Middlesbrough 0 Portsmouth 4 - Match Report

By Lillibet M
August 30 2006

Uncertainty was the watchword prior to kick off, with no-one predicting Boro’s demolition of the Champions twice in a row and Pompey, with new signings James and Campbell, yet to show what kind of opposition they were going to be this time.

Whatever else happened, there was agreement that Boro were not going to have an easy time against their hoodoo club. Rochemback saw the start of the game from the bench and local boy Cattermole was in the starting line-up. New Sunderland manager Roy Keane was in attendance to see the standard he needs to aspire to.

Schwarzer, Riggot, Pogatetz, Parnaby, Taylor , Boateng (c), Cattermole (Morrison 70), Downing, Mendieta (Rochemback 70), Viduka (Christie 70), Yakubu.
Turnbull, Davies,

THE FIRST HALF

Boro started in a 4-4-2 formation, and were immediately faced with a Portsmouth attack, the visitors intent on maintaining their 100% no-lose Riverside record. First shot of the match came from a free kick - after Riggot fouled Kanu - which curled over the wall towards the right hand corner. It would have gone in if it han’t been expertly tipped round the post by Schwarzer. Relief was short lived as Kanu managed to immediately convert the next corner and blast it in from six yards, putting the visitors ahead with his right foot. Schwarzer looked to have no chance, but the defence could have been tighter and not let it through in the first place.

Middlesbrough 0 Portsmouth 1 ( Kanu 6 mins)

Boro went on the attack and Downing and Yak attempted to equalise during the next minute, but David James stopped their efforts. For the next ten minutes it seemed that Boro were giving the ball away far too easily but were managing to hold out. Play was disjointed with both teams trading corners and free kicks in an attempt to gain the ascendancy. On thirty minutes everything apart from the score was pretty much equal.

As this half progressed play was generally on the tedious side with lack of substance on the Boro right, despite snatches of creativity. This game had much less pace than the previous Wednesday against Chelsea, and Southgate attempted to stir things up by moving Mendieta into the centre. Even though a couple of shots were attempted, most noticeably by Yakubu and then a Mendieta free kick from twenty-five yards, the visitors never looked in serious danger of conceding their lead.

With only one minute of stoppage time the first half was disappointing, with Boro being second best. Harry Redknapp’s Pompey looked to be comfortably in possession of the match, trying to ensure that Boro never recovered from the early goal, rendering the team nervy and reduced to inaccurate passes and ambling the time away to the break. Strong words would be needed in the half-time dressing room.

THE SECOND HALF

No changes at the opening of the second half, but Boro started with a noticable increase in momemtum., but an early Viduka header that went staight over the bar from a Downing cross did not lift Boro spirits. Yakubu then tried to beat his old club by trying to take advantage of a slight loss of concentration in the Portsmouth midfield, but a literally a very long shot.

As the play returned to the opposite end, Riggot made a brave sliding tackle after Kanu tried to put away a Thompson cross to give the visitors a corner, which was taken short by giving Benjani the opportunity to head the ball low out of Skippy’s reach to increase the Pompey lead.

Middlesbrough 0 Portsmouth 2 (Benjani 50 mins)

Refusing to be deterred, Downing answered with a brilliant free kick which James put away for a corner – magnificent play by both, this double act immediately repeated when the resulting corner was also saved well. A bit of pressure from Boro was livening things up, giving brief hope.

This hope was extinguished on fifty-seven minutes, when, after a further attempt on goal by Mendieta, Portsmouth broke away, Kanu taking responsibility for the attack, which Boateng simply could not stop as he took the shot from dead centre of the box.

Middlesbrough 0 Portsmouth 3 (Kanu 57 mins)

Boro were clearly rattled and at this stage it was difficult to see how this game could be salvaged, even taking into account the frantic shouting and scribblng that was happening on the bench Emotions were running high on the pitch too. A black cloud descended over the Riverside, with the exception of the 200 or so away fans in the South stand. Very mixed play from Boro with chances not being taken.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and all Boro’s changes were made at once as Rochemback, Christie and Morrison came on for Mendi, Vids and Cattermole. They had twenty minutes to turn the game around. A brief livening up from Boro saw Morrison start his game with a shot after lovely ball from Parnaby which was unfortunately not on target. Stefanovic was looking comfortable holding his team in their comfortable lead and hoping to cruise to the end.

INTO THE RED ZONE

With ten minutes to go, none of the replacements had really made their mark, and the atmosphere at the Riverside suggested that Boro were almost resigned to the convincing loss of three points. Christie and Parnaby did undoubtedly make an effort to raise the team and break the Boro duck, but were constantly thwarted by the Pompey defence, with James having a very good night indeed.

Kanu was replaced by Todorov but still there was no sign of Boro finding a way through with frustration showing on nearly every home player. Suprisingly it was Todorov who got the first card of the match when caught offside, and reacted by petulantly kicking the ball at Schwarzer. Two more bookings followed – Downing and then Parnaby as the remaining minutes ticked agonisingly by.

Utter misery happened in stoppage time when Boro spirits were already back in the dressing room and under the showers. Until then Portsmouth were playing for time and couldn’t believe their luck when they found a way through the offside trap.

Middlesbrough 0 Portsmouth 4 (Todorov 93 mins)

The jury is still out about whether there is any truth in the hoodoo rumours, but the tables had been turned in less than a week when an amazing victory was cancelled out by a drubbing. Portsmough had indeed played very well indeed, but it was a completely different Boro that turned out tonight, confiming the belief that the squad simply has to be strengthened before the transfer window closes in a few days.

NOW HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE FORUM

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