A great result and deserved win; best team performance of the season so far.
At long last we won both halves of the game in my opinion.
Happy Birthday MFC. 😎
So first time Tommy goes past his man and makes a peach of a pass with his LEFT foot and bingo.
Great end to end game, and we just edged them over, as KP said, both halves.
A good solid hard-working performance as Boro kept their concentration and shape throughout the whole game and Lankshear took his chance when it came - credit to Conway as you could see he must've been working on his wide-left game during the break as he went both inside and outside and created the goal with a great left-footed cross. This was a tough game as many Wolves players had quality on the ball - though what they lacked was the ability to strike the ball cleanly on goal as nearlyy every shot was mishit.
Great result and up to second in the automatic places on the magic 2 points per game!
Well that was tense but I think we deserved the win. I see that our next opponents, Stoke, have gone up to 4th. There aren’t many easy games in this league, are there?
Still, I’ll happily accept the three points as an early present, ahead of my birthday on Monday.
Watched the game from the warmth (it’s been raining) of Fuerteventura on a slightly dodgy internet although the commentary from Sky+ was a Wolves feed!
A good 150th birthday present for Boro and whilst we deserved to win, at times I did feel that we still haven’t quite sorted out the defensive side of our game. A little bit squeaky bum in added time and my feed cut out at one point when I thought we could concede. Maybe in the past we would have done so a positive.
Phew! Glad to hear the final whistle, but in truth Boro's defence looked far more solid and better organised than it has at any time since Hellberg arrived. This was a good win, and a well deserved one against a good team who will almost certainly be one of our rivals for automatic promotion. Our back four were all top notch, midfield solid and strikers probing. Lovely header by Lankshire from an excellent Conway cross. A worthy match winner. Vitek dropping a dolly catch late in the game was in the same class as the B'ham keeper's which got Boro a late point in our last game. Fortunately he and we got away with it. Had we not i fancy we would have been seeing Brynn between the sticks at Stoke.
We looked like a strong team today. Kim and his staff have used the extended break well, and the subs bench showed that we have plenty in reserve.
The outlook is as bright as I can remember it. Onwards and upwards.
My M-o-M was Malanda, back to his brilliant best in his proper position
1-0 WILL DO JUST FINE FOR ME
What a lovely way to start my holiday here in Gran Canaria as I check the score and see Boro have beaten a team which shouldn’t be far off promotion at the end of the season.
Not difficult to forecast the scorer. In next to no time he has become the most important Boro player.
From most comments Boro were the better team and produced a better overall 90 minutes compared to previous performances of around 60 minutes.
Already looking forward to the next game but not before a nice meal and wine tonight.
PHILIPOF HUDDERSFIELD
👍😁👍😁
@martin-bellamy. Best wishes for a happy and enjoyable birthday on Monday, Martin.
Three points at Stoke really would be the icing on the cake. 🎂😎
Hi Si.
As I have relatives in Northern Ireland (Strangford), I visited Derry last year and thought it was great and we absolutely loved it. The city walls were a great walk and the bridge too. Also visited the Bogside and it is definitely a city on the up. As for your affinity to Boro, to an outsider it is obvious……it is the Derry GAA top!
I think Tommy really passed Tippier several times in my opinion. He was very good and is finally getting back to his normal level. A good left winger - this is how Hellberg wants Boro to play.So first time Tommy goes past his man and makes a peach of a pass with his LEFT foot and bingo.
Great end to end game, and we just edged them over, as KP said, both halves.
Excellent result today. Happy Birthday to Boro!
Up the Boro!
@lenmasterman Len I think Malanda was good but not above Phillips.
