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MIDDLESBROUGH v XANTHI SKODA, UEFA Cup 1st Round, 15th September 2005
Schwarzer, Pogotetz, Ehiogu, Bates, Mr T, Johnson, Boateng, Doriva, Parlour (Morrison 72), Maccarone (Yakubu 72), Viduka
Jones, Southgate, Queudrue, Graham, Kennedy
Steve Mc made four changes from the side that beat Arsenal with Viduka and Doriva starting, Emanuel Pogatetz in the starting line-up for the first time and Matthew Bates replacing Gareth Southgate. Ray Parlour took up the right wing position that he had previously excelled in. Ahem.
A sparse crowd of 14.191 and a couple of dogs on bits on string welcomed Emerson back to the Riverside. Unlike in 1997 when he abandoned us because he thought we weren't good enough for him. He was lucky that Big Nige wasn't in the team tonight. Pogosticks was though...
THE FIRST HALF
Emerson had several touches in the opening minutes as Xanthi's ninety-odd supporters shouted them on. Maybe it was unwise to point out that we could actually hear them...
To say that the opening five minutes were scrappy is an understatement and it is not true that the stewards had to escort two opportunist iron dealers away from the touchline.
But we nearly had a nice surprise on nine minutes as Massimo Maccarone picked up a through ball from Pogatetz, took it past a defender and rounded the keeper. Although the shot went wide, it was an early warning shot to The Greeks.
And then absolutely nothing of note happened for the next sixteen minutes and the echoes around the stands gave the game the feel of a reserve match. But without the excitement.
But you can speak too soon in these situations and just as we were all starting to nod off, Mark Viduka got hold of the ball and exacted some wonderful control to release Massimo.
Unable to find a way through, Macca took a shot from eighteen yards that the keeper could not hold. George Boateng was there to smash it home and the Boro were on their way.
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 XANTHI 0 (Boateng 28 mins)
And that was all we needed to put us into a very comfortable position. The Greeks didn't really make a huge effort to pull the deficit back and Boro consequently didn't have to try too hard to keep the lead.
George Boateng looked hungry for a second and Mark Viduka, bemoaning the quality of the service, was eager to get on the scoresheet. He'd have to wait until the second half as the teams traipsed off at the interval with no change in the scoreline.
Not that it ever looked likely. Steve Harrison followed them down the tunnel carrying a large crate of high powered energy dinks.
FIRST HALF FAN REACTION
"If we have another half like that, we'll win 2-0"
Datsun
"Nice to see George on the scoresheet but if they score, we'll be kicking ourselves."
The Oort Cloud
THE SECOND HALF
Boro came out storming and determined to kill off the tie early. The isotonic half-time refreshments had obviously had the desired effect. But the effect wore off very quickly.
George Boateng got in an early strike and a rare second goal would have been no more than he deserved. There was time for him to get it yet.
Xanthi were by no means beaten yet though and nearly pulled an equaliser back in the fifty-second minute with a crisp and clean shot from Maghradze. Skippy was more than a match for it though.
But their best chance came a few minutes later when Labriakos found space on the edge of the box and instead of hitting his shot cleanly, he leant back and sent it over the bar.
And then another chance went begging just moments later when Maghradze again was allowed the time and space to get in a strike. How he sent it wide is anybody's guess but the fact is that we had got out of jail.
Xanthi had their tails up now and were showing off a little. Why we were letting them was a mystery and as we wondered why they suddenly had the upper hand, Emerson stormed forward and blasted a shot just over that had not just Skippy but the whole defence beaten.
At this stage, we were not only lucky to have the lead. We were lucky not to be two goals down.
SMc sensed that it was time for a change and on came French Franck on fifty-eight minutes, replacing Adam Johnson.
Matthew Bates was incredibly lucky not to be red-carded just a moment later as he handled a shot from Luciano. He was the last man in line and can consider himself very fortunate to receive only a yellow.
Xanthi strengthened things up by replacing
Torrossidis with Diego Jesus Quintana and Boro were not exactly in heaven going into the seventieth minute..
Skippy was forced into action again yet again when that man Maghradze was yet once more allowed to trot through our backline and get in a strike. Skippy held it but this was a huge worry now...
A double substitution occurred on seventy-two minutes with the tireless Massimo inexplicably making way for Yakubu and the out of position Ray Parlour handing his place to James Morrison.
Both Boro substitutes combined to almost increase our lead with just over ten minutes remaining, Morrison riding a storm to play Yakubu into space, but the shot went wide and Boro's lead remained fragile.
INTO THE RED ZONE
It was certainly against the run of play but perhaps some credit should be given to SMc for some inspired substitutions, despite one of them being corrective. Ray Parlour is simply not a right winger.
But James Morrison is and his dynamism led to the second goal as he beat off all challengers and picked out Mark Viduka who took his strike first time. It deflected off a defender and effectively put this match to bed.
MIDDLESBROUGH 2 XANTHI 0 (Viduka 83 mins)
Some commentators will declare the V-Bomber's strike as an own-goal and it is true that the keeper would almost certainly have caught it if it hadn't taken a wicked deflection.
But this is a Boro website and it was Big Mark's goal. Simple as that.
Xanthi took a gamble in the last few minutes by pushing absolutely everyone but the keeper and the manager forward.
It didn't pay dividends as Boro simply looked to hit them on the counter.
And the opportunity arrived for James Morrison after some brilliant work by Pogosticks. If his shot hadn't been blasted wide, the tie would have been dead and buried but a two goal cushion should be easily enough to secure four more UEFA Cup ties, despite a lacklustre performance tonight that could have had serious repercussions.
FULL TIME FAN REACTION
"Shite. A win OK, but what a crap game. I'm not surprised they can't fill the ground playing like that"
Mike_Boro
"Good result but not a good performance"
Boro_onthe_Beach
Final whistle: 2152 - Report online: 2156
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