By Lillibet M
February 26 2007

This match may be a potential dress rehearsal for the FA Cup quarter finals if the replays went in favour of today's teams, but all Boro focus today was on maintaining the impressive premiership run of 2007. An easy run was not expected with the over- achieving Reading putting in solid and steady performances consistently.

New signing Dong Gook Lee made a long expected debut to the team and started on the bench. Woodgate returned to the squad and Davies took the place of the injured Xavier.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Davies, Taylor, Woodgate, Pogatetz, Arca, Boateng, Cattermole, Yakubu, Viduka, Downing. Subs Jones, Parnaby, Euell, Morrison, Lee.


Starting with the standard expected 4 4 2, Boro set off looking confident. After a tentative Downing attempt moving forwards Reading got the break and looked dangerous. Woodgate performed a totally magnificent challenge on the 20 year old Shane Long stopping him dead in his tracks. If he hadn't perhaps Boro could have been1 0 down already.

Woody's old team mate Duberry - on his debut for Reading - then blocked Yak who went to ground and was limping heavily. Dong Gook started to warm up in anticipation of a perhaps earlier appearance than first expected. The free kick given from the foul was taken by Downing. The Reading defending was awful, and Pogatetz's header went straight to Viduka who casually back heeled it into the net on first touch. What class.

Middlesbrough 1 Reading 0 (Viduka 7)

The visitors should have been rightly kicking themselves for such a shoddy piece of defending and started to up the pressure. Boro were more than a match for this pace with Downing, Arca and Woody shining, the latter under a lot of pressure but more than equal to the challenge. Looking like another 5 star performance from the England international.

Cattermole looked like limping a bit, and Morrison was ordered to warm up, but no changes made just yet. With fifteen minutes played Reading had their best chance to date when Murty put in a skilful cross to Hunt, who looked like he had no belief about him, and thankfully could not manage the 6 yard header.

By the midway point of the half play had settled, but apart from the Duke's goal few chances had been created by Boro. Viduka then caused uncertainty in the mind of the Reading defence once more, as he went for another, but the ball looped up over the face of the goal and was parried over the bar for a corner.

The next major incident of note came when following a Reading free kick when Schwarzer punched a Shorey cross away to safety, but not before the ball was lodged momentarily between the crossbar and his glove. There was plenty to do for both teams but the ball did not cross the net again until there was an offside goal from Viduka, following more good play from him and Yakubu.

Reading then replied with a Lita and Long combo, but the shot scooped off wide. Ingermarsson pulled Yakubu back and got a yellow card for his trouble. With one minute left in the first half Downing took the free and curled a lovely shot up and over the wall to try to increase the gap but the shot was saved well. This marked the end of a lively first half with Boro having no scope for relaxation in the second.

THE SECOND HALF

No changes were made for either team at the start of the second half. Reading started like greyhounds out of traps and Steve Coppell must have had stern half time words with his team. Boro were forced into some aggressive defending, but Cattermole got a break and Hunt had to pull out a swift save.

This pace did not let up and the cliched end to end play was in evidence for the next half hour. Lita's first chance of the game was not a good connection and he was denied his fourteenth. The Boro midfield were looking good with Arca, Boateng and Cattermole gelling well, Arca being the best of the three.

Viduka then was fed another cross from Downing and the resulting shot was once more saved. Yakubu then put in some skilful play but was again denied by the Reading defence. This half was very entertaining but clearly the respective managers would be concerned that play was far too open at each end. More goals were in the air and at this stage the match could go either way. Again the attempts on goal kept coming from both sides and Boro had the upper hand, almost doubling their advantange three times in succession.

Reading had substituted Kitson for Long on 61 in the hope of getting results from some fresh striking legs. The visitors were battling industrially but could not break the defence and Boro had the edge.Viduka and Yakubu's partnership today had been immense and this beautifully realised as the Duke slid the ball to Yak who turned Ingemarrson in mid air and smashed it into the top corner, Hahneman having no chance.

Middlesbrough 2 Reading 0 (Yakubu 69)

Morrison then came on for Cattermole, the latter having had a great game, solid and creative. The visitors did not give up and were surely hoping to be the second team this season to emerge victorious after being 2 0 down, the first being themselves in this reverse fixture on the first day of the season. Boro had no intention of letting this happen, holding strong when getting tested on all sides.

With just over 10 minutes to play Reading had a good chance on the left as Murty made a great run into the box but ultimately the shot went wide. The left was where the menace was coming from but the Boro defence had their number. Dong Gook Lee then made his way on to the Riverside pitch replacing Yakubu whose play had been awesome today.

