By Andy Morgan
October 20 2006

Middlesbrough looked to halt a run of five successive games without a win against an in-form Everton side who had yet to beaten all season.


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Germany international Robert Huth took the place of inspirational captain Jonathan Woodgate after the Middlesbrough born player pulled up with a leg injury in training mid-week.

George Boateng reclaimed the captaincy for his first game in five after also coming back from a long-term injury. Lee Cattermole was shifted to the right to accommodate him.

Doubts about Jason Euell's fitness proved unfounded as he replaced James Morrison in midfield.

Endeavour was Southgate's watchword this afternoon as he played the fans' favourite 4-4-2 formation, reverting back from the more defensive 4-5-1 option of recent weeks. This gave the weary fans in the stadium more buzz and the atmosphere was set for battle.

Schwarzer, Davies, Huth, Pogatetz, Taylor, Cattermole (Parnaby 83), Euell, Boateng, Downing (Arca 90+2), Yakubu, Viduka, Turnbull, Rochemback, Maccarone

THE FIRST HALF

Everton came out of the traps the quickest, forcing the Boro into conceding a corner after forty seconds. It was swung into the Boro box dangerously but it was headed out confidently by Robert Huth. However another ball was hit in from the right flank and despite a fumble, Mark Schwarzer managed to gather it.

The Boro players were up for this one as the tackles were flying in fast and furious. First of all Jason Euell was penalised for a two-footed tackle and a minute later Robert Huth made his mark by barging into Tim Cahill. Suddenly the passion and commitment that had been so sadly lacking in recent weeks had returned to the Boro in abundance.

On six the Everton defence opened up for Jason Euell, who launched a shot from around twenty yards out. It went flying past the left hand post but it was a worthy shot at this stage of the game.

The major worry at this stage was the performance of Everton's Mikel Arteta, who was cutting through the Boro midfield too easily. He was linking up well with Tim Cahill as Everton's extra man in that department was starting to pay dividends.

On twelve minutes Robert Huth got the Boro out of jail after Andrew Davies recklessly committed himself to a challenge on Arteta. The Everton man burst into the box and tried to find Andrew Johnson, only for a corner to be conceded by Huth.

Boro's marking from the corner was abysmal however and allowed by Simon Davies a free volley from just over twenty yards out. The Boro were slow in reacting to the corner and it was Yakubu above all others who should have been marking the Everton man.

On thirteen Mark Viduka stumbled in the Everton penalty area causing howls of frustration from the Boro faithful. It was an optimistic penalty shout as there was no contact but at present the Boro would take anything.

Undeterred, Lee Cattermole crossed the ball into the area from the right hand side, forcing Everton to concede a corner. Downing whipped the ball in and Huth narrowly missed it. The ball was lobbed back into the ball by Downing but with three red shirts waiting for it Everton managed to clear it.

The game was exciting and end-to-end as Everton started to attack after five minutes of Boro pressure.

The Boro came back at the Toffee's however with Viduka showing some exceptional skill as he dashed into the Everton box. The ball was taken off his toe however before he had a chance to shoot.

The commitment on the pitch was reflected in the stands meanwhile as the atmosphere around the Riverside became electric. This only spurred the Boro on to further endeavours as confidence once more returned to the Riverside.

Everton were overloading the Boro left side and they were cutting through their opposition too easily. Arteta was still a massive threat but the Boro, and particularly Cattermole, Downing and Viduka, were causing enough threat of their own.

On twenty-six Tim Howard collided with Yakubu after the ball ricocheted into the Everton box, conceding a penalty. Yakubu took the penalty and with a new-found confidence after his goal against Sheffield United two weeks ago, tucked it in the bottom right-hand side of the goal.

Middlesbrough 1 (Yakubu (pen), 26) Everton 0

This spurred Middlesbrough on further as Cattermole switched the play to Downing who attacked the Everton defence and forced them into conceding a corner.

The ball was whipped in, cleared and it was crossed in again. Davies headed it towards the goal and Howard fumbled. Viduka was poised to score Boro's second of the game but it was stolen from his toe at the last minute.

James Beattie replaced Tony Hibbert on thirty-two as Everton adopted a more attacking 4-4-2 formation in an attempt to counter the Boro pressure they were enduring. Phil Neville was pushed back into defence from the midfield berth he was occupying.

The Boro got out of jail on thirty-five after Simon Davies rifled the ball from point blank range towards Schwarzer's goal. It was only a magnificent block from Emmanuel Pogatetz that stopped the Everton man from equalising.

Pogatetz's clearance found Yakubu who found himself one-on-one against Tim Howard. However unlike against Sheffield United, the Yak did not have the composure to finish this time, blasting over the bar and into the crowd of jeering Everton fans.

