| Pos. 14th (4pt) | TUEDAY 20 AUGUST 2019 | Pos. 21st (3pt) | ||
| Boro | 1-0 | Wigan | ||
| Assombalonga (23) | 53% 13(3) 3 17 |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) CORNERS FOULS |
47% 11(1) 5 11 |
|
Substance Over Style
Beleaguered budget Boro needed to get something out of tonight’s home game against Wigan to stem the growing tide of pessimism after a summer which talked the talk but as yet hadn’t walked the walk. From the excitement of what was to be an exciting high pressing, high tempo goal scoring Boro to the reality that a largely defence minded depleted squad with a few League One additions wasn’t going to suddenly turn into Liverpool lite any time soon was the atmospheric backdrop to the encounter.
A mild, warmish evening was the perfect setting for a game of late summer football under the Riverside floodlights as Woodgate and Keane desperately needed to kick start a season that had initially coughed but then spluttered to a depressing halt. Boro had Coulson still out injured and a question mark over the availability of Gestede, fingers were crossed that George Friend would have come through his rusty start at Blackburn after a few hefty challenges left him battered and bruised. Likewise, Dael Fry had come through 60 minutes of Fridays reserve game and was desperately needed to shore up a decidedly unconvincing Boro defence.
After a poor, lacklustre and unconvincing performance from the side at Ewood Park it was likely that the marmite midfield enforcer that is Adam Clayton surely would return. Paul Cook had plenty of worries of his own after his ten men succumbed to two goal Paddy Bamford’s Leeds on Saturday sitting just two points ahead of Boro at the start of tonight’s proceedings. Sent off midfielder Joe Williams was suspended for this one with Cook also having fitness worries over Josh Windass the son of ex Boro striker Dean along with Joe Garner, Anthony Pilkington and Joe Gelhardt.
Wigan hadn’t scored in their last five Riverside outings and hadn’t recorded a victory against Boro since 2007, a run stretching back nine matches or more to the point, that game where Yakubu was replaced by Dong-Gook Lee. Boro team news saw Bola coming in at left-back with Friend injured and Howson in for Dijksteel at RB, Clayton came back into midfield and Browne got a start over Marvin Johnson.
The low summer sun was shining over a sparsely populated Riverside as both sides entered the pitch. Referee Keith Stroud blew his whistle to get proceedings underway with Boro building up to an early throw in. Adam Clayton then had his pocket picked by Massey trying to play the ball out from the back and allowed Lowe in with an early shot at Randolph’s goal who tipped it over for a Wigan corner. Boro responded with some good build up play when Howson fed in Fletcher but his effort went out for a goal kick. On ten minutes Nathan Byrne broke out into the Boro half, fed Gavin Massey via an Ayala deflection who scuffed his shot fortunately for Boro. Byrne picked up more Boro slack passing a minute later and if Boro weren’t careful they could find themselves going behind as Wigan looked the more likely.
With fifteen minutes approaching it was Wigan who had the attacking wing-backs, putting pressure on the Boro defence who looked edgy and continually guilty of some very poor passes. Howson was the next culprit to cheaply concede away allowing Wigan to get in a twenty-five-yard pile driver towards Randolph. The warning signs were all there that Boro needed to get their heads sorted out and quickly. A tackle on Bola left its mark and earned the lively Byrne a yellow card much to his amazement.
A curler from Lowe nearly found its way into the Boro net and immediately from the restart Wigan once again came forward pressing for another attempt as the home crowd started to raise a few grunts and groans. Next it was Marcus Browne’s name in the book as you could sense the frustration both from the crowd and the Boro touchline. Twenty minutes gone and Boro were still giving away passes and nothing was knitting together. Just as the mood was turning Wing brought the ball forward and played a ball out to Howson out wide on the right who looped in a peach of a cross which was met centrally by the advancing Britt who got above his marker and headed home to put Boro one up. You could tangibly feel that pressure relief valve immediately kick in on that twenty-three minute mark.
Wigan came back at us immediately restating their intent but then it was Assombalonga once again who had an effort saved as Wing took a slick free kick, Britt drove forward from the half way line, played a quick one two with Fletcher and as his saved shot came back out McNair closed in but hit his shot wide of David Marshall in the Wigan goal. Despite the goal minutes beforehand and that follow up near miss, Wigan still looked like they were capable of getting something out of this game and continued to pressure Boro. Meantime the rash looking Browne was getting attention but for all the wrong reasons, sailing close to a second booking and then hoofing the ball over the stand roof.
Half an hour gone and Wigan were still very much in this, Boro were still incredibly sloppy with their passing but some of it momentarily improved in fits and starts and a triangle down the right flank allowed Fletcher to get an effort in that went out for a corner but it was disappointingly hit low and harmless by Wing. Browne then caught Robinson with what looked like a forearm smash and hearts were in mouths but fortunately the Wigan player got back up and saved him from a nailed-on second yellow card. A quick flick from Fletcher went across to McNair but his shot went out for a corner from which there were weak Boro appeals for a hand ball just a second later. Fletcher was “tackled” having his shirt tugged but once again the officials seem to have myopic vision when it comes to Boro this season and no penalty given to balance out the Dijksteel one on Saturday for an identical misdemeanour.
