Dazed Review – boro visit the KC

After a great new year for us as Tigers fans we had the chance to take a break from the league worries and enjoy a no pressure FA cup game against Premiership opposition for the second time in as many years ?

Middlesborough were the opponents and they had come with all the big guns ? A pretty much full strength team was to be the challenge that faced us and then when I heard our team I had fears we were in for an absolute stuffing to be honest! We had 4 first eleven players out with Delaney and Marney suspended, Barmby injured and Fagan missing allegedly injured ? France, Coles, Mcphee and Elliott deputized to leave us looking weak on paper ?

So the game kicks off and middlesborough were especially in fine voice putting our fans to shame to be honest and getting behind their team ? Middlesborough were as expected very dangerous from the off and looked every bit a league above us in their play ? we were not too bad over all though and did not allow them complete clear cut chances ? and as we broke we looked like we were capable of causing trouble as the defense of middlesborough was nowhere near as good as their forward line ?

Yakubu then had the first of two glorious chances for Moro and himself, the first one he was clear through on goal and Between Myhill and the steady Coles we kept him from scoring ? the second chance though was even more clear cut ? he had an open goal in front of him and somehow managed to hit the underside of the bar before Coles cleared off the line superbly to give us another reprieve ?

This seemed to give us a kick up the back side and we started creating more chances with Parkin, Ashbee and Mcphee all having chances ? I was most impressed in the first half with our midfield as we did not allow anything through the middle of the park at all ? Ashbee and Livermore were dominating and controlling the middle but we were looking a bit toothless up front and Parkin was off the pace especially ? not as bad as Elliott though who just drifted up and down the left channel very rarely getting himself involved in the game ?

Just before half time we had a clear appeal for a penalty turned down ? the defender went with both arms to block a Mcphee shot and Rennie decided it was ball to hand not hand to ball ?

Half Time – Hull City 0 – 0 Middlesborough

As the second half started Middlesborough looked to get at us and try and get that vital opening goal ? Myhill made a great save from a free kick and we managed to keep them at bay ? Elliott then came off for the return of Duffy, I personally would have brought off Parkin for Duffy but Elliott was pretty poor ? Within minutes a break away chance fell to the one person you did not want it to, Parkin, he managed to get to the point where he was about to shoot but a last ditch tackle saved a certain goal in my opinion ? His pace had just let him down and a quicker striker would have been clear away I have no doubt ? Parkin had another good chance but Middlesborough were always very dangerous going forward and in the end they got the goal that I felt over all they deserved ? They broke forward with pace and despite a last ditch tackle to stop Morrison, Viduka was on hand to pick up the pieces and finish nicely leaving Myhill with no chance ?

Duffy was looking lively and almost pulled us level with a header but the keeper was level to it ? Forster was then brought on to replace the tiring Mcphee ? Duffy then drew a free kick nicely despite heading nowhere really and from the resulting free kick Livermore delivered a ball perfectly for Forster to out jump the defense and Parkin to get to it first and put it away for what had become a deserved equalizer ?

This goal opened the game up as it went end to end with both teams having good chances ? We finished the stronger to be honest and could have stolen the game with a last gasp free kick at the end as Duffy was fouled again ? no one got on the end of it that time and the whistle was blown on a very entertaining game at the KC ? we more than held our own and to be honest at times looked like we could have stolen it ?

I will be looking for the draw and hope that we just put up a good game and with Barmby, Delaney and Marney back who knows what we could do up there!!


Full Time – Hull City 1 – 1 Middlesborough

Anyway Player Ratings

Myhill – 8? Played a great game against top quality Forwards ? kept us in the game when needed and how he made those two saves at the end I am not sure even he knows! ?

Dawson – 7? Carried on his good form but they did target his side as they must have seen him as a weak link ?

Coles – 8? Played a great game on his return to the back four and made a couple of decent goal line clearances ? coped well with Viduka for most of the game ?

Turner – 8? Yakubu was one hell of a challenge for him and he coped admirably ? really starting to have some good consistent form at the moment ?

Ricketts – 7? Came back into the side and coped well I thought ? his ability to play the ball with both feet just as comfortable really was an asset

Ashbee – 9? Cracking game from the captain ? New of the world apparently stated that Premiership clubs will be knocking on our door for him ? ok maybe that is a bit far fetched but he really did step up to the plate and deliver ?

France – 9? What a game by this lad! Never afraid to run at the defense and caused a lot of problems for the Middlesborough team as a whole ? Craig who??

Livermore – 8? Between him and Ashbee they dominated the middle of the park and they hustled well and tackled fantastically ?

Parkin – 6? Pace lacking even more so against a top quality defense in comparison to what we have been playing against ? Needs to get his act in gear or face being dropped before long I think ?

Mcphee – 8? Great game from the lad, the young defender he was against made mistake after mistake just from him hassling him and giving him no time on the ball ?

Elliott – 6? Not really in the game to be honest, could not tell where he was told to play ? drifted out too wide most of the time as we were meant to be playing 4-3-3 and to be honest did not get involved enough to be classed as a forward in this formation ?

Subs

Duffy – 7 ? Showed so much more confidence than he did prior to his loan move, got himself stuck in as well (that challenge towards the end, would any of us expected him to do that a few months ago?) and won the free kick that led to our goal ?

Forster – 7 ? Has just repaid his transfer fee with one goal financially wise ? would give him a run in place of Parkin to be honest and see if he can start getting a few goals here and there now ?

Featherstone – 6 ? Not on for long enough to comment, Loved Browns explanation for bringing him on though “Well we need to see what this lad can do as we do not know yet so if we don`t know then Middlesborough had no chance”

Top Tiger? Captain Ashbee led the team and looked like a Premiership player for a majority of the game ? still cannot believe how well he stepped up that level!

Tigers Tail? I think Elliott to be honest ? seems lost in this formation to be honest and with us being top heavy forward wise I wonder if he maybe be one to leave?

Managers Performance – 8/10? Did well with what was at his disposal ? our team without 5 starting XI players held a full strength middlesborough ? need I say more?

Ref Watch – 4/10? Shocking is not the word ? missed a blatant penalty which as it happens would have probably won us the game over all ?

(away) Crowd Watch – 7/10? Very quiet first half but the noise that came out as we scored the equalizer and the chants of “your not singing anymore” will stick in the mind for a long while ?

where to from here?? Replay at the Boro but small matter of QPR at home first ? must win game yet again and looking like without Fagan ? Lets hope we can carry this good run of form and take it to a QPR team who are slipping badly at the minute ? time to capitalize!