Source: Telegraph
ITV enjoy bumper audience for West Ham's FA Cup replay with Middlesbrough
ITV Sport has declared itself happy with the pulling power of the fifth-round Cup replay at the Riverside on Wednesday night, when Liverpool and Chelsea were involved in European football, although two early goals for Boro meant that the contest was effectively over within 20 minutes. [LNB]'Our viewing audience peaked at 4.2 million people which is a decent percentage of the audience share although it averaged out at 3.2 million which represents a 14 per cent share,' an ITV Sport spokesman said. 'Compared with the rest of the terrestrial channels it did very well in its own slot.'[LNB] Related ArticlesTV abandons CSKA-Villa[LNB]Downing fires Boro onwards[LNB]Top 10 football superstitions[LNB]Manchester United and Chelsea hit the road for FA Cup quarter-finals[LNB]Gareth Southgate urges Middlesbrough to kick on[LNB]Woodgate's feat inspires Stewart Downing[LNB]Middlesbrough beat West Ham to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition, where they will meet Everton. [LNB]Stewart Downing put Middlesbrough ahead in the fourth minute with a brilliant 25-yard free-kick, curling his effort beyond the wall and leaving England colleague Robert Green flailing as the ball soared into his top left-hand corner after debutant Radoslav Kovac fouled Tuncay Sanli. [LNB]An invigorated Tuncay doubled the lead in the 19th minute when he volleyed past Green from 20 yards after James Tomkins' attempt to intercept Gary O'Neil's cross fell invitingly to the Turkish international. [LNB]Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate, whose side face Liverpool on Saturday, said: 'The quality of the early goal probably knocked the stuffing out of them. Their front two of Tuncay and Jeremie Aliadiere set the tone because they worked their socks off for the team. [LNB]'Keep playing like that and we'll have no worries and we'll not fear anyone. We have to do it in the league now.' [LNB]
