Uncategorized

Boro allow late advantage to slip

|
Image for Boro allow late advantage to slip

Striker Lukas Jutkiewicz took his tally to four goals in three games since returning to action but Middlesbrough were still denied by a late Derby County equaliser at the Riverside.

The visitors went ahead through an early Theo Robinson penalty – although Jutkiewicz soon equalised before later adding his second with only nine minutes remaining.

Boro were though still prevented from completing an important victory after Paul Coutts snatched an 87th minute equaliser to leave honours shared.

Home midfielder Nicky Bailey drove wide early on but it was the visitors going in front from the penalty spot on sixteen minutes. Andre Bikey was ruled to have fouled Craig Bryson and Robinson fired low past Jason Steele.

However, Boro were only behind a matter of minutes as goalkeeper Frank Fielding failed to hold onto Grant Leadbitter’s 20-yard free-kick and the predatory Jutkiewicz finished from close-range.

Luke Williams then flashed an effort across goal and Bikey struck a firm 25-yard drive at Fielding. But the visitors were proving increasingly difficult to break down by the time the contest had reached the midway point of the second-half.

Boro manager Tony Mowbray responded with a double-change and introduced Emmanuel Ledesma and Merouane Zemmama from the bench in a bid to discover increased attacking potential.

It soon brought the necessary reward as Zemmama made an enterprising solo break before shooting wide and then crossed for Jutkiewicz to head his second of the evening with nine minutes remaining.

That advantage was to last for only six minutes as Coutts knocked in a scrambled equaliser from around six-yards, and his side could have even won it during injury-time when the dangerous Robinson dragged wide from a similar distance.

Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Hines, Amougou, Friend, Leadbitter, Thomson (Zemmama 65, Haroun 83), Bailey, McEachran (Ledesma 65), Jutkiewicz, L. Williams

subs (unused): Leutwiler, McManus, Parnaby, Smallwood

Goals: Jutkiewicz (19, 81)

Derby County: Fielding, Brayford, Roberts (O’Connor 88), Buxton, Keogh, Bryson, Coutts, Hendrick (Jacobs 83), Hughes, Tyson (Sammon 58), Robinson

subs (unused): Legzdins, Gjokaj, Freeman, Bennett

Goals: Robinson (pen 16), Coutts (87)

Ref: Naylor

Att: 13,377

Join The Vital Debate

Share this article

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *