Deflection clearly visible in this clip posted on AV's Twitter page:
https://twitter.com/untypicalboro?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
It's been quite refreshing to see Watmore play with such good movement and drive towards goal and deserved his goal even if it was a big deflection - also it was great play from Johnson to play him in - though he hasn't done much other than that on the left. In fact with both Watmore and Johnson both capable of finishing, we just need a centre-forward to match and then we'd be quite potent up top - hopefully Akpom can up his game too. Tav's also been covering the pitch and has looked decent in midfield plus Morsy has been looking sharp with his tackles and has won quite a few balls. Another goal should seal the win but it won't be easy as Swansea look decent on the break.
Time has beaten me again this week.
Just wanted to say a quick thanks to Werder, all the best to OFB, and (only partially in solidarity with OFB) predict a back-to-basics 0-0.
Come on Boro.
Know the feeling, I'm operating on at least three fronts after foolishly agreeing to some decorating projects as we head towards Christmas - just like last December 🙁
Well one nil up but not wholly convincing and our defending must be giving OFB's new pacemaker a good work out.
Need to tighten things up and hope we can nick another one.
Watmore has looked lively and Tav has worked hard and made a good block to save a certain goal. Bola not looking as assured as he has done and Johnson is doing his curate's egg impression! CoB we need three points. 😎
Watmore bags a second in the 67th minute, assisted by Paddy Mac. Let's hope that puts the game to bed.
Get in you little beauty. Hope BA was watching as that's how to finish. Need to stay strong and see this out. CoB 😎
Saville on for Watmore a minute later. Boro back up to eighth. We need Millwall to keeping on holding Blackburn to 1-1 & Wycombe to hold Stoke (currently 0-0), if it's to stay that way.
The second goal:
https://twitter.com/untypicalboro?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
No hint of a deflection there! 😉
Yan Dhanda, a 66th minute substitute for Kasey Palmer, pulls one back for the Swans. 🙁 *prays*
Oh bum. Should have expected that we never do anything easy. Another nervy last 10-15 mins! CoB 😎
Yan Dhanda, a 66th minute substitute for Kasey Palmer, pulls one back for the Swans. 🙁 *prays*
Vic thinks it clipped Fry on the way in. A minute to go + injury time. Please, no sucker punch...
Phew! Home & dry! 😊 Blackburn & Stoke still drawing after 6/7 minutes of the second half...
Well that was more exciting than it needed to be but well played to Boro for seeing the game out despite the Swansea onslaught. It was good to see Neil Warnock's team bounce back from that Huddersfield performances and thought the players who came in did well - especially Watmore and Morsy. Plenty of good performances with Bola putting in one of his best ever in a Boro shirt, which seems to be the norm since Warnock arrived - plus Spence did well at right-back and looked sharp going forward too. McNair also back to his best and Howson was great as usually along with Fry.
MOM wasn't easy but you can't take it off Watmore as he offered something Boro haven't had for a long time - a player up front who's both aware of what's around him, has great movement and finishes with confidence - was he actually playing as a striker? Anyway, a good team performance and back in contention for the play-offs!
We just about deserved that one but Swansea are a good side. Their manager made some clever substitutions. He brought on a second big forward which meant that Fry had to leave Ayew. It didn't work in the end because the rest of the defence was so good. Fry had a tremendous game, as did Bola, McNair, Howson and particularly Spence who was close to my MOM. Morsy looked a bit leggy and that gave them the chance for the shot that was deflected off Fry for their goal. Bettinelli had no chance.
Tavernier got through a huge amount of work and is very good defensively tracking back when someone makes a run into the box. Johnson is powerful and dangerous but he has a temper and Swansea worked on him to the point where he could easily have been sent off. Akpom didn't get any chances and it's hard to know just how good he is.
Finally, Watmore. He looks like a really intelligent player. The first goal was a huge slice of luck but the second was a cracker. It was really down to McNair who broke up a Swansea attack, drove forward and hit a delicious reverse pass to pick out the best option. Watmore scored well but their keeper seemed strangely passive. Anyway, Watmore can only get better with more matches and he looks like a really good find.
Psychologically, this was a big win. At the moment, Luton are beating Norwich and everything else is a draw which is a pretty perfect set of results. Every draw means only two points to other team as opposed to three if someone wins. With the division so open, I think that its more about keeping the leaders well in sight and watching everyone else drop points. We're actually probably better with two wins and two losses than a win and three draws.
UTB
I don't care how the ball goes in as long it is a goal for us. Brilliant team performance from Boro.
A well deserved win against a very good team. NW is a genius getting the best out his players and of course his tactics.
But I still wonder what is going on with Roberts. Does anybody know?
That was a game of fine margins. For all Watmore scored two goals, Bola is my MoM: he chewed up and spat out every Swansea player who came within range. Fry was immense and McNair keeps on showing why Pep likes midfielders in defence. I reckon that was Spence's best defensive game; his decision-making going forwards was all over the place but he looks to be maturing defensively.
