Stoke were good in the second half. We were running out of steam and we needed the substitutions. The fresh legs saved us.
I'd like to see Sene and Hansen start at Portsmouth. Give Conway and Nypan a rest.
UTB
Morris had a bit of an off game and match spoiled by poor referee.
Sol Brynn mom
OFB
The second half kept you on the edge of your seat and Boro could easily have lost the game. Stoke had enough chances to win and Brynn made some good saves.
In the second half Boro didn’t get close enough to the opposition and looked a bit bedraggled in the second half - could have been tiredness.
Whilst disappointed not to win we can’t, on tonight’s performance , begrudge Stoke a point.
So, it’s another unbeaten game, still top of the League and so hopefully Boro can get back to winning ways.
Philip of Huddersfield 🤔🤔
I’ve seen it again several times. It’s one of the clearest penalties I’ve ever seen. The commentary team keep saying it was a slight touch - rubbish! Conway is hurtling into the box and the defender takes him out at the shin. I think the ref made a decision far too quickly. If he’d consulted his linesman, who was just 5 yards away, we might have got that. But once the ref has indicated a dive, I don’t suppose the lino is going to argue with him?
Stoke were fantastic second half and put us under real pressure almost throughout. They’re a very good side with some really pacy forwards. It is to Boro’s enormous credit that we didn’t concede. Our defence was magnificent: top marks to all of Brynn, Ayling, Jones and Targett. But this was a team performance - every man did his bit to get back to protect our goal. The team spirit is tremendous. Still unbeaten after 8. We would certainly have lost that game under Carrick.
Disappointed with a draw, but I think Stoke deserved a point. If we’d been given the penalty then it might have been a different story.
I thought Silvera got into some good positions but his crossing was poor - it’s not his natural position and he’s not a great defender but he kept going and did the job as well as he could.
Still top of the league but we need to get back to scoring goals.
Well that was both a competitive game and a game of two halves - Boro looking at their best in the first half and only a poor ref stopped them going into the break ahead. Stoke came out for the second half on the front foot and gave Boro plenty of problems - which perhaps was also exacerbated by switching to an unfamiliar back four. Boro got back into the game and the arrival of Hansen and Sene gave them much needed energy but Stoke still looked dangerous as the game swung end-to-end.
All in all a good point in the end - especially given the rest of the top six also drew to leave Boro still 4 points clear at the top and will also remain 4 points clear of third after tomorrow's games too.
The only worry is that the defence is looking weary with more injuries and some are beginning to look tired with not many options to freshen things up with 3 games in a week.
Definitely a case of a no lose game against early fellow promotion candidates. If you can't win, don't lose and maintain the gap. Championship always a slog so keep the points tally ticking over and move on. In the context of tonight's results, a decent point.
Happy to escape with a point after a second half dominated by Stoke, who spurned a hatful of clear cut chances.
The coaches have received well-earned praise for their substitutions, but for the whole of the second half they watched as Stoke simply switched their strongest player over to confront our weakest. Thomas continually went past Silvera at will, changed the entire momentum of the game and only a string of excellent saves from Brynn kept us in it. Sammy, i thought, was poor offering little defensively and even less going forward, failing to find a man with any of the few crosses he managed to make. He surely had to be subbed earlier for defensive reinforcements down our right.
Brynn M-o-M for me with Browne our best outfield player.
And can the coaches get a grip of a couple of simple mistakes repeated game after game: Hackney's pulling back his man and putting us in more danger than he averts. And the criminal habit of defenders heading crosses to the middle of the pitch rather than out to the touchline. Targett's example tonight could easily have cost us the match.
Stoke will regret that they did not take at least one of their gilt-edged chances and take all three points. I'm pleased that we have managed to continue our unbeaten run.
For me, the first 45 minutes was arguably the best we have played this season, taking into account Stoke arrived in great form, we should have had the penalty ( seen it again now and its 100% penalty ), we also had some good opportunities, their keeper making a couple of good saves ( Hackney, Strelec ) and in truth we totally dominated them.
Have to say again that Conway is now in referees heads as a diver and in truth he has brought that on himself, however, there was no dive in that penalty.
Second half they obviously reacted to Robins half time telling off and we were clinging on at the end, we looked out on our feet, maybe the off the ball work and running etc starting to take its toll, think we will see a couple of changes against Pompey but there is an international break after that and I am sure that is welcome.
For all we dominated the first half, we produced very few clear chances, unlike Stoke in the second half.
Scoring goals is starting to possibly be an issue and you cannot expect the defence to continue keeping clean sheets or at only one goal against. For all our purchase of forwards, including Whittaker, it just does not appear t be clicking upfront.
Conway is wasted out on the left, but where would Strelic play? As Len said, for all his hard work, Silvera was poor at both ends, without making one decent cross. However for the biggest disappointment was young Nypan, almost anonymous.
But another point gained when we could, should possibly have be beaten in the second half.
So it finishes 0-0 & we're still four points clear at the top of the league, though Coventry could narrow the gap to a point with a win in its next match...
Coventry away to Millwall later today. We need a B-I-G favour...
Just to prove how hard the Championship is and how good a point can be - Boro beat Sheff Utd to go 2 points clear at the top and 3 clear of 3rd place at the end of August - since then they have only won one of their last 4 games but are now guaranteed to be 4 points clear of 3rd place and could still be 4 points clear of 2nd if Coventry don't win at Millwall - or at the worst still 2 points clear at the end of September.
