U21's vs. Blackburn (A) Mon 22nd Apr - Match Report

[Powlay 35]

Middlesbrough travelled to Blackburn for their last U21 game of the 2012/12 season. Boro started with 5 players who had a first team appearance to their name in Williams, Park, Jones, Morris and keeper Leutwiler. Christian Burgess who has made the first team bench was again captaining the side.

 

The pitch was wet thanks to a pre game downpour but both sides struggled to really get hold of the ball in the first part of the game. Boro did have a great chance to open the scoring in the 3rd minute when Cameron Park slide in Bradley Fewster he was outpacing the defence but chose to strike the ball early on the edge of the 18 yard box and Blackburn’s French keeper Christopher Dilo saved with his shins easily.

 

Blackburn started to settle and find some joy down the Boro left, but the game itself was in all honesty rather scrappy. Both defences were on top and neither side really could take the game by the scruff of the neck and push on. Burgess at the centre of Boro’s back line was stand out in the way he broke down the home teams attacks and brought the ball out of defence.

 

Boro should have scored when Fewster broke towards the Blackburn box before being tripped some 25 yards out. Luke Williams and Cameron Park stood over the ball and Park curled in the free kick to the back post where Brobbel was waiting but his volley was well saved and Dilo managed to get up quickly to stop any rebound effort.

 

Boro were finally settling into their passing game, Jordan Jones managed to glide past his man and break towards the area. Park took the ball over and hit a poor effort that was blocked before rebounding back of the Boro player for a goal kick.

 

In between all that Christian Burgess managed a nice little shoulder pass in a crowded centre circle!

 

As the half wore on the home side managed to find another gear and really upped their game. Jamie Maclaren hit a shot just wide of Leutwiler's goal. Blackburn should have scored when a corner was headed goal ward but Maclaren seemed to deflect the ball off the line and back out into play! Tom Brown had a shot from distance that Maclaren deflected just wide of Boro’s goal and that ended the half.

 

Half Time Blackburn 0 Middlesbrough 0

 

The second half started and it was ALL Blackburn. Anton Forrester broke through and was bearing down on the Boro goal, Christian Burgess though managed to get back and put in a superb last ditch tackle taking the ball off the toes of the Blackburn forward. Straight after Blackburn had another chance as a cross came in from their left wing and Maclaren’s flicked header didn’t have enough on it and it went wide of the Boro goal.

 

Boro’s big Swiss keeper had to be on his toes and made his first real save of the evening when John O’Sullivan struck a stinging drive from distance, Leutwiler going down to his right saved well pushing the ball wide for a corner. From that corner Blackburn should have again taken the lead, Maclaren headed the ball at the near post and it looked to have Leutwiler beat only for the ball to hit Forrester! Leutwiler was quick to react saving the ball as it dropped in the 6 yard box.

 

After all the Blackburn chanced it was a mistake that allowed the opening goal and it went to the visiting side. Peter Wylie slipped when making a back pass whilst under pressure. The ball went high to keeper Dilo who tried to control it before clearing but he struggled and Fewster managed to nit in and put the ball into the net for the Boro lead.

 

GOAL BORO – Fewster 1-0

 

One could have become two as Captain Burgess got to a Park corner to head the ball into the side netting.

 

Boro Sub – Park off, Waters on. (61st min)

 

Blackburn really came back into the game strongly, the lively Jamie Maclaren again getting to a header first this time flicking it over the Boro bar. Andre Bennett ‘took one for the team’ so to speak when breaking up a Blackburn break; he blocked his man and got booked when the home side would have been breaking dangerously.

 

Boro Sub – Morris off, Kneeshaw on. (71st min)

 

Boro despite being under pressure unified and managed to keep clear cut chances to a minimum. In what could be his final game for the club as his scholarship expires this summer Ojiro Okosieme was a rock alongside Burgess. Jordan Slew broke down the Blackburn left and Okosieme covered well before making a superb slide tackle winning the ball clearly and managing to win the goal kick in the process.

 

Boro did have chances, a Jordan Jones thunderbolt was deflected wide by team mate Bradley Fewster. Another Jones effort went wide as Boro tried to hit Blackburn on the counter and wrap the game up.

 

Blackburn sub – Brown off, Hanley on.

Blackburn Sub – Forrester off, Cham on.

Boro Sub – Williams off, Rhoden on. (87th min)

 

Christian Burgess was clipped after taking the ball away from Jordan Slew in an incident that saw the Blackburn player booked. The game became a little scruffier in the final minutes but Blackburn had a chance to level it. Slew went down the Blackburn left cut back inside and smashed the ball low and hard towards the Boro goal, Leutwiler was in the right position though and beat the ball away well.

 

3 minutes added time.

 

In added time Blackburn midfielder Hugo Fernandez Molina was told ‘Hugo you go’ after swinging out petulantly at Fewster giving the ref no option but to send him off. But it didn’t affect the result as the ref blew for full time straight after.

 

SENT OFF – Fernandez Molina - Blackburn

 

Full Time – Blackburn 0 Middlesbrough 1 (Fewster)

 

Boro; Leutwiler, Bennett, Sirrell, Morris (Kneeshaw 71), Burgess ©, Okosieme, Park (Waters 61), Brobbel, Fewster, Jones, Williams (Rhoden 87)

 

Unused: Ripley (GK), Pereira.

 

Dilo, Wylie ©, Bauress, Brown (Hanley 75), Payne, Fernandez, Osawe, O'Sullivan, Forrester (Cham 85), Maclaren, Slew.

Sent off – Fernandez Molina

Unused: Raya, Wassi.

 

Thoughts/Man of the MatchThe game really was scrappy, Boro got into a passing game after a while but never really created strong chances. Blackburn put in a lot of effort and had half chances but apart from early in the 2nd half they didn’t do an awful lot. That can be put down to a strong defensive performance.

Starting with Bryn Morris, who was asked to shield the back four. He did well against a physical Blackburn team that had a lot of pace. Sirrell struggled first half but in the second half was great offering an attacking option as well. Andre Bennett despite taking a tactical booking wasn’t really troubled. The full back was always tight on his man and was ferocious in the tackle. But the best of the lot were the centre halves. Christian Burgess was fantastic and if he isn’t on the verge of the first team for Saturday then I don’t know what else he has to do. A fantastic tackle to stop a goal scoring opportunity, superb in the air and even better with the ball at his feet bringing it out of the danger areas. Alongside him was the brilliant Ojiro Okosieme. A tall gangly player who in my opinion played his best game in a Boro shirt. Superb in the air and solid in the tackle, standing out and looking unphased. Even when a player got the better of him he recovered to win the ball back and even winning a goal kick from a superb tackle.

Attacking wise Jordan Jones was his usual self, gliding past players but it was the centre halves that deservedly get the Man of the Match award.

 

Link to images from the Blackburn game

[Maccarone 265]

Hopefully Burgess will be in the squad this weekend, why wouldn't he be involved, nothing to lose, nothing to play for, get him in, remember Gary Pallister?

 

Powlay thank you for your contribution to the forum, really good stuff, living away it's great to know whose coming through and who the top prospects are-thanks for your posts!

[CurtisFleming 86]

Cheers again Powlay. Burgess sounds like he is progressing nicely.

[Powlay 35]

They've done another Adam Reach, im certain of that now.

 

I know in pre season i said he wouldnt be anywhere near the first team, in a way that was kind of to put fans off a bit. Too often fans read something good then expect the world.

 

But its clear to those who have seen him his dedication and ability has just skyrocketed since he came to the football club.

 

If he isnt involved this saturday i will be greatly upset!