Watmore showed what a Premier league player can do. He may have a long way back to full fitness but he knows how to read a game. There was a real efficiency about him.
A different ref would have sent off Johnson and we got lucky that he was minded to keep players on.
Tav can make you tear your hair out. His fitness and drive is outstanding and two defensive blocks today virtually won us the game but boy does he make some rickets.
Dhanda looked like one hell of a player. I was glad to see Palmer go off at first until Dhanda showed what he can do. I don't know what his story is and why he didn't start but I'm glad of it.
Interestingly, Swansea would have gone alone to the top of the league table had they won at Riverside.
A great win. Up the Boro!
I suspect the main reason Roberts is not getting on the pitch as Warnock is probably not convinced about his contribution out of possession, which if you consider Boro had only a little over one-third possession this evening it makes selecting him as risky luxury player who doesn't always make the best decisions even with the ball. OK, he has a lot of quality with the ball but needs to deliver when he gets a chance to convince his manager he is going to make a better overall contribution than others - which if Boro keep scoring goals will not make it easier for him to start.
I suspect the main reason Roberts is not getting on the pitch as Warnock is probably not convinced about his contribution out of possession, which if you consider Boro had only a little over one-third possession this evening it makes selecting him as risky luxury player who doesn't always make the best decisions even with the ball. OK, he has a lot of quality with the ball but needs to deliver when he gets a chance to convince his manager he is going to make a better overall contribution than others - which if Boro keep scoring goals will not make it easier for him to start.
Thanks Werder, a long season, so perhaps he will get his chance to impress.
I suspect the main reason Roberts is not getting on the pitch as Warnock is probably not convinced about his contribution out of possession, which if you consider Boro had only a little over one-third possession this evening it makes selecting him as risky luxury player who doesn't always make the best decisions even with the ball. OK, he has a lot of quality with the ball but needs to deliver when he gets a chance to convince his manager he is going to make a better overall contribution than others - which if Boro keep scoring goals will not make it easier for him to start.
Thanks Werder, a long season, so perhaps he will get his chance to impress.
He will be ideal for any games where we are likely to be dominant (have more than 50% possession?) or for the last thirty minutes when the other team is tiring. I thought that he could have come on for Watmore today but, at 2-0, I guess that NW wanted to shut them down.
He'll probably play more against teams in the bottom half but perhaps he's destined to be an impact sub - I wonder how Man City will view his lack of game time come January?
Just looking at the table and it's very tight - Boro still in tenth but only three points off second place.
A good win against a good team. For me this was our best performance of the season, and we looked to be in control until the final 10 minutes.
Very pleased for Watmore. I always thought of him as being more of a No10 in the Barmby mould rather than a winger, and that's what he looked like tonight.
A good all round team performance, so it's difficult to pick out M-o-M, but Bola was so outstanding that I'd give it to him.
The only query was our keeper who is slow to come out to through balls. Tonight he was slow off the mark, rushed out to clear, made a complete hash of it and almost presented Swansea with a gift-wrapped goal.
Our covering and organisation was first-class and everyone in defence and midfield played their part.
Our passing was also better, and it was two world class balls from Johnson and McNair which created our goals.
Interesting results tonight. We may be 10th in the table, but not only are we just 2 pts outside of the play-off places, we are only 4 pts from being league leaders.
A heartening comeback after the disappointments of Saturday.
I agree that Dhanda seems one hell of a player. One might say his appearance got Swansea’s dander up. I love these close finishes though, gets my adrenaline going when watching most of television sends me to sleep. I was a tad disappointed that Boro didn’t get that 3rd goal though as it would have fitted in well with my weird post just before kickoff at 6.56, but I do admit to being eccentric.
He'll probably play more against teams in the bottom half but perhaps he's destined to be an impact sub - I wonder how Man City will view his lack of game time come January?
Is it harsh to suggest that Man City have given up on him and are just happy to see him play somewhere else whether or not he gets much game time. It’s sad and I’ve nothing against him but he seems to be running out of time. When does his City contract end?
Interesting results tonight. We may be 10th in the table, but not only are we just 2 pts outside of the play-off places, we are only 4 pts from being league leaders.
Had we lost, Swansea would have been top, and had we beaten Norwich so would we.
@lenmasterman Interesting that you think Whatmore is like Barmby Len. He reminds me of Higgy another one of the dynamic duo.
OFB
Our passing was also better, and it was two world class balls from Johnson and McNair which created our goals
Exacly my thoughts this morning. Of course the goals were good but I still dream about the two passes that made the goals. Superb.
Up the Boro!
Crikey, this league is tight this year isn’t it? I wonder if having some fans back in Tiers 1 & 2 will make a difference.
I really enjoyed last night’s game although the last 10 minutes weren’t good for my blood pressure. Whatmore looks like a quality player - let’s hope he can stay fit. There’s a lot of talk about his first goal being a deflection but I reckon it was going in the opposite corner before it hit their defender.
UTB
@martin-bellamy And their goal was a delection off Fry. So luck was equal in here. We deserved the win, me thinks. Up the Boro!