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BORO v VILLA FULL TIME REPORT
The return of the Ayresome Park bugler will hopefully herald a fresh start for the Boro this season. McClaren named an unchanged side from the one that started and won at Sunderland on Tuesday night.
Thus Yakubu once more made way for Viduka up front and promising teenager Lee Cattermole again starts. Our defensive weaknesses were evident in a weakened back four of Parnaby, Pogatetz, Southgate and Taylor. Once more Downing is on the left, and central midfielder Gaizka Mendieta starts on the right. Cattermole and Doriva add strength to the centre of midfield. The formation was 4-4-2.
Schwarzer, Parnaby, Pogatetz, Southgate, Taylor, Mendieta (Davies 68), Cattermole, Doriva, Downing, Hasselbaink (Maccarone 45), Viduka (Yakubu 45), Knight, Johnson
THE FIRST HALF
In the first minute the Boro conceded a corner kick which was defended sloppily, with the Boro being asleep. A second corner was conceded through a deflection as Villa tried to assert themselves early on. Kevin Philips was eventually blown for offside.
Four minutes later Parnaby was caught out of position allowing Gareth Barry to break up the left hand side. The move broke down as Barry entered the box and a throw-in was conceded.
A throw-in two minutes later caught the Boro napping once more and allowed Luke Moore to blast a shot over the bar as Villa started threatening Boro with a series of half-chances. From the goal-kick the ball was expertly controlled by Cattermole and allowed Viduka to nip in but Sorensen easily gathered.
Two minutes of give-and-take play resulted in a good cross from Jlloyd Samuel that demanded a strong glancing header from Pogatetz to prevent Kevin Philips from opening the scoring. From the corner that was conceded, Hasselbaink launched a counter-attack that released Downing but all that was gained from the chance was a corner.
A series of two more corners followed, the second of which Cattermole managed to keep in. He nutmegged the defender and passed to Mark Viduka 6 yards out but the Australian could not score. Downing punted the ball in once more but nothing resulted from it. Luke Moore broke for Villa but Schwarzer gathered as the end-to-end nature of the game continued.
On 16 a free-kick was conceded in a dangerous region around 25 yards out. Milner curled the ball into the box but a free-kick was conceded by Moore for a foul on Pogatetz so the threat was nullified. Two minutes later Cattermole puts in a good challenge after a Jlloyd Samuel cross but chaos in the middle of the defence results in the ball falling to Luke Moore who drills a low shot past Schwarzer.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 ASTON VILLA 1 (Moore, 18)
The Boro huffed and puffed for the following five minutes but looked generally impotent as they searched for an equaliser.
On 23 minutes there was dispute through a tackle committed by Cattermole but the referee blew for a free-kick. Milner puts a dangerous cross into the box from this but Pogatetz cleared.
Another cross came in from the left, this time by James Milner, after Mendieta was caught out of position. Former Sunderland man Kevin Philips beats Pogatetz in the air and flicks the ball beyond the reach of Schwarzer and into the bottom left hand corner.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 ASTON VILLA 2 (Philips, 24)
Boro broke after this but the ball was easily smothered by Sorensen. Mendieta tried once more to launch the ball back into the box but failed in his attempts. A few minutes later the ball was changed, offering some excitement for the Boro fans.
The next five minutes offered very little apart from crippling attrition. Villa were in the ascendancy but were happy to pass it in front of our defence. A ball was put in by Philips but little came of it. Meanwhile anything the Boro tried was tidied up neatly by the Villa defence.
On 34 Mendieta crossed into the box but all that was gained was a corner. Downing launched the ball in, allowing a Cattermole header that was easily stopped by the Villa keeper. This was the first shot Boro had had all game. Two minutes later intricate playing allowed a cross to be launched into the Villa box but Sorensen easily gathered it.
On 38 minutes I started to fall asleep. I was woken up by a good cross from Luke Moore into the box after he had beaten Southgate. Boro broke from this and resulted in a Mendieta shot that was blocked. The ball was subsequently cleared.
A Villa break instigated by Philips and Milner resulted in a corner kick being conceded by the Boro but the kick curled out and came back in again giving possession back to Middlesbrough.
Another cross was launched into the box from the right by Milner which dropped to Philips who was gifted a free header 4 yards out. Fortunately for the Boro all he could do was guide it to Schwarzer, who gathered it easily.
An almighty and incoherent scramble happened in the Boro box as balls were launched in left, right and centre by almost every Boro player. Eventually a free kick was conceded on the edge of the area by Villa. Downing took it and curled it up and over the wall. It did not come down however and went slightly over Sorensen's crossbar.
A last ditch challenge resulted in the Boro conceding yet another corner, which Villa took their time over. Milner took it towards the far post, a clean header was again awarded to Philips and Schwarzer caught it on the line.
Downing won a free-kick in the last minute of the game and launched the ball in towards Sorensen. He punched it but Hasselbaink could not get his shot away. The first half whistle then blew to a cacophony of boos from the home fans.
