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CHARLTON v MIDDLESBROUGH, PREMIER LEAGUE, 13th JANUARY 2007

Boro travelled to The Valley looking for the first away win of the season and indeed, since April 2006, in what was billed as yet another relegation six-pointer.

Jonathan Woodgate and Mark Schwarzer returned to the Boro line-up in a line-up that was otherwise unsurprising and arguably at full strength.

Schwarzer, Xavier, Woodgate, Pogatetz, Taylor, Downing, Cattermole, Boateng, Arca, Yakubu, Viduka
Jones, Davies, Morriso, Euell, Christie

THE FIRST HALF

Boro won a free-kick after just twenty seconds which Stewey Downing took direct and the shot appeared to rattle Charlton. Viduka, Yakubu and Cattermole were the closest three players to the goalkeeper when he caught it.

The game continued at a frenetic pace with both teams producing chances in the first three minutes, Boro going the closest to opening the scoring in the opening stages.

But slowly and surely, Charlton - in what was almost a do or die game for them - began to take control with the predatory Hasselbaink looking hungry and eager to put Woodgate to the test.

On nine minutes, Jimmy went in for a hard challenge on George Boateng, a challenge that resulted in the Boro skipper requiring treatment for several minutes. There was no mallice in the challenge at all, demonstrated by Jimmy's heartfelt apology.

George was able to continue and on twelve minutes, Boro had a penalty appeal turned down when Yakubu attempted to collect a Downing through ball but was brought down by Hreidarsson but the referee waved play on as Yakubu looked on in disbelief.

Boro continued to probe without looking like making any real breakthrough and Jonathan Woodgate, making his 150th appearance in England, single-handedly cleared up any potential Charlton danger.

Just befoer the twenty minute mark, Yakubu had two good chance which went begging. The first was a difficut shot from fifteen yards that he did well to get a strike on and the second, just a minute later, was a tame effort from a brilliant Cattermole through ball that he really should have done better with.

On twenty-one minutes, yet another chance went begging as Yakubu attempted to take a shot himself when it woudl have been far easier to put the ball through to Stewey Downing who had got himself into a great shooting position.

The ball was taken straight up the other end and it was left to Abel Xavier to save the day as he made a brilliant clearance from a Rommedahl shot.

And just as Boro were about to launch another attack, Charlton won the loose ball in midfield and a long ball was launched to the feet of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and the ex-Boro hitman made no mistake with the (deflected) shot to give Charlton the lead and Boro a mountain to climb.

CHARLTON 1 BORO 0 (Hasselbaink 27)

Charlton, buoyed by the goal, surged forward in an attempt to snatch another goal but never really created a threat until the thirty-fourth minute when mass confusion in the Boro box led to Schwarzer being dragged well out of position, Hasselbaink getting in between Woodgate and Pogatetz and the ball ridiculously going out for a corner. Luckily, nothing was made of it and Boro breathed again.

By thirty-nine minutes, Charlton were looking clearly the better side, more comfortable on the ball and more adventurous and enterprising. As seems usual these days, Boro's heads and confidence were down after losing a goal.

Lee Cattermole picked up a booking a few minutes before half-time as Boro made a rare venture forward, a chance that saw Mark Viduka work himself into space well but unfortuantely the ball never made it as far as him.

And just on the stroke of half-time, Boro broke out of the midfield quagmire when Stewey Downing linked well with Yakubu and played Lee Cattermole through straight on goal. Cattermole made absolutely no mistake and blasted the ball home to put Boro right back in it.

CHARLTON 1 BORO 1 (Cattermole 45)

Boro immediately won the ball back from the injury time restart and Mark Viduka almost gave Boro the lead with a spectacular shot that hit the roof of the net.

Charlton had two more chances before the whistle eventually went and were themselves unlucky to not regain the lead when Ambrose found space and should have done better with the effort.

Half-time arrived with everything left to play for.

THE SECOND HALF

Both teams re-emerged for the second half unchanged and Boro certainly looked like a team with more purpose. George Boateng sent in the best cross of the game on fourty-eight minutes but the bounce was too much for Viduka who failed to connect.

The chance spurred Charlton into life as Marcus Bent surged forward from the restart and created a gloriosu opportunity but he blazed a pass well wide of his target and Boro were left to pick up the play.

But Charlton did manage to open up the Boro defence on fifty-four minutes when a fantastic bit of defending from Pogatetz saved the day. The game was been played at full throttle now and Andy Reid and Rommedahl were combining nicely to cause the Boro massive problems at the back.

On fifty-nine minutes, Boro broke forward and created a great move that ended with the ball at the feet of Mark Viduka in the Charlton box but just as he was about to fire the trigger, he was brought down by Diawara and the referee waved away the justified shouts for a penalty.

But four minutes later it was all immaterial as Boro again attacked and this time Cattermole found Arca in the box and the Argentinina coolly slotted home to put Boro in the lead and sink Charlton further into the relegation quagmire.br>
CHARLTON 1 BORO 2 (Arca 63)

Boro immediately won the ball from the restart and hassled Charlton all the way. The team had their tails up now and after brilliantly turning the score around, were now clearly in the ascendancy. On sixty-eight Yakubu won the ball just inside the Charlton half and hit a thunderbolt from at least thirty yards out to put Boro into a 3-1 lead and the game beyond doubt. A brilliant strike, a brilliant goal and a brilliant scoreline.

CHARLTON 1 BORO 3 (Yakubu 68)

Just after Boro's third goal went in, the screens went blank and the audio died. Perhaps the systems couldn't handle Boro scoring three goals away from home...

Apparently, the game was all over when Yakubu scored the third and with it, perhaps Charlton's Premiership existence.

The systems burst back into life with just nine minutes to go and Boro making a substitution with Yakubu being replaced by Malcolm Christie.

Boro played out the remaining minutes at a canter with the game, the three points and the first away win of the season safely in the bag.

Malcolm Christie had a good chance with just a few minutes to play and won a corner when his shot was deflected out and Jason Euell made an appearance against his old club when he replaced Mark Viduka with just two minutes of injury time to play.

There was no time for him to make any impact and no requirement as Charlton had given up and Boro were metaphorically already on the bus home. With a well deserved win in the bag.

This win puts Boro into thirteenth position in the Premier League on twenty-seven points. That means that five more wind from the remaining fifteen matches will keep Boro in the top flight. Now we can concentrate on our FA Cup run. Ahem...

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