BACK TO ARCHIVE INDEX © All written site content is copyright ComeOnBoro.com 2004-2007, unless otherwise stated, and is not to be used without prior permission.	MIDDLESBROUGH 4 WATFORD 1, FA Premiership, Saturday 7th April 2007 Middlesbrough were forced to play a weakened side against the Premiership's bottom club - with Emmanuel Pogatetz, Lee Cattermole and James Morrison all out of action through suspension. Jonathan Woodgate did not feature in the squad through injury, allowing Robert Huth and Chris Riggott to partner each other in the heart of defence. The familiar faces of Abel Xavier and Andrew Taylor were on the right and left respectively. As usual, Yakubu and Mark Viduka featured in a two-pronged attack with a four man midfield behind them. This included Adam Johnson on the right and Fabio Rochemback in the centre of midfield - two more often overlooked players this season. Mainstays Stewart Downing and George Boateng make up the line-up. Schwarzer, Xavier, Huth, Riggott, Taylor (Parnaby 88), Downing, Boateng, Rochemback, Johnson, Yakubu (Christie 79), Viduka (Lee 89), Jones, Euell THE FIRST HALF The game started like the crowd - tepid. But by the fifth minute, Boro were in the League. A fluid move was started by Adam Johnson who ran down the right wing, checked back and then launched a cross into the box. Downing received the ball, cushioning a header into Viduka's path. The Australian made no mistake with a clinical finish - burying the ball beyond Ben Foster. It was a shame however - with three passes being completed I was hoping for a game of Connect-4. MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Viduka, 5) WATFORD 0 On seven Watford retaliated, with a flowing move that resulted in many players deploying themselves into dangerous areas. Like Iraq, Iran or St Hildas. The ball fell to Tommy Smith whose header was poorly miscued over the bar. The Boro pushed forward once more after this, with Yakubu darting forward. His ball failed to connect with Viduka however and the chance went begging. Like a hairy man with no job. Or Abel Xavier perhaps, if Boro don't renew his contract come the summer. The next ten minutes were ones of attrition - with Boro failing to keep their shape like some form of epileptic amoeba. Watford however could not capitalise on this and in an even game, Boro had the slight edge in attacking play. On twenty-two Damien Francis grabbed an equaliser for Watford - out of nothing. A deep ball in from the left by Jordan Stewart was headed to the tall striker by Dan Shittu. Francis ghosted beyond Rochemback and volleyed the ball beyond Mark Schwarzer from six yards out. It was Watford's seventh away goal of the season. MIDDLESBROUGH 1 WATFORD 1 (Francis, 22) Adam Johnson was on blistering form - terrorising Watford down the right. As a result, Watford's defence backed off and off as Johnson outfoxed them by passing to the skipper Boateng. The defence opened up for the captain, who launched a shot towards goal that deflected off Chris Riggott and into the net. The Boro were back in front. MIDDLESBROUGH 2 (Riggott, 26) WATFORD 1 The Boro were flowing like a mudslide now, only with less mess and probably a little bit faster. Downing ran at the Watford defence and launched another shot that took an acrobatic save from Foster to deny him the goal he deserved. The corner was ineffective but it had raised the crowd, who had suddenly found their voices. A Huth free-kick that was blasted over the bar was the only action of note in the following five. And even that wasn't of any particular note. On thirty-four Johnson tried to turn from provider to scorer by cutting in on the right and punting it towards Foster's goal. Unfortunately it went wide but he was in such strong form, it was certainly worth the attempt. In recognition of the Boat Race - the Boro fans decided to sing "You are Boat-eng" as the Race, erm, kicked off. What they were going to sing at the end of the dreaded punt-off was a matter of circumspection although the phrase "We're going to get your cox wet" wasn't far from my mind. On thirty-nine Taylor slept in and Watford dissected Huth and Riggott too easy. This would have allowed Tommy Smith in had it not been for Schwarzer's alertness. Boro went down the other end however and promptly missed a golden opportunity. The out-of-form Yakubu collected the ball at the edge of the area and tried to turn - only to succeed in missing the ball completely. His second attempt went wide. On forty Viduka should have hit the ball across the keeper instead of hitting it at the near post - the angle was always too acute. This was very much like the ball from Yakubu which was probably too cute, a lovely little stroked pass that nuzzled Viduka's foot perfectly (before he blasted it at Foster). On forty-three Downing launched a shot at range which did not trouble Ben Foster. Then the PA system went off, people jeered and the police started running around the field for some reason. Evidently they were practicing for the strip display "half-time" entertainment. Either that or Roary had reverted to his leonine instincts and had mauled a little kid and eaten him as a light snack. Well, anything is better than Boro's burgers I suppose. And that was it really - the game dragged on to a weary conclusion as Roary was shot with a tranquiliser gun and carted away to the municipal zoo for loads of grotty kids to point and laugh at. And this time he didn't even need to dance to do it. Meanwhile some good work by the Boro saw them 2-1 