skip to content
The final whistle is greeted by loud boos from the home fans who saw their side well beaten by a rampant Boro inspired by Mark Viduka.
Stuart Downing torments the backpedalling home defence before finding Frank Queudrue who lays it off for Joseph-Desire Job to fire off-target with Massimo Maccarone in a better position to score.
Matthew Bates gets a late run out off the bench, replacing winger James Morrison who had a super game.
Jermaine Pennant curls a wicked free-kick towards the top eft-hand corner but it smacks against the post and rebounds to safety.
Nicky Butt gets on the end of Mario Melchiot's deflected cross but he can't keep it down and it sails over.
Mark Viduka goes off to receive the plaudits from the bench and Joseph-Desire Job replaces him.
Massimo Maccarone comes on for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink with the ponts in the bag for the visitors.
Stuart Downing cuts the home defence open and Franck Queudrue times his run to perfection, finishing coolly to seal the points.
Julian Gray replaces Walter Pandiani who has had an ineffectual night for Birmingham who switch formation again.
The second half gets underway with Birmingham looking short on confidence and in need of a boost if they are to mount a comeback.
Steve Bruce makes a tactical change at the start of the secind half as Mikael Forssell replaces Olivier Tebily and Birmingham go with three up front.
Muzzy Izzet comes on for Stephen Clemence in midfield for Birmngham City at the break.
The home fans vent their anger as Middlesbrough trot off with a two goal lead at the interval.
Mark Viduka slams a superb second into the top corner after pulling the ball down, beating two men and creating room for the shot all on his own.
James Morrison shows a clean pair of heels to the Birmingham defence but overruns the ball under pressure from Nicky Butt.
Olivier Tebily blocks Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's shot from the set piece and Birmingham clear.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink wins a free-kick in a dangerous position aftera poorly-timed challenge from Matthew Upson.
Oliver Tebily forces the first save from Mark Schwarzer of the night with a scrappy effort from inside the penalty area.
George Boateng's name goes into the referee's notepad for a late lunge on Jermaine Pennant.
Middlesbrough have penalty appeals turned down when Mark Viduka blocks Maik Taylor's clearance then goes down under Matthew Upson's last ditch challenge, but the referee waves play on.
Mark Viduka strikes from close range after good work from James Morrison to create the chance and shoot across goal.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink gets his first sight of goal and sends a swerving shot just wide after fine play by Mark Viduka and Franck Queudrue.
Stan Lazaridis took Jamie ClaphamÂ’s pass on the overlap and found Nicky Butt arriving late with a left foot cross but the chance is turned away by Mark Schwarzer.
Jiri Jarosik gets the game underway, making his debut for Birmingham on loan from Chelsea.
Mark Viduka spearheaded Middlesbrough's first win of the season when he marked only his second start since Boxing Day with two smartly taken goals. Viduka, who injured his back against Birmingham last December, exploited City's obvious shortcomings and obtained his first goals since he was twice on the mark against Manchester City on December 6. It was a win carved out by a highly proficient performance that got Middlesbrough back up to speed after collecting only one point from their two opening games. They completed a highly successful performance with a third goal from Frank Queudrue which only compounded a disjointed Birmingham display. Poor Birmingham were simply off the pace and their recent additions have done little to improve their prospects, looking at their form in the first three games which have contained two successive home defeats. Following the disappointment of their home reverse at the hands of Manchester City on Saturday, Birmingham, still without Emile Heskey, drafted in on-loan Jiri Jarosik who took the place of his former Stamford Bridge colleague, Mikael Forssell. The front line, however, still lacked real penetration and the only real threat in the early stages came from a glancing header by Nicky Butt from a left-wing cross by Stan Lazaridis. Birmingham had a let-off in the tenth minute when Jimmy Hasselbaink collected a pass from Queudrue but shot wide when clear. This, however, indicated the problems facing Birmingham so early in the season. There was a little more determination from the North East side as they demonstrated in the 14th minute when James Morrison produced a low cross from the right into the path of Viduka for the Australian to score with an angled left-foot shot. Viduka should have added to his tally four minutes later when Maik Taylor's clearance went straight to the Boro striker who took far too long to make up his mind to shoot and as a result Matthew Upson was able to race back 20 yards to block the delayed shot. It was a terrible miss and allowed struggling Birmingham to remain in contention despite their shortcomings in midfield and up front. But Viduka didn't allow this miss to put him off his game. The former Leeds man demonstrated his class with a superb second goal in the 44th minute. He collected a Queudrue throw-in near the bye-line, turned inside two Birmingham defenders and lashed a stunning shot high into the far corner of the net from an almost impossible angle. The former Aston Villa central defensive due, Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu resumed their partnership and, as usual, rarely put a foot wrong. It was the industry of another former Villa man, George Boateng, which was significant on the night as he relentlessly maintained a high level of competition to the frustration of the Birmingham side. Manager Steve Bruce drafted in Forssell and Muzzy Izzet for Olivier Tebily and Stephen Clemence but Middlesbrough were clearly determined to defend their first half advantage. As a result there was an air of frustration about Birmingham despite enjoying most of the attacking play. They suffered a further set-back when Queudrue appeared on the blind side to convert Stuart Downing's 71st minute free-kick.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
football.co.uk
Leagues & CompetitionsLeagues & CompetitionsPremier LeagueFootball League ChampionshipFootball League OneFootball League TwoScottish Premier DivisionInternational
TeamsTeamsPremier LeagueArsenalAston VillaBlackburn RoversBolton WanderersChelseaEvertonFulhamHull CityLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedMiddlesbroughNewcastle UnitedPortsmouthStoke CitySunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Bromwich AlbionWest Ham UnitedWigan AthleticFootball League ChampionshipBarnsleyBirmingham CityBlackpoolBristol CityBurnleyCardiff CityCharlton AthleticCoventry CityCrystal PalaceDerby CountyDoncaster RoversIpswich TownNorwich CityNottingham ForestPlymouth ArgylePreston North EndQueens Park RangersReadingSheffield UnitedSheffield WednesdaySouthamptonSwansea CityWatfordWolverhampton WanderersFootball League OneBrighton and Hove AlbionBristol RoversCarlisle UnitedCheltenham TownColchester UnitedCrewe AlexandraHartlepool UnitedHereford UnitedHuddersfield TownLeeds UnitedLeicester CityLeyton OrientMillwallMilton Keynes DonsNorthampton TownOldham AthleticPeterborough UnitedScunthorpe UnitedSouthend UnitedStockport CountySwindon TownTranmere RoversWalsallYeovil TownFootball League TwoAccrington StanleyAldershot TownBarnetBournemouthBradford CityBrentfordBuryChester CityChesterfieldDagenham RedbridgeDarlingtonExeter CityGillinghamGrimsby TownLincoln CityLuton TownMacclesfield TownMorecambeNotts CountyPort ValeRochdaleRotherham UnitedShrewsbury TownWycombe Wanderers
odds checker
advertisment
advertisement
