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MIDDLESBROUGH 2 NEWCASTLE 2 - FULL-TIME REPORT
Barclays Premier League, Sunday 26th August 2007
Andy Morgan
Middlesbrough made four changes from the side that beat Fulham last week. Luke Young made his Boro debut at right-back whilst Gareth Southgate welcomed Jonathan Woodgate back into the centre of defence. Fabio Rochemback was to start his first game of the season in the heart of midfield.
Woodgate was to partner David Wheater at the back, with Andrew Taylor on the left. George Boateng, Julio Arca and Stewart Downing made up the rest of midfield however Boateng was on the right and Arca in the middle. Tuncay Sanli could only make the bench.
Last week's goal hero, Mido, partnered Jeremie Aliadiere for the first time in attack.
Mark Viduka meanwhile returned to the Riverside but this time in black and white stripes. He was guaranteed to get a friendly reception. Former Boro star Geremi returned to the Riverside too, this time as his first stint as Newcastle captain.
Schwarzer, Young, Woodgate, Wheater, Taylor, Boateng (Cattermole 83), Rochemback, Arca, Downing, Mido, Aliadiere (Sanli 73), Jones, Lee, Hines
THE FIRST HALF
Today I'm all professional - I have headphones and everything. I feel like quite the journalist. And now I feel compelled to point out the lack of crowd in the Riverside stadium and how this game doesn't matter to anyone outside the north-east. But enough belittling of our club. The atmosphere in the Riverside was electric and as the game kicked off the crowd wasted no time in making known what they think of Mark Viduka. Suffice to say it wasn't a feeling of sweetness, love and flowers.
Newcastle's first shot came within forty seconds. Mark Viduka passed to former-Leeds team-mate Alan Smith who shot wildly from twenty yards out. The crowd sarcastically cheered but Newcastle had got an early foothold in the game.
On two minutes, Newcastle came back at Boro but the combined defending of Wheater and Arca snuffed out their attacks. The away side were looking livelier than a night out in the Bigg Market at this stage, with Viduka providing the pie, chips and mushy peas.
Middlesbrough were being sloppy whilst Newcastle's challenging was being effective. Viduka's hold-up play was presenting problems for the home side, which only added fuel to the fire of those who believed we should have given the Australian a better offer during the summer.
Newcastle's first injury occurred within five minutes, with Stephen Carr being replaced by Peter Ramage. Evidently Newcastle had been studying training and dietary tips from the Rockliffe Files as this succession of injuries was to continue throughout the game.
Boro's first shot came on nine minutes through Fabio Rochemback. Despite having three runners running at various angles, the Brazilian opted to blast an effort from over twenty yards. The crowd groaned and one poor woman probably got hit in the face. It was probably Doris again. Poor cow. A minute later a Stewart Downing cross was deflected into the greatful arms of Steve Harper.
Middlesbrough were starting to come into the game now and on fourteen Aliadaire and Mido linked up but the latter was offside. This was a promising development however as Boro were starting to get their momentum going. At the other end Obefemi Martins got behind Taylor in a wide position but was forced to blast his shot wide because the Newcastle front-men were either too slow or pie-filled to catch up with him.
On sixteen George Boateng saved the day as he tackled Alan Smith in the box. Had he not tackled the Newcastle player from eight yards out, he would have let rip and it would probably have been one-nil to the visitors.
Fabio Rochemback had another long-range shot on eighteen but it hit Ted in the head instead. Regretting that she had bought her (soopa-doopa swipey) season ticket right within the Brazilian's firing line, Doris breathed a long sigh of relief. Through an oxygen mask probably. Ted meanwhile was sat in one of the corners, the shot being so hopeless that it cannoned off his head and into the local A&E ward - ironically where he would probably be heading.