up at half time. THE SECOND HALF Watford replaced their captain Gavin Mahon at halftime, such was their desperation at such a poor first half performance. The team talk was loud, Roary was towed away and the crowd settled down to their burgers and fries after inevitably binge drinking a pint in fifteen minutes. Both teams came out lively but Downing was the first person to test a goalkeeper - handing in his Maths GCSE coursework to Ben Foster. He also launched a speculative shot towards him, which he had to save lest a loitering Yakubu could have buried the ball from six yards. Yakubu was making life difficult for the Watford defence - but crooning Cliff Richard's greatest hits would make anyone feel uneasy. He darted into the box and passed to Johnson but neither of them could feed Viduka who was also loitering (probably with a packet of chips outside the local chip shop). On fifty-one Yakubu left fly - but like a pig launched from a catapult it didn't really do anything. But it was worth an effort - if you don't try you don't score. And other footballing clichés. A strong run from Abel Xavier on fifty-three ended with a great ball from Yakubu who, from an angle and from the right (but notably not a right-angle), launched a shot that Foster saved. The ensuing corner resulted in little except some plinky-plonky passing in midfield. But a minute later Schwarzer was stranded as a great ball in from Tommy Smith deceived Robert Huth in defence. Thankfully it also deceived Steven Kabba and the chance went begging for the travellers. So it was back to their caravans for them. Xavier had obviously been passed Johnson's mantle from the first half as a run down the right resulted in a one-two being played with Downing. Xavier then laid the ball on a plate to Yakubu who clattered the crossbar at close range. It was good Watford defending however and the ball went for a corner. Viduka should have won a penalty from the dead ball but in the end Rochemback was set up with another Boro chance that he managed to spurn. Watford's defending was schizophrenic - dreadful until the last moment when it suddenly became world class. Either way, another corner and nothing resulted from it but at this stage it should have been at least three one, if not four or five. At the moment Roary was being impounded in the local dog kennels or wherever, Watford had two half-chances that Schwarzer managed to comfortably gather. Painful howling ensued - whether that was from Roary or the crowd at the number of chances the Boro had spurned was one for debate, suffice to say those tranquiliser darts really hurt. Apparently. Watford were starting to come into it again, with Francis having a shot from eighteen yards out. Most of Watford's shots were weak but they were getting into dangerous positions that could have spelt danger for Boro's lead. Yakubu had a weak shot on sixty-six that took a devilish deflection, giving the Boro a corner. The delivery was left-footed from Downing but like a typical episode of Postman Pat, not much really happened - the delivery taking second place to the story of a stray sheep in Greendale or something. The pitch was Boro's Greendale but there was no red van. So a St John's Ambulance would have to do. Downing tried to go one better on sixty-eight, turning from provider to scorer but Foster was up to him and saved comfortably. On seventy-five Boro grabbed the goal that would surely secure the victory. Johnson dinked his way into the box and played the ball to Viduka who curled the ball with the inside of his right boot into the top left hand corner, despite being pressurised by three Watford defenders. MIDDLESBROUGH 3 (Viduka, 75) WATFORD 1 Viduka's tail was up, at a point where Roary's tail was probably sedated and down. The Australian took a long range shot from twenty yards at a time when Roary probably took a long range shot in his bum from a tranquiliser dart. The game was sealed on seventy-eight when Yakubu on the right played the ball to Viduka who kept procession until releasing Rochemback, who found himself in a one-on-one position with Ben Foster. He made no mistake and buried the ball passed the hapless keeper. MIDDLESBROUGH 4 (Rochemback, 78) WATFORD 1 Yakubu's reward for setting up this goal was to be substituted by Malcolm Christie but it was good to see the former Derby youngster get eleven minutes. On eighty-five a Downing free-kick was disguised well (they probably put a pair of glasses and a fake moustache on the ball) but Foster was not distracted by the hilarity of such a gesture, catching easily. Towards the end Stewart Parnaby replaced Andrew Taylor. A minute later Mark Viduka was replaced by Dong-Gook Lee. The Australian received a standing ovation. Christie was close to scoring on ninety but the ball took a wicked deflection that prevented him from connecting with it. Into stoppage time and from a corner, Lee blasted the ball over the crossbar - causing a collective Typhoo moment to those in the crowd who were left. And that was that. A comfortable victory against the League's bottom club put Boro back on track and surely ensured survival in the top flight. Now, with six games to go, Boro had to push for the highest finish they could. FULL TIME MATCH REACTION "YOU ARE MY BORO.MY ONLY BORO" Marktheborofan "Oh I'm pleased for the lads - now we can go for a European place!" Deeno SEND THIS TO A FRIEND BACK TO BORO v WATFORD MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
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