• Date: Sat 22 September 2007
  • Venue: The Riverside Stadium
  • Ref: Webb, H
  • Attendance: 30,675
Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough

Arca (15)

Downing (67)

2 - 2
Sunderland

Sunderland

Leadbitter (2)

Miller (89)

Middlesbrough vs Sunderland

Team Lineups

Middlesbrough

Mark Schwarzer
Andrew Taylor
Jonathan Woodgate
Luke Young, L
David Wheater
Fabio Rochemback
Julio Arca (George Boateng, 27)
Gary O'Neil
Stewart Downing
Sanli Tuncay (Dong-Gook Lee, 12)
Ahmed Hossam Mido (Lee Cattermole, 58)

Sunderland

Craig Gordon
Greg Halford
Paul McShane
Danny Higginbotham
Ross Wallace (Roy O'Donovan, 76)
Dickson Etuhu (Liam Miller, 53)
Danny Collins
Grant Leadbitter
Dwight Yorke (Anthony Stokes, 67)
Michael Chopra
Kenwyne Jones


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

FULL TIME - MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 2 SUNDERLAND: Howard Webb brings the game to a close and the sides share the points after a late equaliser from the visitors, who were lucky to come away with anything

90

Cattermole curls a shot looking for the far post but it is deflected inches wide

90

The fourth official indicates three minutes of added time.

89
Goal
 

MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 2 SUNDERLAND: Jones nods the ball down for LIAM MILLER who strikes a hopeful shot with his left foot and finds the top-left corner of Schwarzer's goal

87

Keane is furious on the sideline as Sunderland, in a good position, give a needless free-kick away on the edge of their opponents penalty area.

85

Halford sends a long, hopeful ball up the pitch searching for Chopra who can do nothing more than watch Schwarzer easily gather the ball

84

The game seems to be drifting away from Sunderland now as we approach the dieing moments of the game.

82

Halford's headed clearance finds Rochemback whose driven does not trouble Gordon

80

Lee shows good movement and strength before picking out O'Neil with a cross whose header sails over the crossbar

78

Halford tries to complete an action replay of Downing's goal, but comes close to hitting the corner flag after swinging his shot wide.

75
Substitution
 

Ross Wallace is the man brought off, and Roy O'Donovan takes the left flank for the final fifteen minutes.

73

Keane looks set to make his final substitution now, in an attempt to inject some life into the game as Chopra and Jones look isolated up-front.

71
Yellow Card
 

Miller hacks down a second opposition, this time Rochemback, and is shown a yellow card by Howard Webb.

69

Roy Keane will be fuming after his sides failure to close down Downing prior to the goal.

67
Substitution
 

Roy Keane makes an immediate substitution. Anthony Stokes replaces the inaffective Dwight Yorke

67
Goal
 

MIDDLESBROUGH 2 - 1 SUNDERLAND: The visitors give STEWART DOWNING too much space, and the winger's shot from 25-yards beats Gordon finding the bottom corner of his goal.

64

Downing crosses and finds O'Neil in the box, but he misses the target from 12-yards.

62
Yellow Card
 

Cattermole, four minutes after taking the field, is also cautioned.

62
Yellow Card
 

Frustration breaks out on the pitch after a poor challenge from Halford on Rochemback and Leadbitter squares up to Cattermole. Leadbitter is booked for his behaviour.

60

Wallace's cross is weakly punched clear by Schwarzer and finds Halford, but the keeper redeems himself by blocking the defender's shot.

59
Yellow Card
 

Andrew Taylor earns himself a booking for a late challenge on Grant Leadbitter

58
Substitution
 

The substitution takes place this time, as Mido leaves the field to be replaced by Lee Cattermole

56

O'Neil chips the ball into Mido who cushions the ball down for Lee, but Collins hooks the ball away to safety

54

Leadbitter gets to the byline and puts the ball across the face of goal and finds Ross Wallace at the far post whose shot is inches wide.

52
Substitution
 

Dickson Ethu makes way for Liam Miller who will strengthen up the midfield for the visitors.

50

Mido picks out Lee whose curling shot whistles past Gordon's post

48

Jones hits a long range effort but finds the stand behind Schwarzer's goal.

45

Mido, who everyone expected to be substituted, has returned to the field but with his thigh heavily bandaged.

Second half
 

The second-half is underway as Sunderland kick-off. The visitors have a 100% record in the Premiership when they have opened the scoring, but will that be the case today?

Half time
 

HALF TIME - MIDDLESBROUGH 1 - 1 SUNDERLAND: Neither side has taken control of the game, and they go in level at the interval with everything still to play for.

