FA Cup

January 29, 2012
  • FTFT
     
    Sunderland
    Middlesboro
    1
    1
    1
    1
    1
  • FTFT
     
    Arsenal
    Aston Villa
    3
    2
    3
    2
    2

Full-time

Sunderland

1 - 1

Middlesbrough

FA Cup

13:30 +00:00, January 29, 2012

Stadium of Light, England

Referee: K Friend

  •  

    As with most Premier League sides, it won't suit Sunderland to draw and have the replay but Boro deserve just that and will be pleased with their performance.

  •  

    The draw seems like a fair result, and of course there will be a cup replay. Sunderland were the better side on the balance of the game, and also had a first-half effort disallowed, but Middlesbrough wasted several chances too; it would have been cruel for them to lose.

  •  

    Full-time: Sunderland 1-1 Middlesbrough

  • 90'

    Though Emnes can't head the ball properly and the chance has passed

  • 90'

    But Boro win the ball back and launch their own attack!

  • 90'

    Time for one last Sunderland counter attack...

  • 90'

    McLean fires just wide! Decent effort with power, but it's just outside the near post. Dangerous from Sunderland

  • 90'

    Good catch by Ripley, collecting the deep cross. He's in no hurry to resume play, a replay would be good for Boro, particularly with Sunderland looking more likely to win

  • 90'

    Four minutes of added time to be played...

  • 90'

    But Boro defend well...

  • 89'

    McLean now leading another Sunderland attack...

  • 88'

    Haroun offside. Sunderland free-kick

  • 87'

    Campbell loses possession and Boro look to break...

  • 86'

    Larsson really overhits a follow-up cross from the corner and it's out for a goal-kick

  • 85'

    Great defending by Bates following the best move of the game by Sunderland, one that culminated in a cross from McLean that Bates clear. Sunderland corner

  • 84'

    Williams clears the loose ball. Sunderland throw-in

  • 83'

    Campbell fouls Bates. Boro free-kick inside their own penalty area

  • 82'

    Less than 10 minutes left for either side to find a winner, then

  • 81'

    Boro 'keeper Coyne replaced after suffering an injury with the son of Stuart Ripley (the ex-Blackburn winger and England international), Connor, replacing him

  • 80'

    Coyne off, Ripley on

  • 79'

    Boro corner...

  • 79'

    What defending from Larsson! Makes a great tackle with Jutkiewicz preparing to shoot - would surely have scored from that

  • 78'

    Boro now looking to build their own attack...

  • 77'

    Stat: Middlesbrough have had more players sent off against Sunderland than any other club

  • 76'

    Corner comes to nothing with Williams penalised for fouling Mignolet

  • 75'

    Nice end-to-end football being played. Though Sunderland are the better side, Boro could very possibly win this too, particularly if the home side leave themselves exposed

  • 75'

    Boro win a corner as Robson's cross is deflected over

  • 75'

    Sunderland struggling to clear the ball from their penalty area...

  • 74'

    Campbell shows his pace to reach the loose ball but can't quite keep it on. Boro goal-kick

  • 73'

    Well defended from McMahon again, diving to head and clear the ball with McLean ready to pounce

  • 72'

    Boro goal-kick, Coyne to take...

  • 71'

    Sunderland looking to attack again; Campbell's proving a much more reliable focal point for their attacks (something they've lacked this season)

  • 70'

    Williams booked for fouling McLean

  • 69'

    Campbell through-ball runs out for a Boro throw-in. Wasted chance

  • 68'

    Sessegnon slices harmlessly over. Boro goal-kick (and a much needed relief from the pressure)

  • 68'

    Nice football there from Sunderland, with Gardner and McLean combining well for McLean to cross, though the effort's out for a corner

  • 67'

    Good save there from Coyne! Sunderland looking to take the lead now

  • 66'

    Well defended again by McMahon on McLean; good duel taking place between these two

  • 66'

    Emnes fires the loose ball well over! Boro need to take some of these chances if they want to avoid defeat today

  • 65'

    And another corner, after Bardsley heads clear

  • 64'

    Boro corner after Williams' shot is deflected wide

  • 63'

    The roles have very much been reversed - Boro suddenly look unsettled and need more time on the ball, with Sunderland looking energised by the equaliser

  • 63'

    Larsson overhits the cross and McMahon heads clear

  • 62'

    Sunderland corner...

