Boro fight for point
Feb 8 2010 The Journal
Ipswich Town 1, Boro 1
However, Boro came out reorganised and galvanised after the break and clawed back with a David Wheater goal from a corner just after the hour mark – then in a lively spell that followed, had some good chances to snatch victory.
“We got better in the second half and we showed a lot of mental strength,” said Strachan.
“We had a lot of good individual performances in an unsettling game, played at a pace and ferocity. Flood and O’Neil were so brave in the middle of the park.
“Players can take a lesson from them. We had to be professional after conceding in the first few seconds and we did that, so it is good point.”
Boro had a nightmare start as Healy cut in from the right and skipped past Jonathan Grounds before drilling in a low cross which deflected off the boot of McManus and flew goalwards, where Murphy lost marker Wheater and stabbed past the advancing keeper Danny Coyne for the quickfire opener.
In the shaky spell which followed, Ipswich ran riot down their right and as the pressure mounted, Coyne saved from first Murphy then Jon Walters, before Wheater almost put through his own goal as he stooped to head a cross in to the near post.
On the stroke of half-time, Ipswich went close again as Gareth McAuley headed just wide after a free-kick from Grant Leadbitter, another Sunderland old boy.
But after the break, Boro looked a different side.
They carved out a string of chances that were scrambled away by a suddenly jittery Ipswich.
Then on 62 minutes Wheater barged through a crowd to bundle home a header from a Gary O’Neil corner to claim his first league goal since the Premiership curtainraiser against Spurs 18 months ago.
Soon after the home side’s former Hartlepool keeper Arran Lee-Barrett had to desperately claw a Chris Killen effort away after it slithered under his body then another header from the Boro frontman was hoofed off the line by McAuley.
“The draw was a fair result,” conceded Strachan, but he knows that after three draws in that four-game unbeaten sequence, his side need to start winning if they are to close in on the play-off pack.
“We need to go on a run,” the Boro boss said as he looked forward to home games with Barnsley and Peterborough this week. “We have a lot of players to come back and we need to make that count.”
IPSWICH TOWN: Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, McAuley, Delaney, David Wright (Garvan 79), Walters, Leadbitter, Norris, Colback, Healy (Counago 62), Daryl Murphy (Stead 85). Subs (not used): Brian Murphy, Peters, Balkestein, Edwards.
Booked: Norris. Goal: Daryl Murphy 1.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Coyne, Naughton, Wheater, Grounds, Hoyte, Flood, O’Neil, McManus, Taylor (Franks 51), Miller, Killen (Lita 81). Subs (not used): Steele, Walker, Bennett, McMahon, Luke Williams.
Booked: O’Neil. Goal: Wheater 62.
Ref: Keith Hill (Hertfordshire) Att: 21,243
