Middlesbrough 2, Stoke City 1

Sep 1 2008 The Journal

GARETH Southgate admitted Boro had ‘won ugly’ after watching his side salvage three points in a scrappy 2-1 win over 10-man Stoke.

Boro got hauled into a shapeless toe-to-toe battle with the robust Potters, but after a shaky opening half hour took the lead with an Afonso Alves free-kick awarded for a two-footed challenge that saw former Newcastle man Amdy Faye sent off.

But Boro failed to make their extra man count and squandered a string of chances to seal it and even missed a penalty before handing the visitors an equaliser against the run of play with a Justin Hoyte own goal.

And the home side saved their blushes five minutes from time through Tunçay.

Southgate said: “We made hard work of it. Stoke City were good on the day and did a disciplined job while we were maybe a bit sloppy. They got men behind the ball and made it hard for us. They then got the ball and bodies into our box in the direct manner we expected and caused us a few problems.

“But that is something we will encounter again and we have to learn to play against it.

“We missed a few chances to wrap it up and of course Stewart Downing missed the penalty. Maybe we weren’t as patient or ruthless as we should have been and you could almost see their goal coming.

“That said, we showed great character and kept plugging away and creating the chances. When the winning goal came I felt we deserved it. Quite a few of my team weren’t at their best but we just had enough to get there in the end. Some people say it’s a good thing if you don’t play well then win ugly but I don’t agree.

“If you don’t play well then no matter what the result you have to get out on the training ground and work hard to put right those things that you got wrong.”

Boro found themselves in a war of attrition in a scrappy opening half-hour at the Riverside and had to scramble away a string of high balls, long throws and free-kicks into the box. Twice David Wheater blocked shots from Seyi Olofinjana while Ross Turnbull went full length to push a 25 yard effort by ex-Sunderland man Liam Lawrence around the post.

Despite Stoke’s pressure Boro carved out the best of the chances and Brazilian hitman Alves got to a Gary O’Neil cross on 10 minutes but put a free header wide at the far post. He then was teed up on the edge of the box by Mohamed Shawky but stumbled over the ball as he shaped to shoot.

The £12.7m marksman made amends though when he blasted Boro into the lead on 38 minutes. In an incident that swung the game Boro’s way, Faye launched into a rash lunge at Shawky as they went for a loose ball just outside the box. He was immediately shown a straight red by well-placed referee Mike Dean. When order was restored the Brazilian cracked the free-kick into the top corner. After the break Boro came out with more purpose and forced a string of openings but failed to make them count.

A good move on the hour saw Alves cut in from the right to pick out unmarked Tunçay. He controlled and turned well but then blazed over from 10 yards while Downing and the Turk also had good efforts well saved. Boro should have wrapped the game up on 64 minutes when Olofinjana bundled over Alves in the box and the ref awarded a penalty. But Downing rattled it against the bar.

Boro paid the price on 71 minutes when Stoke levelled as Lawrence got down the right and drilled an awkward low cross to the far post where the unfortunate Hoyte, making his first league start since his £3m move from Arsenal, turned the ball in off his chest under pressure from Dave Kitson.

Persistent Boro salvaged the game with a winner on 85 minutes when a Downing cross was only half cleared as far as Didier Digard. With Stoke’s back-line pushing out, the Frenchman slotted a ball into the box to Tunçay who was played on by a sluggish last defender and the Turk calmly drilled home from 10 yards.

BORO will face Premier League champions Manchester United at Old Trafford in the third round of the Carling Cup.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Turnbull, Hoyte (Taylor 72), Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Aliadiere, Shawky (Digard 61), O’Neil, Downing, Alves (Mido 76), Sanli. Subs (not used): Steele, Riggott, Emnes, Adam Johnson.

Booked: O’Neil, Huth.

Goals: Alves 37, Tuncay 85.

STOKE: Sorensen, Griffin, Cort, Abdoulaye Faye, Dickinson (Wilkinson 67), Lawrence, Olofinjana, Amdy Faye, Delap, Kitson (Cresswell 83), Fuller (Sidibe 74). Subs (not used): Simonsen, Whelan, Diao, Buxton.

Sent Off: Amdy Faye (36).

Booked: Griffin, Fuller, Lawrence, Wilkinson.

Goal: Hoyte 71 og.

Attendance: 27,627. Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).