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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 - MATCH REPORT
Barclays Premier League, Saturday 12th April 2008, White Hart Lane
Andy Morgan
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate made one change from the side that impressively held Manchester United to a 2-2 draw last week.
In came Jonathan Grounds at left-back in place of Andrew Taylor who picked up a rib injury against United.
Apart from that, the team was as you were.
Luke Young (who was starting against his former club), David Wheater and Emmanuel Pogatetz were at the back and Gary O'Neil, George Boateng, Julio Arca and Stewart Downing were in the midfield.
Jeremie Aliadiere and Afonso Alves were in attack, with the latter hoping to add to the two goals he scored last week.
Jonathan Woodgate took his place in the heart of the Spurs defence against his hometown club.
Schwarzer, Young, Wheater, Pogatetz, Grounds (Johnson 64), O'Neil (Tuncay 74), Boateng, Arca (Rochemback 67), Downing, Aliadiere, Alves, Turnbull, McMahon
THE FIRST HALF
In the opening minute, Jeremie Aliadiere had a snapshot from the edge of the box after a Gary O'Neil cross deflected to him. Radek Cerny in the Spurs goal could not hold on to it and Alves would have scored had he not been flagged for offside.
At the other end Robbie Keane darted down the left and fed Dmitar Berbatov. He played the ball to Jermaine Jenas whose shot was always going over the bar.
The first corner of the match went to Spurs after Grounds intercepted an Aaron Lennon pass that was intended for Jenas. The shot came in from Pascal Chimbonda but it caused little concern in the Boro box.
Whatever Spurs could do, Boro could also do and they won a corner after an Alves knock-down was cleared by Woodgate. Downing's left-footed corner was cleared by the home side.
Spurs spent the next few minutes applying pressure without really doing too much. In fact they were about as effective as the plumbing carried out by "Cowboyz Are Us".
Alves' loose pass allowed Spurs back on the attack and Keane crossed the ball in from the left. He found Berbatov but his header was weak, allowing Schwarzer to grasp the ball comfortably.
On sixteen Pogatetz dived in front of Berbatov to clear his lines after Chimbonda floated in a peach smoothie of a cross. With added goodness. Except not for Boro. Obviously.
Two minutes later Jenas tried to take on Wheater but Schwarzer did just enough to put him off, saving the former Newcastle man's cheeky lob.
Boateng launched a good cross into the box with his left foot, catching everyone off guard. Zakora headed out for a corner. O'Neil's swinger found Alves but he couldn't get the contact he wanted and his header sailed over the bar.
On twenty-three Gary O'Neil went on a diagonal run and was picked out by Stewart Downing. He crossed the ball into the box and Arca's shot went hideously wide.
Four minutes later, Spurs were allowed space and it cost the Boro. Robbie Keane was in an offside position and this confused the Boro defence. Why they didn't just play to the whistle is anyone's guess but this has been a problem for Boro this season.
Anyway, this allowed Jenas to get beyond our back four and he passed to Berbatov whose skill allowed him to tee up Lennon. His shot was going wide but Grounds deflected it beyond a helpless Schwarzer and into the back of the net.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 (Grounds o.g., 27) MIDDLESBROUGH 0
The game was very end-to-end although you felt that if Keane and Berbatov cut out the flicks, they would be even more effective than they currently were. The Boro defence were resolute but the side needed a punch from Schwarzer and some last ditch defending to save themselves.
The Boro had a corner but it was headed out by Alan Hutton for a throw-in. Then Hutton kindly decided to give the Boro another corner but again, nothing came from this as Berbatov cleared.
A long Downing throw-in dropped for Alves but the Brazilian's shot was blocked. A mintue later, Aliadiere teed up Downing from the wing but his shot was blocked once more.
Alves nearly took advantage of a Cerny fumble at the edge of the area before Downing had a free-kick that was poorly delivered.
The Boro were lacking urgency as Spurs were continually taking the game to the visitors. If any side is allowed to do tricks and flicks, you know you are not closing them down well enough. The game was still end-to-end though so there was still hope.
The game was very Spring-like albeit less like a rampant rabbit and more like a dopey adder. The Boro really needed to increase their tempo - perhaps they should imagine the tempo of a dancing Roary just before those wretched cheerleaders come out to shake their pom-poms at us...
Arca conceded a free kick in a dangerous position after Berbatov's trickery outfoxed him. Jenas' right-footed shot was always sailing straight into Doris, who had opted to sat in the home end in the hope that she wouldn't get blasted in the face. How wrong she was...