Everton were looking shaky at this point but a corner allowed them to take stock. However this was easily cleared but Everton were trying their hardest to take the sting out of the game.

Another corner and another clearance from the excellent Robert Huth resulted in Yakubu, Boateng and Pogatetz in a three-on-two scenario deep in the Everton half. Yakubu took this on but Tim Howard managed to save it on the line.

On forty-two a great ball Downing dragged the ball back and set up Mark Viduka. He pulled the ball back into the path of Jason Euell but Tim Howard managed to just about save it once more. Everton were hanging on and were undoubtedly wishing for the half-time whistle.

On forty-four Jolien Lescott escaped his marker and almost connected with an Arteta free-kick that Pogatetz conceded. It was a warning but the Boro were the stronger of the two sides at this stage. Indeed James Beattie felt the need to throw himself to the ground in the penalty area in the desperate hope of obtaining a penalty. The referee was having none of it.

And that was the final moment of the first half, a half that had seen the best football from the Boro so far this season. The fans gave the Boro a standing ovation and hoped that we could keep this up for the rest of the game.

FIRST HALF FAN REACTION
"Get in! More of the same in the second half please!"
Mark the Boro Fan

THE SECOND HALF

The Boro started the half with tempo and launched two consecutive attacks towards the Everton goal that quickly broke down. The game quickly calmed down however as the exertions of the first half began to take their toll. A poor Everton corner demonstrated that on fifty minutes.

Andrew Johnson was getting no luck against the outstanding defensive partnership of Robert Huth and Emmanuel Pogatetz. The German international was making all the difference at the back whilst Lee Cattermole and Stewart Downing were confounding their critics by putting in strong performances.

Cattermole launched a wild challenge on Lee Carsley on fifty-five that earned him a yellow card and Everton a free-kick. The game was heading towards being one of attrition but Boro were still the more threatening of the two side.

On fifty-seven Andrew Johnston was at the forefront of Everton's appeals for a weak penalty to be given in their favour. In the end all they got was a corner that was defended expertly by the Boro defence once it was whipped in.

Fifty-nine a great ball from Boateng fed in Euell in a dangerous position but he took his eye off the ball for a second, allowing the two Everton defenders to clear. He was getting closer and closer however to his first Boro goal.

A terrific ball in from Lee Cattermole on sixty was in behind the defence and cleared by Joseph Yobo for a corner. Downing took the corner but Tim Howard comfortably collected it.

Everton started to press once more but Pogatetz was equal to every cross that was coming on, frustrating Johnston in the process.

A long clearance from Mark Schwarzer forced Jolien Lescott to handle the ball in the box after being put under pressure by Yakubu. Yakubu stepped up to strike the ball and went for placement as opposed to power, trying to curl the ball into the top right-hand corner. Tim Howard comfortably saved the tame effort, parrying the ball away for a corner.

From the corner the ball bounced around like a gymnastic kangaroo on heat until it reached Emmanuel Pogatetz around twenty yards out who blasted the ball over the bar.

On sixty-seven Lee Cattermole had the opportunity to make it 2-0 when Jason Euell fed in a perfectly weighted ball into the youngster. Cattermole was against Howard one-on-one but he wickedly sliced his kick and it went harmlessly wide.

But Boro's intense pressure was not to go unrewarded. On seventy Yakubu fed the ball in from the left to Euell. He laid the ball on a plate to Mark Viduka who was bombing in towards the back stick. All he had to do was to slide in from about twelve yards out to score Boro's second goal of the game, which he did with ease.

Middlesbrough 2 (Viduka, 70) Everton 0

Everton responded through Lee Carlsey who launched a shot from twenty-five yards out that Pogatetz managed to block. A few corners came in over the next few minutes but Everton were not to be denied.

On seventy-seven Andrew Johnston set up Tim Cahill who nut-megged Huth in the Boro box and he launched a rasping shot into the top of the Boro net. Suddenly a game that was looking quite comfortable for the Boro was looking a lot more threatening. There was still thirteen minutes to go.

Middlesbrough 2 Everton 1 (Cahill, 77)

Everton sensed blood and they came at the Boro with aplomb. Some dogged defending was all that separated the Toffee's from the equaliser that they craved. That and a close offside decision on Tim Cahill.

On eighty Lee Cattermole rifled the ball on his left which was parried by Howard after a deflection. The ball fell on the head of Yakubu but he was unable to convert.

INTO THE RED ZONE

Lee Cattermole had run himself into the ground by this stage and received a standing ovation from the Boro faithful when Stuart Parnaby replaced him on eighty-three. This heralded slightly more defensive tactics in the hope that the Boro could hold on for the final few minutes of the game.