A few seconds of frantic activity at either end ended with a curling Britt attempt at the far corner but the ball just wouldn’t come in far enough and went wide away from Marshall’s upright. Once again Fletcher had his shirt pulled as he tried to break free but again despite the visibly clear evidence Keith Stroud somehow managed to award a free kick to Wigan. Dani Ayala then found himself in Keith Stroud’s book presumably for expressing an opinion about an aerial challenge that I’m guessing was deemed a foul, which seems strange as two shirt pulls were deemed permissible. The half time whistle sounded and there was again a chorus of boos but this time directed very obviously at Referee Keith Stroud. As poor as he had been the very fact that Browne was still on the pitch at least evened up some of his eccentricity from my viewpoint.
Unsurprisingly Browne was thankfully removed at Half Time for Marvin Johnson which was just as well because the lad looked like he was going to be done for GBH the way his first half ended. Woodgate’s logic was presumably for Johnson to use his experience to keep things solid and predictable rather than rash and reckless. The game as a spectacle was a shocking as very little quality was on display but the reality was that all Boro needed was the three points to get their season started and winning ugly would do just fine. A close chance came for Keiffer Moore after a great cross but his header flashed wide, though the big Wigan Striker stayed down with what looked like a dislocated shoulder judging by his body language but after a bit of treatment he was able to resume so perhaps it was a reaction to his acute embarrassment after his miss. Ex Pompey lad Jamal Lowe was next up to have an effort after a poor Shotton pass to Bola as Boro seemed to be intent on self-destruction. Boro just couldn’t get a handle on this game, despite getting the ball forward there was no control or pressing just manic chasing and repeatedly losing possession.
A Wing break saw Kipre cut out what could have been a good pass to McNair as the evening’s frustration continued for the Red shirts. A ball in from Clayton allowed a cracking shot just wide, again from Lewis Wing but in reality, this game had all the hallmarks of a lower Championship struggle which was still wide open as it approached sixty minutes. Clayton played a good ball in to Fletcher this time but he somehow got underneath it and David Marshall remained unmoved. A Johnson/Wing combo led to a Boro throw in down the left from which Johnson tried to get around Byrne but was deemed to have fouled him as sighs and heaves of frustrations echoed around the many empty seats.
Sixty-five minutes saw Keiffer Moore desperately reaching for a cross that was just beyond him to the despair of the half dozen taxis worth of away fans whose hopes were again raised a minute later as Evans played it out to Byrne who came close but nothing to really trouble Randolph. A triple change then ensued. For Wigan on came Naismith and Enobakhare and for Boro George Saville came on for Bola as Boro reshuffled their pack with what at times looked like a back three.
Earlier sub Marvin Johnson saved Boro blushes by diving to head clear a Wigan attempt and looked to have just about knocked himself out but fortunately regained his senses and came back onto the pitch rubbing the back of the head ruefully and Keiffer Moore was once again cursing his luck because of Johnson. What followed next was a scramble of comedic defensive proportions as Boro were at times looking very desperate to keep that all important clean sheet with eighteen long minutes remaining.
A Boro free kick was put in the Wigan box from near the corner flag but was headed up and clear by a blue shirt. Claims for another Boro free kick this time from Saville ended in a bit of a melee with the home fans screaming for something but Keith Stroud just ignored the impassioned pleas infused with desperation. Wigan’s Michael Jacobs came on for supposed ex Boro target Jamal Lowe as Paul Cook bet his last penny. A Lewis Wing curler just wouldn’t bend in time and the shot was well wide. Jacobs and Moore then combined at the other end only for Ayala to block their collective path. As the play now swayed up at the other end Wing fed Fletcher but his finish was disappointing and the ball ended up going out for a corner from which Ayala headed down getting too much on it but at least this time it was chaos in the Wigan box.
Moore went down again in the middle of the centre circle seemingly with an ankle problem this time with nobody at all near him but had to struggle on as all three Wigan subs were used. The clock was seemingly ticking down in slow motion with around six minutes to go as Boro now looked happy to hold on to what they had. Keifer Moore had to withdraw and limped off leaving the Pier men down to ten men. Surely Boro could and should clinically kill this game off but Saville this time gifted the ball to Jacobs allowing a momentary Wigan attack but it then see sawed the other way as Howson now just failed to connect to kill the contest.
The clock was still ticking down and despite Wigan being down to ten men the nervous tension was still permeating the night sky on Teesside. Just two minutes now remaining of the ninety and Wigan had Kipre pass to Byrne but the ball went out for a throw which Byrne quickly took and the pressure was suspended with a Dunkley header which went wide as Gestede was readied to presumably run the clock down of which the fourth official deemed to be five minutes more.
Gestede then came on for Fletcher who had been lively and had continued his current good vein of form. Randolph was forced into hurried action as a Wigan ball came into the Boro box, having to chase across his box diving at the feet of Kipre who seconds later had another opportunity but couldn’t take advantage as Boro looked more than ever to be decidedly porous at the back in those dying seconds. An Assombalonga challenge on the half way line in what should have been the last second was hoofed up into the Boro box with Marshall nudging upfield. It went out for a corner which was hotly disputed. Wigan put the ball into the Boro box which Randolph punched clear as we now entered two minutes over the five minutes of added time. Finally, that whistle went to end as scrappy and ugly a game as you will ever see but it afforded Boro their first three points of the season.
An ugly win and desperately clinging on against ten men in injury time was a rather ignominious end to the night but hopefully it takes the pressure off along with that clean sheet. MOM was again Howson with Fletcher, Ayala and McNair being the other stand outs not to mention Randolph who did what was needed when called upon. There was however no sign of high pressing or high tempo, in fact Boro looked very disjointed overall in what was an atrocious game to endure for the eighteen and a half thousand watching on. Before kick-off we would all have been happy to get those three points regardless of the performance but it was very poor fayre and the North Stand still haven’t seen a goal since the visit of Millwall back in January.