Steve McClaren hailed Middlesbrough’s guts and desire after his side surged up to eleventh in the Premiership table following a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Riverside Stadium. Goals from Alen Boksic and Szilard Nemeth gave Boro a six point cushion over third-bottom Blackburn Rovers, with the visitors missing a number of chances to grab an equaliser after Steve Marlet had briefly levelled in the second half.
Middlesbrough have struggled to score goals throughout a frustrated season but McClaren might have struck gold in pairing Boksic with the Italian forward Benito Carbone up front. The home side’s strike duo – playing together for the first time – posed problems for Fulham from the outset. The Croatian striker made his intentions clear as early as the fifth minute when he burst away from Alain Goma after being found by Noel Whelan. Although Sean Davis blocked Boksic’s drive, it needed alert defending from Rufus Brevett and Edwin van der Sar to deny Jonathan Greening an opener.
Fulham operated mostly on the break but struggled to make much of an impression on the Middlesbrough goal with Mark Schwarzer’s only save of note early on coming when he was called into action by a long-range effort from Steed Malbranque. The home side did take the lead before the half hour mark, although Boksic looked offside when he played in by Carbone after clever combination play between Greening and Paul Ince. van der Sar waited for a flag from the linesman but was beaten by a deft finish from the experienced striker.
The visitors almost hit back straightaway when Carbone crudely cut down Davis twenty yards from goal but Malbranque’s dangerous free-kick crept just wide of the far post. Marlet then missed a glorious opportunity to level when he beat the Boro defence to a through ball and went around Schwarzer, but the French forward found only the side netting from an acute angle.
Fulham did equalise from a set play ten minutes into the second half. John Collins whipped a corner into the near post, where Alain Goma climbed to win a flick on and Marlet headed home from close range at the back post. The visitors failed to capitalise on a prolonged period of pressure that saw Marlet’s curler caught by Schwarzer after some delightful one-touch passing between Malbranque and Davis and McClaren’s decision to send on Slovakian striker Nemeth for Whelan proved decisive.
Boro were unfortunate not to retake the lead when Ehiogu’s header from a Greening corner crashed back off the bar and away to safety, but Nemeth grabbed all three points with thirteen minutes remaining. He arrived on the left angle of the penalty area to fire a low shot past van der Sar to put the hosts ahead once more – and, although McClaren’s men rode their luck in the closing stages, they held on to claim a vital victory. Boro were indebted to Ehiogu who managed to deny Marlet with a magnificent tackle after the French forward looked favourite to equalise again having latched onto a long punt forward from van der Sar.
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Stockdale, Southgate, Ehiogu, Queudrue; Greening, Mustoe (Murphy 61), Ince, Whelan (Nemeth 70); Carbone (Windass 70), Boksic. Subs (not used): Crossley, Gavin.
BOOKED: Queudrue.
GOALS: Boksic (27), Nemeth (77).
FULHAM (4-4-2): van der Sar; Finnan, Brevett, Goma, Melville; Davis, Collins (Saha 80), Legwinski, Malbranque; Hayles, Marlet. Subs (not used): Taylor, Ouaddoh, Harley, Willock.
BOOKED: Legwinski, Saha.
GOAL: Marlet (56).
REFEREE: Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
ATTENDANCE: 26,235.
