@martin-bellamy. No the rules haven’t changed it’s just the mid week stream was made available in the UK during the period when spectators were not allowed at games.
Normal service is now resumed and only overseas subscribers will be able to access the video stream, sorry. 😎
@original-fat-bob. I have liked your post but I don’t like the news.
That being said, these things happen and the team needs to be able to cope and perform just as well when certain players are not available. 😎
Don’t worry about Connolly’s quality, folks. From what I’ve seen, he’s got it.
Do worry about his attitude.
Surprised to see Watmore on the bench again. Looks like Paddy in midfield.
Glad to see Bowler on the Blackpool bench and Fry obviousoy fine.
Feeling confident: Blackpool 1-3 Boro.
Credit to Blackpool in that first half I think. Boro have been the slightly more threatening side but a lot of our work has been rushed and the passing has been below par due to Blackpool’s hard work and general obstinacy.
Not too much threat against Lumley’s goal though. One moment from us will open this one up but conceding first would make life very difficult for us.
Missing Howson and Crooks seems a bit more withdrawn in midfield. Sporar should have had two and Hernandez should have scored. McNair playing well.
FRY just seems to get better and better. Jones seems to be playing a bit deeper tonight and not getting forward much amd the one time he did he drew a free kick.
OFB
Well still all to play for but we need to up our game; this performance is more like Boro of old and not the new CW Boro.
We have failed to keep the ball, corners have been over hit, throw ins have gone to the opposition more than to Boro players.
We have matched Blackpool for endeavour but both sides are lacking quality and we have failed to capitalise on a couple of good chances.
Time for a change with Watmore on for Hernandez who has largely been ineffective. CoB 😎
There’s the moment! Sporaaaaaaaar!
1 - 1! Long kick downfield not defended - 90 minutes
Wow. Incredible!
Can’t remember when Boro last won in extra time !
OFB
That was extraordinary to watch. Tough game against a solid tight side and they just battled through. The first goal was a real touch of class from Sporar. The atmosphere at the end was something pretty special. Very hard to pick out a 'player of the match'.
It's getting hard not to believe that something is happening.
That's certainly started my day with a bang.
UTB
Now I'm a believer, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. A little too much jam shed I think 🙂 UTB
Incredible game despite being one of the most haphazard performances under Wilder. Jones was immense and didn't let his slip get to him, he came straight back out of the traps to set up the winner.
Tactically it didn't work in large parts of the game but when it did it was impressive. A 1-0 win would have been great but the manner in how the game ended and the victory will have boosted confidence and belief immeasurably. This is starting to feel special and despite having played more games the pressure is building on the Clubs around us.
I think it was Dijksteel and not Jones who made the error for the Blackpool goal!
Well a win is a win and three points.
I have to agree with KP and RR that Boro were at times poor and haphazard especially in their passing and in the end won through dogged determination.
For me McNair is better in a back three, than in a midfield three. Crooks works his socks off, but still needs to produce more than just effort. Again Tav give it his all, but was wasteful and his distribution left a lot to be desired. Even I have to admit we missed Howson in there.
I thought that the fault for Blackpools goal lay with Fry and Dijksteel and not Jones. And as I posted after the recent games, we cannot rely on Jones to produce everything of any quality. The three in midfield are not producing anything like they should be in service to the front two.
Sporar and Watmore are intelligent strikers that require clever balls into the box. When they get them you saw tonight what they can do. Unfortunately they do not get enough of them.
We certainly continued with our rub of the green tonight. Let’s hope it continues on Saturday.
We certainly continued with our rub of the green tonight. Let’s hope it continues on Saturday.
Thinking of Saturdays game, I’m in something of a mental quandary as I don’t know whether I want to stick or twist……..do I want the game to be played so that the run can continue or do I feel that we could do with a break. Sheffield United are in form and they’ve had a rest. Have they been Covid-affected or has it been their opponents?
Is it time for our luck to change and, if so, is it better for it to happen against Mansfield.
