Not all Doom and Gloom

Portsmouth 0 - 1 BORO

BORO's Christmas schedule had, until today, been filled with disappointment after defeats against West Ham and Birmingham City. But a rallied performance and another Tuncay goal handed BORO a shock three points away to Portsmouth.

BORO were down to the bare bones regarding fit players and Gareth Southgate found that his team picked itself with just 16 fit senior players to chose from. This meant that Mohamed Shawky, Robert Huth and Dong Gook Lee found themselves in the starting line up.

BORO went into the game looking for their first win of the Christmas period after losing 2-1 to West Ham and 3-0 away to Birmingham on Boxing day, whilst Portsmouth were looking to end a run of 450 minutes without scoring at Fratton Park, on the back of their goalless draw to Arsenal in mid-week

Many would have thought, therefore, that the game was poised to be a cracker and Pompey started fast, determined to put an instant end to their unimpressive goalscoring record. However wayward passing and even more wayward shooting explained a lot about why Portsmouth have struggled to score in recent weeks.

BORO showed that they weren't prepared to rush into the game and started to play the sort of composed football that Gareth Southgate has aimed for. With the mighty Robert Huth back in defence, BORO were happy to absorb the Portsmouth pressure and release Stewart Downing and former Pompey star Gary O'Neil down the wings in attack.

Both Downing and O'Neil were involved in the opening goal as Downing crossed to the far post where O'Neil volleyed the ball across David James leaving Tuncay to tap in his fourth goal in six games.

BORO then turned the game their way as a series of near misses with O'Neil, determined to score against his old club, narrowly hitting a free-kick over the bar and then Robert Huth missing a rare chance by the post.

Portsmouth continued to look unconvincing in their efforts and really gave Harry Redknapp a reason to add to that January shopping list of his, with pass after pass going astray and embarrassingly wayward shooting, Papa Bouba Diop with a real contender for miss of the season as he lobbed his effort, from less than ten yards, over the bar.

Matthew Taylor replaced Hermann Hreidarsson at half-time and seemed to make an instant impact as his early second half free-kick picked out Kanu who agonisingly struck the post. A sign, perhaps, that it wasn't going to be Portsmouth's day.

Dong Gook Lee looked on good form, deputising for the injured Jeremie Aliadiere, and he seemed fitter and stronger than previously this season, holding off Sol Campbell time after time and was presented with several early second half chances, which he failed to convert. But by far showing his determination to prove himself at BORO and certainly giving his best BORO performance since signing nearly a year ago.

Both sides seemed to drift from the early quality they had shown and the game withered out to desperation as BORO tried to increase their lead and Pompey fought for an equaliser.

BORO saw four players booked as they defended hard to hang on to their one goal lead and they battled to the final whistle to record a vital and, quite honestly, unexpected three points on the road and a win against a side that they have failed to beat at Fratton Park in the top-flight for over half of a century.

"People probably looked at us and thought we'd be rolled over at a place like Portsmouth but I was delighted by the attitude we showed." - BORO Boss Gareth Southgate

Attendance: 20, 089
BORO Blog BORO Man of the Match: Gary O'Neil

Photos & Quotes courtesy of BBC Sport (www.bbc.co.uk/sport) & SkySports (www.skysports.com/football)

San-sational!

Derby County 0 - 1 BORO

BORO recorded their first back-to-back league win of the season this weekend as Tuncay Sanli scored his third goal in as many games.

It was a less than entertaining display from two teams battling relegation but, as expected, there was plenty of grit and determination at Pride Park on Saturday.

BORO started brighter and Gary O'Neil was presented with the first chance after a superb chipped pass from in-form striker Tuncay, but his first touch was less than convincing and so his weak shot was easily saved by Stephen Bywater.

New Derby boss, Paul Jewell, was handed a further reason to feel glum, having taken over a team rock-bottom of the league, when defender Andy Griffin picked up a knock and had to be replaced mid-way through the first.