  • 61'

    Campbell, playing off the shoulder of the defender, has added so much more mobility to Sunderland's attack and he and Sessegnon are really threatening

  • 60'

    Sunderland now piling the pressure on!

  • 59'

    Brown off, Turner on

  • 58'

    Sunderland break following Boro's corner, with McLean running down the left wing and laying the ball off for Campbell to finish. It was a great finish by the ex-Manchester United striker who showed great confidence and composure to shoot first time instead of taking a touch. Good goal

  • 58'

    GOAL Sunderland 1-1 Middlesbrough! Campbell equalises on his return to the first-team!

  • 57'

    Middlesbrough will take the consequent corner once he has recovered

  • 56'

    Well defended from Brown - very committed but he's hurt himself following a big fall

  • 54'

    Brown tackles Haroun and it's a Boro throw-in. McMahon, however, is still complaining about McLean's challenge

  • 53'

    Good tackle by McLean on McMahon with the full-back advancing

  • 53'

    Haroun heads clear. And Boro now have a throw-in

  • 52'

    Now a Sunderland free-kick from the edge of Boro's penalty box, but it's at a wide angle

  • 51'

    Robson shoots but the effort curls wide. Decent effort though

  • 51'

    Now a Boro free-kick following Gardner's foul on Haroun. Also shooting distance

  • 50'

    Emnes fires wide! Decent connection with the ball but it's off target the moment it leaves his foot

  • 49'

    Boro now win a corner at the other end following good work from Robson

  • 48'

    Gardner shoots but it's off target

  • 48'

    Sunderland win a free-kick 30 yards from Boro's goal. Possibly shooting distance

  • 47'

    Fraizer Campbell returns following a long injury lay-off, and Wickham's off following a disappointing first-half

  • 46'

    Wickham off, Campbell on

  • 46'

    The second-half's underway...

  •  

    That said, one strongly suspects O'Neill will correct things at half-time and it could be a difficult second half for Boro. That said, Boro are an improving side and have a decent manager in Mowbray. Given that this is also a derby, they may just have enough about them to seal what would be a good victory

  •  

    Despite Sunderland having a goal disallowed, Middlesbrough deserve the lead. The Premier League side have been poor in possession and have given the ball away too often.

  •  

    Half-time: Sunderland 0-1 Middlesbrough

  • 45'

    Foul by McMahon on McLean, while Sessegnon and Williams are also visibly unhappy with each other

  • 45'

    Two minutes of added time to be played - seems right

  • 45'

    Boro miss a great chance! Good 'keeping by Mignolet from Jutkiewicz's shot but when the rebound comes to the debutant he hits it horribly wide. That could be crucial

  • 44'

    Sunderland given a deserved free-kick. The challenge was fair

  • 44'

    Hoyte booked for the foul

  • 44'

    Hoyte with a heavy challenge on Sessegnon and he'll be penalised...

  • 43'

    Middlesbrough free-kick on the halfway line for a foul on Haroun

  • 42'

    Sunderland suddenly look more tidy in possession, despite Boro continuing to press

  • 41'

    And Bardsley goes close following an ambitious attack, though his effort's saved

  • 40'

    Sunderland have since upped their tempo...

  • 39'

    Gardner penalised for a handball in controlling the ball just before he turned and shot inside the right post. Very good effort

  • 39'

    Sunderland have an equaliser disallowed!

  • 38'

    Wickham overhits his cross on the edge of the Boro penalty area and the ball's out for a goal-kick

  • 37'

    Mignolet collects the loose ball...

  • 36'

    Though play's yet to resume with Williams currently receiving treatment following a clash of heads with McLean

  • 35'

    It's a decent delivery from Larsson but Wickham heads over. Goal-kick to Boro.

