I’d like to say right now, before a ball has been kicked,
That it’s time for the Boro’s recent wounds to be licked,
Exactly one week since that dreadful debacle,
Against Leicester City we should have some chance to sparkle.

The Foxes might be expected to be suffering fatigue,
They’ve had two hard games since we last played in the league,
This is their lucky ground: they’ve done well here on the whole,
And against them at the Riverside we’ve yet to score our very first goal.

With Southgate and Ugo missing, that’s a really awful pity,
It is so bitterly cold and this game won’t be too pretty,
A silent tribute was first led by today’s captain, Colin Cooper,
For former chairman, Mike McCullagh, and the respect shown was quite super.

Captain Colin Cooper, who is sporting a brand-new coiffure,
Fired a great ball to Nemeth that flew in a blur,
It landed right on target, as the direction was so true,
Ended finally with Job and we saw him miscue.

Boro were most fortunate in the penalty area when,
Bent went down when challenged and it did look to be a pen.,
Barry Knight, today’s ref. waved the Leicester claims away
So luckily the Boro live to fight another day.

A challenge was then mounted right at Leicester’s heart,
Which led so very quickly to an ideal Boro start,
A truly horrible clearance by the England goalkeeper,
Allowed in Juninho to become the Boro’s goal-reaper.

Job closed down magnificently on Walker’s poor clearance,
And quick-thinking Juninho makes a well-timed appearance,
His control was amazing and the finishing was crisp,
From the diminutive Brazilian, our own will-o’-the wisp.

One thing is most certain, with great skill he’s imbued,
And today the little ‘Samba Boy’ seems to be in the mood,
A great ball in from Downing and the crowd, as one, then roared,
When Riggott stood just six yards’ out and really should have scored.

Paul Dickov’s not a big man but has a really massive heart,
He manages to get a shot in after he’d torn Mills apart,
Riggott, too, was in there, trying to foil the Leicester bloke,
Yet he still found the target, with the deftest toe poke.

Cooper scythed down Dickov; the ref. needed just one look,
Then called the player to him and put his name in the book,
Guppy took the free kick but couldn’t quite make it tell,
When the shot bounced off the Boro wall for a job done oh so well.

Local winger, Downing, sent a cross in just right,
But it all came to nought due to Boro lacking height,
Then the young lad’s corner’s cleared but he’s not been disgraced,
And now Cooper appears hurt and will shortly be replaced.

Before the change is sanctioned Leicester have the upper hand,
Guppy nutmegs Danny Mills as another strike is planned,
But despite the hamstring injury Cooper’s head is once more raised,
To clear away the danger for which he’s generously praised.

Cooper then stumbles: the time’s inopportune,
The man’s really struggling and the change can’t come too soon,
But Mills sees the danger and gives the necessary backing,
Then Davies is brought on, now it’s experience we’re lacking.

George Boateng then went down after being crudely taken out,
By another heavy challenge and a really mighty clout,
But play is quickly waved on for another Boro probe,
Though it once again failed to succeed: the chance being missed by Job.

McKinley was the culprit on the blind side of the ref.,
Brought choice words from the dugout: I’m so pleased that I’m quite deaf!
The challenge was a late one and it clearly did rankle,
As Boateng was left struggling with an injury to an ankle.

Foxes took a free kick and were then almost rewarded,
When Schwarzer went on walk-about with the goal then left unguarded,
A good deep cross is flung in, and the home crowd simply winces,
When Dabizas fails to capitalise by just a couple of inches.

Though the score might now be even, and as some Boro fans still boo,
We charged up to the other end and might well have had two,
After great skill shown by Nemeth and with Downing homing in on goal,
Goalie Walker stuck out a foot to save a certainty with his sole.

Leicester are now playing like they’ve got much more to prove,
And in truth a goal was well deserved in their very next excellent move,
Thankfully for us, though Dickov put it on a plate,
He was deprived by our Chris Riggott whose intervention was just great.

The ref’s awards to the Boro have so far been quite derisory,
Now we’re given a great chance to end the wounded Foxes’ misery
The way that Job is brought down requires no inquisition,
And a penalty for the Boro is the ref’s instant decision.

Then came the revelation that nothing had been planned,
As Danny tried to take the ball from Joseph Job’s right hand,
Job went on to place it to his right, quite hard and low,
And Walker managed to save it for another bitter blow.

Leicester might have equalised through Guppy, their new star,
But Mills again showed great skill by clearing ‘neath the bar,
This came in time added as the Boro suffered some abuse,
And McClaren entered the tunnel; his face a lovely shade of puce.

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The kick-off brings no changes in the Boro personnel,
As we forced an early corner after Downing did so well,
Paul Dickov then inflicted on the Boro, further harm,
With a goal credited to him despite use of his left arm.

We had opportunities to clear by simply giving it a boot,
And now it is the visitors who are on the front foot,
It’s getting all very scrappy as tempers now start to fray,
And we need to step things up a gear without further delay.

Frank dived in on Guppy and was quickly torn apart,
Then a header from the visitors almost broke the Boro’s heart,
There’s a warning for our heroes and it now is rather stark,
As Guppy, with that header, is just inches off the mark.

Dickov then almost succeeds in bringing us further woe,
But thankfully, Mark Schwarzer somehow took it off his toe,
Then Juninho fell inside the box to bring howls of derision,
But “carry on” was the referee’s call and one more good decision.

Suddenly Leicester take the lead and the way that things are going,
We’re in for a long and rocky ride and anxiety is showing,
For Premiership points are vital and with the fixtures coming up,
Survival is most paramount so let’s not think too much of the cup.

Dickov is once more proving to be the thorn in Boro’s side,
Helped by rank bad defending, as we all just seem to hide,
And if there’s just one player that we’re well and truly sick of,
It’s the little man from Leicester by the name of ‘wee’ Paul Dickov.

As fans berate the Boro it brings me such great sorrow, though,
Marcus Bent’s little tap-in adds much more to this horror show,
We seem totally to be lacking in any show of passion,
And desire in the Boro’s heart seems also on the ration.

The look on McClaren’s face is one of desolation,
And though ‘Macca’ was to score a goal it was just slight consolation,
For with full-time fast approaching, have we again seen Boro fail?
Or will there be just one more twist and can we get out of jail?

Leicester make more changes to hopefully run down the clock,
And planning to inflict on us one big, almighty shock,
But can we be like the magician with one late and final trick?
Then we somehow get an own goal with the encounter’s very last kick.

The unfortunate John Curtis was left understandably gutted,
As he scored for the Boro who had simply splattered and spluttered.
So a game which only seconds ago had looked so irretrievable,
Had finished up drawn at three-three and that’s simply unbelievable.