| Pos. 5th (11pts) | SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 2019 | Pos. 18th (6pts) | ||
| Bristol City | 2-2 | Boro | ||
| Palmer (44) Rowe (81) |
42% 18(5) 6 13 |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) CORNERS FOULS |
58% 22(6) 10 11 |
Moore (64 o.g.) Assombalonga (68) |
Stalemate at the Gate
This was Boro’s biggest test of the season. The long trip down to Ashton Gate would be a real test of Woodgate’s Boro squad against a side fancied for a Play Off spot by many and unlike opponents to date sitting fourth in the business area of the Championship. Tomas Kalas would be missing for this one so at least that was some comfort for those of us fearing a Typical Boro moment. Prior to this lunchtime Kick Off the Robins were four games unbeaten and had taken maximum points from their last three.
The Boro Team news had more than a few surprises along with the bench. Bare bones sprung to mind when we saw Ayala out along with Friend and Dael Fry starting for his first game of the season alongside Shotton at CB. There was no Jonny Howson either meaning that Dijksteel came in at RB with Bola LB. Defensively that looked a combination of raw, inexperienced, rusty and very susceptible. The Midfield looked more recognisable with Adam Clayton anchoring with Paddy McNair and Lewis Wing restored in place of George Saville whose cameo last week against his former side Millwall didn’t inspire his Manager to risk a repeat performance. Johnson and Fletcher would be providing the width along with Britt up front in a 433.
With both Ayala and Howson struggling from niggles in training this week it meant Walker and Malley made up the bench along with Saville, Tavernier, Gestede, Browne and Pears. Bristol had a couple of CB injury problems themselves with veteran Ashley Williams returning on the bench after missing most of pre-season and the opening Championship games through injury as Manager Lee Johnson looked to be going with a 442.
Lee Masons’s whistle got proceedings underway at a drizzly Ashton gate as Boro had a very early chance with Britt holding up play to set up Fletcher who struck a 20-yard effort testing Bentley to concede a corner in the first minute. A quick second chance fell to Paddy McNair in the box after Marvin Johnson had cleverly knocked the ball back into the path of the Northern Irishman. A near post low corner from Johnson saw a deflected header handled/bundled out for a corner by a Robins defender but nothing was given for either the handball or corner as once again the Officials seem to miss key decisions for Boro. Admittedly a Penalty would have been harsh but how the Officials could then award a goal kick for Bristol was head scratching.
Another Boro corner on ten minutes won by Dijksteel was curled in by Johnson and had Bentley scrambling as a Red shirted defender “escorted” Britt into the Bristol net. So far, an entertaining start and with Boro looking the more likely but Bristol themselves looked dangerous on the break. On twelve minutes McNair played a great ball into Fletcher whose prodded shot hit the upright coming back off and immediately Bristol broke getting the ball up to Wieman at the other end whose effort was cleared for a corner in what was a continually entertaining opening quarter hour.
Shotton stood solid and blocked an attacking threat from which Dijksteel and McNair one two’ed with one another down the wing ending with a McNair shot crashing off a defender in the box who knew little about it. Seventeen minutes then saw a series of bagatelle clearances in the Boro box with a penalty shout against Shotton with the ball cannoning off his arm as Bristol once again came close. Wing then conceded a free kick on Massonga and as the ball came in Fry headed it clear and then body checked the follow up effort. As the ball was recycled by the Home side on the periphery of the Boro 18 yard box it came back into the danger area where a Baker glanced header came off Randolph’s upright.
There were some very worrying signs on 27 minutes as Dael Fry was clattered into by Benik Afobe and then Kasey Palmer replicated an identical clattering on Clayton five yards away whilst Fletcher seemed to be feeling a Hamstring further up the pitch. Palmer received a yellow but Benik Afobe’s challenge was just as brutal but not adjudged to be a foul. Boro got things moving quickly with a series of quick passing which saw McNair unfortunately lose his footing, slip on the edge of the Bristol D only to see them charge forward, Kasey Palmer dummying to win a duel with Clayts for Bristol to go close again.
Another clever dummy this time from Fletcher allowed Wing to try his luck but Bristol immediately reversed things with a run from Eliasson saw a Wieman headed effort saved brilliantly by an outstretched Randolph, phew it was still 0-0. A long cleared ball played down to Britt saw him sneak in and shoot forcing another equal response from Bentley in the Bristol goal to keep it 0-0. This was a great game for the neutral with end to end action. On 37 minutes Fletcher collected the ball out wide who fed Britt who barged his way through from a tight angle on the edge of the six-yard box to win a corner which Wing wasted, floating it straight into the welcoming arms of Bentley. The Bristol keeper played it up field quickly and but for a slight deflection off Dijksteel’s boot Wieman would have been clean through. Massengo felt Wing’s frustration a minute later after he was brought down with Wing receiving a yellow for his attentions which looked more clumsy than cynical, tripping rather than kicking.
With only two minutes of the half remaining a series of poorly cleared low efforts by Boro from Bristol broke left and after a few attempts Eliasson (who had witched flanks) managed to finally elude McNair to float a ball in to the unmarked Palmer to head home centrally with ease to put the Robins one up just before the break. It was harsh on Boro after their enterprising play but leaving attackers completely free in the middle of your box after failing to clear will have been very disappointing for the Boro bench.
