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TEAMS.
Leicester: Flowers, Sinclair, Taggart,
Savage,
Gilchrist, Impey (Walsh 84), Izzet, Lennon,
Oakes, Elliott, Eadie
Subs Not Used: Gunnlaugsson, Campbell,
Arphexad, Zagorakis
Goals: O'Neill 1 og, Impey 41
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Festa,
Pallister, Ziege, Cooper, Ince, O'Neill (Ricard
80), Summerbell, Campbell, Juninho
Subs Not Used: Beresford, Maddison,
Armstrong, Gavin
Booked: Summerbell
Goals: Campbell 52
Att: 17,550
Ref: S Bennett (Orpington)
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Leicester City v Middlesborough
Premier League 5.2.00
Leicester City 2 Middlesborough
1
Messy Boro serve up three points.
Peter Gilbert 5.2.00
The most important aspect of this game was the fact that we won
it, we got another three points, we now are only two wins and
a draw away from the 'magic number' which will see us staying
up in the top flight yet again.
Of course we are Wembley bound and we might even end up in Europe......but
that's another story and before we get so colourful, a dull day
in February had to be put to our advantage.
Another 'makeshift' team with Elliott and Izzett up front, Heskey
was rested as was Guppy, but apart from that the likes of Izzett
and Lennon were far from 100%, and most of the rest of the team
looked tired.
We are the type of team who play on adrenalin, we are not a composed
outfit, we need to be fired up, which was a problem on this occasion.
Fortunately for us M/Boro were absolute dross, possibly the worst
side I've seen at Filbert Street this season.
In the first minute and in our first attack we won a free kick
which Stef Oakes took out on the right wing, his ball in did
a 'Pinball Wizard' in the box and it eventually ended up in the
back of the net thanks to a certain player by the name of O'Neill,
who just happened to be a Boro defender.
Schwarzer in the Boro goal has always impressed me but today
he was having a 'mare, punching wildly like a shadow boxer as
soon as the ball came near to him. His kicking was no better
and he eventually came up trumps for us by taking an Andrew Impey
shot/cross across the line to see our below par performance rewarding
us with a two goal lead at half time.
At half time Alan Birchenall came on to draw his raffle on a
stretcher. He appeared to be asleep, but when roused he leapt
to his feet wearing a dressing gown. 'Do you get it? I was asleep
you see. We're so boring I fell asleep.' It was a funny moment
and we all laughed in our boring monotone Leicestershire sort
of way. Birch went on 'I don't know why I bother really all the
press will be in the bar by now.'
In the second half Tim Flowers saw a looping shot creep in at
his left post, a good goal actually and so City had to exercise
great caution throughout the remainder of the game.
Izzett kept looking imploringly at the bench, demonstrating how
tired he was but he received only cold stares from MON who obviously
felt he needed the 90 mins to improve his fitness level.
Elliott went back and Eadie joined the attack who along with
Izzett provided the occasional breakaway run at the 'Boro. In
the last 10 mins. Walshy came on as a target man and Gary Pallister
for one looked pleased to see him as he was able to mark someone
who played a type of football he understood and who ran around
at a respectable speed. We do however lack another striker and
I for one would be willing to give Collymore a chance as long
as we bought him in instalments relating to appearances and I
would like a clause written into his contract which stated that
Taggart, Walsh and Elliott could 'Offer him out' if he got lippy
in training.
In the end we cruised to a victory, a good one on reflection,
but it was an uncomfortable afternoon in truth and one where
the end product was more impressive than the process.
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