| Pos. 21st (10 pts) | SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER 2019 | Pos. 1st (25 pts) | ||
| Boro | 0-1 | West Brom | ||
| 33% 17(7) 6 10 |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) CORNERS FOULS |
67% 19(4) 7 14 |
Robson-Kanu (82) | |
Kanu bags late winner
The International break couldn’t have come quickly enough at Boro. With performances somewhat less than expected, a prickly Woodgate interview on Sky and now sitting just outside the drop zone that International pause button will have been greatly appreciated. A chance to draw breath, lick wounds and reassess the somewhat less than intended start to the season.
Coulson was back playing for the U23’s last night and whilst this game has come to quickly it must be a huge relief to have someone with a vague semblance of a Left-Back close to returning. With George Friend also still out, the fear was that Boro would have to go again with Shotton square pegged in there. After the ignominy of recent performances and the complete inability to both cut out and defend crosses there was hope that we would see a back three to steady the ship.
The brilliant form of McNair whilst on International duty caught the eye of many along with Saville’s seemingly Jekyll and Hyde character when it comes to playing for Boro and playing for Northern Ireland. Both would have given cause for some optimism for Woodgate along with Darren Randolph as usual being praised for some excellent saves with the Republic. The challenge would be in effectively integrating George Saville in whatever position best utilises the ability that lies deep within that Michael O’Neil seemingly has no problem unlocking.
West Brom meanwhile were riding high under Slaven Bilic atop of the Championship before Kick Off this afternoon. The Baggies also benefited from the break with the news that Ahmed Hegazi was match fit along with Grady Diangana who had been struggling with an Achilles problem. They would be without Matt Philips, Kieran Gibbs and Kenneth Zohore sidelined by a calf injury.
It was a wet and miserable Friday night with rain lashing Teesside so the pitch this afternoon presumably would be wet with plenty of zip to encourage fast pacy football although whether that would suit the skill sets and set up of Boro would remain to be seen. It appeared on paper at least to be of more benefit to the West Brom squad than Boro’s. Hopefully the technical under turf layering of sand and whatever else is used on the Riverside greenery would have drained away the most of the heavy precipitation.
Under the grey autumnal Teesside sky, the announced Boro line up seemed to intimate three at the back with Howson and Johnson operating as wing-backs. Clayts was on the bench to make way for Saville with Wing and McNair alongside. Tav was included operating in and around Britt who for me was fortunate to still be involved. The big fear pre kick off was that we would be operating a back four with Shotton at Left Back and Howson on the Right.
The Baggies kicked off and almost immediately Livermore wiped out Saville in what looked a straight red card for a knee-high challenge but incredibly he escaped any punishment from Ref Oliver Langford. Wing’s resultant free kick was cleared but the follow up saw Britt get in an early effort but with no power behind it and Sam Johnstone in the West Brom goal collected easily. Overall a bright start from Boro in the opening five minutes and thankfully we had set up with a back three after all.
On nine minutes Shotton managed to block out a Krovinovic shot after Howson was skinned but was denied by Boro’s Landlord with Randolph looking uncharacteristically beaten. The Baggies now started to dominate and had two attempts in quick succession with Boro’s defending playing themselves into trouble of their own making. Charlie Austin was proving to be a nuisance with Boro looking very nervy. A quarter of an hour passed and Boro still had a clean sheet against the League leaders as Britt felt the effects of a hefty challenge from Semi Ajayi.
Boro’s first corner came off a Johnson run, Wing’s corner was poor but as a scramble ensued out on the left McNair collected the ball and let fly needing Johnstone to tip it clear for a corner. The short Boro corner was cleared but came back to McNair who won another corner. Austin headed this one clear with Wing failing to beat the first man and as the ball came back into the danger area Bartley foiled Britt to put it out for yet another Boro corner. An ensuing Boro penalty appeal was waved away from another scrambled West Brom clearance eventually going out for a throw in as Boro were enjoying their best spell of the game.
Lively Diangana broke from a free kick but Howson was alert and managed to somehow win a goal kick for his troubles. A Howson cross was badly cleared which ended with an alert Lewis Wing pouncing after another less than impressive West Brom defensive display but his resulting shot would have cleared Eston Nab. Charlie Austin then caused some consternation for a challenge on McNair with Langford reaching for his yellow card which seemed strange after the earlier one from Livermore on Saville went unpunished.