There wasn’t much more that Woodgate could have asked from his team during the half time break. They arguably had marginally looked the more likely to score but a solitary defensive lapse in a packed box undone all the good work. Apart from that, looking at his bench there was little residing there to seriously turn the game around or indeed up the ante.
The sides came out unchanged for the second half and immediately McNair was attracting attention with a 30 yard Wing type strike to test Bentley in the opening seconds. Afobe then broke into the Boro box forcing Randolph to a low save as this game started the way the first had been. A fizzed cross after Wieman had initially switched the ball to the opposite wing saw him almost get in on the end of a tantalising ball into the Boro 18-yard box. Marvin Johnson tried his luck with a left footed shot 20 yards out but it just wouldn’t come down in time to trouble Bentley. The ball then broke to Wieman outside the Boro D who smashed his shot just over Randolph’s bar as the action continued unabated.
A chance then fell to Assombalonga centrally on the edge of the box but skewed his effort high and wide. A good piece of work by Bola on the left saw a good cross blocked for a corner which was subsequently headed well over by Fletcher on sixty-one minutes. The pace of the game had seemingly but noticeably slowed as Boro then attacked with Johnson and McNair linking up well after Wing headed down for Paddy’s low cross to be turned into his own net by Moore. One each and game on again, that momentary dip in pace had allowed Boro to catch Bristol cold with that burst of energy.
Callum O’Dowda then came on for goal scorer Palmer as Lee Johnson responded to his side being pulled back level with a double substitution and Jack Hunt then went off for Pereira. Changes made the Robins looked to get their noses back in front but only to see Marvin Johnson cut inside as he repeated his earlier curling shot but with the same result. One of these is going to sail in on another day, it was reminiscent of the sort of thing that Downing used to do in his prime but failed to replicate in his second spell. As the game restarted from a goal kick the ball was hoofed clear up the pitch which Moore tried to head clear but instead played it straight into the path of Britt who lumbered forward suspiciously offside but calmly picked his spot and despatched it into Bentley’s far corner to put Boro 2-1 up as the clock approached the 70th minute mark.
The sun was now shining brightly as McNair had an effort fly over and then Clayts left his mark on Noah Massengo for the game to enter an unplanned break for refreshments as the French youngster received treatment. It didn’t look good for the lad as he limped off uncomfortably to the touchline. He didn’t make it back into the game as Antoine Semenyo came on to take his place. Semenyo of course had “previous” with Boro having been on loan from Bristol at Newport last season.
Lee Johnson reshuffled to go with his more characteristic three at the back with two up front. Bola was seemingly fouled on the edge of the box as he linked up with Britt but immediately jumped back onto his feet and won his tackle, refreshing to see a player not give up and lie on his backside. On the opposite side Dijksteel then tried his luck with a 40 yard blast that was well wide. Josh Brownhill then emulated Anfernee with an equally ridiculous effort over Randolph’s goal on 79 minutes.
Rowe in the middle played a slick pass out to O’Dowda out wide who advanced down the line, fired his cross into the Boro box which was met by the advancing Rowe having lost Fry to head home and make it 2-2. Saville then came on for Marvin Johnson in a strange substitution with ten minutes remaining. With the wind in their sails Eliasson then skipped past Bola and forced Randolph to get down low and smother his cross come shot. Fletcher then chased a lost ball on the Bristol by line, cut it back to Wing who curled his effort just inches wide of Bentleys upright. A low Bola cross seconds later evaded everyone in a White shirt in a crowded Bristol box as Boro now piled forward with Bristol looking nervy at the back.
McNair was now out wide right after Johnson went off with Saville in McNair’s former role but his arrival didn’t add anything and if anything reduced our threat. With five minutes of added time held up by the fourth Official Gestede came on for Fletcher. O’Dowda was put through late on but fortunately McNair had tracked his run as both sides were now throwing everything at it for the winner. The hectic end continued with a mazy Clayton dribble (yes you read that right) winning a Boro corner then a half chance hooked Shotton cut back was cleared by Bristol. It all ended with a last minute Shotton long throw upon which Lee Mason blew with the points shared.
It would have been harsh on either side to lose this afternoon but of the two teams Boro were the more adventurous. All in all, and especially considering the injuries, this has to go down as a good Boro performance made all the better that it was away to a side that is fancied to be up at the sharp end. Shotton once again looked solid and dependable, Dijksteel and Bola showed promise, Johnson was effective and Fletcher and Assombalonga both had good games but MOM was action man McNair which is now becoming a bit repetitive. He was effective at both ends of the pitch as well as making things tick in the middle setting up attacks and forcing the first Boro goal.
This was a more complete and rounded Boro performance, probably the most convincing of the season. The question and challenge will be if it’s a fluky one-off or the start of something to build on. Entertaining, exciting even and thoroughly good value for the point and perhaps a tad unlucky they couldn’t hold on to the lead. It’s the draws that kill you in this league but this was a good one in fairness.