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.	WEST BROM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Middlesbrough win 4-5 on penalties), FA Cup 5th Round Replay, Tuesday 27th February 2007 Middlesbrough went into this FA Cup Fifth Round replay with their Premiership campaign back on track after beating Reading 2-1 at the weekend. The main injury news was that sustained by goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who had to be replaced late-on with Brad Jones. Apart from that, the side was unchanged from that which featured at the Riverside on Saturday. This meant a 4-4-2 formation with Andrew Davies at right-back, Andrew Taylor on the left and Jonathon Woodgate partnering Emmanuel Pogatetz in the centre. Lee Cattermole was once more on the right, Stewart Downing on the left with George Boateng and Julio Arca in the middle. The usual suspects of Yakubu and Mark Viduka were up-front, with the impressive Dong-Gook Lee relegated to the bench after his wonder-sub appearance. Jones, Davies (Parnaby 56), Woodgate, Pogatetz, Taylor, Cattermole (Morrison 46), Boateng, Arca, Downing, Yakubu, Viduka (Lee 86), Turnbull, Euell THE FIRST HALF The weather was blustery as Boro came out of the traps like the luckiest of mice as Yakubu was sniffed out by the last West Brom defender. Evidently forgetting his Right Guard, this inevitably gave Boro a corner that Zoltan Gera managed to clear with his knee. Through such ineptitude the Boro faithful were probably preparing their Dong-Gook Lee chants. Brad Jones got his first touch on three minutes. Unfortunately it was a touch of flu due to the windy conditions. However he didn't let this hamper him a minute later after he was called into making a save from a narrow angle from the impressive Richard Chaplow. West Brom were growing in confidence, with them hitting the side-netting with aplomb. Jason Kumas was terrorising the Boro like a manic squirrel with a nut allergy, duping the fans at the other end of the ground into thinking he had scored. Boro's backline was higher than Bobby Charlton's hairline and Yakubu was caught offside twice. Then Kumas burst through and almost threatened to embarrass Woodgate but he didn't. A high cross flummoxed the Boro defence, with Paul McShane having a free header six yards out. Jones was up to it however, flicking the ball wide for a corner. The corner also troubled Boro but luckily they survived unscathed. Next it was Nathan Ellington's turn to pester the Boro, forcing another strong save from Jones after he burst through Boro's defence faster than a Prince Albert in a condom. In honesty, Boro were being murdered here and could not deal with West Brom's high quality attacks. On sixteen Boro were caught flat-footed defensively allowing Gera another opportunity in front of goal. Pogatetz was the main culprit but thankfully West Brom failed to convert their sixth opportunity of the night. Koumas was pulling the strings to Boro's defensive puppet - except Boro's defence was less convincing than those in Thunderbirds. Indeed International Rescue was probably what Boro's defensive needed, after being completely swamped by Koumas and Co (the Birmingham equivalent of Steptoe and Son - probably). Boateng turned his back twenty-five yards out and he gave a free-kick for that. Curtis Davies took the set-play but he blasted it against the wall and there was an element of poetic justice in the fact that Boateng cleared it. A minute later Koumas tried to chip the ball over a 6' 3" Brad Jones from twenty yards out. Evidently he'd been watching the 1997 FA Cup Final video. And on twenty-six minutes, the inevitable happened. Boro were torn to shreds in midfield and the Boro defence opened up wider than an alcoholic's mouth at a Beer Festival. This let Darren Carter in and he made no mistake from twenty-five yards - with Brad Jones rooted to the spot like a defiant weed covered in Miracle Grow. West Brom was bouncing - but not in a yogic flying kind of a way. WEST BROM 1 (Carter, 26) MIDDLESBROUGH 0 Boro's first shot on target came on the half-hour but George Boateng's thirty-yard shot failed to test Dean Kiely. It was a spirited act of defiance from the captain but one that was ultimately futile. Thoughts of the Dong weren't far from the minds of the Boro fans - and that wasn't thoughts of the hotel porn they'd be watching later. On thirty-six Jonathan Greening made his contribution by waving his arms like a windmill in the hope he would receive a free-kick. This was another George Boateng inspired free-kick - he being clumsier than an epileptic waiter in an earthquake. Boro were like a slumbering dragon at this stage - albeit one playing as if it was cross-eyed. Yet the hope was that if this cross-eyed dragon could find its fire and start constructing moves that wouldn't break down in the final third of the pitch - then he could be roaring on to success. Yet it was less roar and more whimper as West Brom were flooding the Boro like the Ouse in the autumn-time. Middlesbrough were being over-run in midfield as West Brom were building more attacks than the three little pigs built houses. All it needed was a big bad wolf to blow Boro's defence down - which wouldn't be too hard as it was flimsier than a Changing Rooms MDF construction. Paul McShane got