An away win! Thank goodness. I can start breathing again.
It's not easy listening on headphones as Mrs Dormo is doing other things, and when people come over to ask how it's going from time to time. I can now perhaps listen on BBC Sounds to the comments sent in to BBC Tees.
Phew! I can go for a wee now!
Yes definitely a Phew! Another game of two halves but this time Boro just about held on with a little help from the crossbar and post. Very important three points looking at the table with Boro currently second on goal difference among six clubs on 10 points. So everyone playing their new squads in after 5 games and Boro on the magic 2 points per game. Still lots to more to come from this team and perhaps not bad to have a cup game on Tuesday to shuffle the pack and get some of the new boys on the pitch.
Did we win ugly?
Anyway two points per match and second in the table. NOT a bad start to the season.
Up the Boro!
And breathe! A good battling second half, plus a bit of luck, has seen us through to three points but it was a very uncomfortable watch.
Andy Madeley’s refereeing performance was poor and very much one of the homer type.
Poor miss from Conway in the second half when he was through on a one on one with the keeper; once he is fully recovered from his injuries we need more from him other than his energy in terms of either goals and assists. Just running up and down the wing and harrying defenders is not enough.
Need to rest a few on Tuesday and prepare for a tough home game next Saturday. 😎
A bit jammy, but we made it and that's all that matters.
Maddo gave M-o-M to Joseph. The importance of being at the game . Watching from home he had a stinker. No ball control, no goal threat, and just getting in other people's way. What the armchair spectator misses are the things happening off the ball, his runs, the spaces he is covering, his energy levels etc. That's why I always give the greatest credence to the views of people who were at the game, less to those who saw the TV version, and none at all to the post-game pundits who listened to the radio commentary or read the newspaper reports
@lenmasterman - which is why I always much prefer the at the game experience as well. Trouble is you often can see things that even the ref doesn’t spot which raises the blood pressure even higher!
I will be driving up the A1/A19 next Saturday for the game
It was not only an uncomfortable watch! On the radio the second half was excruciatingly tense! It sounded as though we lost all control of midfield, not for the first time in our 3 away games. It also sounded as if the defence played well and dug us out of more than a few nervy moments, that we missed a ton of presentable chances, that Vitek commanded his box more (at last) and that the ref had a terrible game. Of course, if watching live it may all have looked different!
Once again, it seems we had one good half and one where we were clinging on. But this time, thankfully, we did cling on, got the three points and kept a clean sheet for the first time this season in the league. Well played lads! UTB.
Early lead for Boro: Lanky Will in the 20th minute, assisted by today's captain, Brittain. 🙂
CJ:
[...]
And a note of caution:
Boro good value for their lead. Been dominant so far. But defending leads away from home in the league has not been Boro's strength. In the last six away games in the Championship, Boro have taken the lead but not won one.
Well, they finally bucked the trend & now sit second in the table! 🙂
Vitek's first clean sheet! 👍
@clive-hurren. You have summarised the second half perfectly and but for a bit of woodwork and some good saves by Vitek we could so easily have lost.
As Len said, a bit jammy but we take the three points and move on.
I just can’t rationalise how we were so open in the second half as opposed to the first but that’s how we seem to play at present. 😎
@k-p-in-spain I think you’ve got to credit their manager for changing things at half time. Although, on another day, we’d have been out of sight by then.
An away win is always welcome - we’re off on holiday for a couple of weeks tomorrow - hopefully I’ll be able to catch some games online whilst we’re away. Train to Manchester tomorrow, then fly to Oslo on Monday - after that it’s trains, buses and ferries to Flam, Bergen, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Brussels, London and back to York. I’m hoping for a capital time!
So, Conway & MPH replaced McGree & Lanky Will in the 55th minute, Jones Arfstan in the 71st, Ayling Phillips in the 72nd & Pukstas Berhalter, albeit briefly, in the 84th & no debut for Cozier-Duberry.
Malanda booked in the 58th minute, Brittain in the 76th.
BORO ARE LEARNING
First away game winning 1-0 and lose, second away game winning 1-0 and draw , third away game winning 1-0 and WIN. So that’s progress even when the woodwork plays its part.
This may well be a game when, at the end of the season looking back, it was a game crucial to Boro’s success.
A real pleaser for me is the die hard Boro supporters being in good spirits on the long journey home.
Philip of Huddersfield
👍😁👍
That's why I always give the greatest credence to the views of people who were at the game, less to those who saw the TV version, and none at all to the post-game pundits who listened to the radio commentary or read the newspaper reports
.... and that's why I never comment on games.
The last game that I saw Boro play at home was at Ayresome Park in January 1969. (I remember that because my wife, who was heavily pregnant with our firstborn at the time was with me.)
