After Europe last Thursday and the sheer Boro delight,
This game against the Toffees could, I think, be awfully tight,
It could also be suggested that we’re the present in-form teams,
But which of the pair will end the day with totally shattered dreams?

If the Premiership’s top six is rightly to be our ambition,
It would seem that we really do possess great ammunition,
With three points today the picture would most definitely sweeten,
And Everton and many others really do need to be beaten.

Will one point do for Everton? Is that really their intent?
As they start with just one striker and that’s young Marcus Bent,
He’s got tremendous pace and he’ll speedily confirm,
That, given the opportunity, he’ll make the Boro squirm.

The first minutes were scrappy and totally lacked fluency,
With Boro’s defence sometimes guilty of shameful truancy,
Umpteen fouls were conceded and we all looked out of fettle,
And Boro are needing someone, to grasp things by the nettle.

Suddenly there’s a danger and it’s looming really large,
With Everton attacking and Leon Osman leads the change,
Then it was the home fans, who loudly screamed and roared,
They couldn’t actually believe that their heroes hadn’t scored.

It’s Toffees attacking, three-on-three then they have an extra man,
A wonderful chip to Marcus Bent comes in from Kev. Kilbane,
With the former suddenly finding he had plenty time and space,
It was left again to Schwarzer who eventually won the race.

When only four yards’ out from goal, Bent really should have scored,
But Schwarzer saw the danger and the ball he quickly clawed,
He held it tightly to his chest: he certainly knew the drill,
But it could and really should have seen us losing one to nil.

Suddenly, the Boro showed some better distribution,
Then Nemeth was found lacking in the final execution,
He needed too much time, the Toffees’ rearguard to unlock,
And David Weir, quite comfortably, then got in to make the block.

How on earth did Kilbane find so much time and all that space?
Requiring big Mark Schwarzer to pull out yet another ace,
Carsley curled the ball in and Kilbane read it like a book,
Thankfully Schwarzer, for the second time, got the Boro off the hook.

With the Boro so disjointed and a start that’s awfully rocky,
Everton, understandably, and becoming rather cocky,
We then slept in at a corner and again were nearly caught,
But luck was once more with us and the movement came to nought.

Suddenly ‘twas the Toffees who lost their concentration,
And in swooped Szilard Nemeth showing great determination,
With the chance of testing Martyn, Nemeth failed once more to please,
As the ‘keeper grabbed and held the ball, with totally consummate ease.

Kilbane and George Boateng went simultaneously in the book,
After what disintegrated into a most unseemly ruck,
Why do we see so frequently what is not a pretty sight,
When so many players appear to say, “Forget football: let us fight.”

One understands there’s lots at stake and that the pressures are so great,
But some things we’ve seen recently we really should not tolerate,
When things get overheated and the players then lose their cool,
It’s often the ref. who gets the blame when he plays things by the rule.

Once more it’s Leon Osman, who’s been the brightest Toffees’ spark,
Who picks out Marcus Bent again: will he now get them off the mark?
But Schwarzer’s read the script: his interception was so sweet,
He alone has been responsible for the Boro’s current clean sheet.

Parnaby’s fine ball in had their defenders all at sea,
And, though great things were expected, it was not about to be,
With Everton under pressure for the first time in this game,
One can only stand and loudly call for much more of the same.

Another Everton long-ball once more picks out speedy Bent,
As our defenders all went ‘missing’ with Marcus loitering with intent,
For the third time, Boro’s Schwarzer got us out of one more hole,
And McClaren, I suspect, is struggling to maintain his self-control.

The referee’s half-time whistle brought the Boro great relief,
We could have been three goals adrift and suffering massive grief,
Everton had three chances: all of which were glorious,
And if Boro don’t show improvement, the hosts will prove victorious.

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Nemeth, like some others today, has been an underachiever,
And he’s the one who’s making way and is replaced now by Doriva,
Boro now have the advantage of a stiff and chilly breeze,
So they’ll have the opportunities which one hopes they’ll quickly seize.

JFH soon had a chance, which he just as quickly lost,
And we didn’t have too long to wait to pay the ultimate cost,
Bent easily beat our captain in a long race for the ball,
But the writing, it must now be said, has for long been on the wall.

Gareth, to be truthful, simply never had a prayer,
And Boro’s start in this second-half proves an absolute nightmare,
Although the finish was, if truth be told, the tiniest bit scuffed,
Inside the first two minutes the Boro were well and truly stuffed.

Queudrue intervened and managed to get the merest touch,
Which caused a slight deflection but it wasn’t really much,
The ball, played in by Osman, then found the sheer pace of Bent,
Who took the full advantage, and in the ball then went.

Boro got a second yellow: Chris Riggott was the man,
And there wasn’t any question as he had clearly fouled Kilbane,
Unless the Boro get a grip we’re heading for the slaughter,
For, although no-one knows the reason, we are simply treading water.

We then saw, albeit briefly, a rather better Boro spell,
When Parlour gained possession but then had no time to dwell,
He got a decent shot in from well inside the danger zone,
But Martyn saved it easily so another chance was blown.

Jimmy had a shot well saved, of that there’s no dispute,
He hit it really sweetly but from an angle too acute,
Zenden got it over from Doriva under pressure,
Can we now hope for much better things with the Boro looking fresher?

With Everton really proving to be a very hard nut to crack,
And Boro constantly running into a cul-de-sac,
From the field of play Viduka and Bolo Zenden are removed,
Replaced by Job and Downing and I think most fans approved.

Downing lost his marker and crossed one to the furthest post,
Picking out George Boateng who was totally engrossed,
He struck the ball quite brilliantly, through something of a crowd,
But it missed by just a midge’s so he can now feel really proud.

The total yellow cards for Boro has now risen up to three,
As Southgate was deemed guilty of some minor villainy,
Toffees’ then surprised me, subbing Ferguson for Bent,
Though he’s not so fast and past his best he’s certainly not spent.

Queudrue nutmegs Gravesen in another Boro probe,
Then puts across a beauty on to the head of Joseph Job,
Everyone thought he’d scored to give the Boro great relief,
Then McClaren, head in hands, stands there in total disbelief.

It was deflected for a corner with the Toffees being outgunned,
And their supporters looking anxious, appearing momentarily stunned,
Could this now be for the Boro their final appetizer?
The answer’s “No,” for it was cleared so we got no equaliser.

Downing’s looking great: we see him torment and then tease,
And Toffees, for a moment, are quite literally on their knees,
It’s in such a situation that young Downing seems to thrive,
But, though he had them groggy, they still managed to survive.

McFadden’s on for Watson and the Toffees’ fans seem happy,
As Boro, in their dying throes, become most awfully scrappy,
We’re guilty of some awful play as we take our final gasp,
And Everton very nearly have the three points in their grasp.

In the very final moments things were totally frenetic,
But we’d left it far too late and it was really just cosmetic,
Parlour almost equalised then left McFadden racing free,
But Schwarzer once more saved us from any further misery.

Boro were always second-best almost right across the park,
When they had their opportunities they totally failed to spark,
We came to life too late and that really disappoints,
Bent really ran us ragged and they did deserve the points.

How quickly things can change and bring a total turnabout,
Boro got what they deserved and that was precisely nowt,
But Saturday will soon be here and I think we might well see,
A different sort of game against the very mighty Chelski.