Middlesbrough v Scunthorpe United

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Football League Championship

Middlesbrough :
Steele, Bates, Hines, A.Taylor, Bennett, McMahon, Bailey, Arca, Boyd (McDonald 70), Lita (Park 86), Emnes.
Subs not used:
Ripley, Haas, Grounds, Smallwood, Franks.

Scunthorpe United :
Lillis, Nolan, Reid, A.Wright, Togwell, Hughes, Ibrahim, Duffy, Dagnall (J.Wright 77), Grant (Collins 70), Garner.
Subs not used:
Slocombe, Williams, Cowan-Hall.

SULSESC REPORT

by Middlesbrough Gazette at Riverside

BORO clawed further away from the Championship drop spots with a routine Riverside win over second bottom Scunthorpe.

KRIS Boyd scored his 200th career goal and Tony Mcmahon grabbed his first as Boro eased to a 2-0 win in their basement battle with Scunthorpe.

Boyd struck a deft opener to illuminate an otherwise scrappy first half and McMahon saw a long range free-kick somehow squeeze in through a crowd as Boro took control after the break.

The win edged Boro up two places in the table and open a six point gap over the relegation places. It took Boro's run to six games unbean in the league, a steady sequence of slow improvement that stretches back before Christmas. 　

Boro had a scare before a minute had been played as Matthew Bates went down and lay motionless for several minutes before going off for treatment for what looked a nose injury.

After a scrappy start to play Boro took the lead on eight minutes as Emnes lost a ball wide on the right just inside the Scunthorpe half and Seb Hines lobbed the loose ball high and towards the box where alert KRIS BOYD had made a well timed run clear behind the defence and with the keeper Lillis well off his line the Scot deftly chipped first time over his head to claim his 200th career goal.

Scunthorpe's first chance came on 11 minutes as Duffy got down the right and put a deep cross towards the far post where Dagnall came steaming in but Tony McMahon popped up to head clear before he could connect.

And the visitors launched a few more probes but Seb Hines put in a couple of tremendous blocking tackles to stop the runs of and Garner dead then headed clear after a scramble following a corner.

Boro threatened on 20 minutes as McMahon pushed a ball from the right into Boyd's feet in the box but as he tried to turn onto it he was bundled over by Reid but the ref waved play on.

Then on 22 minutes a long range Tony McMahon free-kick from the left was nodded down in the Scunthorpe box by a defender at Boyd's feet but his snap shot flashed well wide.

In a rare spell of pressure for the visitors, Scunthorpe were gifted three cheap corners by sloppy Boro touches and headers behind but they were easily dealt with then on 26 minutes Grant was given time and space in the box to race to the far post onto a Duffy cross from the right but he headed wide.

Boro matched that two minutes later when another McMahon deadball from the left dipped into the box but Hines charged through and could only glance his diving effort wide.

On 29 minutes Joe Bennett was booked for a foul on Duffy.

Boro had a half chance on 33 minutes as Emnes collected a loose ball 30 yards out only to send a low weak shot well wide.

But Boro should have had a second goal on 34 minutes as Arca carried the ball to the edge of the box then slotted a neat ball out to the left for Taylor to push it to the by-line then send a low ball flashing across the face of goal and Leroy Lita came sliding in at the far post but he could only get the slightest contact on the ball and it squirted just wide from three yards out.

Scunthorpe went close on 36 minutes when they won a free-kick 30 yards out but Duffy's effort drifted just wide of the top corner.

Boro carved out another good chance on 39 minutes when Bennett wriggled into the box from the left but blazed high and wide with an angled drive with Boyd and Lita unmarked ans screaming for the ball on the far side.

Then on 41 minutes they went close again as McMahon put a low ball into the box that Boyd got a glancing touch to and when it rebounded off a defender it feel to Arca who sent a stinging shot straight at the keeper.

Then in a scramble soon after Boyd latched onto a loose ball withhis back to goal and twisted to crack in a shot that was charged down.

In the 45th minute Ibrahim was booked for a foul on McMahon.

Then in stoppage time Boro had a strong shout for a penalty as Emnes knocked down a ball into the box and as he turned onto it it bounced up and appeared to catch a defenders arms but the claim was waved away.

And in the closing seconds Wright was booked for a foul on Taylor.

In a lively start after the break Boro threatened within two minutes of the restart with a weaving five man short passing move that carved ino Scunthorpe's box but Boyd's final scuffed shot came back off a defender.

Then when a loose ball was scrambled away to the right McMahon scooped it up and cut inside to fire in an angled 20 yard effort that hit Boyd on the back of the head and sent him sprawling in the box.

And Boro almost broke through on 53 minutes as BAiley played a sublime 50 yard ball out of defence to send McMahon racing forward but as he closed in on the box he was chopped down and Grant was booked then from the resulting 22 yard free-kick Arca sent his effort sizzling just wide.

And soon after Bennett threatened as he chased down a ball on the byline on the left and skipped past his marker only to rush straight into Taylor and the ball bounced out for a goal kick.

And on 59 minutes Bennett took a quick throw and collected the return then dribbled inside before trying to pick out Boyd in the box but his slotted pass was cut out and hoofed clear.

There was controversy that had the home crowd bubbling with fury on 64 minutes when the referee first awarded Boro a contentious penalty then after consulting his assistant changed his mind.

The flashpoint came as an Arca ball into the box bounced towards Lita who went tumbling easily under minimal contact from Reid and the well placed referee 15 yards away pointed straight to the spot to spark fury anger among the Scunthorpe players and laughter among the home fans.

Then after being summoned over to the touchline he overturned his decision and booked Lita for diving to leave the home fans seething.

But Boro were back to claim a deserved second goal on 69 minutes as Emnes was chopped down by Duffy 30 yards out and when TONY McMAHON sent his free-kick dipping towards the far post it somehow squeezed through the crowd and bounced in - although Lita was making motions as if to claim the goal.

Duffy was taken off with Collins coming on and on 70 minutes Boyd went off for Boro with Scott McDonald coming on.

Boro needed a superb defensive header from Bates to cut out a cross heading for Dagnall's run in the box on 72 minutes.

There was a flurry of yellow cards as both sides exchanged tetchy fouls which ended with the inevitable sending off, Ibrahim going on 74 minutes for a second booking after a foul on Emnes.

Scunthorpe started knocking a lot of long balls forward as they tried to claw their way back but Boro defended them with ease and looked to pick their way forward patiently for a third.

Twice crosses from Bennett on the left then one from McMahon were headed away as they tried to pick through a crowded defence.

On 87 minutes Academy graduate Cameron Park came on for Lita to make his home debut and in his brief cameo put his one 20 yard chance high over the bar.

Boro almost grabbed a third in stoppage time as Arca sent in a 20 yard freekick that skidded across the roof of the net.