| Middlesbrough | Crystal Palace | ||
| Wing | 45’+3 | ||
| Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
43% 9 1 1 8 |
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
57% 8 3 9 13 |
Wing Wizard’s Magic stakes a claim
Tonight brought a reunion for TP with one of his former clubs whose parting of the ways wasn’t particularly amicable. By now the acrimony I’m sure has long since faded away almost like home goals at the Riverside, a distant memory.
Both clubs at present have an aversion to scoring goals it would seem. Only 5 clubs have scored fewer goals than Boro in the Championship and 4 of them are in the bottom 6 the other being QPR. Palace have not won since they beat WBA in the last round of the Caribou Cup losing three and drawing against Arsenal 2-2 at the Weekend but with both their goals coming from the Penalty spot which may be a deciding factor again tonight should it end equal on the night.
The last time these two sides met in the League Cup was in 2011 at Selhurst Park when Palace won 2-1 but there have been many changes with both clubs since then so no store can be put on that night. Likewise the last time we met which was in the Premiership the season before last and we had a “Friendless” AK tactical meltdown that day when Patrick van Aanholt scored the day’s solitary goal to lift the Eagles out of the relegation zone.
Onto tonight’s fixture and significant changes were expected by both managers pre kick off and the Boro side was a bit of a hybrid with seven changes containing the likes of Leadbitter, Batth and of course Wing and Tavernier but also saw the inclusion of Ayala, Braithwaite and Hugill. Ayala is facing a suspension for the trip to Stoke so it probably made sense giving him a run out. Allegedly a spell had been cast which had spread through the bowels of Rockliffe and prevented TP utilising some players who may otherwise have got a game or a place on the bench at least. Roy Hodgson meanwhile went one better and made eight changes to his Eagles side which included the likes of Townsend, Ayew, Souare, Schlupp and ex-Boro target Puncheon.
A solemn minutes silence was impeccably held in remembrance of the weekend’s Leicester City tragedy heralded by the whistle of tonight’s Ref Paul Tierney.
Dark mist encircling from the Tees shrouded the chilly Riverside on Hallows eve as Boro kicked off with a 433 line up at the unusual hour of 8.00pm. We started on the front foot with George Fiend charging up towards the Palace goal and we actually recorded a shot at the end of a Boo-tiful move. McNair then fizzed a ball into Braithwaite at the far post, chested it down but his touch was just too much to finish off the move. Lewis Wing was keen not to be outdone as he then signalled his intent in setting up another Boro attack. Tavernier then broke and played it into Braithwaite who fired a shot across the face of the Palace goal causing consternation for Keeper Guaita dressed all in slime green.
A Townsend corner was headed clear, Braithwaite cleverly held the ball up on the half way line allowing his team-mates a chance to break out and he picking out Wing on the right flank with a spellbound cross field ball. Lewis fired a shot in at Guaita from outside the box which was spilled out to George Fiend, who took on two defenders but the move eventually went out for a goal kick. Three minutes later George broke into the box again this time taking on four defenders but fell literally at the last hurdle courtesy of a Palace body check.
The opening quarter of an hour saw some of the best Boro football that the Riverside had graced all season. The pace dipped a little as Palace tried a little bit of possession football in and around their own half.
A blood-curdling challenge involving McQueen and Schlupp saw the Boro player howl in agony as his leg seemingly got stuck and his knee gave way. It didn’t look good as he was stretchered off with Saville replacing him. With Shotton seemingly out for a while it now looks like McQueen could be out for some time leaving Boro well short of two wing backs. The game restarted with Boro giving the ball away allowing Schlupp to get a half shot away which was easily smothered by Dimi.
A period of patient Boro possession saw the ball lose out to Palace but with Boro regaining possession immediately, McNair lobbed a high ball up to Hugill who shielded the ball from several yellow shirts with Wing nipping in to collect and play a through ball to Tav who ran into the Palace box but his shot was unfortunately blocked. A minute later a long ball hoofed up field by the Eagles was headed down to Schlupp central on the edge of the 18 yard box but again Dimi was equal to the threat.
A brilliant cleared ball up from Dimi found Hugill who held the ball up again then laid it off to Saville who fed George flying down the left who then fired it into the Palace cauldron which just eluded Tav’s head but Hugill was waiting behind who volleyed just wide. With five minutes remaining Tav and Hugill harried and chased down the Palace defence with Hugill forcing Guaita into giving away a sloppy throw in from which Braithwaite received the cross but headed wide with what was at best a half chance.
Palace seemed very slow in their build up play and looked half-hearted compared to Boro. As they dwelled on the ball again Saville intercepted a poor pass releasing Hugill, charging through on the right but as he closed down on goal his shot went well wayward. Another Boro break quickly followed this time with Tav bursting forward leaving three players for dead and a cheeky toe poke pass out to Hugill saw the Marsked magician fire a shot across Guaita’s goal. Just as the game entered time added on for McQueen’s injury a desperate double tackle by Batth and Ayala came off I think Townsend’s shin for a Boro Goal kick.
Dimi hit the ball downfield which was battled for by Hugill and Braithwaite who found Tav on the right side of midfield who played it into the path of the marauding Lewis Wing charging through like a banshee 25 yards out and unleashed an Adam Reach style thunderbolt leaving Guaita no chance to make it 1-0 to Boro in front of the Red Faction. The whistle went shortly after the restart and what a difference tonight’s performance was from the last few weeks. McNair looked confident and comfortable, Hugill scared the living daylights out of the Palace CB’s and Tav was full of spirit along with George Fiend terrorising on the left and Lewis Wing who just had to do the inevitable ending a fang-tastic first half!