FIRST HALF FAN REACTION
'This bloody football team are sooooo frustrating'
Luke Smogwalker
THE SECOND HALF
McClaren made a whole-sale change to the front line, bringing on Maccarone and Yakubu for Hasselbaink and Viduka. But the tempo of the first half continues in the second as Milner snatches a shot from 20 yards out on 46 but it goes over the top of the bar.
A minute later Middlesbrough broke with Yakubu being fed out on to the right side. He laid it back to Mendieta who launched the ball into the box but there was nobody there to latch on to the cross. However things were looking up as this was our most fluid move of the game so far.
On 49 Maccarone's pace started to torment the Villa defence as Villa were dispossessed in midfield. Suddenly the Boro start to look more like a team capable of piercing movement and started to dominate the game. However Middlesbrough were still being ripped apart on the flanks by a composed Villa side.
A free-kick was whipped into the box by Milner on 51. The ball was flicked on to Kevin Philips one yard out. Philips, not for the first time today, fluffed his chance and it went wide, much to the relief to the Boro defence.
From this good strength from Downing fed Yakubu but the move broke down and Villa cleared their lines. Simultaneously Lee Cattermole was suffering from an ankle injury but he kept soldiering on.
Yakubu and Maccarone hooked up on 53 and a short ball from the Italian allowed Milner to tackle the signing from Portsmouth. A free-kick was not awarded which resulted in frustrated booing by the home fans. A corner was the eventual result but little came of this.
A Southgate mistake gifted the ball to James Millner who once more tried his luck after skipping past Taylor. It went through Pogatetz's legs and thankfully wide. More Villa attacks followed, with the Boro defence backing off the incisive running of Luke Moore.
On 58 Downing launched a disputed free-kick into the box. The ball went into the back of the net but the goal was not given due to a Yakubu foul on Sorensen.
On 61 the ball is played behind the defence but catches Southgate into two minds. The ball breaks to Luke Moore who gets a touch, which ends up being deflected off of Pogatetz. The ball goes straight back to Luke Moore who makes no mistake the second time. Many fans head towards the exits.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 ASTON VILLA 3 (Moore, 61)
From this Middlesbrough break forward, resulting in a Doriva shot that was as hopeless as the Boro.
A lack of concentration allows one ball to beat the back four and allows Luke Moore to run on to the ball and dink it over Mark Schwarzer for his hat-trick and Villa's fourth. This prompts one North Stand fan to break the steward's cordon and enter the playing area. He reached Steve McClaren and threw his season ticket at the manager. He was promptly removed by the stewards. Meanwhile the other fans start chanting for Tony Mowbray, demanding changes in the management structure.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 ASTON VILLA 4 (Moore, 65)
On 67 Villa launch another free-kick but it is cleared by Boro who attack on the break. Maccarone launches a good ball from the corner flag to Yakubu who was unlucky not to connect to the best cross of the game.
The debacle prompts the introduction of Andrew Davis for Gaizka Mendieta as our final substitution in an attempt to plug the gaps in our midfield. You have to wonder whether there is any point any more. Stuart Parnaby is pushed into midfield and Davis claims the right-back role if anyone is still reading this.
Doriva makes a run into the box and passes it to Maccarone on 71. The Italian had his back to go however and his shot was deflected towards safety.
The fans decide that if you can't beat them, join them, as they ironically start cheering every time Villa manage to retain possession. Hopefully McClaren is watching this and considering his position, the Boro fans have quite simply had enough. If Villa can take off their captain for the youngster Liam Ridgewell, away from home, you know we are struggling.
On 77 Yakubu and Maccarone again forge ahead on the break but again little comes from it. The movement between the two however is one positive that can be taken from the game.
Schwarzer was alert on 80 and prevented Luke Moore from scoring his fourth of the game. Lee Hendrie comes on for Villa after this, swiftly followed by Juan Pablo Angel who replaces hat-trick hero Luke Moore.
Downing launches a few crosses into the Villa box on 82 but these are useless at best, with nothing resulting from them. Stuart Parnaby runs at the Villa defence in the following minute and drags it back to Maccarone who is off-balance and launches his shot over the bar. Sorensen still remains to be tested.
INTO THE RED ZONE
On 85 Downing once more sprints into the Villa penalty area but again nothing comes of it and Villa break. Philips draws Pogatetz into a challenge, just off-centre, 20 yards out resulting in the concession of a free kick. Barry takes the kick but his effort goes over the bar.
Downing hits a free kick into the box on 88 but once more nothing comes of it and it goes out for a throw-in. Taylor's persistence wins a corner some two minutes later but again the opportunity is lost. Villa break from this and keep possession until the full time whistle blows. The fans make their dissent known.
Whole-sale changes need to be made and quickly. A lack of motivation and team cohesion again caused our downfall. In fact it is an embarrassment and unless something is done NOW we will get relegated. We are a joke. We are pathetic. And this has got to stop. It has gone too far.
FULL TIME FAN REACTION
'Bloody rubbish'
Luke Smogwalker
COB Man of the Match: Lee Cattermole - the only player who showed commitment, guile and motivation this afternoon. The best of a very bad bunch.
Final whistle 1652, report online 1656
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