Against the Villa this day, I honestly do feel,
That we might well just surprise their manager, O’Neill,
Of course, it’s bound to be one real mighty toughie,
And oh, what we would give, for another one like Cloughie.

At home, up to now, they have not lost a game,
A record certainly worthy of all their acclaim,
After three-hundred-minutes their goal remains intact,
So I guess the time’s now ripe for that record to be cracked.

It’s a great afternoon: quite cold, but really bright,
And Malcolm Christie now returns, much to everyone’s delight,
And Abel Xavier, too, is back to join the action,
Following his full year out for some alleged strange drugs’ infraction.

The referee set up Christie with an unfortunate deflection,
Had it cost the Villa a goal he’d have needed some protection,
It’s perhaps just as well that the chance wasn’t taken,
So that ‘miss’ by young Christie perhaps saved the referee’s bacon.

A stinging drive from Bouma was pushed well wide by Boro’s stopper,
Villa upped the pace and then we almost came a cropper,
When Cahill missed the target, from about just three yards out,
It was easier to score than miss, without the slightest doubt.

Barry’s cross reached Cahill, in the middle of the goal,
He tried some fancy flick, but he didn’t have control,
O’Neill, on the sidelines, looked on in total disbelief,
And from Southgate came a smile: one of absolute relief.

Then Schwarzer lunged quite bravely at the onrushing Barry,
As Villa upped the ante, to continuously harry,
Then, as so often happens, Villa’s plans went totally wrong,
When Boro scored through Christie, who’s been injured for so long.

Whether it was offside is a matter of dispute,
Some, of course, say, “Yes,” which the others just refute,
I believe that Villa’s man got the final, slightest touch,
Christie did look sheepish, but then said, “Thanks very much.”

Within just about two minutes Petrov’s quite dramatic fall,
Was adjudged as a penalty and Barry swiftly grabbed the ball,
Slotting home with great ease: the price that Boro paid was dear,
It never was a penalty and the punishment was severe.

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The second half began with Villa once more on attack,
Then Mellberg’s superb block stopped a great shot from the Yak,
The hosts maintained great pressure: and both had goals disallowed,
And Boro’s big defenders stood there: tall and oh, so proud.

It’s a torrid spell for Boro with Villa knocking on the door,
We couldn’t cope at all, with Gabriel Agbonlahor,
And Pogatetz was carded for a challenge on their ‘keeper,
So the mountain we still had to climb, was looking ever steeper.

The pacy Baros joins the fray and pressure then increases,
Petrov and Captain Barry went on to tear us all to pieces,
Then the ever-dangerous Mellberg almost had the Boro derailed,
But he placed his header wide of goal so, thankfully, he failed.

Sorenson had to leave after his Pogatetz collision,
Taylor took his place in goal: an understandable decision,
Then the really speedy Baros missed a goal with Schwarzer rooted,
And Barry, who had laid it on, wasn’t awfully suited.

Chances came and both sides had a late, late chance to win it,
First to miss was Baros, then Cattermole, within a minute,
Then came the final whistle and we’d all run out of steam,
And Boro’s first away win still remains a distant dream.

I think that, with a single point, we should all be quite delighted,
For remember our next fixture, is at home, to Man. United,
Both goals were quite contentious and that, each manager admits,
But Boro’s Gareth Southgate talks of being, “Chuffed to bits.”