Boro with a revamped academy back four: Steele, McMahon, Hines, Bates(c), Bennett, Bailey, O’Neil, Robson, Taylor, Boyd, Lita – Subs: Ripley, Grounds, Arca, Smallwood, Park, Miller, Emnes

pre-match bobs

• Lee Miller, Notts County folk hero, makes a return to the bench – Conor Ripley is named substitute ahead of the injured Danny Coyne

• 4 unbeaten in the league for the hosts – a return of 8 points from 12

• GON/Robbo/Tayls sit on 4 yellow cards – one more merits automatic suspension

1^st half

• PNE – 3 CBs at the back – how does Boro respond to an unconventional system?

• 84 meetings: 37 W 20 D 27 L to the Boro

• Early knock for Robbo as he writhes on the ground favouring his left leg. It must be a hell of an ache to keep him down for this long

• Iain Hume is the new PNE danger man now that Jon Parkin is at Cardiff

• Ref: Mick Russell (Hertfordshire)

• Phil Brown assesses the orange boots of Leroy Lita and thinks ponderously, ‘why flesh coloured footwear?’

• Midway through the first half and we’re seeing betterplay from the full backs, with Tony McMahon enjoying his usual free reign on the right side

• Sean St Ledger on the changes under Phil Brown: things have been much more organised versus the stewardship of Little Ferg, aiding an improved spirit and general goodwill towards their fellow Lilywhites

• For all of the tangible improvement under Tony Mowbray we still struggle mightily with providing quality service for our strikers

• ‘Growing discontent’ from the crowd re: Boyd

HT Boro 0-0 PNE

Lethal Leroy Lita is certainly less so when partnering with Kris Boyd. The links are there with Emnes and McDonald – with the former Rangers hitman it’s a cold a loveless affair. Whoever is upfront needs to be in the box when the full backs are pushing up because  they’re putting balls in. Very important to keep the discipline and not switch off, i.e. don’t get mugged. Ian Hume is ‘a tricky customer’ says Gary Gill

It’s another tremendous start from Nicky Bailey – this is a remarkable run of 5 or 6 games where’s he’s been the midfield stalwart we’ve craved for so long. Seb Hines has acquitted himself well with a confident and composed first half display.

2^nd half

• Robbo off – Arca on…injury gets the better of our resident hard man

• Sustained pressure to start the second half; Bailey in the middle of everything, and Boro are getting more bodies in the box

• Good performance Sean St Ledger. His former loan club are keeping him busy defensively, preventing his patented surging up-field runs

• Phil Brown continues to bend the ear of the ref: Joe Bennett has dived 3 times in his worthless estimation

• Boyd exits for Emnes to wide derision

• Iain Hume and Seb Hines clatter hard, sparking worry for Hume after his head injury at the hands of Chris Morgan last season while still with Barnsley. Both men are good to carry on

• Marvin Emnes has the best chance so far to put Boro further ahead, as the ball falls to him in a Shaun Harrad-esque way. The end product is risibly bad, hit horribly off target

• ‘Like Beckenbauer at his best’ – Matty Bates with a wonder goal to give Boro their reward! Boro 1-0 PNE thanks to a marauding run redolent of a Boro-era Sean St Ledger!

• Andy Lonergan keeping PNE close here – a clutch of stellar saves have kept his side within shouting distance

• Phil Brown and Brian Horton are having kittens on the touchline, denigrating Bennett for perceived continuous diving, and as a result Bennett isn’t getting the benefit of refereeing doubt

• Att: 16157

• Super play from Julio Arca in his limited shift; a terrific resumption of the profitable engine room link up with Nicky Bailey

• Macca keeps buccaneering forward, offering loads of crosses, with varying degrees of success

• Another late switch off, right on the usual cue: PNE deserve fuck all from this match and somehow find themselves level thanks to Billy Jones, who also tallied in the tilt at Deepdale, although less dramatically…Boro 1-1 PNE

GG MOM – Bailey

FT Boro 1-1 PNE

They were dead but not quite buried. We spurned bags of chances to kill this off only to be undone by some dire finishing. That’s what supporters immediately identify at the end of things, and it’s absolutely spot on; Leroy Lita is great in spurts, Marvin Emnes has tremendous promise, but Kris Boyd is a lost cause. The sooner he naffs off to either Glasgow, Grozny, or Bursaspor the better.

