Middlesbrough 1-0 Bolton

We are going up say we're going up.

Boro away - always a tough fixture. Right now they're below us in the league but with a new manager on board they could start to play to their potential. This will be a real test - again.

Starting 11:

Lonergan, McNaughton, Mills, Ream, Baptiste, Spearing, Medo, Chung-Yong, Danns, Pratley, Beckford

BoltonTillIDie wrote:Starting 11:

Lonergan, McNaughton, Mills, Ream, Baptiste, Spearing, Medo, Chung-Yong, Danns, Pratley, Beckford

I wonder if Joe Mason is on the bench? No start for Moritz???? but Pratley starts?

The answer is yes!!

BWFC subs: Lee-Barrett, Knight, Eagles, Moritz, Mason, Hall, Ngog

FFS Pratley starting again,jesus effing christ,that means another shed load of crosses coming in from the left and free kicks when he fucks up the few attempts he makes at a tackle !!!

right on cue Tigermin!

Well they say never change a winning side so fair play to dougie for doing just that.

I'd like to see Moritz start but we won last week with Pratters in the side so why not again this week?

I wouldn't pick Pratley, but it's pretty obvious why Dougie does. Really hoping we can extend our unbeaten run today.

We won because he took him off to stop crosses coming in , so he starts him again,unbelievable

This love affair is endless. Get a room.

Norpig wrote:right on cue Tigermin!

 

Report: Middlesbrough 1-0 Bolton

Bolton Wanderers’ eight game unbeaten run came to an end with a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough.

In a tightly fought contest on Teesside, Boro went ahead in the 81st minute through a Grant Leadbitter penalty.

Two minutes from time, Jermaine Beckford had the opportunity to rescue a point for the Whites, again from the penalty spot, after Andre Moritz was fouled, however the striker was unable to keep the ball on target and skied his kick over the bar.

Manager Dougie Freedman named an unchanged side from the one that beat Watford seven days ago at Vicarage Road.

Striker Joe Mason, who joined the Whites on loan from Cardiff City on Wednesday, was named amongst the Bolton substitutes for the clash on Teesside.

Hosts Middlesbrough, who welcomed new head coach Aitor Karanka to the Riverside for the first time, handed Shay Given his first start for the club following his temporary switch from Aston Villa 48 hours previous.    

It was an electric atmosphere ahead of kick-off, with the Boro faithful giving their new boss a warm welcome but the Riverside crowd soon quietened down with neither team able to influence the game inside the opening 20 minutes.

It was a frustrating start to proceedings for both respective managers, with the first talking point coming in the 23rd minute when Leadbitter was handed a yellow card for a strong challenge on Bolton skipper Jay Spearing.

The real battle of the first half took place in the midfield area as both the Whites and Boro battled for possession.

With ten minutes to go before the half time interval, the tempo gradually started to rise as Wanderers won three successive corners but were unable to test former Newcastle United custodian Given.

The best opportunity of the half fell to the hosts in the 39th minute. Winning their first corner of the game, Leadbitter delivered a deep cross into the penalty area for the delayed run of Ben Gibson but the Boro academy graduate powered a header narrowly over the bar.

Both teams were unchanged for the start of the second half but there was certainly a difference in how the game was being played with a faster rhythm compared to the first 45 minutes.

The fans were seeing a far more entertaining contest and within eight minutes of the restart, Bolton put together a lovely quick passing move involving Chung-Yong Lee and Spearing, resulting in striker Jermaine Beckford having full sight on goal but his close range effort was wayward and caused no concern for Given.

Four minutes later and Jamaican international Beckford went close again as Wanderers went in search of their fourth successive win on the road.

A long ball upfield from Kevin McNaughton inside the Boro penalty area dropped over the head of Beckford who tried a first time volley, only to rise over the bar.

As the clock ticked past the hour mark, referee Mark Brown waved away strong appeals for a penalty from Bolton as Beckford looked to have been pushed in the back by a Reds defender.

At the opposite end of the field, Middlesbrough substitute Curtis Main came dangerously close to breaking the deadlock as he let fly a left footed strike from 20 yards which crept inches wide of the post.

Wanderers boss Freedman made his first change of the afternoon with 25 minutes remaining as Pratley makes way for Andre Moritz for the second consecutive game.

With nine minutes to go, the hosts were awarded a spot kick as centre back Tim Ream was alleged to have dragged Middlesbrough’s second substitute of the afternoon Marvin Emnes to his feet just inside the penalty area.

Goalkeeper Andy Lonergan was faced with the task of denying Grant Leadbitter his fourth goal of the  season but the former Sunderland man sent the Wanderers custodian the wrong way to hand his side the lead.

Boss Freedman responded to Middlesbrough’s opener by bringing on French striker David Ngog and fellow attacker Joe Mason, with the latter making his debut for the club.