Thirty minutes in and West Brom’s defence looked every bit as vulnerable as Boro’s when put under pressure. Boro however now looked more settled, that flurry of corners boosting confidence and raising hope with the Home fans and the mood and feelings seemingly reciprocated. A Baggie chance was spurned when Diangana beat Shotton but his final ball seemed to spin and squirm with Livermore trying to rescue the failed attack. Despite the form book Boro were impressively giving as good as they got as the away fans applauded the loss of one of their own with his sad demise with England in Sofia at the start of the week with the home fans joining in.
West Brom’s first corner came after a Marvin Johnson block. Delivered to the far post it was a lesson to Boro in how to beat the first man with the pace and trajectory finding the back peddling Diangana but fortunately for Boro not really threatening. A whack to the face left Tavernier writhing requiring treatment whilst allowing a time out for Woodgate and Keane to get some instructions to Boro with Bilic doing the same to his charges, bizarrely adorned in yellow and green stripes. My pet hate for Clubs changing strip when there is no clash illustrated to maximum effect. A Diangana cross was headed clear by Fry but the ball was returned with vengeance via a left footed Pereira shot dealt with comfortably by Randolph.
A shot by Marvin Johnson was blocked and simultaneously followed up by Britt whose saved effort then came out to Saville but his headed effort went out for a corner off the crossbar which was then comfortably collected by Sam Johnstone while Oliver Langston blew for the end of the first half. As the half had drawn to a close Boro had grown and matched their opponents and it was impossible to tell who was top and who was at the wrong end.
Many Boro fans turned up fearing a thrashing but the changes to the back although initially seeming tentative settled down with Johnson and Howson proving useful outlets as well as holding their own getting back doing the dirty work. The midfield competed well against Pereira and Sawyers (who had been largely quiet first half). Tav was a nuisance popping up causing the West Brom defence to readjust and check where he was and in doing so giving Britt some space. But for a few stray and careless passes Boro could have been ahead. So far then a better showing than of late but there was still forty-five minutes to play.
Unsurprisingly Boro were unchanged for the second half as were the visitors with both Managers clearly thinking they had enough to get something out of this tight encounter. An early Boro free kick for a foul on Howson was floated in as Ayala and Fry went up for it only for Ajayi to head it out. A Tavernier pull back on Diangana resulted in a yellow card for a “professional” foul as the game swayed to the opposite end. After clearing a Baggie attack Howson burst away finding Tav but Bartley was on hand to send the ball back in the opposite direction ending in a spectacular overhead kick from the victors as the tempo picked up in an end to end encounter. An Assombalonga chance from McNair then fell to Johnson whose hasty shot hit the side netting.
As the Teesside skies turned black with the rain now pouring down Jake Livermore looked to have sent the visitors ahead after Diangana set him up skipping past Fry but Shotton once again came to Boro’s rescue. The lively Grady Diangana put a ball across to Charlie Austin but thanks to orchestrated Boro defending the flag went up for an offside.
West Brom were now seriously looking to get a stranglehold on the game as the rain kept pouring down. Tav won a challenge to launch an attack and after a series of midfield exchanges the ball came to Howson who took his chance and stung Sam Johnstone’s palms in the process. Seconds later and it was Tav again whose ball cut across to Saville drawing a great save by Johnstone to put it out for a Boro corner as the game (and with it the tempo) was halted for a dubious head injury. Thirty minutes to go and the game could go either way but the fear was that if it went to the visitors it may burst this newly inflated Boro bubble.
Bilic brought Robson-Kanu on for the clearly unhappy Charlie Austin and Edwards come on for Kravinovic. McNair had to be alert as he covered for Ayala and was cleaned out for his trouble whilst clearing the danger resulting in a yellow card shown to Ferguson. Edwards found himself clean through but incredibly Marvin Johnson somehow got a leg around to somehow hook it clear with Ayala dealing with the follow up. A slip up by Tav allowed Diangana to once again attack down the wing his cross finding Robson-Kanu who missed the target but it was a wake-up call to Boro. They desperately needed to re-focus and concentrate as West Brom were now pushing up and going for the kill.