Tony McMahon and Joe Bennett were ever-present on the flanks, however the left back was under the keen forensic eye of referee Mick Russell, heavily influenced by the constant shouting and pointing from the opposing technical area. Frankly it was a shocking display of sportsmanship – better yet, a lack of – from the PNE brain trust. This was amateur dramatics at their best from the thespian duo of Brown and Horton

Tunnel reaction with a muted Tony Mowbray: feels worse than a defeat – second half was where we want to go as a football team – the opposition will always have a chance if you can’t put the ball in the net – we should be beating teams like this at home – we want to get the Tayls situation resolved – Robbo: a gaping hole in his foot – Bennett: fiery, he stands his ground exceptionally, going to be a top footballer – Seb Hines: does the basics well – Kris Boyd: needs to get his head down and work hard, his struggles don’t necessarily reflect his approach in training

Nicky Bailey cuts a dispirited figure: they came here to flood the midfield and make it hard, and they did it fairly well – walking off the pitch you obviously look for something or someone to blame – we have to start sticking the ball away, keep working, and look forward to the next game

Final words with Matthew Bates: wants to keep playing the ball from the back – late switch off is the story of the season – we dominate possession, then concede from 1 or 2 half chances – we were miles ahead in everything – maybe there is a bit of nervousness? – confident that Wheats can excel at Bolton – will be a considerable step up from defending Bristol one week and marking Didier Drogba the next – things are going the right way, looking forward to the games as opposed to earlier in the season

Boro – ‘an ambitious football club’…it feels terrific saying and hearing that…a proper half-cocked look ahead to the new campaign should be available later this week

Millwall – a bit of an unknown – I reckon you get beat up pretty quickly if you stray too far from the New Den, but as for the footie, there’s Steve Morison and Neil Harris banging in goals, and the omnipotent on-field leadership of club captain Paul Robinson…Kenny Jackett has plenty of options in his arsenal…a comfortable mid-table finish wouldn’t be a gross overachievement considering…

Norwich – tremendous turnaround in the last 12 months: get thrashed 7-1 by Colchester, at home, upon their League One return, sack manager Bryan Gunn , hire Paul Lambert – the man responsible for the beatdown that prompted outrage across Norfolk – then go and win the fecking league and get promoted back to the Championship…Old Farm derbies versus Ipswich Town return…Wes Hoolahan is a natural talent on the attacking left, and Grant Holt absolutely murdered goals last season…Simeon Jackson was brought in from Gillingham to add depth, and maybe even some competition for club top scorer, wresting it from the captain number nine…

Nottingham Forest – Billy Davies nervously laughs off the perceived incompetence of his advisory board…he wants players, can’t get no money for them, then casually bends the ear of anyone willing to listen about the whole injustice of it all…a hearty favourite for first-to-get-the-sack if things go pear-shaped early at the City Ground…his accomplishments at this level are well-respected, it’s just he doesn’t tend to stay around very long…

Portsmouth – in a world of fucking hurt…their North American death trip was bad beyond belief, and their rumoured to be hit with a 20 point deduction – possibly even liquidation…those near and dear to the club are bracing for another precipitous drop…but hey, at least Kanu will still be around…

Preston - Alan Irvine was harshly dismissed during a sour patch, and boy wonder Darren Ferguson swooped in amid some controversy: tapping up his former players…some of their wags too if the virtually gossip was to be believed…Ferg Jr couldn’t spin any immediate magic, even with the rich loan resources afforded thanks to purple papa…up until now his time in charge has focused on spouting post-match nonsense and eliminating those ill suited for his style of play

QPR – old Neil Warnock took the challenge – expertly disguised as a satchel full of bundles of crisp notes – across town and went poaching his old Crystal Palace and Sheffield United players…Clint Hill, Shaun Derry, Paddy Kenny, players he’s comfortable with…sounds like a transfer policy Boro fans are learning to embrace…and it’s fun listening to him talk…affable, controversial, frank…

Reading – prime contender for automatic promotion – a fantastic array of skilled and admired players including Gylfi Sigurosson, Jobi McAnuff, Shane Long, Jimmy Kebe, Adam Federici…the change in fortune from when Brian McDermott took over is a sweet confection Reading fans will not want to relinquish…they’re expected to hit the ground running and challenge all season for the title