If we don’t play, there will be time for Howson to recover.
What do people think?
utb
The Blades game against Hull was called off because of Hull having too many Covid case, so as things stand, Saturday's fixture looks likely to go ahead.
Radio Tees commentators went absolutely bonkers after the Boro winning goal, after which so did the phone-in fans. Almost to a man they think Boro are certainties for a Wembley final. Yet by the commentary Boro were lucky to win. At least through the euphoria the commentary team and the Blackpool Gazette got the attendance correct at 13,428 whereas both the BBC and Sky Sports websites in all the final mayhem quote the attendance at 30,428 for a ground where the capacity is actually 18,500.
As for the match itself a draw would have been a fair result as Boro were poor last night, but as the saying goes it’s sometimes better to be lucky than be skilful, and the sign of a good team is to win when playing badly. Boro have been on the receiving end of some bad luck in recent matches under Wilder so it makes a change for the boot to be on the other foot. After conceding a goal in stoppage time I doubt that anyone would have expected Boro to grab a winner two minutes later. Heartbreak for Blackpool, but joy for Boro and praise for never giving in, but let’s not get carried away. I still think it’s a tall order to EXPECT a top six finish let alone promotion. At least Wilder acknowledges that Boro will lose matches in the second half of the season, and I think anything gained at Bramall Lane on NewYear’s Day against a fresh Blades side will be a bonus.
I think Blackpool defended very well all night but we did have chances to score a few in the first half. Credit to Blackpool, they put us under pressure late in the second half.
But their equaliser was a bit lucky. Fry jumbed for the high ball with no pressure at all, decides not to head and Dijksteel was cought in surprice behinf Fry and the ball was deflected to the Blackpool man. Quite comical.
In all I think we were the better team in the first half and scored a beaty in the second. A very tight match but I think we were the better team. How did Lee Peltier miss the goal with his effort in the first half?
Our performance was not as good as on Saturday, but the pitch was narrow and hardly space for the wing backs. Dijksteel overlapped for the first goal, made room for Jones to feed Sporar and his finishing was superb.
Jones feeded the second one, too. Blackpool defended well but we were slightly better. A very exciting finish. A match to remember for a while. Great entertainment in the end.
Up the Boro!
Another game missed due to Christmas commitments. Probably good for my heart rate having now watched the highlights.
It is the kind of result that fires up players and fans alike, getting us all believing. We are certainly now well in contention for the playoffs.
It also shows how thin the squad is. Peltier and Bamba will do a job this season but Peltier is no wingback and the defence was creaking badly. The only back-up for Howson at this point is McNair but he doesn't have a strong replacement at LCB.
Watmore is doing well as a second striker. Hernandez shows willing in that role but lacks finishing. There is no viable back-up for Sporar nor Tav (assuming that Wilder prefers a left-footer to play left midfield.) Payero is waiting in the wings but I don't see him getting on unless there's an injury in midfield and defence. Clearly, Wilder trusts Bamba and Peltier and moving Paddy into midfield over bringing in Payero. JLS look like he's heading in just one direction.
In general the left side of the team is functioning about as well as Beckham's left foot. On the plus side, the right side of the team is fantastic but we do run the risk of becoming one dimensional.
It's going to take some smart recruitment to solve our issues. If not, I suspect we'll eventually peak and decline. Still, this is the most enthused I've been about us since AK.
After that win, I’m lost for words - but for once it’s for the right reasons!
Wow. Just wow!
Not the best performance under Wilder last night but at least they stuck at it and delivered a result. The most successful teams find a way to win when they are not playing well and for Boro to come back to win after conceding a poor equalising goal in the 91st minute at least shows determination and a will to win. That’s something that has been sadly lacking in recent seasons and so it’s good news if they keep it up.
I am going to sound like a buzz kill, but the following graphic makes sober reading
https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/status/1476473172170088451?t=_3Ky-OD6oer2im-MGmCR2Q&s=19