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DERBY COUNTY 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 - MATCH REPORT
Barclays Premier League, Pride Park, Saturday 15th December 2007
Andy Morgan
The pressure may have been off Gareth Southgate after last Sunday's defeat of Arsenal but the Boro fans were going into this game expecting the win.
Mark Schwarzer returned in goal after recovering from a broken thumb. Ross Turnbull can consider himself unlucky to be dropped. This was Boro's only change from the side that beat the Gunners.
Jonathan Woodgate and David Wheater once more formed the central defensive partnership with Luke Young and Emmanuel Pogatetz on the right and left respectively.
The midfield consisted of George Boateng and Fabio Rochemback in the centre with Stewart Downing and Gary O'Neil on the left and right.
Tuncay partnered Aliadiere once more in attack, after forming a strong partnership against Arsenal last week.
Schwarzer, Young, Wheater, Woodgate, Pogatetz, O'Neil, Boateng, Rochemback, Downing (Johnson 88), Aliadiere, Tuncay, Turnbull, Huth, Lee, Cattermole
THE FIRST HALF
The weather was cold but the crowd was hot, singing to the hilt as both sides came out looking for the win.
The opening exchanges were freneitc but hardly electric. Both sides cancelled each other out like when an electron meets a proton.
Boro's first chance came on three with a good ball from Tuncay. He clipped the ball over the Derby defence to O'Neil but it did it not fall down for him as he would have liked. This meant he had to snatch at his shot and Stephen Bywater in the Derby goal comfortably saved.
The Boro won a free kick two minutes later, which Rochemback took. He chipped the ball in ahead of some movement but it was all futile as the ball was headed straight back out again.
On eleven Rochemback had a brace of shots on the edge of the area that Derby comfortably defended. They broke from this, sweeping from right to left but their build-up was laboured and in the end all they did was make a mess. Good communication between Schwarzer and Wheater broke this move down.
On twelve Giles Barnes had a shock shot from twenty-five yards that Schwarzer comfortably saved. Three minutes Matt Oakley had a left-footed shot that had Boro's keeper stretching but he managed to save.
On eighteen Derby had a break that was thwarted by Robopog. He headed back to Schwarzer comfortably. Two minutes later the home side had another break but it was cleared up by Wheater.
Before this the Boro had had a break but O'Neil was unable to release Aliadiere for a one-on-one situation with Bywater.
On twenty-one Bywater gained possession from an over-hit Boateng cross. Giles Teale broke and looked to feed Oakley in the box but the Boro defended expertly.
Three minutes later Derby attacked again but Darren Moore's lay-off was poor. Rochemback received the ball but the Boro were not quick enough on the break and he could do little with it.
Derby's belief was starting to build at this stage although they were lacking in decisiveness in the final third. The Boro, meanwhile, were doing little themselves and seemed happy to invite the home side to pressure them.
The plan seemed to use Aliadiere's pace on the counter in order to punish Derby as they pushed forward. Boro's own lack of incision in the final third was their major profligacy.
The game was about as exciting as the bottom of my Christmas stocking at this stage, with nay anything fruitful present at all. Chances had been few and far between and it had been a greater battle than when Bonnie Prince Charlie fought the English at Culloden.
On thirty-two Derby came out of the blocks once more but were thwarted by a block from Luke Young. Stephen Pearson had the first shot and upon the deflection, James McEveley, who had just replaced Andy Griffin, had another attempt from twelve yards. Schwarzer saved.
Two minutes later Downing delivered a "magnificent" ball off his right foot that was clipped over Darren Moore. It was intended for Tuncay but he couldn't connect with it.
On thirty-six Boateng found himself on the right hand side of the box, a mere ten yards out. The initial build up from Downing and O'Neil was promising and Boateng tried to reward this by curling a shot towards goal with his right foot. It missed.
The goal came from nowhere. David Wheater's excellent anticipation allowed him to get in front of Kenny Miller and nick the ball away from him. He passed the ball to Downing. His ball was pinpoint and Tuncay's shot from twelve yards was adroit, burrowing deep into the back of the Derby net. It was his third goal in as many games.
DERBY COUNTY 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Tuncay, 38)
County almost struck back immediately. Kenny Miller's snapshot after he wriggled free from Woodgate cracked against the post and out to safety.
