| Middlesbrough | Preston North End | ||
| Fletcher [Sent Off] Ayala |
32′ 61′ |
Gallagher Stockley |
63′ 81′ |
| Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
40% 22 4 10 9 |
Possession Shots On target Corners Fouls |
60% 17 6 7 8 |
Ref Justice at the Riverside
A great opportunity to put that dismal Saturday show “bee hind” us came with the visit of Preston North End this evening. The Lilywhites or Nobbers as their NW rivals endearingly call them (it derives from the “No” part of North apparently) sat just four points behind Derby before Kick Off and buoyed after their away day win at Mogga’s Rovers PNE would be looking for another positive result on Teesside which could see them leaving the Riverside just four points behind Boro. Seeing how Brentford had unsettled and dismantled Tony Pulis’s land of the Riverside Giants will have been a massive boost to Alex Neil in his preparations. Those preparations however may have been subject to a little distraction as he had been heavily connected with the vacant job at the Hawthorns after the departure of Darren Moore at the weekend.
Reports from the game at Ewood Park suggested that Preston were not shirking challenges as they finished with ten men. Their methodology was getting stuck in, leaving no quarter or mercy to their opponents so it’s likely that tonight’s game had the makings of a rather tasty affair with a few cards extremely likely. TP had no new injury concerns other than a severely bruised and dented ego with himself after the submissive Substitution which turned not only the crowd but the game itself. The negativity and effect of that hangover will hopefully be banished tonight, if not then things could turn and that’s something that I am sure Alex Neil will be only too aware of.
Darnell Fisher’s late red card on Saturday added to Alex Neil’s selection problems and would be unavailable however Ben Pearson was back after serving a two match ban for reaching ten yellow cards for the season (it became pretty clear why later). Brad Potts, Tom Clarke and Tom Barkhuizen were all doubts for the Nobbers after missing on Saturday. It’s likely that Neil would have had his preferred hopes resting on Clarke to be fit enough to replace Fisher. For the statisticians amongst us Boro were unbeaten against PNE since 1987, a stretch covering 13 games while Preston were currently on a 10 game unbeaten run in the Championship.
The Team news was that TP had “rested” Fry and Saville, bringing in Flint and Friend while retaining the services of Assombalonga and Fletcher up front. As expected Ben Pearson returned from his suspension for Preston while Josh Earl was given the nod for the suspended Darnell Fisher. Preston were adorned in a sickly green and yellow outfit as clearly white shirts and navy shorts would have clashed with Boro’s red and white strip. It was however the red shirts of Boro that got the upper hand in the early exchanges, pushing up and closing down, Wing and Howson soon had Preston retreating and an early corner indicated that Boro clearly felt they had unfinished business after Saturdays capitulation.
The opening five minutes was all Boro with the only time the ball was actually in the Boro half was through back passes intended to stretch the game and tease Preston forward to try and open and exploit gaps in behind. This was a far more positive Boro than of late and they were simply peppering the Preston defence with crosses and corners but frustratingly there were no real solid attempts on target to seriously trouble Rudd in the Lilywhites goal. On six minutes Howson went close with a rasping drive and the resulting corner saw Ayala go even closer from a Fletcher slice/shot but somehow missed his chance to put Boro into an early lead. Feeling the strain, a bit of psychological gamesmanship crept in from the visitors who had prided themselves on getting stuck in and battling on Saturday. Tonight they seemed to go down very easily and collect unfortunate knocks much to the growing frustration of the home crowd which was a lot sparser than of late. A 50/50 challenge between Wing and Pearson required lengthy treatment from their Physio as their bench pleaded with the fourth official and the Ref and anyone else who would listen.
Alex Neil had started the game with the intention of matching Boro and going with three at the back and two wing backs but the opening exchanges must have had him rethinking because they were put under extreme pressure with no outlet. Things got even more nervy for Preston as a trademark Shotton throw in was headed clear but fell to JOM who twisted, turned and unleashed a low shot that beat Rudd but the ball cannoned off the upright with nobody alert enough in the six yard box to turn it in. It remained 0-0 but this was the brightest start from a Boro side in a very long time.
It took around twenty minutes for Preston to get into the game and trouble the Boro defence when they won three successive corners which ended when their CB Storey eventually headed wide. Fletcher gave Storey something to think about all evening and indeed was being constantly fouled by having a forearm in the back of his neck every time he challenged for an aerial ball with the CB but the officials incredibly saw absolutely nothing. Meanwhile Pearson seemed determined to get back at Lewis Wing with a series of ongoing nibbles. Besic and Wing were now running the midfield and for Besic it was one of his best games but with the usual caveat that he had the North Stand sat cross legged at times when back defending, sublimely beating three players but in doing so playing passes across Randolph’s eighteen yard box in front of his keeper.
One of the Bosnian’s deliberations ended with him closing down two Preston attackers in front of the East stand touchline and eventually conceding a free kick for a clumsy challenge on Browne who rolled around in great discomfort but to little sympathy from those sat nearest to him. The Preston Physio was back on again and it appeared that perhaps Browne wasn’t faking it as he was soon replaced with Rafferty.
As the game neared the half hour mark Boro went close again with a Friend header and Howson hitting the side netting. A few minutes later and it was only fitting that Besic collected the ball and ran at the Preston defence from the middle of the pitch and playing in a clever ball to Fletcher whose shot deflected between the legs of Storey but with the ball spinning up and away from the covering Rudd into the far corner to deservedly put Boro one up. As great a relief as it was there was also the worry that all those other spurned chances would come back to haunt us later.
