Premier League - Sunderland peg back Boro

Eurosport - Sat, 10 Jan 17:36:00 2009

A late Kenwyne Jones strike ensured Sunderland salvaged a point in the 128th Tees-Wear derby away to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

FOOTBALL 2008-09 Premier League Middlesbrough striker Afonso Alves celebrates scoring against Sunderland with team-mate David Wheater - 0

Alfonso Alves put Middlesbrough in the lead on the stroke of half-time, but with the game drawing to a close Jones finished off a lightning quick counter-attack to the delight of the Mackems faithful. Sunderland could have even won it in a pulsating finish.

With much bragging rights at stake - a Middlesbrough win would propel them above their neighbours but a defeat could potentially consign them to the foot of the table - the game began tentatively.

Keen to avoid losing their fourth game in a row, Middlesbrough started the brighter and hungrier; yet their early endeavour bore scant reward.

Hunger and desire can only take a team so far, and distinctly lacking imagination the home side were restricted to efforts from distance.

Downing had the first but struck straight at Marton Fulop. Didier Digard and Julio Arca had efforts that were not so much straight at the 'keeper, more so the corner flag.

Middlesbrough hadn't scored in three games before today and with shooting like that it was little wonder.

Sunderland, a side with pace to burn, punctuated the swathes of neat Boro passing with clinical breaks that created inviting opportunities for both Jones and Cisse.

Unfortunately for Sunderland their front men were profligate - Jones heading wide, while Cisse's effort dropped kindly for Ross Turnbull in the Middlesbrough goal.

It was with a swift Middlesbrough counter-attack that the otherwise anonymous Alves completely changed the complexion of this tight affair at the end of the first half.

Want-away England winger Stuart Downing led the break and played in Alves on the edge of Sunderland's area, not having to break stride the Brazilian met the square ball sweetly and left Fulop with little hope.

It was the first real contribution from the Brazilian who had up until that point found it difficult to get to grips with Nyron Nosworthy physical interpretation of the beautiful game; but having seen his side score for the first time in three games boss Gareth Southgate will care little.

Having endured a first half starved of clear-cut chances the Tees-Wearside crowd would have hoped to see more attacking intent following Alves' late first-half strike.

Sunderland duly showed more attacking intent, but with injuries, substitutions and stoppages aplenty they could not force any kind of concerted pressure on their hosts.

Sunderland were restricted to half chances and shots from distance while chasing the game. And luck looked not to be on the Black Cats' side, with referee Phil Dowd waving away a penalty claim, after Adam Johnson appeared to handle.

As the game drew to a close Middlesbrough looked likely to leapfrog their neighbours and rivals, but two substitutes - Andy Reid and David Healy - combined for Jones to tap home.

Reid played in Healy who centred for the Trinidadian to arrive late and fire home from six yards out.

With seven minutes remaining Sunderland really went for it and Middlesbrough were hanging on.

Carlos Edwards came closest to giving his side an unlikely victory, his glancing header cleared of the line by Johnson.

With a corner in the final minute it looked as though Middlesbrough had suffered their final scare but Jones headed clear and Cisse broke through on goal - a last ditch McMahon tackle saving a point for the home side.

Marcus Foley / Eurosport

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  1. gaz u are so full of dogshite

    From butchkins, on Mon 12 Jan 7:46PM

  2. PEGGED BORO BACK? dont think so i thought sunderland controlled the game and had the majority of the possesion but the boro always looked effectibve in the counter attack downing was lively in the first half but may aswell not bothered cumin out second half and when card happy referee booked any kind of phyical contact made by sunderland playes. byt he end of the game boro were hanging on when we equalised and then should of gone 2-1 up but johnson who was stood on the line backheeled it from behind the line?!!???!?!? how is that no a goal with cisse should of scored and crossed it with the last kick of the game for healy to tap in but hey ho. no surprise to see boro not sell out again for what is the biggest game of the season for then bring on the only true derby mags vs the mackems worst support weve ever seen for the last time going down smogs micky mouse squad

    From gazhare, on Mon 12 Jan 12:47PM

  3. mad-godfrey your absolutely right my c@@k is bigger than my mouth, but it's you who gets them in your mouth I'll wager.

    From jack torrance, on Mon 12 Jan 8:45AM

  4. sunderland could not pep there coat never mind peg boro back you are just a bad club

    From malcolm, on Sun 11 Jan 6:12PM

  5. jack your @#$% is bigger than your mouth

    From malcolm, on Sun 11 Jan 6:04PM

  6. "you're credit's always fine here Mr. Torrance"

    From jack torrance, on Sun 11 Jan 5:10PM

  7. "all rest and no play makes Jack a dull boy"
    "ALL REST AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY"
    "Al£ £es£ an? no £lay m!$kes j@@K a d££l boy"

    From jack torrance, on Sun 11 Jan 5:08PM

  8. Tony K must be a closet Sunderland fan or something like that the amount of time he devotes his life to commenting on all things Sunderland or he might just be the usual small fat big mouthed mag FTM

    From m.hall999, on Sun 11 Jan 2:53PM

  9. Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack
    Jack

    From malcolm, on Sun 11 Jan 2:53PM

  10. p.s just noticed this page is on the 'Boro' site also.Well played lads, I think boro were probably the better team on the day, helped very much of course by one of our own, the ever impressive Julio Arca (can we have him back).But was that ball over the line?

    From jack torrance, on Sun 11 Jan 11:39AM

  11. tony k and mad-godfrey, dennis wise -legends

    From jack torrance, on Sun 11 Jan 10:03AM

  12. mal-godfrey you're not kidding, at 6'4" and 18 stone I am one big *@*& I'm a red and white shirt wearing jolly green giant full of mirth and cheer, who loves to mock my slum dwelling bretheren across on the tyne, how can you lot stand the smell? beats me.Have you still got that rusty old boat for a nightclub? . . classy.

    From jack torrance, on Sun 11 Jan 9:54AM

  13. ha ha Tony K and mad-godfrey, you could only manage a desperate draw against a very poor West Ham, Sid Jame's Park has rarely seen such a poor team in black and white, what's gonna happen when Owen and Given leave?

    From jack torrance, on Sun 11 Jan 9:50AM

  14. Well done mackem scum on getting a draw against the mighty boro, a truely gargantuan effort. For the record i am now tony 4 friends, I am counting jack torrance as my 4th friend coz I seem to spend so much time talking to him. Jack if i ever see you i'll buy you a pint, then tip it all over your fat mackem head!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!!

    From Tony K, on Sun 11 Jan 7:45AM

  15. Tony"3 friends"K,I'm afraid you have overstated on the 3 friends bit my fellow Mackem.The reason for this is because he really and technically has know friends(although he will swear he has One-this is really is schizophrenic Alta-ego, so technically he as know friends-he has got a workmate in his mother shed though!

    FTM and the Toxics too!

    From PWilson, on Sat 10 Jan 6:45PM

  16. JACK FAT F**K YOU ARE ONE BIG @#$%

    From malcolm, on Sat 10 Jan 6:18PM

  17. I pride myself on being a true Black Cat and my best friend is a Ginger Tom.

    From OLIVER'S TWISTED, on Sat 10 Jan 11:16AM

  18. sunderland..ha..ha... always have been a joke premiership side

    From Michael, on Fri 9 Jan 8:39PM

  19. Panto season at SJP again this weekend, look out defence he's behind you.

    From jack torrance, on Fri 9 Jan 9:26AM

  20. Dennis Wise and Tony K are legends

    From jack torrance, on Fri 9 Jan 9:25AM
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