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Match Report

 
 
Middlesbrough 1 : West Ham 1

Middlesbrough 1 : West Ham 1

02/11/2008 7:29 AM

Mido came off the bench to help sluggish Middlesbrough claim a share of the points in a 1-1 Barclays Premier League clash with West Ham at the Riverside.

The visitors had dominated large periods of the game with some enterprising play and had taken a deserved lead in the 21st minute when Hayden Mullins volleyed home.

But second-half substitute Mido, a replacement for the lacklustre Afonso Alves, smashed a 83rd-minute free-kick past Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green.

Boro manager Gareth Southgate named an unchanged team for the third consecutive match while West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola made four changes from the side which lost 2-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Australian Hammers captain Lucas Neill was restored after he overcame a recent virus and Zola also gave Jack Collison a midfield berth while Luis Boa Morte and Freddie Sears were included.

Middlesbrough started positively and Stewart Downing delivered a high ball into the area in the fifth minute but Neill was able to clear the danger.

The lively Sears robbed Boro defender Andrew Taylor of the possession in the ninth minute and ran towards goal, but he could only screw his shot wide from a good position.

Zola's side looked dangerous on the counterattack and two minutes later Julien Faubert broke down the right flank and slid a low ball into the box, but Chris Riggott read the situation and intercepted before Sears could get a touch.

West Ham took a warranted lead in the 21st minute after Luis Boa Morte broke down the left and fed the ball to Mullins who miss-hit his first attempt at goal.

But the ball sat up and he made no mistake with his second effort to smash a volley past Boro goalkeeper Ross Turnbull and into the top-right corner of the net from 10 yards out.

Riggott was booked for a handball in the 33rd minute and Craig Bellamy whipped the ball into the penalty area from the resulting free-kick but Wheater was able to head the ball clear.

The Hammers continued to look dangerous on the break with the pace of Sears and Bellamy always looking a threat.

Mullins almost added a second in the 40th minute when he lashed a long-range shot at goal which Turnbull watched fly just over the bar.

West Ham goalkeeper Green was forced to make his first real save moments before the interval when he tipped over a cross-shot from Downing.

Southgate replaced Wheater with Justin Hoyte after the half-time break as he tried to deal with the pace of the impressive Boa Morte.

A tremendous piece of play in the 52nd minute almost saw Zola's side double its advantage.

After neat build-up play, Bellamy was picked out by a deep cross to the right edge of the penalty area and his cushioned header dropped into the path of Collison.

The 20-year-old midfielder drove into the box but could only strike his shot from near the penalty spot at Turnbull who had rushed off his line.

Downing had been the home side's most effective player and his run in the 63rd minute culminated in a superb cross-field pass with the outside of his boot to set up a good chance for Gary O'Neil.

Green, though, was equal to O'Neil's shot and parried the ball to safety before Southgate made his third change of the afternoon when he brought on Mido for Alves.

A sluggish Boro finally

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images
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