P: United 1 - 1 Boro
Richardson / Viduka
As predicted, United will treat their fans to a white knuckle ride all the way to the last game of the season.
When Sir Alex’s men stole victory at Anfield, red ribbons were being attached to the Premiership trophy in anticipation of United’s first league triumph since 2003. This draw against a limited Middlesbrough side reduces the lead over Chelsea to just four points. Should the champions prevail over Newcastle, the lead will be just one point.
Yet again, a defensive injury was at the root of United’s malaise. United took the lead in the second minute when a gorgeous, defence splitting diagonal pass from Scholes found Rooney rushing towards goal and a one on one with the goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Rooney appeared to miscontrol his attempt to go round the keeper and was to be grateful to the accompanying Richardson who gratefully tucked the ball home to give United the lead.
Sir Alex’s team then settled down for the kind of “economic” performance that had marked the victory over the wretched Sheffield United in midweek. Middlesbrough, playing for pride and place money, contributed little going forward whilst United looked for an even work out ahead of next week’s draining battle against the Milanese.In the 26th minute, Yakubu should have done better when Boro caught Ferdinand in possession near the centre circle and released the Nigerian forward for a direct run at goal, only for him to shoot wide of the post.
Ferdinand would have been happy to remember the match for his moment of embarrassment. Alas, to the groans of much of the 75,000 crowd, the lasting image of the defender will be his grimace after straining a groin muscle. In the 44th minute Ferdinand, who missed the Sheffield match due to injury, moved awkwardly in clearing a ball from his own area.
In that instant, he understood that his match was over. If only Sir Alex had shared that recognition. The manager gambled on leaving the defender on-field to see out the half. Middlesbrough, with their only meaningful effort of the first half, moved the ball out to the dangerous Downing. His cross found an immobile Ferdinand and a ball-watching Brown. It also fell invitingly for the muscular Mark Viduka who converted with a neat near post header.
Fans might have expected a rally by United as the second half got underway but as at Portsmouth earlier this month, the team was running on empty. Worse, without a defensive leader, Brown and Heinze competed for worse defender in a red shirt, as Boro sought to impose their physical supremacy. Boro now were ascendant and only Cattermole’s waywardness and some desperate defending saved United’s blushes.
Sir Alex sent on Giggs, Fletcher and Solskjaer in a bid to save the day. The players had as little an impact on the game as the teammates they replaced, although Solskjaer did score in the 71st minute after kicking the ball out of Schwarzer’s arms and was promptly booked.
United lacked fluency in attack and precision in their midfield creation. The match looked to be heading for a draw once Rooney spurned a golden chance in the 78th minute, when looping his shot past the Boro post.
TEAM
United: Van Der Sar; Heinze; Ferdinand (Fletcher 45); Brown; O’Shea; Richardson (Giggs 45), Ronaldo; Carrick; Rooney; Smith (Solskjaer 66)
Subs: Kuszczak; Eagles,
POST SCRIPT
Sir Alex: “It opens the door, no question about that. We always knew if we made mistakes they have got the ability to come back. It’s a big task now.
“We are still in pole position, still in the lead but we’ll have to do it the hard way. The injuries killed us in the first half. I was hoping to get to halftime to get Rio off. Rio was limping, he just couldn’t get to it. Maybe if I’d taken him off it would have been OK.
“But that was just the bad breaks you get in football, there is nothing you can do about it. We huffed and puffed a lot in the second, had some good opportunities in the last third of the field but needed a bit of composure. It (the equaliser) gave them something to hold on to and they played the containing game well in the second half.
“I’m actually only playing with 12 players now, the rest are injured. It’s an injury crisis of major proportions. We’ve got to patch up a team for this massive game on Tuesday now.”
Gareth Southgate: “We’ve got to be pleased with a point coming here under the circumstances. We recovered from the worst possible start and then the timing of the equaliser and could have got something on the break.
“It looked like [a penalty] from where I was. These 50/50 calls don’t tend to go for us here.”
