- Date:2009-02-21
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:The Riverside Stadium
- Attendance:24020
- Referee:Dean, M
Live Commentary
90mins
Full-Time: MIDDLESBROUGH 0-0 WIGAN. It finishes goalless in a game where genuine chances were at a premium.
90mins
The fourth official has signaled four minutes of added time.
89mins
It looks as though this game is going to end goaless.
87mins
Gary O'Neil's 25-yard strike is aved by the knees of keeper Chris Kirkland.
85mins
Hugo Rodallega blasts the ball into the side netting.
84mins
Neither side look like scoring at the moment.
82mins
Mario Melchiot's left-footed ball into the area is headed away by Robert Huth.
80mins
Charles N'Zogbia is flagged offside.
78mins
Hugo Rodallega fires over the crossbar from a long ball forward.
76mins
Antoine Sibierski replaces Amr Zaki for Wigan.
74mins
Stewart Downing surges forward and goes down in the area but the referee says no penalty.
74mins
Mario Melchiot's right-foot cross goes out for a Middlesbrough goal kick.
72mins
Alves weaves his way into the box but his shot is blocked by Melchiot.
70mins
Brad Jones comes off his line to comfortably collect a Wigan corner.
68mins
Emanuel Pogatetz's header from Gary O'Neil's corner flies over the crossbar.
66mins
Michael Brown shoots inches wide of Brad Jones' goal.
65mins
Sanli Tuncay goes down in the area but the referee signals a goal kick.
63mins
Adam Johnson is replaced by Sanli Tuncay.
62mins
Olivier Kapo is replaced by Hugo Rodallega.
62mins
Jeremie Aliadiere creates space for himself but volleys wide of the target.
60mins
Josh Walker's pass is intercepted by Mario Melchiot.
58mins
Wigan are enjoying a good period of possession.
56mins
Amr Zaki is booked for a challenge on Justin Hoyte.
55mins
Titus Bramble makes an old fashioned clearance.
54mins
The second half has yet to get going.
52mins
Jeremie Aliadiere replaces Julio Arca for Boro.
50mins
Adam Johnson plays a ball down the channel but it goes out for a goal kick.
48mins
The initial prognosis is that Digard has a thigh injury.
46mins
Lee Cattermole burts into the area but Adam Johnson clears the danger.
45mins
The second half is underway.
45mins
It's all square at the break. Middlesbrough were the better of the two sides in the first 45 minutes.
45mins
Alves is booked for a dive.
45mins
Julio Arca looks to slide the ball in for Alves but Titus Bramble intercepts.
45mins
Gary O'Neil is booked for diving.
45mins
There is six minutes injury time to play in the first half.
43mins
Lee Cattermole goes into the referee's notebook.
41mins
Stewart Downing's volley misses the target.
39mins
Middlebrough are enjoying good possession without threatening.
37mins
Charles N'Zogbia's curling free kick is parried away by Brad Jones.
35mins
From the resulting corner Stewart Downing's right-foot effort is just wide.
34mins
Stewart Downing's low drive is tipped round the post by Chris Kirkland.
32mins
Emanuel Pogatetz clears the ball away from a Wigan attack.
30mins
Gary O'Neil whips in a free kick but it is cleared away by the Latics.
29mins
Martins Afonso Alves is tugged back by Emmerson Boyce. Boro are awarded a free kick.
27mins
Ben Watson is shown yellow for a late challenge on Stewart Downing.
26mins
Lee Cattermole is being booed by the fans of his former club.
24mins
Josh Walker replaces the injured Digard who is stretchered off.
20mins
It looks as though Digard is going to have to go off injured.
19mins
Digard is receiving treatment after a strong tackle by Lee Cattermole.
19mins
Martins Afonso Alves is played into the box but is crowded out by Wigan defenders.
17mins
The Middlebrough fans are roaring their team on as Gareth Southgate's side play some good stuff.
15mins
Digard and Downing turn on the style with back heels as Middlesbrough play some expansive football.
13mins
David Wheater's right-foot ball goes out for a Wigan throw.
11mins
Middlesbrough are knocking the ball about patiently.
9mins
Middlesbrough have made the better start to this game.
7mins
Boro break forward quickly again but Mario Melchiot makes a vital challenge at the expense of a corner.
