Early Bothroyd strike sinks Boro

06 March 2010 18:54
Cardiff City 1 Middlesbrough 0 MIDDLESBROUGH'S stop-start season continued apace with defeat against Cardiff City on Saturday following on from last weekend's win over Queens Park Rangers.[LNB] Boro's problem is they appear incapable of stringing a run of results together and their lack of consistency could see them miss out on a play-off place that was a minimum target at the start of the season.[LNB] Boro made two changes from the side which beat QPR thanks to two Barry Robson penalties. Andrew Taylor came in for Emanuel Pogatetz who was nursing a knee injury, and Julio Arca replaced Chris Killen who dropped to the bench.[LNB] Killen was playing for New Zealand against Mexico in Los Angeles in midweek with Jeremie Aliadiere pushed up alongside Leroy Lita in attack.[LNB] The pre-match entertainment for the away fans was a march by Cardiff supporters to show their displeasure with the way their club is being run, directing their ire at Bluebirds chairman Peter Ridsdale.[LNB] It didn't appear to affect the Cardiff players. A goal from Jay Bothroyd inside three minutes was enough to see off the Teessiders, and despite a spirited second half display Boro couldn't find a way back.[LNB] They thought they had just after the hour mark but David Wheater's header was harshly ruled out for a Leroy Lita handball and despite Bluebirds goalkeeper David Marshall pulling a string of saves they couldn't find an equaliser.[LNB] Cardiff City: Marshall; Matthews, Gerrard, Gyepes, McNaughton; Burke, Blake, Rae, McCormack; Chopra, Bothroyd. Subs: Enckelman (gk); Quinn, Capaldi, Taiwo, Wildig, Feeney, Meades.[LNB] Middlesbrough: Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus, Taylor; O'Neil, Robson, Arca, Flood; Aliadiere, Lita. Subs: Jones (gk); Miller, Grounds, Williams, Bennett, Franks, Killen.[LNB]

Source: Northern_Echo