a booking whilst Mike Riley got a booing - despite McShane possibly deserving a red after a blatant push on Downing. Boro were lucky to just clear the ball at this stage - such was the home team's dominance. Cattermole was trying his hardest to disrupt Koumas but the Baggies' player was too crafty for the youngster. Indeed he was too crafty for most of the Boro side - with Brad Jones keeping the visitors in the tie. FIRST HALF FAN REACTION "God I hope Southgate puts the fear of watching Last of the Summer Wine into them at halftime" A Cam Goes Wandering THE SECOND HALF James Morrison was introduced to the action in the second half, with the hope that Boro had been introduced to some attacking tactics at half-time. Either that or Compo's tweed hat in another exciting episode of geriatric whimsy. Morrison replaced Lee Cattermole in a like-for-like swap - except Morrison is an actual right-sided midfielder. But still West Brom came. Ex Boro-mediocrity Jonathan Greening took a pot-shot at Jones on forty-seven, demonstrating the concern that gun crime in the inner cities has simply got out of control. Jones managed to defend himself and his property however by parrying the ball away for a corner. On fifty West Brom tried to recreate the classic film Get Carter. First the ball was fed into Koumas who found Greening down the right. The former Nazareth starlet then managed to fulfil his aim, crossing the ball to Darren Carter in the box. He took a shot but Jones gathered. At the other end Downing ballooned the ball over the bar like an inflated condom emitted at the start of a rock gig. On fifty-one Morrison launched a powerful cross into the box -with Curtis Davies outfoxing Viduka who was loitering on six yards like a teenager drinking White Lightning outside a newsagents. A corner was conceded but the danger was not over for the Baggies as Boro threatened from the set-piece - with Pogatetz almost connecting to the ball. Unfortunately there was no coconut. Or indeed any other fruit as the ball went wide for a throw-in. On fifty-five Koumas attempted to place a free-kick in the bottom right hand corner of Boro's net. From twenty-five yards out he curled his ball around the wall but also around the post. A minute later Andrew Davies was replaced by Stuart Parnaby. The right-back almost had an immediate effect, passing to Viduka who in turn passed to Downing so he could have a tame shot that Kiely comfortably saved. Indeed Boro were tamer than Roary in a dog collar at this stage, a stage when perhaps they should have been preaching damnation and hell-fire. A strong passing move culminated in Downing scooping the ball over the bar on the hour mark - very much like scooping Roary's doo-doos after he has been taken for a walk in the park. Boro's movement was finally acceptable - with a few good passing movements being constructed. Yakubu and Viduka had not been in the game but give them one chance and they would take it. The ball was crossed in by Parnaby and Viduka found himself with the ball twelve yards out. He checked back and launched a shot that deflected beyond the despairing Dean Kiely, who was wrong-footed. The home fans were stunned - the travelling army ecstatic - but it was no less than what Boro deserved. WEST BROM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Viduka, 62) Morrison and Parnaby had brought the Boro into this game - substitutions that further vindicated Southgate's managerial finesse. However a lack of concentration threatened to let West Brom in but Jones was alert to Koumas's cross. On sixty-seven Boro threatened to have a three-on-two but Downing failed to realise Morrison's potential in acres of free-space down the right. He chose the wrong pass and the move broke down but for the first time in the game, the Boro were putting their opponents under significant pressure. Two West Bromwich substitutions threatened to freshen things up for the home side. The tricky Jason Koumas was replaced - having not been in the game in the second half - but with the Baggies starting to lose the initiative, Tony Mowbray needed to do something to redress the balance. Boro's concentration was once again lacking on seventy-six when Morrison over-committed allowing Paul Robinson to have a shot from twenty-five yards. The ball went high and handsome - but not as handsome as Dong-Gook Lee who the Boro fans were hoping would be introduced. On eighty-five Morrison almost fed Mark Viduka but for once he wasn't particularly hungry, failing to take the ball in his stride. And that was enough for Southgate to substitute him for the talismanic Dong-Gook Lee, much to the excitement of the travelling army of fans and Korea's sports reporters. This inspired Yakubu who had a shot from an acute angle from eighty-seven. The shot was powerful and although a corner was conceded, he should have passed to the Korean starlet, who was littering the box like condoms on Hampstead Heath. Dong-Gook Lee was having an immediate effect. A minute later an expert challenge on Lee preventing him from taking a shot in the box. The ball broke to Pogatetz but he only managed to smash the ball over the crowd - and into the crocheted-bobble-hat-wearing old dear in Row O behind the goal. James Morrison had the ball for what seemed like an eternity, beating