Only QPR, Ipswich and Charlton have so far gained more points in the last 4 games than Boro's six - so not losing has proven to be quite effective! With 2 others picking up six, 11 teams have picked up five points and 5 teams four points in the current 4-game form table.
I think it's still early days in terms of the attack clicking as both Strelec and Sene have probably played not much more than 180 minutes each for the club so far and Nypan missed a game injured plus only started 2 games and Hansen hasn't had much pitch time either.
I think Neil Maddison made the point during the commentary that Strelec was making really good runs during the game but his teammates hadn't spotted them - so there's still work on the training pitch to be done and for other players to understand how they play.
@stircrazy That’s why we sent Josh Coburn to Millwall 😉.
Up the Boro!
VAR in the championship and we more than likely win that game and one less yellow card.
But who wants VAR in the champ ? For me its a no.
I'm happy with the draws from the last two games, and with the philosophy that if we cannot win games then we must make sure that we don't lose them. Happy too with the fact that there have been such an extraordinary number of draws in the Championship this season that other teams are not making up much ground on us if we don't win.
But, but, but- at the end of the season when you look at the final tables it can be the high number of draws that can kill you. There is no substitute for a string of wins that can take any team shooting up the table in a matter of weeks.
It was our four successive wins that put us high and dry at the top of the table and gave the team and we, as supporters, so much confidence and hope.
We have to somehow, in spite of injuries, maintain that proactive mentality of looking to win every game, rather than ensuring that we don't lose, if we are to reach the promised land.
Your health is more important than 11 men kicking a ball, I hope they can sort you out all the best.
Was it a penalty last night mate who was watching it on the box said it was nailed on
We are definitely playing more as a team and our defending seems greatly improved, we missed Brittan sadly silvera is a poor substitute.
Played well in the first half and their keeper made a few good saves, stoke made changes and they edged 2nd half how their 11 missed the chance before he was taken off I don't know.
I am concerned about our forwards Strelic hardly touched the ball again but still unbeaten but the draws will kill you at the end of the day and as has been said we would have all taken this start if offered it at beginning of the season.
We can't complain really - going into October 4 points clear of the play-offs at minimum and still unbeaten - 23 other clubs would swap places with us in an instance! Plus I believe there's a lot more to come from Boro as an attacking force as there's probably 4 or 5 players in this team who look like they can finish and we have pace in the team too. Don't think there are any other particularly standout teams in the Championship this season so Boro have a really good chance of ending up in the top two if they continue being a hard team to beat and improve going forward.
So it finishes 0-0 & we're still four points clear at the top of the league, though Coventry could narrow the gap to a point with a win in its next match...
If Coventry won at Millwall today, the gap will be two (2) points, not one.
So in all cases, we will go to the international break with 4 or two point lead. And top of the League. Up the Boro!
We've still got Portsmouth before the break but if we win that game then yes it'll be a minimum of a 4 point gap to 3rd!
@werdermouth Yes, I meant to say after today's matches. I have a flu ...
Up the Boro!
I am happy that, as I type this, Boro remains 4 points clear at the top of The Championship and will be so as the next round of games begins (subjet to this evening's games). Luckily for us, the other games went for Boro with competitors dropping points in line with Boro. You can't complain about how things are going at present.
Last night Boro played well in the first half but suffered under pressure from Stoke in the second half. There were some entertaining but poor attempts at goal from both sides and, on another day, all three results would have been entirely foreseeable. Nypan at one point appeared to be aiming at the corner of the pitch instead of the goal and Stoke had some efforts that went just past the post rather closer than was comfortable.
Boro can't be said to be playing well if only part of the game is going well, and putting the ball in the opponents' goal is certainly a vital part of the game. Shooting boots were definitely NOT being worn. For me, MoM was Sol Brynn who made a number of saves when, on some occasions, a goal looked the likely outcome. I felt happy to have retained the point we held at HT. And if it seems as though I am being a bit "nit-picky", I want to make the point that I am infinitely more pleased now than I was at this stage last season. But a win against Portsmouth would send us into the next International Break with a spring in our step and a smile on our face!
For me, MoM was Sol Brynn who made a number of saves when, on some occasions, a goal looked the likely outcome.
RE's views on Sol Brynn:
& what he asked Sammy Silvera to do in yesterday's match, not to mention the likelihood of Callum Brittain's being available on Saturday:
Last, but not least, Mark Robins' assessment of the match:
https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-boss-mark-robins-delivers-32585135
@stircrazy That’s why we sent Josh Coburn to Millwall 😉.
Up the Boro!
Big Josh not playing - Beeb preview of this evening's matches:
....Josh Coburn is ruled out after suffering a knock.
He is a bit prone to such issues, isn't he?
My eyes spied a blast from the past when I brought up the live score on bet 365 for the match between Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) & the Mags in the Champions League:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckg2jdeznevo
Mogga as wise as ever! 🙂
Mags won by 0-4.
I see Mr Wilder got himself into trouble last night for kicking the ball into the crowd as he was heading towards the tunnel at half time, his assistant Knill saying afterwards Chris is so sorry, he was trying to kick the ball against the wall and it went into the crowd.
Can you imagine him having a go at his strikers now, I assume you couldn't hit a brick wall is no longer part of his vocabulary.
Coventry a goal to the good at The Dell at half-time.
@martin-bellamy they could take our top spot before we kick a ball at the weekend, still very early days though.
Would be great if we can go into the international break undefeated, then back under the lights on a Friday night with a massive game against Ipswich.