The sides came out for the second half just as they went in as Palace started the second half proceedings. The first shot in anger was from Meyer who was set up by Ayew in the Boro box who played it back out from the penalty spot to the German but his shot was very Claytonesque fortunately. A low cross into the box was then cleared out by Batth as Boro looked resolute at the back. A free kick won by Hugill in the middle of the park was played out to McNair who floated in a troubling ball that bounced as if possessed creating a mischievous few seconds of panic for Guaita. A Palace corner was cleared by Boro and went aimlessly up to Guaita who panicked again along with Souare as Hugill and Tavernier closed them down winning another forfeited throw in 18 yards out.
That signalled the end of Jordan’s evening as Rudy Gestede was sent on to replace him on 55 minutes presumably to keep him fresh for Saturday after an impressive showing tonight. Palace were desperately pushing for the equaliser but Boro were defending in numbers and crucially having an outlet in Tavernier. A Championship-style tackle from Saville on 60 minutes set Wing up who rushed his shot but the Ref brought play back for a free kick in any case deeming the Northern Irish Internationals tackle too devilish for his liking.
The best chance for the Eagles so far in the game was cleared by Ayala and as Townsend returned the ball back into the Boro box once again Ayala cleared it for a Corner to the away side. Fletcher then came on for Braithwaite with an eye on Saturday presumably and Milivojevic on for Ayew. Almost immediately after the restart George Fiend scored after a hair-raising melee in the Palace box which Tierney somehow saw a free kick in the middle of it to rule it out.
A suspect corner was then awarded to Palace with McNair adjudged to have let the ball cross the byline by a hairs-breadth. Palace were now seriously upping their intensity in the search for an equaliser with twenty minutes to go. As much as Palace probed and passed Dimi hadn’t had an awful lot to do as we looked very organised defensively.
Tavernier ghosted the ball down his touchline straight out of defence to set up a series of bagatelle shots involving Wing, Gestede and in the end Saville who blasted over. McNair was then forearm smashed by Puncheon but fortunately Paddy got back on his feet as Palace were now becoming more physical. Palace were now playing trick or treat, knocking on Dimi’s goal. Meyer had a chance but badly scuffed his shot. Another swinging cross came in but this time was cleared for a corner by Fletcher arriving back into his own box just in time. A Tavernier cross well worked between himself and Lewis Wing saw Fletcher head a looping ball over the Palace crossbar onto the roof of the net in front of the North Stand.
Pape Souare then limped off as Sam Woods came on for the Left Back with 12 minutes of normal time remaining. Hodgson shuffled things with Woods going into a CB role and Palace were now throwing everything at Boro as they upped the pressure for a spell after the substitution. Ayala made one of his strong (or reckless) challenged from behind which had hearts in Boro mouths but then as if by magic George cleared, phew! A shot was then fired in from Meyer hit the side netting as Boro were now effectively camped in their own half hanging on to that solitary Lewis Wing goal.
Roy Hodgson threw his last sub on in an effort to try and prise open the Boro rear guard. Five minutes were left and Boro were now clinging on and Fletcher finding himself deployed as a defender. A frightening Townsend long-range shot was dealt with by Dimi diving across his goal to palm away to safety. A Boro break saw Tav fly down the left flank with Wing and Gestede screaming for it but he held onto it not fancying his chances of a clean cross and drew the inevitable foul taking the sting out of the game momentarily.
A great block saw a claim for a penalty from the yellow shirts for handball in a packed Boro box. Palace still kept passing the ball around relentlessly trying to unpick a Boro wall of Red Shirts determined not to give them the key to the gates and yet another ball spun in to go just wide of Dimi’s upright. Injury time and yet another uninvited wicked ball came in dealt with this time by George Fiend who was there to put it out for a corner which when it arrived was headed clear by Gestede and then relief, Tierney blew his whistle to put us into the quarter finals of the Cup as spellbound applause instead of boos broke out around the Riverside.
The game was one of two halves; the first half saw us get at the opposition with pace and tenacity. The second saw us sit tight and defend in numbers defiantly. Statistically we had nine shots to Palaces eight with only one of ours on target but it counted and showed the value of Lewis Wing in breaking deadlocks.
MOM is difficult as there were many in Red who merited it. Wing is the obvious one as he scored the winner but for me Tav was the threat, the one wizard that worried Palace when he got on the ball, and the one who provided an outlet. Ayala was great, George Fiend was immense and arguably equally deserves MOM, Batth was solid and dependable and McNair looked a different player to the one of late so fair play to him. Hugill was a real handful and caused problems and when he came on Fletcher showed a new side to his game in getting back defending as did Saville and Gestede in the closing stages to add height at the corners. Braithwaite looked class in the first half and Dimi rolled back the years near the end and I suspect wickedly enjoyed himself. The only negative was the injury to McQueen which looked like a long term one sadly.
As we all hoped for TP now has a massive selection headache for Stoke but perhaps the best news was saved until last when we were drawn at home to Burton in the next round of the Cup. I suspect that the Riverside may be less of a mausoleum that night and that there may be just a little more than 12,000 for that one!