The Boro’s game today takes place in Athens, Greece,
And the pressures on the lads are about now to increase,
If Egaleo really is the weakest team in Boro’s group,
Perhaps we might expect the lads to put them through the hoop.

Some truly silly score-lines have recently been predicted,
But in my mind there’ll be few goals and we might well be restricted,
So a one-goal win for Boro would, for me, be simply grand,
And also have all Boro fans well on the way to Dreamland.

We must all gently heed, before play’s even started,
That the Boro are now in waters, as yet totally uncharted,
And there’s at least to note, one more very important reason,
And that’s the fact Egaleo, haven’t yet lost a game all season.

The weather remains quite sultry and it’s very, very warm,
But do remember this is Athens and not ‘just’ Benidorm,
So we’re sitting here all waiting for another great performance,
And hopefully witness Boro’s continued European romance.

Five minutes’ later than scheduled, this vital game commences,
To suit the television folk, at least that’s what one senses,
Jimmy Floyd and Downing, surprisingly, fail to make the start,
Though both remain available and I’m sure they’ll play their part.

Boro got a very early warning, if one were really needed,
As a whipped-in ball for Egaleo, very nearly succeeded,
It came from the boot of the host team’s number seven,
Who turned away and really thought he was in seventh heaven.

It was rifled in goal from Egaleo’s right-hand side,
But Riggott was tremendous as he stepped in to stem the tide,
So thankfully the Boro lived to fight another day,
Thanks to some quite exceptional Boro defensive play.

A free kick was awarded as the referee adjudged,
That a player from the home team was deliberately nudged,
Southgate was the culprit: the position twenty yards’ out,
And up stepped number ten to give it one almighty clout.

Schwarzer’s crouching on his line, anxiety in his face,
Then the ball was struck, with great direction and with pace,
The ‘keeper pushed it for a corner, though he was almost caught stone cold,
And it appears an interesting ‘story’ is about now to unfold.

The ball in from the corner was in truth, well, rather weak,
And it all came to a swift halt following foul play by a Greek,
So the home fans, who had all stood up, to get a better view,
All sat down disappointed as their favourites then withdrew.

Southgate assessed the options then pushed a ball out to the right,
Then Morrison picked out Zenden, much to everyone’s delight,
He took the opportunity to go through alone and shoot,
And he sent it inches wide when it might well have borne fruit.

Schwarzer was the hero as the Greeks upped their aggression,
He showed his worth when called upon three times in quick succession,
Tony McMahon was rather rash; lunged in without real need,
But you can’t do that in Europe and a yellow’s guaranteed.

Both sides are very cagey and Boro’s chances have been scuffed,
The few openings we’ve created have been speedily rebuffed,
Then a Zenden shot’s deflected in a little Boro spell,
But full marks to their goalkeeper for he really did so well.

A further Boro corner brought just yet another frown,
For though it went to Southgate the ball would simply not come down,
The Greeks then broke and hit a shot that then dipped and hit the sand,
But great handling by Mark Schwarzer meant the ball stuck to his hand.

In a half that’s been so cagey, and most certainly not free flowing,
Morrison went in awfully high and with all his studs a’ showing,
Immaturity was, perhaps, the cause, and yellow was displayed,
Or would he simply blame the heat at almost thirty centigrade?

“Thank goodness,” said Mark Schwarzer, or some other exclamation,
As he looked towards the heavens, in almost total desperation,
When Egaleo’s number seven had a truly awesome strike,
Which Schwarzer wouldn’t have reached if he’d had a motorbike.

Though it flew just wide of target it was a truly hellish shot,
And it oh, so very nearly, put a big hole in Boro’s plot,
But the score remains still level so it’s not all doom and gloom,
And in the second half we’ll see changes: well, that’s what I presume.

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With Egaleo proving really dour, their team remains the same,
But Mendi’s on for Morrison as three points are still the aim,
Although we need to step things up, great patience is the key,
And a single goal may prove enough: I think you might agree.

Doriva launched one through a crowd from all of thirty yards,
‘til the ‘keeper seemed to get a touch, a goal seemed on the cards,
It looked destined for the bottom but we didn’t have the luck,
But with that quite spectacular strike the hosts had almost come unstuck.

Sidibe saved from Nemeth, who had left his man for dead,
Then the shot took a deflection of the sort that ‘keepers dread,
He flew over to his left and then was able to forestall,
Though no doubt the slight deflection took some pace from off the ball.

Next it was Mark Schwarzer, who was brought into the action,
Assisted by young McMahon, who took great satisfaction,
The shot had dipped inside the box and got stuck in the sand,
But Schwarzer parried and then the ball was cleared to no man’s land.

A shot from Bolo Zenden’s fired wide and finds the netting,
With Floyd and Downing warming up I wonder; what’s the betting?
Egaleo may be tiring, but I wouldn’t say they’re breaking,
But with Stewart and with JFH this game’s there for the taking.

Southgate was unlucky as he went to clear a cross,
For his boot caught the face of the bending Nikolopous,
It was totally accidental and the kick went Boro’s way,
The injured man was stretchered off but soon returned to play.

The brilliant Ray Parlour then went on a run, until,
He almost left a tap-in from his raiding partner, Szil,
Were it not for the defender who, somehow, cleared right at the death,
Instead of just a corner it was a sure goal for Nemeth.

That corner was then cleared and, with the score at zero-zero,
Boro brought on Downing and last Saturday’s hat-trick hero,
Great expectations filled the air as Boro made the switch,
And thanks were heard for Zenden who, with Viduka, left the pitch.

Manousakis made a run on goal that McMahon couldn’t stop,
We appeared to be inviting him to go on and have a pop,
He didn’t disappoint us, though his effort flew well wide,
And Egaleo made a further change to try and stem the tide.

Downing’s introduction, along with Hasselbaink,
Made a massive difference and Egaleo’s hearts soon sank,
With his first touch of the ball he made those all around him sit up,
Then came a brilliant finish and the stadium just lit up.

Parlour played a massive roll and laid it on a plate,
No-one picked up Downing and his finish was simply great,
One slight touch to get control then it flew straight through the air,
The ‘keeper was wrong-footed and he didn’t have a prayer.

That was our first attempt on target, now we need to hold out nerve,
Though we haven’t been too brilliant, it’s no more than we deserve,
We need to keep our cool now, as the tension quickly mounts,
It’s not to do with entertainment; it’s the result alone that counts.

We did as necessary for the remainder of the night,
Despite, in added time, surviving one almighty fright,
When Christou was brought on with only seconds to impress,
He was very close to causing monumental Boro stress.

From a throw-in near the corner and at an angle so acute,
Christou flicked the ball up with the back of his left boot,
It arced towards the target and Mark Schwarzer was relieved,
To hook it for a corner when he had almost been deceived.

So, the Boro did hang on to record a vital win,
Against the team from Athens; a real ‘banana skin,’
It was not the best performance and we certainly weren’t strolling,
But the European Boro Dream is still alive and rolling.