Boro continued their pressing game with Wing and Besic causing them all sorts of problems and Howson adding to their woes by running at them. There was more to Jonny’s game though as he was constantly getting back defending, supporting Shotton who looked a little nervy and indeed nearly repeated his own goal from Saturday with a sliced clearance going out for a corner. The half drew to a close but in truth Boro should have had their noses well in front with Rudd having to save with his legs from Howson and also had to be alert to close down Britt after Fletcher had played him in behind the green shirted defence.
The half ended with Boro a goal to the good and a well-deserved round of applause for their total domination as they left the pitch. The second half started as the first had ended with Boro continuing to miss chance after chance. An early Shotton throw saw Flint glance a header but missed the target when as a minimum it should have at least tested Rudd. Jonny Howson then somehow missed from 10 yards out when it looked easier to score from yet another Wing delivery. Alex Neil had made a change at half time bringing the ineffective Earl off for Brandon Barker on loan from Man City. That change was to have a devastating effect on the game later on as he ran at Howson and Shotton causing them a fresh set of problems one of which was to simply keep up at him and avoid contact in full flight.
Ten minutes into the half and a near post cross from Shotton saw Britt go close again as the ball went out for yet another corner. The resulting corner saw a scramble in the Preston box with Ayala holding his arms up demonstrating that he wasn’t holding or pushing as the ball seemed to be stuck in the air before finally dropping and him toe poking a shot just over the crossbar. That slender lead just couldn’t be improved upon as Boro passed and probed continuously on the edge of the Preston box with the ball going sideways but nobody driving through. A minute later Howson had another great chance but sliced his shot wide following another teasing feeder ball from Wing.
As Britt broke through into the Preston box Nmecha went down in the build-up mortally wounded and Pearson finally entered Keith Stroud’s book for protesting. Just five minutes after that and Keith Stroud was reaching for his cards again. That substitute Barker picked up a stray Howson pass and was running through towards the Boro eighteen yard box leaving red shirts in his wake when Ayala sensed the danger and flew into a strong but well timed tackle that drew applause as he cleared the danger. Keith Stroud didn’t see it that way (it’s very questionable in my mind if he seen it all) and as an official who has courted controversy before he issued a straight red towards Ayala when the challenge didn’t even look like a yellow let alone a sending off.
The incredulity wasn’t lost on the home bench or stands as the home fans were baying for the official’s blood. What made matters worse was that the linesman hadn’t flagged or even indicated any concerns. The tackle was undoubtedly firm but well timed and in no way an infringement of the rules let alone the resultant free kick. As the injustice of it all and confusion in the Boro defence was rife Gallagher played a short one yard free kick to Hughes who rolled it back to him and Gallagher then curved the ball around the far side of the Boro wall and into the same corner that Fletcher had hit in the first half. 1-1 and the anger in the crowd was bubbling over with chants directed at Mr Stroud questioning his competence and fitness for purpose at officiating as well as his parents marital status I believe.
If ever there was a “Typical Boro” moment this was it. A game which we had totally bossed and dominated had suddenly turned. Some credit has to be given to Alex Neil for his tactical switch by bringing Barker on but the manner of the goal left a very bitter and angry taste. Fletcher then got tactically taken off for Dael Fry to come on as TP went with one up top in Britt and restored his back line. Like on Saturday however we hadn’t cleared our heads although this time it was perhaps more understandable. We tried to rally and although a Lewis Wing strike or two went wide you could sense we were mortally wounded despite the crowd getting behind the side and on the Ref’s back.
Just before their goal Stockley had been warmed up to replace Gallagher. Having scored he departed the pitch with fifteen minutes left to the admiration of the few hundred Preston fans and Alex Neil in what was to be another substitution which was to have even greater effect than that of Barker’s. Hugill came on for Besic in a desperate attempt to get back in front but with that extra man advantage and their tails now in the air another seemingly suspicious piece of officiating sealed our fate. A shot came into the Boro box and with Stockley looking a yard offside he nodded home to make it 2-1. Presumably the ball must have come off a red shirt otherwise robbed doesn’t begin to describe it.
Hughes then picked up a yellow card for delaying a Boro free kick as some challenges seem to now go unheeded including faint hearted theatrics. Another yellow was brandished at Alex Neil as he back heeled a Boro throw in into his away dug out as tempers were getting frayed with the clock ticking down. Woody attempted to get into the Preston box to retrieve the ball as their dug out were engaged in a less than environmentally friendly recycling exercise to run down more minutes. As sportsmanship goes that behaviour reached a new low in things that I have witnessed at matches.
Tav had come on for Mikel with five minutes remaining as we threw caution to the wind but there wasn’t enough time or even energy left to rescue anything. Our futile persistent passing around the Preston box was rubbed in our noses by that deflected “offside” goal. Shooting creates chances and passing simply retains possession in non-dangerous areas. Despite destroying Preston in the first half we just didn’t possess that instinctive killer touch. Disappointing and unfair in equal measure but that’s been the story of a season of wasted opportunity. MOM would have been Howson who ran all night but it was he who put Ayala in trouble leading up to the sending off so I’m giving it to Besic despite the state of my undergarments.