Here are the player ratings from the Echo and Scott Wilson.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-2-3-1):
7 Vitek: Made a decent first-half save from Munetsi and always looked composed in possession
8 Brittain: Defended superbly against the dangerous Mane and got forward when the opportunity allowed
8 Phillips: Marked Armstrong out of the game as he won the physical battle and was positionally excellent
7 Malanda: Stayed at centre-half rather than moving forward into midfield and helped Boro rediscover their solidity
8 Borges: Justified his return to the starting side ahead of Arfsten with a rock-solid display of defending
8 MORRIS: Ran the game at the heart of midfield – effective on the ball and excellent out of possession
7 Berhalter: Dovetailed with Morris effectively and got forward to make a couple of dangerous breaks into the box
7 Cozier-Duberry: Wasn’t at his explosive best, but tended to draw two defenders towards him to create space for others
7 McGree: A typically energetic display as he helped Boro press aggressively and stay on the front foot
8 Conway: Always tried to positive down the left and delivered a superb back-post cross for Lankshear’s winner
8 Lankshear: Made the difference as he peeled to the back post to power home a brilliant header for the winner
Subs:
6 Ayling (for Berhalter, 70): Helped Boro see out their victory in the closing stages
5 Peart-Harris (for Conway, 70): Picked up a late booking for kicking the ball away after the referee had blown
WOLVES (4-2-3-1):
Sa 6; Trippier 5, Djiga 5, Toti 6, Bueno 4; Doyle 5 (Bellegarde 61, 5), MUNETSI 6 (James 61, 5); R Gomes 6 (Said 51, 4), Andre 4 (Neave 82), Mane 4 (Lopez 61, 5); Armstrong 5.
Man Of The Match: AIDAN MORRIS – The American ran the game for Boro from the heart of midfield.
Up the Boro!
Sounds like Stoke are slightly exceeding my expectations - I had them down for relegation in the COTS Challenge...
Enjoy your birthday on Monday - cheers 🍺
Yes Conway had possibly one of best games down the left for some time - plus teamed up well with Borges who also played some really good balls to him.
That was a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon. Very crowded around the stadium and crowded inside where there must have been only a handful of empty seats. I think I heard on BBC Tees a message from someone who turned back whilst on the A1, en route to the Riverside, because of some major traffic hold-up and therefore didn't get to the match. He will probably be feeling disappointed to have missed it but. There were pieces of coloured card for supporters in the stands to hold up and, in the South Stand, a massive postergraph - I might as well invent a word - of what I think might have been the club's first ever football team. The usual flame generators were there, Wolves brought a decent crowd with them, and there was plenty of noise.
Wolves: clearly a decent team and one that will be fighting it out at the top end of the table as the promotion race nears it's finale. There were a few scares for Boro, one of them being late on when our keeper inexplicably dropped the ball when not really under the pressure of a real aerial challenge. But we survived.
It was an excellent cross from Tommy Conway that Lankshear rose to head home. Most Boro supporters were on their feet to celebrate. My mate turned to me at full time to say something along the lines of "Apart from scoring the only goal of the game what did striker Lankshear do?". And as was I walking down the stairs to leave, I received a WhatsApp message from my son asking the same question. Scoring the goal was enough for me and enough to earn 3 points.
Well done, Malanda for poking the ball wide of the post to prevent a goal when Wolves threatened as time was running out. And well done to all the players for digging in, for fighting for those 3 points. A clean sheet! I was beginning to wonder what they looked Iike. Is it greedy to ask for a few more of them?
Second in the table now. Let's not allow it to slip THIS time. I feel so good about it that you might just be hearing from me again, rather sooner than you expected...
There has been a LOAD of posts on here since I starting to type my above post one-fingered! Speed of typing/texting is not my forte.
I agree Dormo. The atmosphere in the ground was amazing along with the whole stadium Tifo. I know I don’t go to the Riverside often but never seen queuing like it . Out of the door at the shop and large queues for programmes which sold out and for the first time I was unable to get one. The game itself was cagey and we never really put Wolves under pressure. It was obvious that work has been put into our defensive structure over the break we looked very solid. I thought that Mcgree was disappointing and he is not looking as good as he has done in past seasons.
Anyone who was at the match live were you able to see the names and numbers on the Boro shirts? I couldn’t but having seen some highlights on the internet they were very clear and gold in colour. Also thought that the referee made a number of bizarre decisions.
@k-p-in-spain Thanks KP. To bookend my birthday with two wins would be very special.
@mw-in-darwin : I commented to my mate at the ground that I found it difficult to pick out the numbers on the Boro shirts.
