Blackburn Subs Beat Boro

Two second half strikes from Blackburn subs condemned Boro to an opening day defeat.

Boro looked the livelier of two sides in the open stages and Jeremie Aliadiere looked impressive on his debut. Brad Friedel had to pull of a good save from David Wheaters header. 35 minutes in and Middlesbrough took the lead, Stewart Downing found a gap in the Blackburn wall and into the bottom corner.

As the end of the first half approached Friedel again denied Wheatear. Boro seemed to in control, put that soon changed when Roque Santa Cruz was brought on to replace the injured Benni McCarthy.

With in three minutes of the striker entering the game he had levelled the scores, heading home a Bentley cross. As Boro was thinking they would have to settle for a point another sub Derbyshire brilliantly curled a shot round Schwarzer and into the top corner.

Gareth Southgate
‘For a long period thought we were on course to win it. After the McCarthy injury there was a long stoppage and we seemed to lose a bit of momentum.
‘They scored two top-quality finishes but we still kept coming back and when the chance in the last minute did not go in you just think this is not going to be our day.

‘I’m not down though because we showed a lot of promise against a good and experienced side but it is a bit like air being let out of a balloon – we are deflated.’