Millwall 0-0 Luton.
Not a bad result for us but it does mean that Burnley can seal promotion tonight with a win.
We want to ensure they don’t not only for our points but to ensure there’s something on the their next game against Sheff Utd.
@ken - *Don't mention the cricket* (Day 2 after losing 3 hours to rain on Day 1 - YCCC 517ao, Leicestershire 51-2 in reply).
I was offered a ticket for tonight’s game to be picked up and driven to the game and meet up with family for a couple of glasses of wine and watch the match.
I must admit after a sleepless night I had to decline the invitation this morning as the effects of COVID are still lingering on!
It was a disappointment I must admit and hopefully a Boro win will make the decision easier to bear.
OFB
Hope you get the televisual medicine you need tonight....
@original-fat-bob. Sorry to hear that you are still suffering from the effects of Covid.
Hope you are restored to full health soon and that Boro provide you with a recuperating tonic this evening. 😎
The Terriers are currently beating the Hornets at Vicarage Road with a couple of minute of injury time to go (3-2 - Britt pulled one back for Watford a short while ago...)), while the Canaries are 2-0 up at Blackburn, where the match is also in injury time.
Neil Warnock has become a hero at Huddersfield Town after a few matches and the locals love him. Last 4 games -draw v Norwich, beat Millwall, then Boro and today Watford and for the first time this season are out of the bottom three.
Meanwhile, hoping for a top performance tonight by Boro and a win making Burnley wait until their next game to clinch promotion v Sheffield United.
My bones are telling me to expect a draw which won’t be the end of the world especially as Luton drew v Millwall.
Philip of Huddersfield
My sporting weekend has got off to a good start with Warriors 14 Saints 6.
Now for the big one.
Black Cats vs Hull 2-2 after just 25 minutes!
The match finished 4-4!
Judging by the comments of the BBC journos looking forward to this evening's match, they're assuming that victory for Burnley is a foregone conclusion! Grrr...
I thought the same about the BBC Mews people. Let's hope we show them Boro are no pushover, even for table topping Burnley.
For them to win promotion against Sheffield would be much more newsworthy 😉
Bugger! Burnley a goal up after 12 minutes (Ashely Barnes). 🙁
Not good so far. Why do defenders dive in and end up on their backside and out of the game ? Result they score.McNair worries me.
We look dodgy at crosses into the penalty area.
Burnley dominating the game after 15 minutes.
Philip of Huddersfield
McNair instead of heading the ball to safety heads it to a Burnley player who could have scored. He is a poor header of the ball. Lenihan caught out and Burnley should have been two goals up.
Defensively still not looking good.
We can’t get our passing game going nor keep possession for ant length of time.
30 minutes gone.
philip of Huddersfield
Half time. We’ve witnessed a team increasingly in control of the game and going to the Premier League - not brilliant- they just play as a team knowing what they are doing. The opposition are just huffing and puffing - No joined up play.
Boro are lucky to be only one goal behind. Defensively we look nervous with Smith and McNair. Very little cohesion throughout the team.
Get Fry and Forsse on and give Barsaler a chance- he can’t be worse than the two midfielders.
If Boro make it to the Premier League via the play offs then an average Premiership team would tear us apart.
MC has rightly received lots of plaudits- the second half is a real test on how he can change things to get back in the game. If he doesn’t make positive changes then this game is gone.
So , what’s our forecasts? I’m pretty useless but I’ll go for 0-2 - hope I’m wrong.
Philip of Huddersfield
More to follow - I hope more positive than the above.
Only one team in it. Let’s hope for a miracle second half
Boro draw level thanks to a penalty (Archer brought down by Cullen in the box) taken by Chuba (who else?) in the 48th minute! 🙂 Fingers crossed...
Double bugger! The Clarets regain the lead through Connor Roberts in the 66th minute.
I sincerely hope that MC hasn't developed a blind spot as far as McNair is concerned...
HH booked in the 38th minute, replaced by Forss in the 77th. Ramsey was withdrawn in favour of Matt Crooks in the 69th minute, but McNair remains on the pitch.
Poor display by Boro tonight and flattered by the scoreline. It’s the first time since the 1953/54 season that the Clarets have completed the double over Boro when after winning 5-0 at Turf Moor they won 3-1 at Ayresome Park. I don’t fancy Boro getting anything from Ashton Gate on Monday after tonight’s match
Bugger. Akpom should have headed in during the last minutes.
