Team news. Eeeeek! 🫣🫣🫣🤞🤞🤞
A little appetiser for today's main course....
https://twitter.com/Boro/status/1710575595870916897?t=3W5PuEt9JYMLDrnygbcSJQ&s=19
I'm a little apprehensive about a left flank that has Greenwood covering Engel and of course McGree can't really be replaced going forward. We need Josh to step up today and be a real handful and hope Greenwood has packed his shooting boots!
I'm feeling better after watching that!
@werdermouth. He will be a big miss today getting between the lines and also when we are defending. 😎
I share the anxiety that comes with no McGree. Hoping Engel and Greenwood step up and build on their performances against Cardiff. Barlasser began to be effective playing the ball directly forward and we know Crooks can do that to great effect as well. Let's hope one of them finds that ball that puts Coburn in to score... or why both of them !
CoB
VDB injured in the warmup, damn anything else go wrong 😱.
Come on BORO.
van den Berg injured in the warm-up 🙄 so Smith starts
Can anything else go wrong. There seems to be a case of playing van de Berg before he is fit.
Foul/push on Crooks should have been a penalty!😬😎
Clear penalty... how was that not given...
So far, so good: 0-0 at half-time, but plenty of incidents, it seems - CJ:
Huge save Dieng
First chance Roberts has to run at Engel and he beats him with ease running inside. McNair asleep as he moves left to just open a huge gap through the middle for Roberts to run towards goal. Gets into the box and Dieng just about manages to get a leg to Roberts' low effort. Good save.
Could that be a momentum switch in the game though? Boro have started so well, but that chance has buoyed Sunderland and their fans.
Huggins, one of Blunderland's goal-scorers on Wednesday, subbed because of injuryin the 30th minute.
And Blunderland down to ten men on the stroke of half-time:
Dan Neil is off on the stroke of half-time! It came from nothing. Coburn made a challenge with Seelt which ran out of play. Then the referee turned around and gave Neil a second yellow and off. Only thing we can think up here is dissent.
CJ's verdict on the first half:
That's some end to the half! Boro started really well here, managed the game well, taking the pace out of the game. Had a few decent breaks too. Sunderland were growing into it and Dieng had to make a couple of good saves. That late red card changes things though. Can Boro take advantage of the extra man now?
Well a fairly even first half with few chances but maybe 1-1 wouldn't have been unfair after each side missed a pretty decent chance each - Boro should have had a penalty for a blatant push on Crooks but that red card just before the break has given Boro the advantage for the second half - wouldn't be surprised if we see another red as tempers are starting to boil.
As for the football Hackney has looked good again as has Barlase and so has Engel who has defended well and got forward well. Greenwood has shown energy but has often found himself on the left side of the box with only a right foot that is unable to take it further. Crooks passing has been a bit off and perhaps Coburn is looking tired after quite few games under his belt in a short space. Dieng also has played well.
Looks like a game Boro could get something out of - maybe time for Latte Lath and Forss to enter the game and run at their defence.
Well those last minutes certainly livened up the match which had gone off the boil.
Boro dealing with Roberts and Clarke reasonably well, but very little happening in the final third, and when we do break the passing is poor.
Crooks not interacting with Jones very much and Greenwood not really in the game. McGree is definitely being missed. I think we now need to stretch Sunderland, and Lath could be that man, for Coburn possibly.
Get in Greenwood! Great play from Dale Fry to set up the goal. CoB 😎
Greenwood, of all people, puts Boro a goal up in the 58th minute, assisted by Dael Fry! 🙂
This is dreamland 0-2 Crooks great play from Jones. CoB keep going. 😊😊😎
Great credit to Greenwood for not really celebrating and keeping it calm in front of his home town fans.
And while writing we go two up. Get in.
It's raining goals at the Stadium of Sh1te! *thumbs up*
The CJ perspective on the two goals:
Boro lead. It's the boy from Sunderland with the goal. Engel drive from range is blocked but Boro keep the attack alive on the left. It's Fry out on the left and he does well down the wing before pinging one low to the front post where Greenwood makes a sweet connection to fire it past Patterson.
Boro have another! Excellent work from Jones down the right. He beats his man for skill to break into the box, gets to the byline and fires it low across the face of goal where Crooks is on hand to fire it home from close range.
ELL on for Coburn in the 66th minute & Rogers for Crooks in the 67th.
Boro up to 15th as things stand.
I have died and gone to heaven 0-3 Jones get in with a great finish. CoB 😊😊😊😎
Welcome back Boro3
Jones deserves that.
It really IS raining goals: Jones gets in the act & makes it three in the 72nd minute with a little help from Rogers. 🙂
Boro now up to 14th & the GD is down to -2!
More subs - CJ:
Silvera and Forss on for Greenwood and Jones.
Greenwood booed by Sunderland fans as he heads off a winner on his return to the Stadium of Light.
Final substitution: Bangura replaces Engel in the 82nd minute.
Get in Forss 0-4! 😊😊😊😊😎
The lads having a ball: 4-0 (Forss in the 90th minute).
🍾 🍾 🍾 🍾
I'm dreaming. No, it must be all the anaesthetic and painkillers I've had this last year.
UTB,
John