Charles N'Zogbia's shot on twenty-one was less hopeless. He cut in from the left-hand side and striding positively, he tried his luck from twenty yards out. He blasted a long-range shot with his right-foot into the top right-hand corner of the net, leaving Mark Schwarzer acrobatically flailing. Newcastle had broken the deadlock - it was a goal that graced a poor match.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 (N'Zogbia, 21)
Mido was getting little service and Aliadaire wasn't fairing much better. There was very little coming from the midfield and things needed to be shook up if the Boro were to score an equaliser. It was Newcastle however who were coming at the Boro, with James Milner being fed by Viduka but the Newcastle midfielder was flagged offside.
On twenty-six Aliadaire broke into the penalty area and tried to slide the ball across the six-yard box. He could not beat the first man however and Harper comfortably cleared.
A minute later and like at Fulham last week, Mido unlocked the opposition defence. Rochemback brought the ball down and dinked it over the Newcastle back-line, passing it to the former Spurs man. Mido rounded Harper and made no mistake from six yards. As he tore away he blew kisses towards the away fans, earning a yellow card and the eternal respect of the Boro faithful in the process. The Boro were alive once more and although it may have been Mido's goal, it was Rochemback who created it.
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Mido, 27) NEWCASTLE UNITED 1
Boro had now come to life. On twenty-nine Rochemback, now full of confidence, launched a shot from twenty-five yards out that forced a save out of Harper. Nothing came from the corner but a minute later Julio Arca dug the ball out and from twelve yards hit a powerful right-footed shot towards the Newcastle goal. He forced a strong save from Harper, who pawed the ball around the post for a corner. The set-play was too deep and nothing came of it.
Newcastle looked lost, finding it difficult to get into the game. On thirty-eight a Milner free-kick was easy to deal with for Mark Schwarzer. At the other end the Boro weren't doing much either but a minute later Downing linked up with Mido who provided a pacy cross into the heart of Newcastle territory. Harper however could gathered easily.
On forty-two a Ramage mistake almost allowed Downing to nip in. The Newcastle player recovered and conceded a corner in the process, although Downing's first touch was admittedly poor. Little came from the corner.
A minute later Milner and Wheater had a battle in the Boro penalty area which almost led to the Boro full-back conceding a penalty. In fairness it was six of one and half a dozen of the other but in the end Boro were awarded a lucky free-kick. I meanwhile was awarded a pay-cut for using such a poor cliche in my role as official match reporter.
In stoppage time Rochemback once again demonstrated an exquisite first touch before blasting the ball hopelessly wide once again. He is a very schizophrenic player and the feeling is if he was to concetrate a little more, he could become world-class. He certainly has the ability.
And that was the end of the half. Boro had come back into the game well and towards the end were looking the better side. Let's just hope they can continue this into the second half.
THE SECOND HALF
Boro made no changes at half-time. With the momentum firmly with the home side Southgate believed that this team could dispatch their north-east rivals.
The half started slowly, partly due to a minor injury picked up by Martins, but Boro came out for the second half much the same way as they ended the first. The only blip however was a booking for Jonathan Woodgate for unsporting behaviour after tackling Martins.
On forty-nine a Rochemback free-kick glanced off Alan Smith's head and into the grateful arms of Steve Harper. Rochemback was on fire and on fifty-six there was some nice one-touch play that was orchestrated by the Brazilian. He passed to Aliadaire who in turn passed to Mido. The former Spurs man tried to set up Rochemback but he had slowed down in his run, meaning the ball was slightly in front of him when he shot. This meant that it wasn't that powerful and it eventually went out for a corner.
The goal was calling Boro like a syren call although it could have been Harper's singing. Downing's ball from the corner wasn't strong but it revisited the six-yard box with venom. No one could connect to it. Indeed the ball was fizzing more than an Alka-Seltzer in a glass of champagne but Boro's frontline was lumbering like the average Geordie after a night out at "Tiger Tiger".
On the hour Viduka nearly put Newcastle in the lead from a deep cross provided by N'Zogbia. The Australian probably believed that Martins would get to the ball first, meaning that he wasn't as alert as he should have been when the ball was whipped in. Either way he missed and the Boro fans weren't silenced.