Scunthorpe – is their magic act coming to a conclusion? Gary Hooper was finally flogged, and Paul Hayes went to Preston…Nigel Adkins will have to buckle the belt a tad tighter this term – staying up will be another small miracle in North Lincolnshire

Sheffield United - they certainly do embrace the style that typically embodies this league: gritty, robust, and brawny…ostensible skills: none really come to mind, other than kicking lumps out of the opposition and boring the pants off of spectators…Daniel Bogdanovic is in from Barnsley for goals, and the man Kevin Blackwell heralded as his January transfer target, Mark Yeates, remains in the fold…

Swansea – the dashing, jet-setting, champagne-drinking Iberian playboy that casually hits on all the wives and girlfriends has gone, off to pillage the birds of Leicester…from what we hear of new gaffer Brendan Rodgers the latent narcissism will still pervade – a Guardian poster recently quipped that the failed Reading boss would marry himself if it were legal…the slick and caressing passing game first introduced by ESPN heartthrob Roberto Martinez shall remain, it’s now the embraced ideology decrees chairman Huw Jenkins, with or without predatory full back Angel Rangel, target of future Championship opponents Blackpool…

Watford – the key for Malky Mackay is the loan market – if big four starlets like Tom Cleverley and Henri Lansbury, or any other of their contemporaries, continue their on-the-job training at Vicarage Road, then perhaps the Hornets can battle for a near-mid table finish…otherwise, the slog could be long and rough…ludicrous prediction: Gareth Southgate will manage this club before the end of the season…

West Bromwich Albion – it’s their bi-yearly migration north…can they solve the riddle of consolidation? Roberto di Matteo goes from League One to the Prem in a meteoric two years…

Nottingham Forest – rode an amazing wave of form to control 3rd spot…tight, organised, fitter, and more up for it than most of the opposition…Billy Davies gets teams promoted…maintaining that status? not so much…

Cardiff City – overcame the usual late season bottle job, and
administration bother…bags of goals…they’d be entertaining if
promoted…

Leicester City – improbable cohesion – Nigel Pearson should be investigated for human cloning violations – a steely and determined side, crafted in the mould of the former Boro man
Blackpool – Ian Holloway has a little dance…the form side who slid into the playoffs – those types have a history of running the playoff gauntlet – Pool haven’t been in 1st division since ’71

Swansea – there’s your Welsh bottle job – top 6 stalwarts for most of the season were doomed by lack of goal punch – will Sousa stay?

Sheffield United – promising finish, though they rarely were serious
promotion contenders…welcome back Paddy Kenny!

Reading – major turnaround under Brian McDermott – strong cup run buoyed league form

Bristol City – seemingly couldn’t lose under Keith Millen – Nicky
Maynard bagged a quiet 20 goals, especially the cracker v Pool that nearly spoiled their party

Boro – more later

Doncaster Rovers – free flowing footie under Sean O’Driscoll was frequently pleasing to the eye…can’t complain over top half finish

Queens Park Rangers – survived the standard managerial merry-go-round – Warnock says they’ll have to be reckoned w/ next term as they mount a serious promotion push

Derby County – better from young Nigel – will continue to build and ideally push for a top 10 finish

Ispwich Town – disappointing…after Roy Keane got the job late last season they responded strongly…horrific start to campaign was insurmountable

Watford – decent football at times, though their stars were all loan players – Tom Cleverley was outstanding…

Preston North End – little Ferg has them more organised…can he work some of the old Posh promotion magic?

Barnsley – Mark Robins was a great appointment – never an easy game – he’ll get more time to change the culture

Coventry City – briefly flirted w/ playoffs for a spell, even after selling Leon Best

Scunthorpe United – tremendous achievement to stay up given their paucity of resources…will look to cash in on the popular goalhawk Gary Hooper

Crystal Palace – promotion attempts railroaded by administration…did just enough under Paul Hart to avoid possible extinction

Sheffield Wednesday – despair at final day relegation – American
investment and sound stewardship of Alan Irvine should see a quick return to the Championship

Plymouth Argyle – the affable Paul Mariner instilled a courageous
spirit after the sacking of Paul Sturrock…sadly they couldn’t ride
it out the basement

