Manchester City 1-0 Middlesbrough – Premiership Live Blog – 7 February 2009

Middlesbrough are deep in the relegation mire and travel to Manchester City, a club also looking over their shoulders, for the Saturday lunch time kick off. Boro have a wretched away record, losing their last five games on the road but they have a great record against City. Daily Soccer Blog will be on hand to provide you with live updates throughout the game.

Match Preview

Manchester City are set to give goalkeeper Shay Given a debut this afternoon, following his January transfer from Newcastle United, as City boss Mark Hughes looks to stablise his underachieving side. The home side are further boosted by the availability of Shaun Wright-Phillips, who successfully contested a charge of violent conduct after their 1-0 loss at Stoke last Saturday.

City are on a good run at home, racking up wins against Hull, Wigan and Newcastle in their last three matches and are firm favourites to beat beleagured Middlesbrough. They had won 10 points out of a possible 12 since Boxing Day, until Stoke brought their unbeaten streak to a grinding halt.

Middlesbrough are a side in trouble. Gareth Southgate’s side have not won in two months and their winless run of 12 matches is the worst in the Premiership this season. The table does not lie and they have slumped to joint-bottom as a result, from a comfortable eighth place in November.

However, Middlesbrough have beaten City 11 times in the Premiership, more than they have done any other club and will hope that record can continue this afternoon. Boro are boosted by the return of Gary O’Neill and Didier Digard from suspension but striker Jeremie Aliadiere and Andrew Taylor remain injured.

Line Ups

Man City: Given, Richards, Onuoha, Kompany, Bridge, Zabaleta, De Jong, Ireland, Wright-Phillips, Bellamy, Robinho.
Subs: Hart, Elano, Vassell, Garrido, Fernandes, Caicedo, Evans.

Middlesbrough: Jones, Wheater, Riggott, Huth, Pogatetz, Adam Johnson, Bates, Digard, Downing, Alves, King.
Subs: Turnbull, Hoyte, O’Neil, Emnes, Shawky, Sanli, Arca.

Goals

Man City: Bellamy (52′)

Live Blog

90+2′ City break with Bellamy down the left, who aims a cross at Ireland in the middle but Huth heads it out for a corner.

90′ Alves and King shield the ball and play it back to Downing, who shoots meekly from 20 yards wide of the goal. The game is up and Boro know it.

89′ King claims a penalty after shooting the ball straight into the tucked in right arm of Bridge. Come on Marlon, you will need to try harder than that.

87′ Ireland flicks on a Bellamy ball into the box for Caicedo, who, unmarked can only direct a shot straight at the grateful Jones. City should be clear now but one wrong move could allow Boro in to equalise. Zabaleta blasts towards goal from distance for the second time this match, but blazes it over the bar.

86′ Bellamy rips through the labouring Boro defence on the left hand side and delivers the ball across the six yard box. Jones beats it away but there is nobody around to follow it up.

83′ Robinho, not at his best today, is replaced by Felipe Caicedo as manager Mark Hughes looks for a second goal to ensure all three points head City’s way.

81′ Intricate passing from City finds Bellamy out wide on the right. He plays the ball into Ireland who, shackled by several defenders, turns and shoots well wide of the post.

80′ The first booking of the match goes to O’Neill, who hacks down Wright-Phillips after the City winger got the better of him first time round.

79′ Half an appeal for a Boro penalty when Onuoha shoved Alves over in the penalty box. The replay showed it was less of a shove and more of Alves trying his luck.

75′ Boro boss Gareth Southgate goes for broke and sends striker Tuncay on in place of Adam Johnson. How on earth King starts before Tuncay is beyond me. He is dire.

74′ Downing sends in a good cross from the left towards King, who in turn heads the ball across goal towards Alves but the Brazilian fails to stretch enough to meet it.

71′ Robinho unleashes another one from the edge of the box but it takes a deflection on the way and spins just wide for a corner.

69′ Alves beats Kompany and rattles in a shot from just inside the City box but Given, yet again, denies him. He can only parry it away but King is nowhere near it for the follow up and and City clear their lines. Riggott is replaced by Justin Hoyte for Boro.

66′ It really should have been 2-0. Wright-Phillips plays Robinho through and with the Boro defence high up the field trying to catch him offside, he has a clear run at goal. Robinho attempts to round Jones but the Boro keeper manages to nick the ball off his feet. Wright-Phillips follows up for the rebound but the defence return to help out their inspired keeper.

65′ Bellamy attempts the same shot as he scored from but it’s blocked. Bridge has a rush of blood to the head and tries one from the edge of the box. Yep, you guessed it, high and wide.

63′ Ireland, Bellamy and Robinho combine on the edge of the box and a collaboration of Boro defenders and keeper Jones manage to bundle the ball behind for a corner.

61′ Didier Digard is replaced by Gary O’Neill, who comes on to a few boos by the travelling supporters. The midfielder was linked with a return to Portsmouth during the transfer window.

55′ Middlesbrough have conceded more goals in the second half than any other Premiership club – Bellamy’s was the 27th they have shipped.

54′ Downing takes a free kick from the right hand side and sends the ball invitingly into the six yard box. No Boro players can be bothered to take a gamble and it goes out for a corner.

52′ Goal! Manchester City 1 Middlesbrough 0. The curse of the commentator strikes again. Craig Bellamy runs into the box, takes it past Pogatetz  and drills the ball low into the bottom corner.  Boro are in trouble. Serious trouble.