The last time I saw them live was at Plymouth many years ago when we visited the U.K. and went to see an old friend of mine who lived there.
...... but it's amazing how much information one can pick up about the capabilities of the individual players thanks to reading the various opinions on this blog.
So, Conway & MPH replaced McGree & Lanky Will in the 55th minute,[...]
No wonder Will was subbed:
Hartlepool Mail player ratings:
cf. the comment on Berhalter.
Wow! What a trip! I hope you enjoy it.
Flam is fantastic. I hope you get a ride on the wonderful Flam railway, which drops down incredibly steeply to the Aurland fjord. It’s one of the steepest standard gauge lines in the world.
I suppose QPR were lucky too with some decisions - plus you could also say but for some good saves by their keeper Boro could've won comfortably too - though the stats were pretty even at the end of the game 16 shots each Boro 6 on target versus 5 and 5 saves each - This is the beauty of the Championship where any team can win on their day with a bit of luck or decision in their favour - hopefully Boro will keep ahead of the others...
Apparently the BBC said Boro had scored first in their previous 6 Championship away games without winning and it's their first away win since they beat QPR 4-0 in March.
@clive-hurren Yes, we’re booked on the Flam railway - really looking forward to it.
QPR had a shirt amnesty. You could take an old replica shirt and trade it for a new black third kit. The ones handed in would be sent to third world countries.
Have just watched the highlights, looked like we were a tad lucky in the end to come away with all three points. On the brief showing we often looked to have big gaps in midfield again, which a better team might have exploited. That will need to be addressed before next Saturday against a very speedy Norwich team. If you think that our defending can be a bit iffy take a look at some highlights from the Millwall -Bolton game. Looking at WhoScored.com, they had Joseph as our worst player and made Arfsten MoM
@stircrazy Both the Echo and Teesside Live had Borges as their MoM. Especially his block on Burrell had impressed.
I was hoping Joseph to be subbed most of the match. But Maddo disagreed with me. But that is football.
BTW. The team took a train back to Teesside on Saturday. They will train today at Rockcliffe and then head back to London for the Palace match. I wonder why they did not stay in the capital for a mini get-together instead. Like West Brom did after their Newcastle match and before playing us at the Riverside.
Up the Boro!
@werdermouth. That was when the wheels came off, following the last QPR game. The often quoted last 15 game and only 5 wins.
There have been plenty of games we have dominated and gone onto draw and even lose. But yesterday we had a little luck and probably a higher level of fight.
I am concerned with the midfield though and their defensive qualities. In the second half we lost that battle quite easily.
Also whilst Brittain was exposed once more, he also backed off his man and allowed a number of crosses into the box.
Hellberg still has work to do in a few areas.
Borges, MotM who would have believed it. I thought Maddison was generous with his award to Joseph, however the guy never stopped running.
There is one thing certain, he won't be playing Tuesday. He will be knackered for the rest of the week. 🤣🤣
@pedro. I am not sure I will be match fit to watch the Palace game as yesterday’s second half watch took so much out of me. 😂😎
Werder
I have left you an e mail re-my posting the Palace preview. Could you please check your spam as I need to post it today. Many thanks
Overall Boro are in a good position after 5 games. Despite not being at our best yet, we have made a decent start and hopefully, we have capacity to improve further. Kim feels we can get better so fingers crossed. Pity we could not get more points vs Burnley and Blackburn, but that’s football.
A hard game next week will test our mettle and we will have had a tough run of fixtures up to the international break so let’s see where we are after that point. Looking like Wolves, West Ham and then teams like Boro challenging for the top 2. Squad depth is better this year but is it strong enough to sustain a challenge throughout a gruelling Championship season? UTB
Happy travelling. Norway is one of the most beatiful countries in the world. Also one of the most expensive ones to live. They go food shopping over the border (no pun intended) to Sweden.@k-p-in-spain I think you’ve got to credit their manager for changing things at half time. Although, on another day, we’d have been out of sight by then.
An away win is always welcome - we’re off on holiday for a couple of weeks tomorrow - hopefully I’ll be able to catch some games online whilst we’re away. Train to Manchester tomorrow, then fly to Oslo on Monday - after that it’s trains, buses and ferries to Flam, Bergen, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Brussels, London and back to York. I’m hoping for a capital time!
Up the Boro!
Just caught the highlights. Looking at thw opportunities we had. We should have been out of sight (again!!) by half time and had firther opportunities in the second. QPR though could easily have done an East Lancs on us and were themselves ab lttle unlucky to have lost in the end.
As others have said, still work to do. All said and done, we are 2nd and so no one is really doing any better than we are just yet. We are only going to get better, I am sure. Let us hope no onw else also gets better by a greater margin!!! 🤞