Boro were now on the back foot with Ayala conceding a corner as all Boro clearances were simply coming straight back at us. The Pereira corner was half cleared as another follow up pressurising corner was awarded to West Brom which thankfully was over hit. Woodgate took then took Tavernier off for Ashley Fetcher to come on to try and offer a fresh outlet, stretch the West Brom defence and to hold the ball up.
A careless short free kick from Sam Johnstone nearly let Britt then Saville in in what would have been a huge embarrassment. Immediately however they tore up the other end of the pitch winning a corner which Pereira launched finding Bartley who swung his foot in an agricultural manner and missed. It was building! The next Baggie corner was delivered in and after an initial Saville block Fry hoofed it clear and in a swift counter attacking movement Fletcher burst forward supported by McNair and Saville bursting a gut with Britt along for good measure. Fletcher passed to McNair who played in his fellow countryman and as Saville’s shot was tipped away by Sam Johnstone into the path of Fletcher who unbelievably missed the gaping target. That was a huge let off for the visitors and a woeful disheartening miss from Fletcher.
Fifteen minutes remained and as Marvin Johnson went to collect the ball for a throw in there was a melee’ in the dug outs and of course Leo had somehow become embroiled as the Ref issued some cards to those in tracksuits. A Boro break out then saw Britt blocked by Livermore who this time received a belated yellow card. As the tempo built a long-range Sawyers effort was well covered by Randolph and the eightieth minute ticked over. A minute later and Diangana ran down the left, got the ball into the box, Randolph saved the first effort only for Robson-Kanu to stab it home. Tough justice but it was coming as the Baggies had upped their intensity since those substitutions and when we needed it most Fletcher simply choked at the vital moment.
Tempers boiled over with frustration mounting over the visitors time wasting tactics as Marcus Browne was readied to replace George Saville with three minutes of normal time remaining. A Boro free kick on the half way line was played out wide, down the wing and eventually the cross came in but Ayala couldn’t connect as he seemingly misjudged the flight of the ball. Five minutes added time came up as Bilic then brought Heghazi on for Livermore in an effort to secure the three points and hang on to what they had earned. Heghazi’s first touch however was on Marcus Browne giving away a free kick central to the West Brom goal. Lacking composure, Lewis Wing blasted the free kick to nestle somewhere in the upper tier. With seconds of added time remaining Diangana raced to the by-line, kept possession only for McNair to indulge Robson Kanu in conceding a frustrated free kick.
Overall a much-improved performance from Boro but as fatigue set in the options that Bilic had at his disposal plus Diangana was the difference. Calmness from Robson-Kanu and wasteful finishing from Fletcher would be the difference. Had Livermore been booked in the opening seconds or even sent off it could have been very different. “If only” however does tend to be the reserve of those struggling to find their way out of a dark place.
The defeat was probably as expected but the manner of it in fairness wasn’t. In theory the performance was improved but the psychology of yet another defeat looked to be having an effect as the Boro players trooped off the Riverside pitch. Missed chances had proved costly for Boro as where the results filtering in from elsewhere. It wasn’t a great performance by any means but considering where they had come from of late and the opposition the set up worked but ultimately quality told in the end. There wasn’t a lot to split them apart but MOM for me was probably jointly between Marvin Johnson and Paddy McNair. Hard to be overly critical after this afternoon efforts but it’s the season to date and league position that will be the judge and jury.
To get out of this mess today’s team set up needs to be the one that we stick with. We won’t be playing the top side every week but we will pick up more points in this league than we lose once continuity and synergy kicks in if we stick with it. Maybe it’s not pacy and exciting but its light years from Pulisball, it’s a step forward but most importantly a step in the right direction despite the result.
There is a big decision however for Woodgate and Keane to make and that is having all those attempts on target but no goals mean that something has to give before they do. Finding a best fit defensive and midfield solution for the squad will not be enough if we have a poor mid-week at Huddersfield with non-scoring attackers. Maybe we don’t have recognised Striking alternatives but maybe it’s now time to find a new John Hickton. Whatever they do the constant searching and formation tinkering has to stop if SG is to avoid Wexit by the end of October.