Source: Northern_Echo
Middlesbrough 1 Barnsley 1
THERE is an uncertain summer ahead at the Riverside Stadium, but the anticipated overhaul of the Middlesbrough squad might not have to be as extreme as was once thought.[LNB] Tony Mowbray, the Boro boss, remains keen to put his own stamp on a squad he inherited from Gordon Strachan last October and moving on high earners during hard financial times is paramount.[LNB] He has come to realise, however, there are plenty of players who could be worth keeping.[LNB] In the last three matches Mowbray, who would have preferred to have retained continuity and familiarity, has been forced to tinker to the extent that he has used 21 players in the space of seven days.[LNB] While the hefty number of changes is likely to have contributed to Middlesbrough's failure to follow up a victory at Sheffield United with similar outcomes against Ipswich and at home to Barnsley, it has at least painted a brighter picture of the squad as a whole.[LNB] Aided by the return from injury of long-term absentees and having confidence in homegrown talents, he has ensured that defensively and through midfield there are more options than there were a few months ago.[LNB] He is also reaping the rewards up front, yet he has less options now than any other Boro manager has had in the Premier League era.[LNB] Despite the fact Scott Mc- Donald is his only fit recognised striker, Mowbray's brand of attack-minded football has heralded the team's most productive spell of the season.[LNB] McDonald's 11th goal of the campaign was enough to earn a point against Barnsley and cancel out Marlon Harewood's first-half opener, which further improved a run of nine matches out of the last 12 where one of Mowbray's strikers has found the net.[LNB] We are creating chances of late and nobody can criticise us for not scoring goals over these last few weeks, yet here we are finding ourselves with only one striker, he said.[LNB] You look at clubs like Nottingham Forest who have five strikers to call on from the bench but the boys are doing fantastically well and hopefully Leroy Lita will be back in a week and ease our worries in that department.[LNB] Given the amount of chopping and changing I have had to do with all the injuries that we've had, it is great testament to the players that they've been able to put together a sevengame unbeaten run.[LNB] Those are the positives I would like to emphasise. If you take the time to analyse the changes that we've been forced to make over the past few weeks, it is great credit to the squad that they've responded well.[LNB] It was supposed to be the day Boro officially guaranteed their place in the Championship for a further season. Instead it will be remembered for a secondhalf touchline melee that opened the door for a Teesside revival.[LNB] If there were any lingering doubts around the Riverside that there might be splits within the dressing room, the way the whole team responded to a team-mate in trouble dispelled such a theory.[LNB] Barnsley looked comfortable and on track for victory. Harewood had bundled the ball over the line off the leg of Andrew Davies in the 22nd minute, at the second attempt, following a terrific back post centre from Kieran Trippier.[LNB] There were moments at both ends to alter the scoreline, most notably Jason Shackell's goalline clearance from Andy Halliday's chip, but it was not until 21 minutes from time that Barnsley showed signs of buckling.[LNB] When Kevin Thomson charged over to tackle Paul Mc- Shane moments after the former Sunderland defender had left the Scotland international on the floor, the Barnsley man lost it.[LNB] McShane had to be pulled away from his angry confrontation with Thomson before he then took his frustration out on Joe Bennett, who ended over the advertising hoarding just to the right of the home dug-out, along with Andrew Taylor.[LNB] McShane was red-carded by referee Chris Sarginson and Middlesbrough were handed the impetus to go on and claim something from a game they should have lost.[LNB] Suddenly they started to pass the ball around more confidently and tellingly.[LNB] Tykes' boss Mark Robins thought the dismissal was harsh and Mowbray said: There were 24 bodies in there if you count the subs and coaches. Maybe we've got some retrospective refereeing to come again this weekend.[LNB] It moved from two players grabbing each other and I'd like to think 18 players were trying to pull others out of the way, sometimes that is what happens in these melees when everybody just gets in the way.[LNB] It's up to the officials to decide what's right or wrong.[LNB] Either way the departure of McShane caused Barnsley to lose their shape. While Tarmo Kink, a substitute for the less effective Halliday, who inspired Boro to a point at Ipswich, added a spark going forward.[LNB] Estonian Kink had already gone close with a long-range drive and a header before his cross from the right was perfect for McDonald to jump and flick an adroit header inside Luke Steele's far post.[LNB] The equaliser arrived with six minutes left and Middlesbrough could have won it in injury- time when Rhys Williams went close after a mazy run in to the area.[LNB] Mowbray said: The fact we have now gone seven games unbeaten is a great credit to the players when you bear in mind the position we were in not so long ago. They've dug deep and fought hard.[LNB] We're closing in on safety and once we get past that mark maybe the players will play with a bit more freedom with the threat of relegation off their backs.[LNB] The key, Mowbray knows, is to keep the positivity going as they head into the summer to give the fans some encouragement for next season.[LNB]
