Pre match: There is one change to the team that started against Chelsea, with Michael Johnson replacing the injured Stephen Ireland for just his second game for the senior side, his debut having been back in October at Wigan.
For the home side there’s no Arca, Woodgate or Viduka, Gareth Southgate having one eye on the cup replay at Old Trafford on Monday.
It’s a clear but cold day on Teeside as we look for some vital points to keep distance between us and Charlton.
The Match
Johnson set up the first good chance of the day when his telling through ball found Barton, who ran into the area and shot, the ball rolling just a few inches wide of Schwarzer’s right post.
The home side were forced into a substitution after eight minutes when Pogatetz fell awkwardly when passing out of defence, Andrew Davies replacing him.
Mpenza found the side netting after 17 minutes with an opportunistic strike after a bad header from Parnaby.
City had to make their own replacement on 21 minutes when Micah Richards hobbled off, and with Georgios Samaras coming on a reshuffle had to take place, with Sun Jihai dropping in to right back.
The hosts nearly seized on City’s rearrangement shortly after when Stuart Downing’s long range shot was pushed behind by Isaksson. Substitute Davies headed powerfully but just wide from the corner.
Michael Ball’s excellent cross on 28 minutes found Mpenza free in the area, but the defender’s efforts deserved better than to see the Belgian’s header flying a long way wide of the right hand post.
Mpenza made a better attempt five minutes later, Barton finding him after a good run through the middle, but from an angle the final shot went straight at Schwarzer, who saved easily.
Jason Euell, in his first start for Boro in four months, volleyed over from the edge of the box on 36 minutes, and that was the last real chance of a quiet first half.
James Morrison replaced Dong Gook Lee for Boro after the break.
City had the first chance of the second half when Samaras rose to Vassell’s chip from the right, Mark Schwarzer diving low to his right to keep the scores level. Joey Barton received the first booking of the match on 50 minutes for a high challenge on Downing, but he nearly made amends just after when he forced Boro’s Australian keeper to push a shot behind for a corner.
The home fans were getting on the backs of their team, and then they had real cause for complaint when City took the lead on the hour! Mpenza nodded down a Barton corner to Sylvain Distin, who took a split-second to spin around and hammer the ball high into the roof of the net. The City fans behind Schwarzer’s goal went berserk at what could be a crucial goal in our season.
Distin’s strike prompted Southgate to bring Viduka on for Euell.
It was backs-to-the-wall time for City now, with Dunne timing a challenge to perfection on 70 minutes inside the area.
But a good afternoon turned into a great one with 16 minutes left! Barton robbed Cattermole and fed Emile Mpenza, and the Belgian held off a defender to slide the ball into the net off the right hand post. The striker was booked for celebrating in the City section of the stands, but that scarcely mattered as City closed in on three vital points. Almost as pleasing was the sight of hundreds of home fans making for the exits with lots of time left to play.
The exodus from the stands continued as City continued to threaten and when they held off the home side’s attacks. Mpenza nearly got past Schwarzer as 90 minutes passed, and in stoppage time his toe-poke from close range was only just wide.
Full time went with boos echoing around the stadium from the home fans, a great feeling for the City side who applauded their own support and received the acclaim they deserved in return.
