| Middlesbrough | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| Howson Fletcher | 2′ 32′ | ||
| Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls | 45% 10 4 4 13 | Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls | 55% 9 4 3 11 |
Stroll in the Sun
And so it came to pass (sideways no doubt) that yet another ex Boro Manager was to visit the side by the River. The masses assembled to pay homage “Teesside style” to the one who had once provided Silver in the desire that he would leave empty handed upon his return.
Prior to Kick Off it looked odds on that Mac would indeed be unlikely to garner any points from this afternoon as his star influencer and of course ex Boro target Luke Freeman would be missing with a hip problem. The injury to his talismanic midfielder could mean a return to the starting line-up for Ebre Eze after a lengthy spell out with injury himself. Others definitely missing would be Angel Rangel and Geoff Cameron but Grant Hall was expected to be back for the Hoops after being rested for their sixth straight defeat in midweek with a knee problem. There were some hopes in the Rangers camp come Saturday morning that perhaps Freeman may indeed be fit as the mind games started.
Tony Pulis still had a massive defensive headache despite the timely return from suspension of Dani Ayala. George Friend hobbled off last week, Flint was still out injured and there was a question mark over Ryan Shotton so for the second game running TP would have to shuffle his pack and that could mean retaining the services of Jonny Howson and George Saville as Wing Backs. The team news saw a back three of Ayala on the right, Shotton central and Fry on the left with Howson and Saville as the wing backs. The side was basically the same as the Blackburn game with Ayala back in for Friend.
The start of the game couldn’t have gone any better for Boro. The sun was shining and with many still balancing burgers and fries whilst shepherding errant kids to their seats Mo Besic played a long testing ball into the QPR box leaving Lumley stuck in two minds allowing Jonny Howson to sweep in from the right and score via a one two with himself as the ball cannoned off one shin into the path of his opposite boot, one nil with under two minutes completed. That goal killed the game stone dead as a contest literally, whatever slight hope QPR had was gone in just over sixty seconds. It was a sublime ball from the Bosnian who looked far better than he had of late and again the question has to be asked is whether having two strikers and overlapping wing backs was providing him forward options thereby limiting his need for those circular dribbles into trouble from earlier in the season.
Rangers had clearly come to sit back and absorb Boro pressure knowing that scoring wasn’t a strong point on Teesside but that plan was now gone and as a side they looked distinctly punch drunk as they restarted the game. Clearing their heads the visitors broke in a well worked move to warm up Randolph with a shot from Freeman’s replacement Eze. If Rangers were to get anything from the game it looked like Eze and Wszolek would be Steve McLaren’s best hopes. That half chance was the best this poor Hoops side could muster in the opening stages as Boro passed the ball around confidently. Mikel, Besic and Wing supported by Howson and Saville had a bit of polish with a few flicks and quick one two’s marking a departure from the more stoic type of Home displays that have held our progress back on far too many Saturday afternoons at the Riverside.
Besic collected the ball and drove at the frail Rangers defence and as they parted he unleashed a twenty five yard shot that went wide but was enough to release a few oohs and aahs from the South Stand. It didn’t take long for Mo to play another killer ball this time through to Fletcher who advanced into the box and unleashed a left footed rocket off the underside of Lumley’s crossbar leaving him helpless as the ball crossed the line to make it two nil and definitely game over this time with the half hour mark just passed. This was Besic seemingly getting back to his best although he did occasionally manage to get himself into trouble and also picked up a yellow for a rash challenge on Hemed on the half way line after waiting to receive a ball from Mikel instead of giving an option. The mercurial playmaker was a thorn in the Rangers midfield as he and Mikel snapped at everything allowing Wing the freedom to set up the wing backs as the Riverside faithful were looking forward to an inevitable goal fest.
Strangely that was as good as the afternoon got, those two early goals meant job done as Boro then played out a composed and controlled first half never breaking sweat although Britt had a great opportunity which he spurned, thankfully he chose a day when it didn’t really matter allowing Lumley an opportunity to finally make a save. It was a day where Boro had the veritable deck chairs out in a half that they will seldom have such comforts in again. The half time whistle went much to McClaren’s relief as he now had to try and figure out how to get something from a game they were never in as a contest.
The second half got under way with the anonymous Manning being replaced by Osayi-Samuel as McClaren decided to go offensive and throw caution to the wind. The early indications were that this shuffle of his pack was working as they looked a far more threatening and capable unit than the weak showing in the first half. Besic was again the focus of some attention as he had a little nibble and lucky not to receive a second yellow from Ref Madeley who seemed to be inconsistent all afternoon especially with regards to Britt being constantly barged and bundled into by the extremely limited Leistner who wouldn’t have looked out of place in a WWE ring.
TP obviously didn’t fancy going down to ten men and brought off the Bosnian for Downing. Within a minute the change seemed to wrong foot Rangers with Stewy going to the right of the midfield with Wing left and Saville coming through with a curling effort that kissed the top corner of Lumley’s crossbar, that third goal just wasn’t going to come. Then it finally arrived after a scramble in the Rangers box the ball broke out which Wing reacted to quickest and managed to poke it through for Britt to score but the Ref blew for a supposed foul by Wing on Cousins. It seemed soft as both players had their feet at knee height simultaneously and the bravest won the duel. It was chalked off for what seemed like a very unfair reason as the North Stand explained in unison the innocuousness of it all.
Mac then put on the big lad Matt Smith for Hemed while Pulis took off Fletcher for Tavernier. Ashley received a warm ovation as he left the pitch in what was probably his most personally fulfilling game since arriving at the Riverside. Tavernier livened things up immediately on his arrival and was quickly brought down for a free kick as he linked up well with both Wing and Saville making our left side come alive. Britt had another great chance as the ball spun out to him on the penalty spot courtesy of Tav but he placed his shot too gently straight at Lumley who gratefully collected the ball.
This was one of those Britt games where he could and should have had a hat trick but drew a blank. That last miss was enough for Pulis to swap Britt for Hugill who gave Leistner a taste of his own physicality when he came on and also done a good job holding the ball up in the dying minutes courtesy of his derriere and backing into defenders near the corner flag. Nahki Wells who was McClaren’s last throw of the dice tested Randolph after a slip up from Ayala but the big Bray man was equal to it. Wing had gone close earlier after a one two with Tav who also had an effort of his own which just missed the target. It ended two nil with Boro rarely looking to get out of second gear and almost disappointing after the swashbuckling start which had graduated into overcomplicating things but it’s a home win and three points are three points so job done.
MOM was difficult; there were no poor performances and indeed some very commendable ones across the pitch. Besic was much improved though not without a few of those special Mo moments, Howson was excellent as was Wing. Saville stuck to his task on the left; Shotton was a colossus in the middle of the back three but Dael Fry looked like a young Franz Beckenbauer winning aerial challenges with ease and dribbling the ball out of defence assuredly on numerous occasions and perhaps should consider having a go himself rather than passing it in the last twenty yards.
A special mention for the Stewards and First Aiders who came to the assistance of a fan in a North Stand stairwell just before the Kick Off and in also finding and looking after a little boy who I assume was with him. They get some well-deserved stick at times but today they were there when needed.