Peterborough United – out of their depth, and the resulting
instability – sacking Ferguson and Cooper – was too big a
specter…revived under Jim Gannon for a spell…now Gary Johnson is the man to architect a new push back up

Cheers to the lads in the virtual end for being our conduit to the match Tuesday - our latent paranoia had the boss increasingly leery of the note-scribbling and fierce application-toggling on the work PC during Derby, so we experimented w/ an unfiltered micro-blogesque approach on the mobile: 

Jones/Hoyte/Wheats/Mick/Pogi/Franks/Robbo/Rhys/Bennett/Miller/Killen

• Cameron Park on the bench
• No Mac or GON
• Tight hamstring for Mac – not too serious
• SSL roundly booed on first touch
• Wheats header – 3 mins – from Robbo cross…harmlessly over…
• 12 mins – not much happening @ all
• Miller goes close on 15…square pass from Franks foraging down the right…shot goes wide
• 23 mins – 2nd hand ball call - Robbo before the Wallace free kick…Killen this time
• PNE pen shout as Mick floored a tricking Wallace near 20 mins
• GOAL – Killen from a Robbo beauty cross – off the post – 29 mins…
• BBC gossip says he wants to stay also…
• YC Darren Carter – 31 mins
• YC Ross Wallace – 32 mins
• YC Mick – 40 mins
• Wallace dangerous w/ pace and flair + the thumping free kicks
• HT Boro 1-0 PNE
• 2nd half – Bennett off – Naughton on
• Other scores: Pool tonking Swansea/Brizzle Barnsley goal explosion/Toon up on Donny/Plymouth over Town/Scunny murdering Posh 4 nil
• Boro start brightly: Franks/Naughton/Wheats all have a go @ A Lonergan early in the half
• B Jones winning them back? Early fave for MOM 2nd match running…
• Pogi off – Tayls on – 58 mins
• Brown and Hart off – Jones/Parkin on – 63 mins…will we weather a tactical change from the opposition?
• Att – 16794 (560 away)
• Miller dreadful at holding up the long balls we’ve been reduced to…he’s off – LL on – 71 mins
• Another PNE pen shout waved off? Mick foul on Carter? Away fans go mental…
• 3 mins added
• GG MOM – B Jones
• GOAL – Boro kill it off – Franks tucks it in after a hilarious mishit clearance from SSL - Boro 2-0 PNE
• FT Boro 2-0 PNE

Gordo said post match that sometimes it has nothing to do with football – doubtful he said as much during a reportedly blistering half-time bollocking. The following performance and result – coupled w/ the outcomes of other fixtures – ensured the visit to Vicarage Road is as must-win as the last. Jay O’Shea is in on loan from Birmingham City and goes straight into the squad. Serendipitous on two fronts: Gordo is maintaining his och-aye ties w/ countryman  Alex McLeish – and the Irish lad was a rumoured target of Gaz. Alas,  pipped again by a club consolidating in the Prem positions we used to occupy…

Nickname(s): The Lilywhites, Northenders, PNE

Ground: Deepdale

From Boro: a circuitous 138 miles – the drive plunges south of Leeds/Bradford, through Rochdale, Bury and Bolton

Kit: circa 2006-2009 Bolton-esque…plus, didn’t Canterbury go under?

The Original Invincibles: Arsenal did it more recently, but PNE was the first to go a whole season undefeated…in 1888-89, which incidentally is when they recorded the first double in history, blazing the FA Cup as well…a club truly ahead of their time!

Deepdale Idiosyncrasies: former manager Paul Simpson was pilloried for banning this at the ground in August 2007…the fans singing it, not The King, cos he’s dead…Simpson tried to allay it w/ this: ‘I don’t know whose idea this song is at the start, because it seems to put everyone in a bit of a depression. We have to make sure we get something which the players respond to and go out and perform and the fans respond to as well. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we are losing games because of that song. But we have to do whatever we can to generate an atmosphere’…he was sacked 3 months later

Nickname: ‘Pool, The Seasiders, The Tangerines

Ground: Bloomfield Road

From Boro: about 140 miles southwest

Kit: very nice – Holland home kit-ish

Bitter Rivals With: Preston North End

Looking Forward to the Trip?: before the revealing of fixtures, YES!! Apart from the miserable jaunt to Plymouth, this was the one fixture Boro fans hoped wouldn’t fall on a Tuesday night in the winter…fuck