50′ Boro have started well this half but the frightening statistic that they have not come from behind to win in 17 months was revealed by the commentator.

48′ Johnson releases Alves who scoops the ball into the six yard box. The lumbering Marlon King is nowhere near it and it bounces away to safety.

46′ Boro get us underway for the second half. More action packed goalmouth action at both ends please. A draw is no good for either of you.

Half Time. After such a poor start it looked like a goalless could be on the cards but the game then sparked into life. Good chances fell to both sides and if it wasn’t for the quality of both Shay Given and Brad Jones the match would not still be scoreless. City have had the better of the play but Boro have created enough openings of their own to suggest they will not go down without a fight. The match is very much open and either side could win it in the second half.

45+1′ Now at the other end, Wright-Phillips digs a shot out from an angle inside the box but Jones blocks it behind for a corner. Referee Mariner doesn’t allow City to take it and blows for half-time. Phew!

45′ Just one minute to be added. Wright-Phillips shows he has pace to burn, racing back into defence ahead of the labouring Alves to play the ball safely back to Given.

44′ The frenetic chances have ceased for the time being but the Boro back line are being hounded constantly by the industrious Ireland and Wright-Phillips

40′ Given really is the scourge of Alves, or perhaps the Brazilian striker just isn’t that good. He races clear of the City defence but Given is equal to it. The keeper comes off his line and blocks Alves’ attempt to slide the ball under him with his leg. The chances are coming thick and fast for both sides, quite unexpected given the lack of quality in the opening 30 minutes.

39′ Ireland was again at the heart of the City attack. He plays the ball across the face of goal and Bellamy, Robinho and three Boro defenders missed it. Could have easily gone in from any of them with the slightest of touches.

38′ Ireland plays a one-two on the edge of the Boro box and heads the ball against the crossbar. Both teams are going closer and we could well see an opening goal before the break.

37′ Given denies Alves for the second time this game. The Brazilian latches onto a poor clearance and hammers the ball straight back at goal. The ball swerves en-route to Given who does well to parry it away.

35′ It’s all City now. Ireland plays the ball to Zabaleta who tries to release Bellamy clear but the pass is overhit and Jones gathers it comfortably.

33′ Robinho, who has had a quiet games also gets in on the action. He turns Bates twice on the edge of the box and drills a low effort towards goal which is fingertipped around the post from Jones. This a bit more like it after a dull opening.

30′ City lay siege to the Boro goal. Jones saves well from an effort just outside the box by Onuoha and then again from Bellamy who fires the rebound towards goal from close range. Two great pieces of goalkeeping in as many minutes.

29′ The Alves effort has sparked City into life, perhaps they realise Boro aren’t going to just roll over and die. Bellamy has an effort saves and moments later Pogatez blocks an effort from Richards behind for a corner.

27′ Given starts to repay a huge chunk of his transfer fee with an instinctive save from Alves, who smacks the ball straight at him from 12 yards from Johnson’s accurate cross.

21′ Wright-Phillips almost scores moments later. The winger shows the trickery City are going to need if they are to win today and rifles in a low shot from just inside the box which creeps wide.

20′ It’s all desperately dull so far but at least Johnson has a go for Boro. Admittedly, it’s ambitious and not very good, but those efforts from 30 yards do go in sometimes.

14′ Boro are guilty of pondering on the ball yet again, no wonder they find themselves in the mess their in. Alves creates some space just outside the City box, but rather than putting the ball in, he stops and the danger is gone.

12′ A great chance for City goes begging. Richards heads down a corner to Kompany, who flicks it up, turns and shoots with his back to goal but it goes just wide. The match lacks quality in the early stages but it’s City who have started the brighter.

7′ Boro’s first real chance of the game comes from Alves, who tries to send Johnson clear down the right hand side. However, the youngster is not equal to it and the move comes to nothing.

3′ Ireland intercepts a terrible ball from Wheater and sends Bellamy clear. Boro keeper Jones does brilliantly to rush from his line and block the Welshman’s attempt to take the ball round him and tap into an empty net.

1′ Within a matter of seconds following kick off, Bellamy finds himself in acres of room. He whips min a low cross but it’s nowhere near the lurking Ireland or Wright-Phillips.

0′ As expected, Shay Given makes his Manchester City debut. Shaun Wright-Phillips also starts despite an imminent violent conduct hearing, Micah Richards is in despite a midweek arrest for alleged assault and there is also a place for Robinho, who also has had a recent brush with the law. It’s all going on at Eastlands.

Reaction

It was a case of job done for City who saw off a poor Middlesbrough side. Debutant goalkeeper Shay Given was in inspired form for his new club and denied Alves on four occasions this afternoon, including two key saves in the first half. You always thought that if City go ahead, there would be no way back for Boro and that was exactly the case. Bellamy, who looks a great piece of January business, was liveley throughout and his goal knocked the stuffing out of Gareth Southgate’s side. The strike pairing of Alves and King are not simply not good enough to keep Boro up and Stewart Downing has not scored a goal all season. Worrying times indeed. The win cements City’s position in the top 10 and their own relegation fears are being eased as each week goes by.

Man of the Match

Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips were both good shouts for City, while Brad Jones did not deserve to be on the losing side following an inspired performance. However, the award has to go to debutante City stopper Shay Given, who showed exactly why the club were prepared to pay around £8 million to bring him to the club. Given was equal to everything Alves could throw at him all match and he began his City career in the best possible way – with all three points and clean sheet.