At least Boro's Fans Arnt Bitter Over Their Loss............

Boro's unbeaten run came to an in Cardiff yesterday as we fell to a first half goal. We battered the former Bluebirds all second half but couldn't find the net and so for once left South Wales in disappointment. Second played third and third triumphed. Sadly for us.
I guess we had to lose to Cardiff sometime again. Just very frustrating to lose with a soft goal and then squander so many opportunities to get back on equal terms. Cardiff had recorded eight straight home victories since selling their colours for financial security. Turning from blue to red doesn't seem to have been unlucky and they rode a fair amount of luck yesterday to hang on to and build on that record.
The all important goal came after a piece of poor marking. Jason Steele couldn't get off his line and no one picked up the man at the back post who headed home from almost right under the crossbar. But there ought to have been time and a half to respond. After all how many times lately have we been slow starters only to gradually play ourselves back into the contest and then take it by the scruff of the neck?
We didn't look as fluent in the early part of yesterday's game. Perhaps it was the Championship Match of the Day spotlight that caused one or two to fluff their lines with some uncharacteristically sloppy passing. Yet by the time the half time whistle had sounded, Boro were if not exactly putting the Cardiff goal under siege, definitely pinging in the shots at goal.
Ledesma was the main playmaking threat with his slaloming runs and clever throughballs. The former Walsall man also hit the top of the cross bar with a curling free kick. Grant Leadbitter tried to shoot over Marshall and had the Cardiff keeper desperately back peddling to claw his shot away and over the crossbar. The right before half time came the chance of the half, Ledesma's delightful chip picked out Scott McDonald's curved run but sadly Scott placed his shot over bar as well as keeper.
Both teams were beset by injuries on this cold day Haroun had to go off in the first half to be replaced by Richie Smallwood. Teessider Smallwood has happy scoring memories of Cardiff City Stadium and played well again in the Welsh capital. George Friend collapsed holding the back of his leg when in full flight. Although he attempted to play on our flying wing back had to leave the field with what looked like a hamstring injury. That could be costly to us.
Lukas Jutkiewicz, preferred to Ishmael Miller yesterday, had the outstanding chance of the second half. Not unlike Scott McDonald he evaded the home defence with a well timed run but again he hit over crossbar as well as keeper.
The Cardiff fans were yelping for a penalty as Bikey appeared to put a hand on an attacker before they both tumbled to the deck. I must admit I was expecting the ref to point to the spot and maybe even brandish a red card. The replays are not as conclusive as I expected, the Cardiff forward might well have slipped after giving Bikey the slip. Anyway our big defender was not exactly popular with the Welsh fans after this. But that was water off a ducks back as he began to co-ordinate late attacking operations, booming forward but then spraying the ball around to pick up ram raiding full backs Hoyte and (sub) Bailey.
We were going for it right up until the end of the five minutes added on. Ledesma and Hoyte trying to get past their man only for Hoyte to slip as he tried to turn in the box. Leadbitter cracked one narrowly wide and Ledesma and sub Emnes delayed rather than pulling the trigger.
Sadly we lost, no repeats of our big goalscoring victories in Cardiff this season. With injuries and results elsewhere it was a costly defeat. And yet we've ridden our luck at times recently and it was always going to run out somewhere or other. Cardiff did not perform well and this will give us heart that when the heat is really on and it matters most we can go toe to toe with anyone in this division. We just need to take our chances and not make such basic mistakes at the back.
So very frustrating to lose out and especially from such a massive top of the table clash. yet we weren't turned over and on another day could have and should have returned north with at least a point. I suppose we can look at it as losing the battle but we have nothing to fear and can bounce back and win the war.
Cardiff City 1-0 Middlesbrough

http://www.fansonline.net/middlesbrough ... hp?id=3264

A child's week to write the match report for them was it

We seem to be getting a lot of hate, saw on a certain bookie site an article saying that Boro's loss to us had given them even shorter odds for going up because we were so shit. Said article failed to mention the fact that they had about 2 actual chances and we had a makeshift team. Who cares

A child's week to write the match report for them was it

They might find it a bit tougher when they have to play our 1st team rather than youth later in the season.

i remember us beating them 1-0 the other season too ... he as a short memory!

they had men out, had they been fit im sure we'd of took a pasting. giving how many shots they were allowed at goal

We seem to be getting a lot of hate, saw on a certain bookie site an article saying that Boro's loss to us had given them even shorter odds for going up because we were so shit. Said article failed to mention the fact that they had about 2 actual chances and we had a makeshift team. Who cares

If I was the Boro boss Iwould be very concerned that we did not pull this one of against what was a very weak team in the fact there were 2 development players in the opposing defence. Mowbray was asked if they felt hard done by and he hesitated saying they put in a good performance. What he wanted to say and you could see it in his eyes was that we should have won that easy but my guys could not rise to the occasion when we were presented with the initiative.

Summing up Boro bottled it.

they had men out, had they been fit im sure we'd of took a pasting. giving how many shots they were allowed at goal

The only main player out was Jonathan Woodgate? You feel he'd have created more for them?