the whole of West Brom's backline and half the crowd to boot. He passed to Lee who, one-on-one, only managed to force a save from Kiely when he really should have scored. A corner ensued but nothing came from Downing's ball. Woodgate saved Boro's blushes at the other end after a quick Baggies break threatened the away side's security. The tempo of the game was akin to that of the first half - with Boro now in the ascendancy. Extra-time still beckoned however unless someone could score in the final three minutes. Parnaby was playing a strong game - his crosses causing West Brom a whole heap of consternation. With important weekend matches for both sides, neither team wanted to go to extra-time but the inevitable was looming as the noise was cranked up in the Hawthrons to a level beyond prickly. And that was that - another replay and now another dose of extra-time to do without. Still at least the Boro were still in it and after the debacle of the first half, that was, at least, something to hold on to. EXTRA TIME - THE FIRST HALF Boro broke in the opening seconds of extra-time, with Lee's burst of pace causing problems for the Baggies. Yakubu chipped the ball over the onrushing defender and Lee chested the ball down - a chest that was adjudged to be a hand by the referee. Quite clearly some sort of drastic transplant surgery had gone on - either that or the referee needed some sort of drastic eye surgery. On ninety-three Nathan Ellington was sent off for a cynical challenge on Stuart Parnaby. Studs showing, Ellington caught Parnaby on the top of his foot and the referee had no option in dismissing him, despite the howling protestations of the home faithful. The first shot of extra time came from Robert Koren on ninety-six minutes. The angle however was acute (in fact it was positively horny) but its curvaceous beauty didn't distract Jones who made a simple save. On ninety-nine George Boateng had more venom in his shot than an irritated cobra as he powered the ball towards Kiely's goal. The ball deflected and Boro got a corner. From this, Downing switched the play and eventually Morrison got the ball into the box once more but it was too close to Kiely, who comfortably collected. Two minutes later Diomansy Kamara blasted a shot high and wide, a feat mimicked by the clearly impressed Dong-Gook Lee at the other end thirty seconds later. Towards the end of the half - Kamara was booked for a dive after Julio Arca clipped the West Brom striker. Boro got a free-kick for this - Kamara's theatrics doing him no favours but at least he now has the lead role as Cinderella in Wolverhampton's Christmas Panto later in the year. EXTRA TIME - THE SECOND HALF The crowd were rabid and quite frankly needed to be put down. And Dong-Gook was the man to do it. Ahem, possibly. But it was West Brom who had the first meaningful attack of this second period of extra-time. Kamara's freedom caused problems on 106, after he won the ball off Woodgate. He took on Arca and forced Jones into the save, who let the Boro backline off the hook for their lack of marking. The game was end-to-end at this stage, with no side wanting penalties just like no side wanted extra time. So no doubt penalties would ensue. On 109 the three super-subs combined. Morrison linked with Parnaby, whose back-heel fell to Lee. His shot was amiss, missing the target completely. On 114 Kamara dinked the ball beyond Arca as he ran towards the box. It took a desperate foot-in from Woodgate to prevent Kamara from having a shot on goal. Little meaningful happened in the final minutes of the game - Dong-Gook Lee was flagged offside and Pogatetz fluffed a header but ultimately neither side had done enough in the additional thirty minutes to warrant the win. So Boro's second successive penalty shoot-out ensued - except this time it was Brad Jones and not Mark Schwarzer in goal and that we were away from home. PENALTIES The bonus ball was 36 in tonight's lottery - now we needed to find out whether Boro would win the jackpot. Even Roary had his paws over his eyes as beauty salons across Teesside looked forward to a bumper day of pedicures come the morning. The penalties were to be taken in front of the most vociferous Albion fans. Boro were to take first. WEST BROM 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Downing scores) WEST BROM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Greening scores) WEST BROM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Lee hits the post) WEST BROM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Clement blasts the ball over the bar) WEST BROM 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 2 (Morrison scores) WEST BROM 2 MIDDLESBROUGH 2 (Carter scores) WEST BROM 2 MIDDLESBROUGH 3 (Arca scores) WEST BROM 3 MIDDLESBROUGH 3 (Robinson scores) WEST BROM 3 MIDDLESBROUGH 4 (Yakubu scores) WEST BROM 4 MIDDLESBROUGH 4 (Camara scores) SUDDEN DEATH WEST BROM 4 MIDDLESBROUGH 5 (Boateng scores) WEST BROM 4 MIDDLESBROUGH 5 (MacDonald blasts the ball over the bar) Middlesbrough win 5-4 on penalties - just like they did against Bristol City in the previous round. Boro now have a home tie against Manchester United in the quarter finals. SEND THIS TO A FRIEND BACK TO WEST BROM MATCH PROGRAMME INDEX
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