- Afonso Alves (45)
- Jones (82)
- Date:2009-01-10
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:The Riverside Stadium
- Attendance:29310
- Referee:Dowd, P
Live Commentary
90mins
Full-Time: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 SUNDERLAND.
90mins
Boro are defending desperately.
90mins
Andy Reid's free-kick is cleared for a corner and Sunderland have almost everyone forward.
90mins
There's four minutes of added time.
89mins
It's all Sunderland in the closing minutes.
88mins
Carlos Edwards has a shot which is well wide.
87mins
Carlos Edwards' header is cleared off the line by Adam Johnson and Djibril Cisse then hits the bar.
86mins
Afonso Alves goes off and is replaced by Mido.
85mins
Boro have a free-kick and get everyone forward but Stewart Downing doesn't clear the first defender.
84mins
Afonso Alves has a shot which flies over the bar.
82mins
Kenwyne Jones is booked for his goal celebration.
81mins
MIDDLESBROUGH 1-1 SUNDERLAND. JONES beats the Boro defence to a David Healy cross and slides the ball past home keeper Ross Turnbull.
79mins
Kieran Richardson is replaced by David Healy.
77mins
Stewart Downing sends in a free-kick towards the far post but the whistle goes for an Emanuel Pogatetz foul.
75mins
Kieran Richardson has his head down after a terrible free-kick and Sunderland rue another missed chance.
74mins
The second half has been very disjointed due to all these stoppages.
73mins
Tuncay is flagged offside but Marton Fulop went in bravely and is down injured.
72mins
It's nervy around the Riverside as Boro sit a bit too deep and invite Sunderland pressure.
70mins
Adam Johnson is doing well defensively as Sunderland go for the equaliser.
68mins
Andy Reid has caused problems already for the Boro defence with some searching crosses into the area.
67mins
El Hadji Diouf is replaced by Andy Reid.
66mins
Sunderland will fancy their chances against the completely reshuffled Boro midfield.
64mins
Didier Digard has to go off and is replaced by Matthew Bates.
62mins
The corner is dreadful from Carlos Edwards and goes straight out for a goal kick.
61mins
Sunderland, with Kieran Richardson back on the pitch, enjoy a spell of pressure and win a corner.
59mins
Djibril Cisse has half a chance but sends the ball well wide.
57mins
Nyron Nosworthy is booked for a foul on Afonso Alves and Sunderland are losing their discipline.
56mins
Didier Digard is back on the pitch, while Kieran Richardson is still receiving treatment.
54mins
Kieran Richardson is booked for a late challenge on Didier Digard and both need treatment.
53mins
Steed Malbranque has picked up an injury and is replaced by Carlos Edwards.
52mins
Boro break quickly and Adam Johnson has a shot from 25 yards out which is straight at the keeper.
51mins
El Hadji Diouf can't control the ball and Boro have a throw-in.
51mins
Sunderland need to score quickly and have a free-kick just inside the Boro half.
49mins
Afonso Alves is flagged offside.
47mins
Josh Walker is forced off the field after picking up an injury and is replaced by Adam Johnson.
46mins
The second half gets underway.
45mins
Half-Time: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 SUNDERLAND. A great time for Boro to score after a poor first half, but Sunderland are in no way out of it.
44mins
MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 SUNDERLAND. Great play from Stewart Downing sets up Afonso ALVES who unleashes a fine shot past Marton Fulop.
43mins
Julio Arca's cross is headed wide by Tony McMahon.
41mins
Kieran Richardson's free-kick is whipped in but Kenwyne Jones's header is gathered by Ross Turnbull.
39mins
Kenwyne Jones has a shot from distance which was always going wide.
38mins
The game is lacking quality so far and needs a goal.
36mins
Tuncay is back to his feet but is limping heavily.
34mins
Dean Whitehead catches Sanli Tuncay and the Boro man is down receiving treatment.
33mins
Didier Digard's corner bounces around the area but Marton Fulop gathers the ball.
32mins
Stewart Downing's left-footed free-kick is cleared behind for a corner.
31mins
Didier Digard shoots from distance but his powerful effort swerves wide.
29mins
Julio Arca turns and puts a shot wide after good build-up play from Boro.
28mins
Sunderland open up the Boro defence but Danny Collins's cross is headed wide by Djibril Cisse.
27mins
Sunderland have a free-kick but it's played too far in front of Djibril Cisse and Boro can build again.
26mins
Djibril Cisse is caught offside.
25mins
Ross Turnbull claims the ball and the corner comes to nothing.
24mins
Sunderland win a corner after Kieran Richardson's free-kick is cleared behind.
23mins
El Hadji Diouf's dangerous cross is cleared by David Wheater and Josh Walker is able to complete the clearance.
21mins
Sanli Tuncay finds himself in space and hits a shot from 25 yards out but it flies over the bar.
19mins
Boro are keeping possession but aren't pushing players into the box.
17mins
The crowd aren't happy as Boro give the ball away.