  • 34'

    And a Sunderland free-kick. To far out to shoot, but a good crossing opportunity. Larsson to take

  • 33'

    Sunderland fans started to get frustrated with the home side misplacing too many passes, the latest giving Middlesbrough a throw-in

  • 32'

    But the long ball from Brown's overhit and, following good defending from McMahon, McLean can't recover the ball. Boro goal-kick

  • 31'

    Sunderland now looking to counter, with Vaughan in possession in midfield

  • 31'

    ...and yet another

  • 31'

    ...and another

  • 30'

    And now a throw-in, deeper into Boro's half

  • 29'

    And a Sunderland free-kick on the edge of their own penalty area...

  • 28'

    Corner comes to nothing; no threat at all. Boro free-kick for Bardsley's foul on McDonald

  • 28'

    Sunderland corner after Haroun tackles McLean

  • 27'

    Sunderland now with the ball in defence

  • 26'

    Getting scrappy in midfield again. Both sides are struggling to keep control of possession and build any momentum

  • 25'

    Sunderland corner after Richardson's low cross is deflected out by the goalscorer Robson

  • 23'

    And McLean again! Vaughan curled in a very good cross from the right which McLean headed goalwards, but Coyne saved comfortably. Better from Sunderland

  • 23'

    And a decent effort from McLean at the other end, but it's a good save from Coyne

  • 22'

    Well defended from Bardsley, shielding the ball and taking it away from danger

  • 21'

    Sundelrand give the ball away in midfield. Boro throw in

  • 20'

    Gardner fires over for Sunderland! He's scored some decent goals recently and is clearly confident but, though he connected well with the ball, the effort was ultimately too high

  • 19'

    Williams shoots harmlessly wide for Boro

  • 18'

    Fact: Manager Tony Mowbray marked Kevin Keegan on his Middlesbrough debut as a player

  • 17'

    Sunderland now need to settle. The onus will very much be on them as an early goal would have been exactly what Boro would have hoped for

  • 16'

    Robson volleys in the loose ball on the edge of the Sunderland area but it's a great strike; it wasn't a great shooting position, the penalty area was crowded yet he managed to shoot across the face of goal into the bottom corner. What an effort

  • 16'

    GOAL Sunderland 0-1 Middlesbrough! Robson puts the away side ahead out of nothing!

  • 15'

    Yet Vaughan shoots, but it's over the bar! A decent effort but it was a tight angle and he'd have been lucky to score from there. A bit too ambitious

  • 15'

    Sunderland free-kick to the right of Boro's penalty box. A good crossing opportunity for the home side

  • 14'

    Well defender from Bates; well-timed sliding tackle on the attacking Sessegnon

  • 13'

    It's a decent delivery but McLean heads over. Goal-kick

  • 13'

    Vaughan to take...

  • 12'

    Wes Brown's come forward for it...

  • 11'

    Good pressure from McLean on McMahon, wins Sunderland a corner

  • 10'

    Boro fail to break following a sloppy pass from the striker Emnes

  • 9'

    Though that's not necessarily a great surprise; one of the features of this Sunderland team under O'Neill may have been a more clinical approach, but they've certainly not been a side to play possession football

  • 8'

    This game's yet to really settle so far. The ball's making it's way from one end to the other with relative ease, and with little substance to play

  • 7'

    McLean stopped in his tracks by McMahon - decent defending from Boro's fullback. McLean, along with Sessegnon, have been in good form since O'Neill's arrival

  • 6'

    And Danny Coyne then does the same for 'Boro

  • 5'

    Mignolet collects the loose ball following an aimless long-ball from the back by Middlesbrough

  • 4'

    Plenty of intent from Middlesbrough so far, they're pressing Sunderland and playing with a lot of tempo

  • 3'

    Decent effort from ex-Celtic man McDonald from the edge of Sunderland's box, but Mignolet saves tidily

  • 2'

    It's an entire ex-Manchester United back four today for Sunderland, with Bardsley-O'Shea-Brown-Richardson selected...

  • 1'

    Middlesbrough would probably have been more confident today had Steve Bruce been in charge, but since Martin O'Neill's arrival at Sunderland they've improved considerably, making them today's favourites

  • 1'

    And Middlesbrough kick-off. It's the 140th derby between these two...

  •  

    Both teams are out on the pitch...