Southgate just pleased to get through
Posted on 17th January 2007
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate was a relieved man following his side’s 4-3 win over Hull City last night in an FA Cup third round replay. Middlesbrough were leading 3-0 after fifty-seven minutes, and Southgate was contemplating giving some of his bigger names a breather before Saturday’s league clash with Bolton. However Hull fought back to 3-2 and then 4-3.
It was a game similar to Middlesbrough’s fightbacks in the UEFA Cup last season. Southgate, who was part of the team which defeated FC Basle and then Steaua Bucharest on memorable European nights on Teesside, was delighted to have progressed.
“For an hour, we played really well. I was delighted,” said Southgate. “I wanted us to be sharp and bright, and our approach to the game was excellent. We took the goals really well - and just as I was thinking of maybe getting a couple of players off to rest them for Saturday, we just got a bit sloppy defensively. But I am not going to come in here and hammer the lads. They were in the dressing room at the end, and it felt like a defeat to them. That is the standard they have set now. In the end, they did well to stand up to the onslaught that came their way. We know we should have defended better in the second half. But that has been one of the strongest parts of our team this season, and I hope it will focus our minds for Saturday.”
Goals from debutant Seb Hines on thirty-two minutes put Boro ahead before Mark Viduka made it two, and then from the penalty spot Aiyegbeni Yakubu struck within twelve minutes of the restart. But City full-back Andy Dawson glanced home a 59th-minute header, and Jon Parkin converted a penalty three minutes later to set the alarm bells ringing. Viduka calmed the Boro nerves with his seventh goal of the season on 64 minutes, but Dawson's superb 69th-minute free-kick ensured a nail-biting finish in which substitute Ryan France might twice have taken the tie into extra time.
“In a cup tie when a team is behind like that and they have nothing to lose, they can just go for it,” said the Boro boss. “That is what Hull did - and we did not deal with it as well as we should have done. But it means we win our third game on the bounce; we can learn plenty from it, so in a way it is an ideal scenario.”
Earlier Middlesbrough news
Viduka resigned to Boro depatureBoateng unlikely to figure in Hull clashAway win a long time in coming says SouthgateBoro need to take their chances says SlavenRiggott ready to battleMiddlesbrough interested in pairBoro hopeful of cup run but Hull confidentForwards can ease Boro awaySouthgate wants Viduka to staySouthgate delighted at character shownWe must win the battle first says CattermoleViduka wants to stayBoro will come good insists VidukaFriendship on the backburnerUneasy relationship draws to a close