MIDDLESBROUGH 0 BLACKPOOL 2
FIRST HALF REPORT
Andy Morgan, 8 Dec 2009
Adam Johnson was the major return for Boro after he missed Saturday's 5-1 romp against QPR on Saturday due to family reasons.
Brad Jones was in goal, behind a back four of Emanuel Pogatetz, Sean St Ledger, Rhys Williams and David Wheater.
In midfield was Johnson, Gary O'Neil, Julio Arca and Isaiah Osbourne, whilst Leroy Lita and Dave Kitson were up front.
Jones, Pogatetz, St Ledger, Williams, Wheater, O'Neil, Johnson, Arca, Osbourne, Lita, Kitson, Coyne, Hoyte, McMahon, Yeates, Digard, Emnes, Williams
Report Continues Below...
THE FIRST HALF
The opening stages of the game were tepid at best and boring at worst, with neither side forcing the issue. In fact, apart from a few offsides, nothing happened in the opening quarter of an hour. The tempo was poor and this was going to cost Boro.
An Adam Johnson piece of trickery in the fifteenth minute forced a fine flying fling from Paul Rachubka in the Blackpool goal. In doing so, he denied Leroy Lita a chance of scoring from the follow-up.
The Boro were getting into the game and in the eighteenth minute, Adam Johnson dinked the ball into the box, allowing Dave Kitson to have a powerful header towards the goal. The keeper was stood in the right place though and managed the save.
In the twentieth minute, a weak challenge from St Ledger on Gary Taylor-Fletcher allowed the Blackpool man in. Fearing he was going to concede a penalty, the defender's challenge was a nothing one and this allowed Fletcher to have an opportunity. He broke the deadlock to the delight of the Seasiders. Cue the team bus to be parked outside the Boro goal.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 BLACKPOOL 1 (Taylor-Fletcher, 20)
It was going from bad to worse for the Boro as their defending was all over the place. This allowed Gary Taylor-Fletcher to score once again as he was given so much space in the box by Wheater and St Ledger. This allowed the Blackpool man to turn and pick his spot. Boro's central defensive partnership has been questioned in the past but now, the fans were booing both of them.
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 BLACKPOOL 2 (Taylor-Fletcher, 25)
Blackpool nearly scored a third through Charlie Adam, whose free-kick narrowly flashed wide in the twenty-ninth minute.
In the thirty-second, Taylor-Fletcher was gifted a free header from a Brett Ormerod cross. He had the time to chest and finish but in the end he opted to use his head. Brad Jones made the save.
At the other end, the Blackpool keeper was forced to make a save and the ball fell to Arca. He took a shot that was blocked by Ian Evatt and the move petered out with a throw-in.
Brett Ormerod showed a turn of pace and broke clear of the hapless St Ledger. He darted towards the box and blasted his shot into the side netting.
Boro were standing off the Seasiders, allowing them to dictate the pace and tempo. The home side were floundering and didn't look like having any chance of scoring.
Boro won a free kick in the thirty-ninth minute but poor delivery from Johnson allowed the Blackpool keeper to collect. The ball was too looping and did not have enough pace on it.
In the forty-third minute, Taylor-Fletcher nearly scored his hat-trick after Ormerod beat three challenges and whipped the ball into the box. Thankfully his toe just missed the ball.
This was the last meaningful action of a half where the Boro were atrocious. In fact, they were lucky just to be two down.