On eighty-six George Boateng gave away a needless free-kick that allowed Arteta to lamp another one of his dangerous balls into the Boro penalty area. Andrew Davies leapt like a frolicking gazelle in springtime to head the ball clear for a corner.

Boro were being sucked into the danger of sitting back too deeply, with every single ball being cleared just coming straight back at us. A shot, a corner and another clearance was only halted by an Everton injury in the box.

Everton desperately launched wave after wave of attacks at the Boro goal, resulting in a collective groan from the Boro faithful when the board was raised to symbolise four minutes of stoppage time.

In an attempt to count down the seconds, Stuart Downing was replaced by Julio Arca, who was making his Premier League home debut for the Boro.

But Arca's first contribution was to concede a free kick on James Beattie, allowing Arteta to threaten the Boro defence once more. However nothing came of it and Arca launched a rare Boro attack.

Everton still came at the Boro but the challenges from the home defence were coming in thick and fast. Most of the final minute's play however was next to one of Everton's corner flags as the Boro tried to keep possession until the final whistle blew, heralding the obtaining of three precious points.

Four minutes of stoppage time dragged on into eight but Boro were concerted towards the end, with Viduka almost scoring from a corner at the end.

When the whistle finally blew it was to the monumental cheers of the Boro faithful. There was passion, commitment and energy today, from both the players and the supporters and with a mood like that the Boro can beat anyone on their day. But at the moment all we'll settle for is a repeat next week. When our infamous local rivals come to town.

FULL TIME FAN REACTION
"Three very needed points. BRING ON THE SKUNKS!"
Boro_TX

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A GUARANTEED PROFIT ON DERBY v BIRMINGHAM

Steve Bruce is under pressure as Birmingham travel to Derby on Saturday afternoon but the good news is that we can guarantee you a profit on the match, whatever the result.

You won't be able to do this if you already have accounts with one or more of the bookies we are using for this bet but if that is the case, mail us and let us know which accounts you have and we'll send you an alternative bet.

What we are going to do is back Derby with Betfred in the hope of cashing in the Betfred bonus of your first bet winnings matched, up to £100.

We are also going to back both Birmingham and the draw so that we ensure that we end up in profit on this bet, whatever the result. Read on and you will find out how.

We're going to lay out a total of £159.50 on the match and we will collect £264.00 if Derby win. If it's a draw or Birmingham win, we will get all our money back. Whatever the result, we will also gain a £25.00 free bet.

Here's how it's done. Just follow these simple instructions.

1. Open accounts with Betfred and Totesport and Extrabet. This shouldn't take you any longer than ten minutes.

2. Make the following deposits into your new accounts. Deposit £66.00 into your new Betfred account. Deposit £50 into your new Totesport account. Deposit £43.50 into your new Extrabet account.

3. Now make the following bets.

Place £66.00 on Derby at 6/4 with Betfred.

Place £50.00 on the draw at 11/5 with Totesport

Place £43.50 on Birmingham at 17/10 with Extrabet

You have temporarily laid out a total of £159.50. I stress, temporarily... Now sit back, crack a beer open and enjoy the match.

4. Here's what happens at the end of the game.

If Derby win, you will collect £264.00 from Betfred, including your stake back and your first win bonus. This money can be withdraw immediately.

We've had a few mails recently saying that our figures are wrong because people are forgetting about the Betfred bonus. When you are checking our figures, don't forget that Betfred double your winnings up to £100 if your first bet is a winner, so with this bet you will collect the following if Derby win.

£99.00 winnings, doubled, plus your £66.00 stake back which equals £264.00.

If it's a draw, you will collect £160.00 from Totesport

If Birmingham win, you will collect £159.95 from Extrabet.

As with Betfred, Extrabet also pay a bonus on your first bet. What they do is match your first bet up to £25.00 so if it's a draw, you will collect the following:

£73.95 winnings, plus £42.50 winnings from your free matched bet plus your £43.50 stake back which equals £159.95.

Totesport will also credit your new account with a £25 free bet, whatever the result of the match.

5. This means that the worst case scenario on the Derby v Birmingham match is Derby fail to win and you get all your money back and gain a £25.00 free bet. But if Derby do win, you make £104.50 clean profit plus a £25.00 free bet.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all about this bet and we will come straight back to you.

Please note that the free bets and bonuses are valid for new customers only so if you already have an account with one or more of the bookies we are using, you won't be able to do this. If that is the case,contact us and we'll mail you an alternative bet using different bookies.

This method of betting was used very successfully during the World Cup and you can read all about how it was done right here.

It's understandable that some people will not believe that it is possible to do this. "What's the catch?" I hear you asking. My answer to that question is that we have been publishing arbitrage bets for three seasons now and literally hundreds of people have profited from following the advice on these pages.

Just enjoy the profit and stay posted for many more of these throughout the season.