Despite Middlesbrough taking the lead, Wanderers didn’t let their heads drop and went in search of an equaliser on the Riverside to maintain their unbeaten league run which stretches back to September.

And two minutes remaining, Bolton were given a glorious chance to tie matters when Moritz was hacked down just inside the box, with referee Brown having no alternative but to point to the spot.

Top goal scorer Beckford stepped up but unfortunately the striker couldn’t keep his effort on target and the ball sailed harmlessly over the bar as Boro held on for all three points.

Wanderers will now be looking for an immediate reaction as they welcome Huddersfield Town to the Reebok Stadium on Tuesday evening, 8pm kick off.

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So jermaine beckford missed a penalty and we lost a match. Cue Natasha and the other doom mob calling for Dougie's head and saying that they told us beckford is crap all along. 

Personally I think we lost to a side with a new manager in his first home game with a highly partisan home crowd. That we lost this match and as regrettable as the penalty miss is we haven't suddenly become crap. In my humble opinion the eight match unbeaten run was decent at least, we should not be too down hearted about today and we need to roll our sleeves up and start another unbeaten run against Huddersfield.

Dougie on twitter:

"I don’t feel like we’ve lost three points today, because we didn’t do enough to win the game. I feel as if we’ve lost one."

"When it comes down to it, they’ve taken their chances in front of goal and we’ve missed ours."

"At the moment we’re certainly defending very well. We need to make sure we take the opportunities when we create them."

"We’ll pick ourselves up and go again on Tuesday night. We’ll now see if we have any bounce-back-ability in our ranks."

luckyPeterpiper wrote:Personally I think we lost to a side with a new manager in his first home game with a highly partisan home crowd. That we lost this match and as regrettable as the penalty miss is we haven't suddenly become crap. In my humble opinion the eight match unbeaten run was decent at least, we should not be too down hearted about today and we need to roll our sleeves up and start another unbeaten run against Huddersfield.

Got that bang on for me, we could have easily picked up a point today but it didn't go our way. What's important now is to win our next two home games, think Dougie needs to go for it in these and give Moritz as start over Pratley.

Given that I personally only expected four points from November I'm actually very happy with the nine we got. I expected a draw and a rough game today with maybe even an injury to a key player. (I don't know why but I had a feeling about it all week and last time I had that feeling was when Chungy got his leg snapped) so I'm almost relieved and I'm not as unhappy with a 1 - 0 loss away at Middlesborough as some here might think we should be. Personally I still see plenty of room for optimism and no reason for believing the apocalypse is coming. Next up is a home game that on paper we should win comfortably and I'm looking forward to it tremendously, especially as I will be AT the Reebok with my eldest son. 

bwfc1874 wrote:Got that bang on for me, we could have easily picked up a point today but it didn't go our way. What's important now is to win our next two home games, think Dougie needs to go for it in these and give Moritz as start over Pratley.

I couldn't agree more. Moritz looks sharp and dangerous to me and with no offence to Pratley he's far more skilful on the ball. I really hope Dougie lets the lads have a run at the opposition for once rather than sit tight the way we have been doing. I don't for one second doubt it's been effective for us and Dougie deserves much credit for getting the back line in shape but for a home game against Huddersfield with no offence to them I think we should be looking to attack from the word go. Moritz is a far better option than pratley for that and I think we'll know exactly what tactics Dougie intends to employ based on which of those two starts.

Manager: Bounce back at the Reebok

Dougie Freedman says his side’s season will not be defined by away results and stressed the importance of bouncing back in two upcoming home games at the Reebok.

Bolton’s eight-game unbeaten run came to an end when Middlesbrough, under the guidance of new boss Aitor Karanka, claimed all three points in a closely-contested affair at the Riverside Stadium.

And speaking after the game the manager said he felt his side warranted a point.

“All in all I thought it was a very close game. I don’t feel like we’ve lost three points today, because we didn’t do enough to win the game. I feel as if we’ve lost one.

“Despite losing the game, there’s no blame attached to any of my players. When it comes down to it, they’ve taken their chances in front of goal and we’ve missed ours.

“We managed to wrestle possession back in the second half after some very resolute defending in the first. We created one or two opportunities and on another we would have come away from the game with a result.

“At the moment we’re certainly defending very well. We need to make sure we take the opportunities when we create them.

“We had been conceding too many goals, but we seem to have addressed that issue somewhat. In modern-day football you need to be able to defend well really begin to set attacks in motion.

“We’ve got beat today, but games like this won’t decide our season. It’s home games at the Reebok that will prove crucial. Our form there has got to be maintained.

“We’ll pick ourselves up and go again on Tuesday night. We’ll now see if we have any bounce-back-ability in our ranks.”

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