Source: Northern_Echo
Boro fail in last-ditch Conway move
MIDDLESBROUGH'S attempts to engineer a lastminute move for Craig Conway came to nothing yesterday as the transfer window closed without Gordon Strachan adding to his squad.[LNB] Dundee United rejected Boro's renewed offer for Conway, who had indicated a desire to move to the Riverside earlier in the summer.[LNB] The Teessiders also missed out on another long-term targets as defender Craig Dawson joined West Brom in a £600,000 deal, only to be then immediately loan him back to League One Rochdale for the remainder of the season.[LNB] On a quiet deadline day for Boro, the only deals saw Andrew Taylor, Jonathan Grounds, Didier Digard and Mido leaving on loan.[LNB] Taylor has joined Championship side Watford until January, while Grounds heads to Hibernian on a five-month loan.[LNB] Digard has rejoined Nice after spending last season with the French Ligue One side, while Mido's season-long loan at Ajax will be confirmed this morning once international clearance comes through.[LNB] With his contract at the Riverside due to expire next summer, yesterday's agreement effectively means Mido's Boro career is at end three years and 32 unremarkable appearances after he made a £6m move from Tottenham.[LNB] The days of the Teessiders spending that kind of money are long gone, as underlined by their failure to strike a deal for Conway.[LNB] Boro resubmitted their original offer of around £600,000 yesterday morning, but Dundee United officials continued to hold out for a minimum figure of £800,000.[LNB] Neither party was willing to budge and, as a result, Conway will remain at Tannadice.[LNB] Strachan had been pursuing the right midfielder in an attempt to add some muchneeded natural width to a squad that is short of wingers.[LNB] His failure to seal a deal means he will have to rely on Andy Halliday and Tarmo Kink, or utilise the loan market when the window for emergency Football League loans opens next week.[LNB] The Teessiders offered £400,000 for Dawson at the start of the summer, but despite the player submitting two transfer requests in an attempt to push through a move to the Riverside, Rochdale continued to demand a much larger fee.[LNB] West Brom failed to match their asking price, but the Premier League club's willingness to loan the 20-year-old back to Spotland enabled them to reach an agreement.[LNB] An Andy Halliday goal was insufficient to prevent Middlesbrough's reserves slipping to a 3-1 defeat at home to Scunthorpe yesterday afternoon.[LNB] Halliday broke the deadlock with a neat finish shortly after the half-hour mark, but a Boro side containing Marvin Emnes, Lee Miller and Joe Bennett were unable to press home their advantage.[LNB] Bobby Grant and Trent Mc- Clenehan scored for Scunthorpe in the closing stages of the first half, with Matthew Godden adding a third after the interval.[LNB] Middlesbrough: Ripley; Oliver, Atkinson (Roushias 68), Weldon, Bennett; Halliday, Smallwood, Dolan (Gibson 46), Emnes; Miller, Gray (Park 70).[LNB]