On forty-two O'Neil's fannying about on the edge of his own area almost let Derby in but Dean Leacock's shot from eighteen yards went out for a goal kick.
That was the last of the action in the first half. The game had been scrappy but at least the Boro went into the interval one nil to the good.
THE SECOND HALF
In the opening minute Aliadiere's intelligent ball almost allowed O'Neil in but it was no coconut. The ball eventually went out for a corner after Wheater tried to exert some more pressure. Nothing came from the dead ball.
On fifty Gary O'Neil clipped a diagonal ball from right to left into the Derby box but Tyrone Mears got in front of Downing to concede another Boro corner. Nothing came of this either.
On fifty-three Tuncay picked the ball up from deep and darted into the left channel before passing to Downing. His shot was a peach but Bywater's save was even better as he conceded a corner.
From the set-piece Derby fannied about in their own penalty area before kindly passing to Rochemback. His ball into the box was excellent but Wheater could not connect to it. The ball broke to Boateng on the far post but his diving header struck the upright and bounced out to safety. The Boro should have doubled their advantage.
Gary Teale was replaced by Stephen Howard so there'll probably be Teale's at bedtime. This was all before a Derby corner, from which very little resulted except Wheater deflecting a long-ranged Derby effort behind for another corner. Schwarzer took it comfortably.
Derby won their third and fourth corners in the space of ten seconds. Wheater and Aliadiere had done the conceding. Derby were pressurising at this stage but they were exhibiting all the threat of the standard Mattel toy. Oh dear. Their fifth corner quickly ensued.
On fifty-nine McEveley relieved the pressure on the Boro by shooting high and wide into the crowd. No doubt Doris in row P copped a full face of the ball that not even Oil of Olay could manage to sort out.
Giles Barnes' positive run on sixty-one was the next gasp of action at Pride Park. His run may have been strong but his shot was somewhat puny. Schwarzer gathered easily without dirtying his hideously luminescent yellow top.
A minute later McEveley went in Mc-heavily and dispossed Gary O'Neil. The Boro won the ball back though Luke Young but in the spirit of Christmas we then gave it back to Derby. We then won it back again and Downing had a poor cross that was deflected into Bywater's arms.
Rochemback's well-worked free kick allowed Boateng to dart into the blind side of Derby and he almost connected with it. The ball was too long, however, and the Boro wasted the opportunity.
Boro's slick passing was more oily than Peter Lilley but sadly, like him, it had no real effect. Barnes had the next shot of the game but his long-range shot was always off-target, rendering Schwarzer redundant in goal.
On seventy-three a slip from David Wheater almost allowed Robbie Earnshaw in but Schwarzer managed to save.
With the introduction of Earnshaw, Derby had more of a threat, particularly aerially. The home side won a corner on seventy-five that Schwarzer managed to punch to safety before Derby were flagged for offside after Boro kept their line high.
On seventy-seven Derby had some neat passing around the Boro box. It was almost like they were looking for the perfect goal. The Boro's defence was being run ragged but recovered and managed to clear.
On eighty-two Rochemback tried to reward his industry with a goal. He linked the play well but he got a good connection from distance and forced the save from Bywater.
A minute later Barnes launched a shot but Schwarzer was up to it. Had it been either side of the keeper, it would have been far more difficult to deal with.
Darren Moore had a header for Derby on eighty-seven but from eighteen yards out, Schwarzer was always going to save it.
A minute later Robbie Earnshaw had a shot that Schwarzer gathered. He threw the ball to Downing, who found Aliadiere in the penalty area after the Frenchman cut in front of the defender. He made no mistake in the box but the goal was discounted for handball, in the midst of Boro's celebrations.
Shortly after this, Downing was replaced by Adam Johnson on the left-wing.
Derby pressurised in the final stages of the game, with Mears crossing into the box in stoppage time. Schwarzer made his decision early however and managed to gather.
That was the last action and Boro's vital win was complete. Two away wins this season and two wins on the bounce means that this season is well and truly on. The Boro had also earned their first clean sheet in over a month as well. What was there ever to doubt about Southgate?
Man of the Match: George Boateng. Led by example, the Boro captain's industry was a testament to his commitment.
FAN REACTION
"UEFA Cup here we come!"
Kris G
"I love the Boro, me"
Boro1876
"Tuncay is going to be God around these parts, methinks"
Gaizka14
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