THE AWAY END
DONCASTER ROVERS v MIDDLESBROUGH
John Powls, 27 Jan 2010
The Build Up To The Game
Boro staggered into this game off the back of a home draw with Swansea that many on the website message boards and blogs were desperately scratching around to make the best of.
At least, they supposed, The Reds didn't just tamely capitulate - as has been the norm - when The Swans went ahead.
Fluke though Willo Flood's equaliser was, it was almost possible, as Strachan did in his post match interview, to credibly argue that what Boro's only fit eleven seniors put into the game, and some of their play - fitful though the positive stuff was - meant that they 'deserved the break'.
Column Continues Below...
The visitors and most commentators agreed that a draw was a fair result from another poor game, and it did break Boro's losing streak.
But that's it. For the rest, it was just the same old same old that is just boring to go on repeating -so well known and repeatedly delivered are the numerous failings of Strachan's side. But yet, there were still small signs of 'something to build on'.
It was clear that the Donny faithful don't regard this Boro as a 'big draw' - their website was still straining to sell advance tickets on the morning of the game. As was the Boro website to the travelling Parmo Army with, predictably - even less success.
There was to be no relief from new signings for this game either, or anytime soon, apparently. Strachan's 'little list' of players 'who want to come and play for Boro' has met with The Count's legendary tactics for handling the January transfer window - the lack of money and the jagged rocks of Boro's form and plummet down the table.
Like many a 'little list' before - this one has foundered and is holed. 'Listing' badly, if you like. Even last week's rumours died away from the sites before McManus appeared.
And, just when the electronic DiasBoro thought that Boro's injury list couldn't get worse - it did. Riggs resumed his disappointing, normal position in the queue for the treatment tables after limping off on Saturday and would not be fit. Several more Boro players were classed as 'walking wounded' and would face late tests to see if they could be patched up.
It would be much easier to set out a Crockliffe eleven at present than a Boro team. You could probably name a full subs bench too - something that Strachan struggled with for this game. You could almost hear Dave Parnaby lamenting more of his young charges risking being broken on the wheel of Crockliffe!
Phil and I joked (but only just!) as the game approached that anyone from the travelling Parmo Army who took their boots and pads might well end up with a game at Donny's neat stadium!
We also reflected - much to our almost disbelieving chagrin - that the side from the railway town were, rightly, ante post favourites for the game. No disrespect to Donny, but how has it come to this? As if we didn't know only too well...
The Game
What The Away End lacked in numbers - there were over a thousand there, but from over two thousand tickets available - they made up for in noise and enthusiasm, as usual.
Phil and I agreed that neither of us actually knew what 'the cockles of our hearts' were but - like the rest of The Parmo Army - we needed them warming with a good Boro performance because the temperature in The Away End dropped to zero at kick off.
But, in truth, we weren't expecting our cockles warmed - the best we dared hope was scraping another low scoring draw. We didn't see it coming. Maybe we should have - at half time, Phil just said 'QPR?' By the end he was almost right with the score as well as the result. We didn't see it coming at Loftus Road either.
I don't actually believe that we gained that much to change our view for the first half hour either. It was a relatively quiet opening, leavened only by the interest of seeing young Jon Franks - recently returned from his 'appendicitis' scare - starting the game instead of Leroy Lita and Boro eschewing Strachan's strongly preferred 4-4-2 for a 4-3-3.
It was encouraging to see another returnee - the out of favour Jon Grounds - playing solidly at makeshift centre-back in Riggs' absence. Phil and I recalled The Away End at Ashton Gate earlier in the season where his only previous appearance in that role hadn't gone anywhere near as well.
Beside him, The Redcar Rock was also managing to avoid his recently acquired 'Wheater's Weekly Wobble' whilst Tony McMahon thundered into everything in a position he's making his own and Justin Hoyte was steady in front of the unflappable Danny Coyne.
If the first thirty minutes were steady but unspectacular, it was Johnno who provided the spark that ignited the Boro fireworks. The winger sparked into life himself on the half hour with one of his best DIY goals - a trademark 'Jinky' run before lashing left footed, high into Sullivan's net.
He finished the half by setting up Jon Franks to net his debut first team goal for Boro - a Red Letter Day for the lad, contributing to one for Boro and The Parmo Army.
Donny manager, Sean O'Driscoll, had been winning in the league with an unchanged side. Before this game, Phil and I mused about whether he'd press on like that or decide that his team were jaded after losing late on in the Cup at Derby to and try to freshen them up with a few changes.