Burnley is a good side but there was not a big difference today.
Let's hope we get points from Bristol on Monday. Up the Boro!
As if we didn't need the Beeb to remind us:
Breaking BURNLEY ARE PROMOTED BACK TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE
FT: Middlesbrough 1-2 Burnley
It's all over at the Riverside!
Burnley have sealed an immediate return to the Premier League.
Vincent Kompany's side were made to work for it by Middlesbrough, but Connor Roberts' winner has sent them back to the big time.
The Clarets' unbeaten run continues as they march to the top flight.
Footnote:
A reminder that it was on Good Friday in 2022 when Sean Dyche was sacked by Burnley with the club headed for Premier League relegation.
Good Friday 2023 and Vincent Kompany has taken the back to the top flight.
Better start to the second half thanks to the penalty and Boro in control for next 15 minutes then Burnley back in full control. They were just quicker in thought throughout the game.
Second Burnley goal showed poor defending starting with Howson making no attempt to stop the cross and the defenders watched as Burnley scored with a tap in. Poor defending.
Boro were second best for most of the game.
Playing the ball out from the back is poor. The central defenders and particularly Steffen literally stop, allowing the opposition to “ mark up”. Then when Steffen is closed down all he does is hoof the fall in the air where the opposition simply head the ball clear.
So, we move on. I feel Bristol is now a must win as the prospect of three consecutive defeats is not good thinking of the playoffs.
Unfortunately , the team don’t seem capable of going to Bristol playing solidly defensively for 90 minutes and scoring a couple of breakaway goals.
The second half was a real test for MC which didn’t go well ( what has Barsaler got to do to get on the pitch? ) - Bristol is a much bigger test for him and the players.
Philip of Huddersfield
So we move on to the battle to retain a playoff spot and with some tough games to come and confidence probably dented it will be a battle for sure. MC has his work cut out to pick the team up and get them winning again.
Whatever happens over the rest of the season MC has worked wonders with the resources at his disposal but he has been handicapped by the defence just not being good enough. We are not in the top two because despite being the second highest goal scorers in the division just behind Burnley (72 against 76j we have the worst goals against record of any of the top ten teams. We have conceded 48 goals against 30 for Burnley, 33 for Sheffield United and 35 for Luton.
It doesn’t matter whether we sneak into the Premier League via the playoffs (if we make them) or stay in the Championship because a dramatic improvement in the quality of the team’s defence (players and coaching) will be essential either way. I hope the money to achieve this will be forthcoming.
As an aside, someone on the blog not long ago asked what input if any Woodgate was having on improving the defence. Does anyone know? OFB?
Can't really complain. Best team on rhe night and all that.
However can complain about the Sky reporter talking to Burnley chairman on the pitch. Never been done before, promoted to the top flight with 7 games still remaining. Clearly too young to have remembered Boro getting promoted with 8 games still remaining.....
Like @Ken says, these people need to remember football did exist before the Premier League.
Well done to Burnley and Vincent Kompany. He is a class act. Let us hope we get the chance to cross swords again next season.
N Echo ratings
6 Steffen: Didn’t do an awful lot wrong and generally used the ball effectively when he had it at his feet
6 Smith: Kept things fairly tight down Boro’s right-hand side and continues to be an important defensive asset
6 McNair: Just about justified his place in the side ahead of Fry, although Barnes proved a handful for all of Boro’s defenders
5 Lenihan: Looked shaky on occasion and got on the wrong side of Tella when the Burnley forward should really have scored in the first half
6 Giles: Delivered some dangerous balls into the Burnley box, although Tella got the better of him on more than one occasion
7 HOWSON: Was the key to getting Boro back on the front foot at the start of the second half – remains as important as ever
5 Hackney: Wasn’t one of his more effective games and he had pretty much run his course by the time he was taken off
6 McGree: Displayed plenty of energy as he returned to the side down Boro’s right, but wasn’t really a factor in the final third
7 Akpom: Claimed his customary goal from the penalty spot, but couldn’t find the target with a stoppage-time header
6 Ramsey: Never stopped running down Boro’s left-hand side, but perhaps lacked the composure needed to unlock the Burnley defence
7 Archer: Was a handful for the Burnley back four, especially in the second half, and did well to win Boro’s spot-kick
Subs:
5 Crooks (for Archer, 69): Wasn’t really a factor in the final 20 minutes of the game