Last time we played Leeds back in mid-October, the home defeat brought the curtain down on Gordon Strachan's disastrous reign.

Since then we have become serious relegation candidates while Leeds have launched a convincing push for a Premier League return. The difference between the two sides on New Year's Day belied those facts and the improvement Boro have made since Leeds came to The Riverside is impressive.

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This was easily the best performance of the season and a few tweaks to the team this month should see us able stay in the Championship with points to spare.

The team is not the finished article by a long way but Tony has managed to restore some confidence and make us competitive again which considering the lack of resources at his disposal is mighty impressive.

We held our own in the first half and may even have been slightly the better side and David Wheater opened the scoring on twenty minutes when he glanced in Julio Arca's in-swinging corner. Arca could have extended Boro's lead when he shot wide shortly afterwards.

Arca, Scott McDonald and left-back Joe Bennett were linking well in the middle of the park and only Andy O'Brien's close-range shot from a corner was worthy of note for Leeds.

Kevin Tomson was taken off for Barry Robson after twenty-five minutes but the reason is unclear at the moment. Whether Kevin has aggravated his leg again should emerge later on today.

Leeds had a bad day at the office. They produced enough chances but most were blazed over and Jason Steele was rarely threatened until the final ten minutes of frenetic action.

Boro were looking on for a famous and unlikely win and we had two great chances to double our lead and kill off Leeds. Justin Hoyte should definitely have scored when the ball fell kindly to him in the six yard box but he bottled him shot completely and Leeds counter attacked us.

Jason Steele make two remarkable saves in the dying minutes as Leeds pressed hard and it was Luciano Becchio who finally grabbed the equaliser and rob Boro of what would have been our best result of the season.

But most Boro fans would have settled for a draw before kick-off and massive encouragement can be taken from this assured performance.

It is something solid to build on and a very clear sign that a corner has been turned. The gloom is fading and our survival prospects are very much in our own hands. Next up is Norwich at home on Monday afternoon and then a break from the Championship. What the team will be for Bristol City away on 15th January, two weeks into the window, is anyone's guess.

30 Jason Steele
02 Justin Hoyte
04 Matthew Bates
05 David Wheater
27 Joe Bennett
08 Kevin Thomson (Barry Robson 25)
10 Nicky Bailey
20 Julio Arca
07 Scott McDonald (Tony McMahon 78)
15 Leroy Lita (Kris Boyd 71)
32 Marvin Emnes


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