That was the end of a rather languid first half. The question that must be asked is can anyone really be bothered coming out after half time?
THE SECOND HALF
The Boro started the half in a lively fashion and Michael Dawson was forced into the block after Alves attempted a shot on the edge of the box.
Spurs took a quick corner in the forty-eighth minute but they did not catch the Boro backline off guard, who comfortably cleared.
George Boateng darted into the box after Aliadiere headed a route-one ball on to him. Alves was forced wide by the Spurs defence and they ended up conceding a corner. Wheater's header was headed towards the back of the net but Lennon headed the ball off the line.
At the Boro end, Robbie Keane's shot had no power behind it and Schwarzer gathered. At the other end, Cerny came a long way to deal with a Downing cross but deal with it he did.
Lennon attacked for Spurs on fifty-three but Grounds stuck to his task and played the ball off the Spurs player for a goal kick.
The Boro were dominant in both possession and territory and Juande Ramos was grumbling about it. As this was going on, Boro won a free kick on the left hand side which was given away by the visitors.
On fifty five Spurs took their Steed and forced him to have a shot. But neigh luck as Wheater defended so there'll be no sugar for him this evening.
A less sweet sight was Spurs attacking and Pogatetz did well to deflect a Berbatov shot on to the post. The Austrian did well as with Schwarzer stranded, it looked an almost shoe-in for the second goal of the game.
Positive play from Lennon allowed him to beat Luke Young and cross into the Boro box. Woodgate stooped but could not target his header.
Berbatov played the ball over the top on sixty-two and the Boro had another lucky escape. Thankfully the defence cleared.
The steed was ridden off into the tunnel shaped sunset soon after as he was replaced with the equally amusingly named Tom Huddlestone. Perhaps Malbranque will be whipped for his poor performance.
The Boro made a substitution with attacking intent on sixty-four as Adam Johnson came on for Jonathan Grounds. This meant Downing moved to left back and the Boro still played in a 4-4-2 formation.
Boro's second substitution soon followed - with Fabio Rochemback replacing Julio Arca in the midfield. Clearly the Boro were wasting time, desperate to hold on to their 1-0 defeat.
Seriously though, the attacking substitutions almost paid immediate dividends as Aliadiere knocked the ball to Alves. The Brazilian dinked it between his feet before letting rip. Michael Dawson saved his side again as he deflected Alves' goalbound shot wide.
On sixty-eight Downing won a free kick after Chimbonda handled the ball on the edge of the box. The ball in from the free kick was excellent and Dawson blocked yet another shot.
But it didn't matter as Boro were level twenty seconds later. Downing let rip from thirty yards later and a deflection off a Spurs defender confused Cerny. The Boro were deservedly level and sensed they could win this.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Downing, 69)
A free kick was punted up field on seventy-three and Gary O'Neil had a shot that Cerny saved. This was the last action of the game for O'Neil as he had injured his knee five minutes earlier and was clearly struggling. Tuncay came on in his place and slotted into the right midfield berth.
The match was all Boro at this stage as they pressed forward looking for the winner.
On eighty Alves had a golden opportunity but contrived to put his effort wide. Johnson delivered the ball from deep and Dawson misread it. The ball ended up at the feet of Alves who dragged the ball from his right to his left foot. He managed to beat the goalkeeper but not the post as his shot grazed the wrong side of the upright.
Two minutes later, great play from the right hand side through Aliadiere set up his strike partner Alves. He couldn't finish though and eventually a Johnson cross-come-toss went hopelessly out of play.
Spurs' main maestro of the block, Michael Dawson, was soon back in action again as he got a foot-in against Tuncay's shot from twelve yards.
Two minutes from time great play from Rochemback threaded the ball to Aliadiere. He dinked one way, then another before blasting his shot across the face of Cerny's goal.
In a rare foray into the Boro box, Rochemback was forced into blocking a Zakora shot.
A Schwarzer fumble into stoppage time caused Boro hearts to flutter but he recovered well and grabbed hold of the ball.
Before the game the Boro would have accepted a point out of the trip to North London. Yet after completely dominating the second half and having numerous shots, the Boro fans will be forgiven for being disappointed.
Like against Chelsea, this was a game of two halves. In the first half the Boro were sluggish, in the second they were electric. It just goes to show what the Boro can do if they play from the off.
Man of the Match: Afonso Alves. Always a threat, he seems to be forging a good partnership with Jeremie Aliadiere.
FAN REACTION
"Great point"
Zorro
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