The game seemed to tip both ways as both teams battled for an opener, but it was BORO who bagged the first goal in the 38th minute as Matt Oakley was caught in possession by David Wheater; whose hopeful down-field punt was leaped upon by Stewart Downing who glided a pin-point cross into the box for Tuncay to latch onto with a sensational first time left footed volley past the helpless Stephen Bywater to mark his third goal in his last three appearances.

However, the goal seemed to serve as a boost for the home side as they mounted a series of attacks to launch a comeback. Derby had a dubious penalty appeal turned away by referee Rob Styles just before half time as Kenny Miller seemed to be pulled down by David Wheater, but replays showed that, whilst Wheater was holding Miller, the striker was also backing into Wheater.

Downing produced a good save from Stephen Bywater, just after the break, as Aliadiere and Tuncay combined in a great piece of attacking play before skipper George Boateng saw his diving header agonisingly rebound off the post as he latched onto Fabio Rochemback's inviting cross.

Derby were then infuriated as an almost certain penalty was denied by Rob Styles when Emanuel Pogatetz missed timed his attempted header and the ball struck his arm. Styles pointed for a corner as Pogatetz protested to Derby players that the ball had struck him on the back of the head.

Jeremie Aliadiere had a late goal disallowed when he controlled a long pass before superbly rounding the onrushing Stephen Bywater and striking from a tight angle into the open net. Rob Styles declared a ruling of hand ball after his lines-man wrongly flagged when Aliadiere controlled the ball with his torso, close to but not actually with his arm or hand.

Giles Barnes then seemed poised to strike an equaliser for the home side as he controlled a pin-point cross on the edge of the box and lashed at the ball with a stinging volley. But back-from-injury BORO keeper Mark Schwarzer seemed comfortable as he frustrated Barnes and Derby, saving the shot with a confident catch in the centre of his goal.

BORO defended valiantly, however, to the end to deny Derby an equaliser and to record their second consecutive win after beating previously unbeaten Arsenal, at the Riverside.

One worrying note for BORO is that England winger Stewart Downing picked up a late knock and had to be replaced by youngster Adam Johnson, both of whom have been subject to rumours suggesting that they will be leaving BORO in January. Boss, Gareth Southgate and chief executive Keith Lamb have flatly refused to entertain any bids for either player and encourage teams not to waste their time with a fruitless effort.

Attendance: 32, 676
BORO Blog BORO Man of the Match: Tuncay

BORO in for Dica?

BORO have, understandably, been linked with a number of strikers ahead of the January transfer window after their dismal start to the season and whilst, today, Gareth Southgate has denied reports linking BORO with Sheffield United and Championship top scorer James Beattie, fresh reports are emerging that BORO are making a move for a striker that they know all too well.

Nicolae Dica is Steaua Bucharest's Romanian striker who BORO came face to face with in their amazing run up to the UEFA Cup final. Dica agonisingly scored twice against BORO, with a goal in each leg of the semi-finals.

Gareth Southgate was in BORO's back line on the night that Dica sank BORO hearts when he scored in the second leg, before BORO, and most memorably, Massimo Maccarone mounted a monumental comeback to mark their place in the final.

Dica has impressed for both club and country, of late, and has attracted attention from many clubs, most notably of those being Premiership rivals Aston Villa.

BORO are reportedly close to sealing a deal for Dica worth €5 million, with Steaua president Valeriu Argaseala, who is looking to make some money out of Dica whose contract will expire at the end of the season.

BORO Steal Gunners Ammo

BORO 2 - 1 Arsenal

BORO claimed a massive scalp, today, in their fight to break free of the relegation zone as they ran league leaders Arsenal ragged.


Arsenal traveled to The Riverside, today, with an unbeaten league record. But were without key players Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie and Aleksander Hleb, and it showed.
Arsenal had looked unsettled against BORO's North East rivals, Newcastle, in midweek as they only managed a draw and Gareth Southgate was looking to exploit Arsenal's vulnerability.