15mins
Julio Arca sends the ball high and wide after good work from Stewart Downing.
14mins
Djibril Cisse fouls Didier Digard and Boro have another free-kick.
13mins
It's a scrappy affair so far with both teams giving the ball away.
12mins
Afonso Alves is flagged offside.
10mins
The referee is allowing the game to flow as the challenges fly in.
9mins
Stewart Downing hits a long-range shot straight at Marton Fulop.
8mins
Steed Malbranque is booked for a poor challenge on Josh Walker.
7mins
Gareth Southgate is already shouting instructions to his players.
5mins
Josh Walker is fouled and Stewart Downing's free-kick is cleared by Anton Ferdinand.
4mins
It's a cagey start from both sides in the early stages.
3mins
El Hadji Diouf is offside as Sunderland move forward.
2mins
There's a strong wind around the ground which is in Sunderland's favour in the first half.
1mins
The game is underway.
0mins
Stewart Downing gets a huge ovation from the Boro fans.
0mins
The teams are on the pitch and it's almost time for kick-off in this vital Tees-Wear derby.
Match Preview
Middlesbrough host Sunderland in a north-east derby on Saturday afternoon, with the home side lingering above the relegation zone on goal difference only.
Boro have not beaten their neighbours since January 2006 and Gareth Southgate's side will be desperate to turn around their recent poor form.
The Riverside outfit made a bright start to the Premier League season but have gone without a league win since November 9, when they defeated high-flying Aston Villa 2-1.
Southgate is hoping to hold on to his wing man Stewart Downing, who is subject of a transfer bid from Tottenham Hotspur.
Boro chairman Steve Gibson has insisted that Downing will not leave during the January window, despite the England international handing in a transfer request.
"None of our senior players will be leaving the club this month," Gibson said in a statement on the club's official website.
Meanwhile, £12million man Afonso Alves is confident he can continue his weekend scoring form as his two goals saw off minnows Barrow.
Alves said: "I hope this will be the start of a good run for me in front of goal. We have a very important game against Sunderland now and I am hungry to score."
Justin Hoyte is currently unavailable for Boro after suffering a knee injury.
Sunderland have sealed a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup and gained seven points out of a possible 12 since Ricky Sbragia took over from Roy Keane.
The upturn in form has stopped the Black Cats' demise towards the bottom of the league and steadied the ship at the Stadium of Light.
Striker El Hadji Diouf has claimed that Blackburn and Wigan are trying to sign him as Sbragia has overlooked the Senegalese man during his tenure.
However, he turned in a man-of-the-match display at the weekend and could figure again for the Mackems this week.
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Match Report
Sunderland fought back to share the points from a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough in a North-East derby at the Riverside Stadium.
The visitors stronger in the closing stages and looking more like potential winners before the 29,000 crowd.
The game had plenty of thrills but there was a lack of quality. Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing was the best player on view, despite a week of controversy.
The spotlight was on the England winger following a transfer request and a possible £15million move to Spurs.
Boro had rejected Spurs' overtures and stressed Downing would not be leaving the club during the January transfer window.
There was a great deal of pre-match speculation as to how Downing and the fans would react. The fans showed their support to Downing before a ball was kicked and the local hero responded with an excellent display.
It would have been easy for an unsettled Downing to stroll through the game but he showed wholehearted commitment.
Downing made the first scoring attempt after seven minutes when his 25-yard shot was saved by Marton Fulop. Sunderland hit back and El Hadji Diouf shot across the face of goal.
Almost immediately afterwards, Djibril Cisse should have done better when he headed wide.
The game was being played at a fast pace but there was no end product and neither goalkeeper was tested with defenders restricting the chances of forwards.
Just before the break, however, Middlesbrough went ahead with a classic move. Downing and Afonso Alves combined for the Brazilian to crash a powerful shot past Fulop.
Downing had spotted Alves in open space and the club's £12million record buy responded with a shot from the edge of the box.
Alves has struggled for form all season and this must have been a sweet moment for him.
Sunderland went all out for an early breakthrough in the second half with play held up following a clash of heads between Didier Digard and Carlos Edwards.
Edwards left the field for a spell with a cut head. Digard continued for a while but was forced to eventually go off following the clash of heads.
Sunderland made three substitutions with Andy Reid making an immediate difference. Another replacement, David Healy, helped Black Cats to draw level two minutes after his late introduction.
Kenwyne Jones had an easy scoring chance from close range after Healy laid on the pass.
In stoppage time a brilliant Tony McMahon tackle prevented Cisse snatching a dramatic winner for the visitors, who bossed the latter stages.
Middlesbrough Team
Sunderland Team
Middlesbrough | Sunderland |
Corners
| 2 | 7 |
Fouls
| 11 | 13 |
Goal attempts
| 9 | 10 |
Shots off target
| 6 | 5 |
Offsides
| 4 | 4 |
90mins
Boro have a late corner which is defended well by Sunderland who then break forward, but Tony McMahon is there to deny Djibril Cisse.