BORO SEE OFF CHARLTON IN QUARTER FINAL REPLAY

 

 

(Image taken from Soccernet)

Both Alan Curbishley and Steve McLaren have apparantly been sniffed around for the England manager's job, McLaren clearly having the edge due to his club's UEFA Cup run. The same could be said about their club's UEFA Cup records. Middlesborough were last in the semis of the competition in 2002. Charlton on the other hand have to go back to the 1950s. Still, their original quarter final this year ended in a 0-0 draw which meant Boro had to take the London side up to the Riverside.

It was Charlton who had the early running of the match and they should have scored with their opening attack. As it was it was the home side who opened the scoring when Fabio Rochemback slammed in a freekick in the 11th minute. Charlton quickly replied when a long throw in the 11th minute when a long throw went to Shaun Bartlett who set up Bryan Hughes for an equaliser. The visitors could have picked up a second but it was McLaren's crew who retook the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to James Morrison after a 1-2 with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink with a couple of deflections off the shot. The rest of the first half went into cruise mode really and it lookeed like Boro's game.

The second half didn't look to have much in it to start with, particularly from a Charlton perspective. It always looked like Boro were going to come out winners and they looked to have wrapped up the win in the 73rd minute when Morrison repaid his favour to Hasselbaink for the Dutchman to slam the ball in the corner of the net. Charlton quickly responded however when a Mark Schwarzer block bounced off Gareth Southgate in the 76th. Game back on? No - because Mark Viduka only blasted a beauty into the top corner at the other end in the 77th minute. Well earned win for the Riverside crew who face West Ham in the semis at Villa Park.

In the Premiership, Portsmouth faced Arsenal at Fratton Park and neither side really got what they were looking for. Thierry Henry opened the scoring just before half time only for Lomana Lua Lua to equalise for the home side despite Arsenal hammering the Portsmouth defence for a lot of the match.

Back to United action for the Easter weekend.

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