I couldn't understand the dropped ball given by the ref when what happened was either a foul by the Boro player running into the back of his opponent/catching him from behind, OR a free kick to Boro and a yellow card when the Wolves player fell forwards (simulation) and intentionally grabbed the ball.
Or did you see the 'broad' Midnite logo in front of the shirt? I didn’t see them either, but there were them. Perhaps the whole idea was a feel of 1876, though.Anyone who was at the match live were you able to see the names and numbers on the Boro shirts? I couldn’t but having seen some highlights on the internet they were very clear and gold in colour. Also thought that the referee made a number of bizarre decisions.
A nice shirt to celebrate our history. And a good win over an excellent team, too.
Up the Boro!
Here is what I read about Stoke's match at Bolton on Saturday.Sounds like Stoke are slightly exceeding my expectations - I had them down for relegation in the COTS Challenge...
Enjoy your birthday on Monday - cheers 🍺
"Stoke City's 10 men beat Bolton Wanderers to climb to fourth in the Championship.
Stoke were bottom at the start of last month after losing their first three league games, but Mark Robins' men have shot up the table, taking 16 points from their past 18.
They played over 70 minutes at the Toughsheet Stadium with 10 men after Maksym Talovierov was sent off and it spurred them on to win at Bolton for the first time since October 1990."
Sounds a tough game on Tuesday night at Stoke. And it is not warm in October, I am afraid, too.
Up the Boro!
The first half was a nightmare to watch online as a half-covered sunny/shady pitch meant the Boro players disappeared in the shadows down the right side - i thought at first they were plain blank shirts until i saw a close up.
I couldn't understand the dropped ball given by the ref when what happened was either a foul by the Boro player running into the back of his opponent/catching him from behind, OR a free kick to Boro and a yellow card when the Wolves player fell forwards (simulation) and intentionally grabbed the ball.
Dormo: this is how CJ described the incident at the time when it happened yesterday (27th minute):
Bizarre refereeing
Ball comes out to Mane and he just picks it up. He's saying the ball's flat. But he didn't ask anyone. He just picked it up. Ref restarts the game with a drop ball. Boro fans and Hellberg growing increasingly frustrated with Farai Hallam
Surely if the ball is flat, you stop the ball, tell the ref and then he stops the game. You don't make that decision as a player.
@jarkko My MotM was Brittain, a Captain’s performance,
As for the player scores, I thought Malanda was equal to Phillips, with latter making more than a couple of poor decisions in the first half, much better in the second.
Vitek still does not convince ans was only a 6 for me. Borges only a 7, as he lost his man more than once.
Berhalter only a 6, as his four games in the West and the travelling told with him. He also must have left his shooting boots behind, as all his shots went nowhere near the goal.
Peart-Harris, tall and well built, but what does he contribute. He played further forward but had little influence in clamping down on Wolves final flourish. Both him and Castledine look as those the will be eventually left on the fringes of the squad.
I also thought the markings for the Wolves players were wrong. They are a good team with some more technical players than Boro. Yesterday they just came up a Boro team that played rather well for 90+ minutes.
As an ex ref one of the things drummed into us whilst we were learning the ropes was what to do if the ball,went flat. I can confirm, it was not what the referee did yesterday.
in fact in the old days I’ve seen players get booked for picking the ball up and saying it’s flat
OFB
Quite a shocking referee, the pull back on Conway should have been a straight red for the Wolves player.
Don’t know if it was a penalty or not as I haven’t replayed the incident but it was a close run thing !
Whilst I was not at the game i watched CBS America interviews of Conway and Lankshear and later a KH talk to the USA Panel. Try and look up the interviews on you tube as they are quite glowing.
it is obvious that the USA is taking a great interest in the Boro and seem to be ramping up the audience to follow the Boro.
A contingent from our USA players former clubs were invited to attend on Saturday and the thought crossed my mind is SG looking long term for a sale to USA owners ??
Whilst it my only be conjecture at this stage, Steve is nearing the age when retirement is looming on the horizon.??
A great day and a battling performance by two big clubs. I was there at Molineaux when Boro won promotion to the inaugural Premier Division. It’s feeling the same…
OFB