5mins
Stewart Downing charges forward but can't produce the final ball after an excellent run.
4mins
Ben Watson's free kick is comfortably collected by Bradley Jones.
2mins
Titus Bramble fouls Martins Afonso Alves and Boro are awarded a free kick.
0mins
Referee Mike Dean gets the game underway.
0mins
Olivier Kapo starts for Wigan, Rodallega dropping to the bench, while Amr Zaki starts in place of the ineligible Mido.
0mins
Emmerson Boyce comes in for Paul Scharner for Wigan and Ben Watson replaces the injured Valencia.
0mins
Middlesbrough are unchanged from the side that drew against West Ham last time out.
Match Preview
Middlesbrough will be looking to generate some league form this weekend when they host goal-shy Wigan Atheltic.
Boro have now gone three months without a win in the league and find themselves staring relegation in the face in 19th place.
Yet their form in the FA Cup has instilled some confidence and manager Gareth Southgate was full of praise for his team after their 1-1 draw with West Ham last weekend.
"I was pleased with how we played, the quality was good and I was pleased how we opened them up," the former England international said.
"We will take more from it than the result itself. We got ourselves in enough good situations but that has been the story of the season for us."
He also crucially added: "A lot of our senior players are coming back, you need them to get results in our league and in this competition."
Southgate can now pick his strongest eleven, although the performances of certain young players will complicate his selection for this weekend.
Matthew Bates and Josh Walker were labelled "terrific" by Southgate but the only youth prospect likely to keep his place his left winger Adam Johnson, who has pushed the impressive Stuart Downing into a central role.
Wigan manager Steve Bruce can also pick from an almost fully fit squad, with just striker Mido (groin) and midfielder Antonio Valencia (hamstring) out.
The loss of Mido is particularly untimely as fellow forward Marlon King, currently on loan at Boro and unable to face his parent club, has been charged with assault and could face a jail sentence.
Maynor Figueroa and Hugo Rodallega faced a long journey back from international duty in Central and South America but both should have recovered in time to face Boro.
advertisement
advertisment
Match Report
Gareth Southgate's problems increased as Middlesbrough looked every bit relegation contenders on another dismal afternoon at the Riverside Stadium.
Boro, having scored only one Premier League goal in their previous eight outings, rarely looked like adding to this tally as they toiled against Wigan's solid back line.
To make matters worse, Boro lost influential French midfielder Didier Digard midway through the first half with a suspected serious thigh injury.
Digard was hurt in a strong but fair challenge from Boro old boy Lee Cattermole who was loudly booed by the home fans every time he touched the ball for the rest of the game.
Digard's loss was a huge body blow because Boro never really established any control in the middle of the park.
Stewart Downing was always a threat with his runs from deep positions but there was rarely an end product.
Boro's only shot on target came on the hour mark when Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland made a superb diving save to keep out a strong low drive from Downing.
Otherwise Kirkland was given terrific cover from his back four in which Titus Bramble was a man mountain.
With Cattermole regularly making strong challenges and man-of-the-match Michael Brown prominent at both ends for the visitors, Wigan controlled the ball for long spells.
In fact manager Steve Bruce will feel that this is a game they should have won because they had 11 efforts on goal compared to five from Boro.
But the Wigan attack was also blunt with Egyptian striker Amr Zaki's barren run continuing.
Brown tested Boro keeper Bradley Jones with a couple of shots from the edge of the box and Charles N'Zogbia also had a shot saved in the second half but otherwise this was a game designed not to worry the statisticians.
Boro have now gone 15 games without a win and it is hard to give them any chance of staying in the top flight, especially as they are stuck with non-scoring record £12.7million signing Afonso Alvez who is not even looking capable of getting efforts on target.
On the strength of this performance Wigan are not going to be good enough to grab the European place they are seeking.
Middlesbrough Team
Wigan Athletic Team
Middlesbrough | Wigan Athletic |
Corners
| 5 | 1 |
Fouls
| 6 | 15 |
Goal attempts
| 6 | 12 |
Shots off target
| 3 | 6 |
Offsides
| 3 | 4 |
90mins
Stewart Downing's dangerous cross is headed away by Emmerson Boyce.