He may have been convinced to change particularly bearing in mind Boro's parlous state with injuries and the poor run they'd been on.
He made changes, met a resurgent Boro and paid the price, generally - and then specifically when defensive unfamiliarity and indecision gave Lita the chance to take advantage and nod in Boro's third on sixty-six minutes, after Boro had gone back to a 4-4-2.
We also wondered if the benching of Lita for Franks by Strachan - and then subbing Lita for Franks after the lad had got his debut goal - was a deliberate piece of motivational management that might have led to a couple of the The Reds' goals.
If so, respect to the Boro boss for that and for wringing improved individual performances from many - including those unfamiliar with their starting roles and the ones they were asked to move to, in game - and a much improved team performance!
Fittingly, after Boro had survived having their feathers briefly ruffled by the on loan Mutch's strike, it was Johnno that capped off the night with his second and Boro's fourth.
As Gary O'Neil weighed up where he was going to place the free kick and Sullivan fiddled with setting up his wall and positioning himself, the Boro winger strolled up and slotted the set piece home.
A clean sheet would have been nice but four goals was better - including two from Boro strikers in open play. The Donny goal was also a 'worldy' strike - on a night of great strikes - that the Boro defence could do nothing about, and not the sort of defensive aberration that has repeatedly blighted performances this season and last.
O'Driscoll's complimentary post-match comments about Jinky were underlined by the usual posse of prem scouts in the stands, including one from the 'usual suspects' when it comes to Boro left wingers, Spurs.
It won't be long before we'll know whether this Jinky' performance was a 'thanks and goodbye' to Boro. Strachan certainly wasn't up for commenting on that subject later - though he was voluble about McManus and bullish about Boro's prospects of landing the out of favour Celtic Captain and centre-back.
With the cockles of our hearts duly warmed and the dominant Away End emotions being pleasantly surprised, a little thrilled and, above all, relieved, long before the end, The Parmo Army took to trying to get the Boro manager to respond to 'Gordon, Gordon - give us a wave'.
He's always avoided acknowledging the invitation and responding before. Although it was a little muted and almost hesitant, he responded this time and in doing so brought one of the biggest cheers of the evening from the travelling faithful.
Rewarded at last, the trek to the transport was also reminiscent of the 'pinch yourself' walk back to the tube station after Loftus Road. More please!
Later
It's worth quoting further from Sean O'Driscoll's post match comments because they say it all, really.
O'Driscoll, said: "We got well beaten, I have no complaints. They were well organised and worked hard off the ball. They have some quality players and if you ally that with hard work you've got half a chance.
They were two quality strikes from Adam Johnson who should be playing in the Premier division. I thought we were outplayed by the better team and it's not often I say that at the Keepmoat."
I think my mate, Ian's comments are worth adding to O'Driscoll's.
Ian, said: "A most welcome result and performance that is in keeping with what we know. Donny were never going to launch Boro into the stands so we were going to be able to play football.
The bit I like is from O'Driscoll is the 'ally that with hard work' part. The season has shown us that Boro can outplay teams if they allow The Reds to play, but that we lacked the hard edge to prevent the other team playing, to scrap when they scrapped or to disrupt their flow.
My only caveat is that Donny are just the sort of team Boro would 'normally' (whatever that is on Planet Parmo) expect to beat given their style of play. But, if we can continue to blend some grit with football Boro should slowly climb the table."
A glance at the rest of the night's results and the Championship table in the Wednesday newspapers underlined one of the reasons for feeling relieved. The win has kept Boro in touch - just - with the play off places. A defeat would have opened a chasm.
Now, there's no mistaking that there's still something at Boro to build on - and we must built on it, and not let another match follow the QPR result by becoming just a flash in the pan. Or down the pan.
This must mean further strengthening of the squad and the team with incoming transfers and loans and by getting more of the injured fit - Andrew Taylor's return from his operation last night as a sub made him the third Boro left back on the field at the final whistle!
It also means taking this form into Saturday's game, at home to Bristol City - from whom we might expect a reaction after their 'didn't see it coming' six nil thrashing by Cardiff at Ashton Gate.
Talking of gates, maybe last night's performance and results and some new and returning faces may reverse another run - the home game by home game record low Riverside attendances.
The Away End will return after the Ipswich game on 6 February.