BORO started the game on fire and took Arsenal completely by surprise in just the third minute, as Jeremie Aliadiere burst into the box past Kolo Toure, who then fouled the former Arsenal striker to concede an early penalty. Up stepped BORO's top scorer of the season, Stewart Downing, to take the penalty and he looked nervous before rifling the ball into the bottom corner to give BORO a rare early goal.

Uncharacteristically, Arsenal looked sloppy and nothing seemed on for them as BORO ran them ragged all over the field, with Aliadiere and Tuncay showing that they have formed a formidable partnership in the BORO frontline, working tirelessly to create some good chances.

Emanuel Eboue was lucky to be on the field after blatantly striking Emanuel Pogatetz in the face before, later, jabbing Stewart Downing in the thigh. Both attacks went completely unnoticed by referee Howard Webb and so Eboue avoided even a yellow card.

Emanuel Adebayor was presented with a good chance for Arsenal, but he headed wide and sarcastic cheers met Rosicky's driven effort that trickled yards wide.

BORO went about their attacking onslaught as they pressured Arsenal into a series of mistakes to create some quality chances. But for all of BORO's chances, their lack of a clinical finisher showed.

Arsene Wenger must have been infuriated with his team's performance in the first half and was compelled to remove Eduardo Da Silva in place of Niklas Bendtner, which proved to be a fruitless endeavor.

BORO continued to excite the fans and pressure Arsenal all over the field and they could have gone two or three up as, first, Rochemback fed an intricate ball to Tuncay who found himself one-on-one with Almunia but slid his angled shot just inches wide and then George Boateng fired a rare shot just wide of Almunia's goal.

Aliadiere than exposed Arsenal's back line, again, to force a corner. The corner provided Gary O'Neil with a perfect opportunity, which he drilled at Almunia who could only parry the shot. But Tuncay was first to react as he lofted the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle to give BORO a two goal lead and to claim his second goal in two games.

More good news for BORO came when Julio Arca made his long awaited return from injury, having not featured since picking up an injury back in September. Arca replaced Aliadiere in the eightieth minute, as both players received a standing ovation from the twenty six thousand BORO faithful.

Tuncay continued to battle on to the end when he ran himself into the ground, in the ninetieth minute, to close down first Clichy, then Almunia and then Kolo Toure in turn to force Arsenal to give away possession.

Tuncay received the standing ovation that he more than deserved, in injury time, as he was replaced by Adam Johnson.

BORO held on into the fourth minute of injury time, when their deffence was undone for the first time in the game as Arsenal put a good move together, which ended with Thomas Rosicky's low shot beating Ross Turnbull and hitting the back of the BORO net.

Gareth Southgate was clearly gutted with the late Arsenal goal as his team were seconds from a rare clean sheet. But the fact that BORO became the first team to beat Arsenal in the league this season, will more than serve to keep everyone associated with the BORO smiling until, at least, next week when they do battle with Derby.

Attendance: 26, 428
BORO Blog BORO Man of the Match: Tuncay, it was genuinely really difficult to pick one BORO player for the blog's man of the match award this week as every player could have taken the award.

BORO Bid for Ronaldinho!

The future of one of the world's greatest footballers, Ronaldinho, has been much discussed in recent months after speculation that he will be leaving Barcelona following a dip in performance.

A number of top clubs including Chelsea and Milan have been strongly linked with Ronaldinho, however it is lowly BORO who are the only team yet to make a firm bid for the Brazilian ace, ahead of the January transfer window.

Although BORO's hopeful bid of just €15 million is almost certain to fall flat as any potential bid from the likes of Chelsea or Milan will be surely around double what BORO have offered.

Also, Ronaldinho is unlikely to leave Barcelona and Champions league football if BORO, a team battling against Premier league relegation, are to be his only other option.