45

Chopra turns and shoots on the edge of the box but Young gets in the way of his low shot.

43
Yellow Card
 

Michael Chopra is cautioned by Howard Webb for failing to move 10-yards back for a Borough free-kick

42

Rochemback picks out Mido with an inviting cross but his header loops over the crossbar and onto the roof of the net.

41

Confusion on the pitch as Lee Cattermole looks set to replace the limping Mido. But the Egyptian signals to Southgate that he wants to wait till half-time.

40
Yellow Card
 

Dickson Ethu will miss the next match through suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the season for a bad challenge on Luke Young

39

Taylor crosses and almost finds Lee in a great position, but McShane intercepts brilliantly.

37

The game is stretched at the moment and though both sides are getting shots away, they are half chances at the most. Quality is lacking in the final pass.

35

Lee hits an ambitious effort from about 35-yards and fails to trouble Gordon

32

Boateng slides in late on another Sunderland player and earns himself some harsh words from Howard Webb. He will have to watch himself if he is to remain on the pitch for the remainder of the game.

30

Dickson Ethu finds himself in a good position and lets fly from just outside the area, but it is a routine save for Schwarzer.

28
Yellow Card
 

Boateng makes his mark in the game immediately, and receives the first booking of the game after a rash challenge on Ross Wallace.

27
Substitution
 

Southgate is forced into another substitution, and Arca's injury looks serious. A stretcher is needed to carry the midfielder off the pitch. George Boateng takes his place.

27

Kenwyne Jones tries his luck from the edge of the area but David Wheater stands his ground and blocks the shot.

26

Gary O'Neil hits a thunderbolt shot from outside the area and forces a fine save out of Gordon

25

Another troubling sight for Borough as Arca goes down clutching his hamstring.

23

It has been an open game so far, but Roy Keane will question his side's defending on the home side's equaliser - Arca was left all on his own inside the box.

21

Ross Wallace's cross is met by Chopra whose looping header is easily saved by Schwarzer.

19

Goalscorer Leadbitter looks for Michael Chopra with a searching cross, but Andrew Taylor intercepts and clears the danger.

17

Dong-Gook Lee breaks over the halfway line and tries to play a one-two with Mido, whose return pass is poor and the visitors regain possession

15
Goal
 

MIDDLESBROUGH 1 - 1 SUNDERLAND: JULIO ARCA latches onto a fine Gary O'Neil cross and nods the ball home at the far post. The midfielder's celebration is muted, as the goal comes against his former side.

13
Substitution
 

Tuncay Sanli's return to the starting eleven lasts ten minutes, as he limps off the field to be replaced by Dong-Gook Lee.

11

Tuncay Sanli goes down and looks in pain. It does not look good for Gareth Southgate, who looks like he may have to make an early substitution.

9

Michael Chopra gets behind the Middlesbrough defence but is pulled back for offside.

6

Borough go in search of an equaliser, but David Wheater's powerful strike from 20-yards is deflected wide

5

Middlesbrough win the first corner of the game, but Stewart Downing's delivery is punched clear by Craig Gordon.

4

A dream start for Roy Keane in this North-East derby on his 50th game in charge

2
Goal
 

MIDDLESBROUGH 0 - 1 SUNDERLAND: Michael Chopra's poor effort from the left falls to GRANT LEADBITTER, who slots the ball past Mark Schwarzer to give the visitors an early lead.

1

Today is Roy Keane's 50th game in charge and it looks like there could be some intriguing battles on the pitch

Kickoff
 

Howard Webb blows his whistle and the home side get the game underway.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

SUNDERLAND STARTING XI: Gordon, Halford, McShane, Higginbotham, Collins, Leadbitter, Yorke, Etuhu, Wallace, Jones, Chopra. SUBS: Ward, Harte, Stokes, Miller, O'Donovan

Awaiting Kickoff
 

MIDDLESBROUGH STARTING XI: Schwarzer, Young, Woodgate, Wheater, Taylor, O'Neil, Rochemback, Arca, Downing, Sanli, Mido. SUBS: Jones, Riggott, Boateng, Lee, Cattermole.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Ian Harte is in the squad for Roy Keane's side today but there is still no sign of Andrew Cole, who misses out along with Kieran Richardson, Carlos Edwards, Stanislav Varga and Dean Whitehead.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Gareth Southgate makes two changes to the side that lost at Upton Park last Saturday. George Boateng starts the game on the bench, making way for Gary O'Neil while Tuncay Sanli replaces the injured Jeremie Aliadiere.