Late Penalty From Leadbitter Moves Boro Up To Third

Middlesbrough    1        QPR    0

                                            Leadbitter 90+4

A game a low quality was decided by a penalty brimming with confidence, as Middlesbrough moved to within a point of Championship summit.

Grant Leadbitter converted the all-important spot kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time, as Boro beat Queens Park Rangers at the Riverside Stadium.

Grant Leadbitter after scoring the late penalty
(Picture from sport.bt.com)

It was awarded when Leroy Fer handled the ball inside the area and was subsequently sent off for preventing a goal scoring opportunity.

The visitors, who missed caretaker manager Neil Warnoick due to personal reasons, had defended well throughout the contest and even created the better chances on the break.

Boro may have dominated possession but hadn’t recorded a shot on target before Leadbitter snatched the points from 12 yards late on.

The look on Aitor Karanka’s face at the full time whistle said it all, it was the expression of a relieved man and he knew it.

After last season’s play-off heartbreak many fans on Teesside are still unsure how to view the start of this campaign.

There is a general feeling that the football could be better and at times the passing is a bit pedestrian. Even so Karanka’s men have a tendency to grind out results and are sitting a more than respectable third in the league.

In contrast Rangers are without are without a win in four and slip further in to the clutches of mid-table mediocrity after this latest defeat.

They were without their talisman Charlie Austin for this encounter and Kevin Blackwell, who took charge in Warnock’s absence, made two changes from the side which drew with Preston before the international break.

Junior Hoilett was also missing as neither he nor Austin even made the bench. Their replacements were Yun Suk-Young and James Perch who started on the left wing and at left back respectively.

Karanka had said before this game that Boro’s defeat to Hull in their previous game already felt like it was “months ago”. The Boro side showed three changes from the team which started that game as Leadbitter returned in midfield while Ben Gibson and Emilio Nsue came back into the defence.

Boro have lost just once at the Riverside this season but it was the visitors who registered the first shot when Paul Konchesky’s effort deflected into the hands of goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopulos.

The hosts saw most of the ball in the early exchanges but the passing often lacked intensity, as players took 3 or 4 touches on the ball while QPR defended in numbers. 

The visitors did pose a threat on the counter attack and the likes of Fer and forward Matt Phillips were involved in some slick passing moves which Boro’s defence did well to stub out.

Upfront, David Nugent was working hard on his own and received little support. After 20 minutes he had an effort blocked by Nedum Onuoha after a lovely pass from Adam Clayton, moments later he flicked Albert Adomah’s low cross from the right across Rob Green’s goal but the ball rebounded off the inside of the post.

Ranger’s best effort came after 35 minutes when Leadbitter got caught in possession and conceded a free kick on the edge of his own box. From the resulting free kick Alejandro Faurlin curled a shot/cross towards goal which Konstantouplos beat away with his fists.

The hosts then went close as Diego Fabbrini flashed a shot wide just before the break. Rangers went closer still when Faurlin’s shot was cleared off the line by Gibson before Konstantopulos saved the rebound from Fer.

But as the match wore on it was Boro who looked the most likely to clinch a winner. Both George Friend and Stewart Downing tried their luck but both efforts were just off target.

Karanka introduced Christain Stuani, who hasn’t featured for over a month after picking up an injury while playing for Uruguay, and Kike as his side pushed for a winner.

After a late spell of dominance it finally came when Daniel Ayala’s acrobatic overhead kick from a corner appeared to be heading in but was blocked on the line by the arm of Fer.

Referee Christopher Kavanagh therefore had no choice but to send the player off and award a penalty, which Laedbitter calmly side footed home sending Green the wrong way in the process.

Player Ratings  

Dimi Konstantopulos   7- Made a couple of important saves at key moments

Emilio Nsue   6.5 - Provided good outlet from right back

Daniel Ayala   7- Read the game well and stopped any danger

Ben Gibson   6.5 - Settled back into the side well after missing out at Hull

George Friend   6 - Gave the ball away on a couple of occasions in the first half

Grant Leadbitter   6.5- Reliable as ever from the penalty spot, tried to break forward from midfield when he could

Adam Clayton   7- Made a couple of good passes forward while seeing out his regular duty of protecting job in front of the back four

Albert Adomah   5- Went missing for large parts of the game, rarely took a player on

Stewart Downing   7- Picked up the ball in some good areas after the break and looked like Boro’s most creative player

Diego Fabbrini   5.5- Held on to the ball for too long at times and often ended up being brought down

David Nugent   6- Chased down defenders but didn’t have the support to make it effective

Subs

Christian Stuani   6 – Came on with 28 minutes to go, will be happy to be back after a lengthy absence

Kike – Came on with 13 minutes to go unfair to give a fair rating

My Boro Man Of The Match : Adam Clayton