Reading had had the goal in their sights all afternoon and finally this was realised. Woodgate made a valiant effort to stop Kitson's run but the visitors broke, substitute Oster bouncing the ball over the line from a sharp angle leaving Schwarzer no chance.

Middlesbrough 2 Reading 1 (Oster 87)

And this pacy game continued as both sides kept the pressure on through into the four minutes of stoppage time. Taylor received a yellow card for holding on to the ball too long and Boro then pressed forward again. Downing found Dong Gook Lee who hit the post - would have been a dream start. And still there was no let up as the red shirts thundered forward.

When the full time whistle went there was a sense of surprise that the game had not yielded more goals but it was a thoroughly satisfying afternoon on Teesside. Both teams had put in hard work but it was Boro reaping the reward, the Premiership upward mobility continuing.

A GUARANTEED PROFIT ON WEST BROM v MIDDLESBROUGH

A home quarter-final with Manchester United or Reading awaits the winner of Tuesday night's replay at The Hawthorns and we can guarantee you a profit on the match, whatever the result.

We must point out that if you want to take this bet, you should do it now - don't delay! - because we expect the odds to change before kick-off which means the figures here will be invalidated. If they have changed, let us know and we will rework the bet for you.

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.

We're going to lay out a total of £124.80 on the West Brom v Middlesbrough match and we will collect £153.49 plus £50.00 in free bets if the game is a draw at ninety minutes. If either team wins in ninety minutes we will get all of our money back plus £50.00 in free bets.

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

1. Open accounts with Unibet and Premier Bet and Victor Chandler. This shouldn't take you any longer than ten minutes.

2. Make the following deposits into your new accounts. Deposit £32.80 into your new Unibet account. Deposit £42.00 into your new Premier Bet account. Deposit £50.00 into your new Victor Chandler account.

3. Now make the following bets.

Place £32.80 on the draw in ninety minutes at 3.30 (16/7) with Unibet

Unibet pay a bonus on your first deposit, 100% matched up to £20.00 so when you make your £32.80 deposit, you will automatically receive another £20.00 in your account. Place the £20.00 bonus on the draw at 16/7 as well. You now have £52.80 staked on the draw.

Place £42.00 on Middlesbrough to win in ninety minutes at 2.70 (12/7) with Premier Bet.

Place £50.00 on West Brom to win in ninety minutes at 6/4 with Victor Chandler.

You have temporarily laid out a total of £124.80. 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 it's a draw after ninety minutes, you will collect £153.49 from Unibet. The breakdown of the £153.49 is as follows:

£74.97 winnings plus £45.72 winnings from the bet you placed with your deposit bonus plus your £32.80 stake back which equals £153.49.

If Boro win after ninety minutes, you will collect £124.80 from Premier Bet.

Premier Bet pay a bonus on your first bet if it's a winner, tiered according to the odds - 15% in this case - so if Boro win after ninety minutes, you collect the following:

£72.00 winnings plus a 15% bonus of £10.80 plus your £42.00 stake back which equals £124.80.

If West Brom win in ninety minutes win you will collect £125.00 from Victor Chandler.

Victor Chandler will then credit your new account with £50.00 in free bets, whatever the result of the match.

5. This means that the worst case scenario on the West Brom v Middlesbrough match is no draw in ninety minutes and you gain £50.00 in free bets. But if it is a draw in ninety minutes, you will make £28.49 profit plus £50.00 in free bets.

6. It is absolutely vital that you click on the links on this page to open the accounts with the three bookies or you may not qualify for the bonuses.

Also, before you place your bets, you should check that the odds haven't changed. If they have, let us know and we will rework the bet for you.

Also, please note that the bonuses and free bets and bonuses from Victor Chandler and Premier Bet are not always paid immediately and you may have to wait until Wednesday before they hit your accounts.

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.

We guarantee this bet

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.

Only once has our refund guarantee been triggered and that was when we did all the figures wrong and sent refunds out to those who had followed our advice and made a small loss.

Our refund guarantee works like this. If this bet doesn't work like we say it will and you end up out of pocket, we will refund your losses. Simple as that.

That means that you simply cannot lose on this, whatever happens and even if we messed up the numbers.

The only stipulation here is that you must click on the links on this page to be eligible for the refund guarantee, not that you'll be needing to claim anyway. Just enjoy the profit and stay posted for many more of these throughout the season.