A corner and a header over the bar from Nicky Butt provided Newcastle with a second kick from the apex. Boro then broke but only ended up winning a throw-in half-way up. Boro then gave the ball away and James Milner cut in from the left and took a shot from eighteen yards that Schwarzer comfortably caught. Two minutes later N'Zogbia took a free-kick that was directed straight into the Boro box. Boro's Australian 'keeper comfortably gathered.
The game was drifting along like a stoner on benefits, desperately waiting for someone to grab it by the scruff of the neck to finally do the job. Newcastle had only had two shots on target since they had scored whilst Boro were equally laxidasical in their attempts - both sides having forward play but barely threatening with it.
On seventy-two Martins was replaced by the glorious, fantastic (and dare I say England International) Michael Owen for the last twenty minutes of the game. At the same time Aliadaire was stretchered off and was replaced by Tuncay Sanli, who was applauded as he came on. This may have had something to do with the Turk being one of the only Boro players who played international football during the week but equally the fans' reaction probably related to the fact that Sanli is establishing himself as a fans' favourite. It was to be hoped that he could unlock the Newcastle back-line in the final twenty minutes of the game.
On seventy-six, however, the inevitable happened as Mark Viduka's strength told against Jonathan Woodgate. From an N'Zogbia cross, he brought the ball down on his thigh and turned the Boro defender before smacking it into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal from twelve yards out. You couldn't have written something more painfully predictable.
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 (Viduka, 76)
At the other end Sanli headed an effort towards Harper's goal after he had been supplied through a Downing cross. Indeed Sanli had changed the dynamics of the Boro team, his holding play giving a new dimension to the home side's play.
Two minutes later Boro's continuing pressure told through a series of high-quality crosses. Downing fed Arca from the second cross and what Viduka can do, Arca can do better. The ex-Sunderland midfielder brought the ball down adroitly and volleyed it beyond Harper from around eighteen yards out. It was no less than what Boro deserved from their pressure.
MIDDLESBROUGH 2 (Arca, 79) NEWCASTLE UNITED 2
Two minutes later Michael Owen was fed from a free-kick, the ball drifting over his left hand shoulder but he failed to connect. He was around five yards out and has scored similar goals for England but he has been struggling for fitness of late and Boro were lucky in this.
On eighty-three Boateng was replaced by Lee Cattermole so the captaincy shifted to Jonathan Woodgate. It was a like-for-like swap and it was hoped that Cattermole could help in Boro's attempts to steal a winner from this game.
On eighty-six Arca provided a good quality ball from out wide. Mido connected with the ball at the near-post from twelve yards out but glanced it over the bar, putting too much power on it.
The scrappiness returned towards the end of the game but all players knew that if they could provide the quality then they could also provide the winner. Newcastle were being scrappier than a drunken chav fight in the Bigg Market as both sides sensed that victory was there for the taking.
As the game entered added time Nicky Butt attempted an ambitious half-volley from the edge of the penalty area. Schwarzer comfortably caught. At the other end Rochemback had a free kick that he successfully cannoned off Butt's legs.
On ninety-three Downing and Mido connected but Mido's final cross was too close to Harper, who comfortably collected. Boro came back through Woodgate but Newcastle cleared and Schwarzer gathered. This was the last moment of the game as the whistle blew to signify full-time. It was a fair result on the balance of play and both sides will be happy with the point that they had picked up.
The game was scrappy but when there was quality it was telling. All the goals came from moments of individual skill or brilliance yet the game was also defined by poor passing and scrappy play. Ultimately it was an encouraging performance - the defence was strong and we more than matched our "illustrious" north-east rivals. And when we turned on the style we also delivered. Things are looking good. Now we have to make it count against Birmingham next week.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Fabio Rochemback. Often flattered to deceive but today his ability showed. He made the difficult look simple and the simple look difficult but his holding play was second-to-none. His shots are often poor but if he concentrates on his all-round game then we could have a great player on our hands. His setting-up of Mido's goal was exquisite and he controlled the midfield for large swathes of the match.
FAN REACTION
"I guess it wasn't too bad...pity it was the pie-man who scored though"
boroonthebeach
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