Three players tonight are rested; could it be put down to fatigue?
As Boro seek to climb that wee bit further up the league,
So sit back now and watch as this intriguing game unravels,
For Boro have been recently quite splendid on their travels.

The first threat comes from Tebily who is attacking on the right,
He cuts away from Zenden and now he’s in full flight,
His shot is really high and wide as it was needlessly hurried,
And Schwarzer in the Boro goal was not remotely worried.

Savage burst into the box then missed that bit of luck,
But one thing isn’t lacking and that is this man’s pluck,
He came in like an express train, ‘flying’ through the station,
Then his final shot was poor; so much to his frustration.

Boateng got a shot on goal, which Downing had created,
But George’s first goal in the Premiership is, sadly, still awaited,
He was more than twenty yards from goal when he decided to unwind it,
And Taylor, in goal for the Blues, got everything behind it.

A great ball in to Downing, by Greening was then crossed,
But the young lad took an extra touch and the opportunity’s lost,
He’s still lacking experience but his heart will not be sinking,
In time he’ll have that strike on goal without so much as thinking.

Downing on the left now shows a brim-full head of steam,
Then the ball he sends across was every manager’s dream,
Ricketts tried a back-heel but it, sadly, lacked precision,
But the moment did create in ‘Brum’ that bit of indecision.

Showing terrific vision, Savage spotted Morrison’s run,
One ball beat our own back four and real damage was almost done,
Home fans rose up from their seats in joyous celebrations,
Too premature: the shot has missed: but it gave us palpitations.

Morrison’s first touch was good then he turned his man and swivelled,
Leaving all the Boro lads looking just that bit dishevelled,
The ball looked in and instantly the Blues’ fans were applauding,
But, thankfully, it had missed the mark and ricocheted off the hoarding.

A Savage tackle by Robbie then had Danny Mills recoiling,
Then the two of them went head-to-head as the temperature reached boiling,
That our man wasn’t badly hurt we really must give thanks,
But now there’s real uncertainty within the Boro ranks.

The ref. had quickly intervened and blame was then apportioned,
When Birmingham’s Robbie Savage was amazingly just cautioned,
Then as he showed his better side, his fans approval roared,
As he delivered a great free kick from which his team then scored.

Job and Downing formed a wall then inexplicably slept in,
And McClaren then was furious as the Blues’ men then crept in,
Taylor took the credit, and didn’t the man do well?
He left the Boro feeling blue as he deflected from Forssell.

There’s much more work needs to be done and Blues now seek a second,
This game is much more difficult than some, perhaps, had reckoned,
Morrison squared the ball to Hughes unmarked and at the back,
Thankfully Schwarzer made the save but the Boro are on the rack.

Once more it’s Birmingham on the right; ignore it and you’ll be sorry, son,
As Johnson puts the ball across, inch-perfect for young Morrison,
He struck with everything he had but Mark, firm as a rock,
Stuck out a glove and saved the day with a truly world-class block.

Immediately the ball left Morrison’s foot he was happy as a lark,
He turned in triumph and then ran almost half way down the park,
Feeling certain he’d succeeded he wheeled away in celebration,
Then was brought back down to earth and kicked the turf in sheer frustration.

Try as Southgate may to raise the Boro from their slumbers,
Each infrequent Boro attack’s repelled by weight of numbers,
So ends the first frustrating half that in truth’s been rather scrappy,
And Steve McClaren, one feels sure, will be anything but happy.

We’ve been totally overpowered so far and need to do much better,
And certainly we have sorely missed the likes of Mendieta,
Although we started brightly the decline was clear to see,
And without great work from Schwarzer the deficit might now be three.

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Doriva and Maccarone are now brought into the fray,
Replacing Job and Downing in a search to save the day,
One feels that the main reason for these half-time Boro changes,
Is that the two lads fell asleep and totally failed to see the dangers.

Ugo had an early chance from a well-taken free kick,
But then only six yards’ out from goal he failed to do the trick,
He swivelled centrally in the box but success was not to be,
And the frustration mirrored in his face was clear for all to see.

Ricketts then caught Savage well and truly on the volley,
They thought of going head-to-head but soon realised the folly,
With Robbie already cautioned he was suddenly feeling mellow,
But the Boro man, for his troubles, was quickly shown a yellow.

Doriva was the guilty one when the free kick was conceded,
Then lots of backchat from Boateng when it wasn’t really needed,
He was also shown a yellow to add to the many warning cards,
And to add to Boro’s troubles the ball’s moved forward by ten yards.

Up steps Robbie Savage to very carefully place the ball,
And weigh up the situation with seven Boro men in the wall,
The ball flew in; it’s now two-nil for the team he proudly serves,
He doesn’t always get the praise, as a player, that he deserves.

This display by the Boro simply isn’t good enough,
And after the Cup euphoria the going tonight’s becoming tough,
It really is the Premiership that is the Boro’s bread and butter,
And we need to get points on the board or we might end up in the gutter.

It really would be mad to say we’re a relegation side,
But it certainly would be fatal dropping to the Nationwide,
That would ruin all the good work and the Boro’s true potential,
So climbing up the Premier League is simply most essential.

Maccarone then worked really hard and chipped in a glorious ball,
Taylor then robbed Ricketts, who got nowhere near at all,
Then the Boro staff decided to have their last throw of the dice,
By bringing on Szilard Nemeth to add that little bit of spice.

Greening left the field of play but he’d not been at the hunt,
And Boro tried to ease their plight with three men pushed up front,
The lads now need to donate blood and not just perspiration,
Now could Nemeth be the man to provide the required inspiration?

The answer was affirmative and its execution slick,
As Mills took up the running from a speedy Boro free kick,
Macca’s underneath it and then we’re suddenly back again,
As Taylor’s beaten all ends up by the Boro’s big Slovakian.

The strike was quite terrific as it bulged the net and, brother,
Boro have their tails right up, as they seem to score another,
But, sadly, for the travelling fans that was never going to be,
As Birmingham increased their lead when Forssell made it three.

There’s not a lot of time left now and it’s been poor, it must be said,
Then Zenden made a bad night worse when he was shown a red,
The number of cards shown on the night was certainly most worrying,
But teams like Blues, I really feel, the Boro should be burying.

So, after Sunday’s Carling Cup, all the drama and the glory,
This bread and butter fixture was a totally different story,
Just another Cup hangover? You can call it what you might,
But, for whatever reason we were second best on the night.

So that is now the end of this little bit of verse,
And Boro surely have the time to prepare to beat the Spurs,
But tonight there can be no complaints and certainly no excuses,
Blues deserved it on the night, as the better team was Bruce’s.