CHELSEA HAVE ANOTHER LIFELINE

 

(Image taken from Manutd.com)

 

Well we'd already beaten Middlesborough in the Premiership at the Riverside, and then we locked horns against them in the FA Cup. So now we faced them for the fourth time this season, this time at Old Trafford. Van de Saar returned to goalkeeping duties, Brown right back, Rio and O'Shea centre back and Heinze left back and Richardson left mid. A slightly weakened team due to injuries and upcoming Champions League action but Boro at home didn't look likely to be an issue.

They certainly didn't look a problem when Wayne surged into the Boro defence before feeding Richardson to put United ahead in the 3rd minute. Boro had no plans to sit back though and instead hammered the United defence while soaking up all subsequent attacks. The main relief United had was that the visitors didn't appear to have their shooting boots on so we should have gone in at half time ahead. Instead though a Stewart Downing cross found Mark Viduka in injury time and it was back to square one again!

Problem was, Boro still looked hungry in the second half and the United goal was battered throughout. In the meantime our attack simply fell to pieces and suddenly we were the side that didn't look like hitting the net. OK, we did hit the net but in a fashion that the ref was never going to allow. The big worry late on though was a Boro penalty shout, which we were possibly lucky about but the bottom line was, we really should have done better here. We are not known for choking.

Elsewhere, Chelsea faced Newcastle at St James's Park, knowing we were there for the taking. Well Chelsea certainly didn't look like making any moves in the first half, the Geordies soaked everything up and there weren't even any decent shots wprth mentioning. In fact it was probably the homeside that had the best shot of the match which Peter Cech saved and though there was a mini-surge by Chelsea late on. The smile on the Cocky One's face only lasted 24 hours. The gap between United and Chelsea is still only three points.

North of the border, Aberdeen returned to SPL action for the final run in. Five games to secure their European fate. First up was Hibs at Pittodrie. The Edinburgh side opened the scoring through Damon Gray but Russell Anderson soon equalised though Dean Shiels ensured that the visitors led at half time. However Hibs went on to finish the game with nine men and the Dons took advantage of the situation to some degree, Richard Foster equalising even though the Dons weren't able to find a winner.

Elsewhere, the big news for the Dons was Kilmarnock being beaten 2-1 by Celtic at Rugby Park. Not only did that allow the Celts to claim the SPL title but it left Killie in fifth place, twelve points behind the Dons and with the Pittodrie crew having a +8 goal difference advantage with only four games to go! A draw will secure the Reds' a spot in the 2007/8 UEFA Cup! In the meantime Rangers beat Hearts 2-1 at Ibrox which leaves the Dons in third place in the SPL but ten points behind the Gers and a shot at Champions League action.

In the meantime, United have a Champions League semi to negotiate!

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