, another chance fell to Yakubu late in the half but the shot was scuffed. The source of the opportunity? Stewart Downing, still the best player in the universe, despite recent media doubts over his resilience. Hopefully, he would provide the breakthrough in the second half.
FAN REACTION
"We are under pressure and if we don't pull something out of hte bag, we are in trouble."
Lillibet M
"We need to show more confidence than we are doing"
Datsun
THE SECOND HALF
A double change for the Boro in the second half with James Morrison replacing Gaizka Menideta and Mark Viduka teaming up with JFH once again. Spurs were unchanged.
The change nearly paid early dividends as JFH spotted Robinson off his line and was unlucky to open the scoring. The interchange with Viduka was superb and it was only less than a minute later that Morrison almost found a way through.
A moment later Mark Viduka produced some clever play which nearly came to something but the opening goal went right against the run of play as a lucky Spurs breakaway saw Defoe get a glimpse of goal and his powerful strike had Skippy beaten all the way.
TOTTENHAM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 0 - Defoe 48 mins.
The first yellow card was produced a couple of minutes later and it was Tainio who received it for a reckless foul on Downing.
Ray Parlour was very unlucky not to finally open his Boro goalscoring account but as he teed the ball up for a shot with his right, he was brutally hacked down, giving Stewey Downing a free kick opportunity, which miraculously for Spurs stayed out.
The shot was destined for the bottom left corner but Paul Robinson somehow managed to get a finger to it. It's days like this that you need David James.
Boro almost grabbed the equaliser when Mark Viduka played a wonderful ball to George Boateng who put his shot over. It looked like it would have been easier to score it.
Another massive strike from Mark Viduka at thirty yards out skimmed the top of the bar and Boro were on a roll now, were playing extremely positively and were unlucky to be behind.
Another appalling decision from the ref saw Boro sweating as a free kick was hoisted into a crowded box. Bates was penalised for pulling Mido's shirt when it was actually Mido who was the offender. Typically.
We broke from the scrambled clearance but the Spurs penalty box was empty as two Boro players, Boateng and Downing were down injured.
They both recovered and Boro continued to press and almost got the equalise on sixty five minutes. Five Boro players were involved in the build up but the ball was blasted over hte bar again, this time by Stewey Downing.
Davids was booked immediately after. Presumably for wearing ridiculous looking swimming goggles on a football pitch.
And then JFH was booked. Presumably for taking the piss out of Davids for wearing ridiculous looking swimming goggles on a football pitch.
And then Boro completely changed formation as Doriva entered proceedings and took up a wing back position. The outstanding Matthew Bates gave way for the Brazilian as Boro resumed with the wing back system.
Why Bates was withdrawn is a mystery as he was playing a blinder and had Mido in his pocket.
But Mido was free now and within just a few minutes of his nemesis being withdrawn he had doubled Spurs' lead. Defoe broke clear on the left and played the ball across to the unmarked Mido who would now have no trouble getting a shot in.
In fairness, Skippy should have saved it but he let the ball go under his body and despite being by far the better side, Boro now had a mountain to climb.
TOTTENHAM 2 MIDDLESBROUGH 0 - Mido 76 mins.
We didn't give up but when your luck is in, its usually in big style. JFH must be wondering how he didn't open this season's account and Paul Robinson must be wondering how his sheet was still clean as the shot had the keeper beaten all the way. It trickled narrowly past the post.
INTO THE RED ZONE
It's hard to be down after a performance like that. It was the most positive Boro performance for a long time and although we can take heart from the display, we did shoot ourselves in the foot.
You can't legislate for a goalkeeping error of the nature of today's but the substitutions and formation change surely lost us this one as we struggled to keep up the momentum after the switch.
It's difficult to understand the replacement of our best player on the day and if Bates had been present, there is no doubt that he would have picked up Mido, as he had done all afternoon.
A disaster? Not exactly but a huge, huge disappointment without a doubt.
FAN REACTION
"Why is McClaren the only one who can't see that Viduka should start? The performance was there but no goals again..."
Tough Teessider
Final whistle: 1654 Report online: 1703
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