It is really time today for some renewed Boro pride,
And to seek out a halt to the very worrying slide,
To finish with a clean sheet; the first of the current year,
Or our European dreams could all swiftly disappear.

With conditions almost perfect on a greyish afternoon,
Three points and we’d be feeling, well, over the moon,
In their bellies Boro need determination matched with fire,
And I do have a gut feeling that is what we shall acquire.

Some Boro fans regard today’s ref. extremely highly,
Well, he did give us a penalty in the Cup Final: Mike Riley,
His whistle is blown and then he’s off, as usual, very sprightly,
It’s the Boro v Blackburn Rovers under lights shining brightly.

In two minutes we’re caught napping and, again, so isolated,
And the Middlesbrough bench is extremely agitated,
A corner is conceded and the danger is severe,
When Schwarzer was so shaky, but the ball was then kicked clear.

A great drive from Bolo Zenden, whom Job assists,
Brought a good save from Friedel, who used both fists,
It was picked up by Downing, but he couldn’t do much,
For with indecent haste it was kicked into touch.

Parlour’s clash with Savage left Robbie prostrate on the pitch,
I didn’t see what happened: perhaps he caught him on the snitch,
He lay there unattended, this quiet & gentle, unassuming fellow,
Then came a break in play and Parlour then was shown a yellow.

Great joy for Malcolm Christie was turned instantly to despair,
When he headed home: was deemed offside: by the breadth of just a hair,
Great work from Job and Morrison; one couldn’t ask for more,
We look pumped up: the crowd is great: just listen to the roar.

Zenden’s passing play with Downing was really quite inspired,
And the Wanderers’ defence, as one man, then all retired,
And Bolo did his utmost to encourage and to wheedle,
Then Stewart’s shot on target brought a decent save from Friedel.

When he tried a touch too many, Morrison ran right out of luck,
For he was totally surrounded and he then became unstuck,
But with his contribution we can all be satisfied,
Though this time he scuffed his effort and sent it rather wide.

Southgate was applauded for his wonderful control,
Which led to Stewart Downing having another pop at goal,
A glorious cross from Reiziger left ‘Stew’ with one thing on his mind,
But his shot just clipped the woodwork and went narrowly behind.

That was, by far, the closest yet: and Friedel’s face was ashen,
It’s great to see the Boro play with commitment and great passion,
The fans are lapping this all up: they’re very, very happy,
But what we need’s a Boro goal, and make it really snappy.

With Thompson injured on the ground, a scene the ref. observed,
The Boro took advantage with a goal they well deserved,
Downing’s ball, just oozing class, precisely found Queudrue,
And he rifled it past Friedel: well done Frank, and sacre bleu.

Morrison had two choices but he failed to lift his head,
Had he passed the ball to Christie then the Rovers would be dead,
But he went alone and proved that he had the confidence,
Of course, he lacks experience, I would say, in his defence.

Things then got rather tense but we had managed to score,
We had battled and we’d scrapped and it should have been much more,
For we’d competed with the Rovers and their own brand of ‘thuggery,’
And I ask the question, “Did they like it?” And the answer? “Did they buggery!”

----------

The rivals in this fixture, again remain unchanged,
Though a change for Blackburn Rovers would seem to be arranged,
After Thompson’s injured leg, apparently, was stitched,
It seems that the intention is for him soon to be switched.

An early corner’s won, to the Boro fans’ acclaim,
For they are simply yearning, for much more of the same,
Sort of action in the first half they’d already tasted,
But sadly the corner was eventually wasted.

The smallest player out there upon the playing park,
Somehow won a header but it thankfully missed the mark,
Dickov’s effort is tipped over for another corner kick,
And that’s cleared well by Schwarzer who’s in real good nick.

We must become more vigilant and not be hemmed in,
For our one-goal lead now appears to be wafer-thin,
We must sustain the momentum and not let them settle,
The time has come for Boro to really now grasp the nettle.

Rovers need to change things and that couldn’t be much plainer,
When they bring on Jemel Johnson and take off Mokoena,
For the Boro haven’t started and we’re inviting too much pressure,
We are looking somewhat jaded and the Rovers’ lads seem fresher.

Morrison made a solo run but eventually was caught,
When surrounded by four Rovers and with no-one in support,
The Boro fans, for the moment, all sit there totally muted,
After initial dominance we’re struggling and that’s not to be disputed.

Even poor Bernie sits there chomping at his nails,
Fearful of the Boro once more coming off the rails,
Then on comes Danny Graham to see if he has what’s required,
He takes the place of Christie who, it seems, has finally tired.

Chances in this second half for Boro have been frugal,
And suddenly we see McClaren, like General Custer blowing his bugle,
He sees the chance of a breakaway and orders a speedy charge,
But it went the way of others and no more need I enlarge.

Doriva’s brought into the fray and Boro fans are shaken,
When they thought Bolo was being subbed although they were mistaken,
They booed with all their might just to get their views across,
And Job left the field as Bolo sorted tactics with the boss.

That left Danny Graham up front; a striker all alone,
Perhaps there was no option with the squad pared to the bone,
It’s not easy for the boss and, of course, one understands,
But it’s my fervent hope that we’re not playing into the Rovers’ hands.

Savage was left for dead by Pallister Park’s Golden Boy,
A moment there for Robbie, that he clearly didn’t enjoy,
The resulting corner’s poor and I think that’s well agreed,
Then the injured Thompson’s taken off, to be replaced by Reid.

Bolo had the chance to secure all three points in the bag,
But he sent it wide of target and I saw his shoulders sag,
Some faithful fans appeared to me to be feeling quite morose,
As the ball flew past the upright, it was very, very close.

With a single goal advantage one can never feel at ease,
And Boro hearts all quickened with Dickov brought down on his knees,
He’d tangled with Reiziger in the box and a claim seemed fairly strong,
And manager Hughes was furious, as the ref. ruled ‘nothing wrong.’

So, some tense and anxious minutes lay immediately ahead,
Although Zenden had another chance to put the game to bed,
But Rovers then threw at us all but the kitchen sink,
And Boro, on occasions, appeared almost on the brink.

Then a moment’s Parlour ‘madness’ that was totally absurd,
Already on a yellow he was a complete and utter nerd,
He stupidly kicked the ball away so, had he lost his head?
But he learned the hardest lesson that two yellows equals red.

That brings us massive problems after being carded twice,
For together with Bolo Zenden he misses Bolton and Allardyce,
And that means against the Wanderers that we take the field deprived,
Just when three points today will see our Euro dreams revived.

Danny Graham had a brilliant chance to put things beyond doubt,
Then Friedel, somehow, with his legs, managed to keep it out,
Graham was brought down in the box but the ref. again shook his head,
And Boro want the final whistle for they’re hanging by a thread.

At the very most I’d envisage about two minutes still remaining,
And the diminutive Paul Dickov is, unusually, still complaining,
It’s getting breathless at the end and it’s certainly very fraught,
Much more of this and I, for one, will be put on life support.

The pressure on the Boro now is really unbelievable,
And a Rovers’ equalising goal now also seems conceivable,
It shouldn’t now be like it is, this heart-in-the-mouth stuff,
Until the referee signals the end and, my goodness, it was tough.