Ams' Blades v Boro Report
Monday, October 02, 2006
Sheffield United 2 Middlesborough 1Finally we have those elusive first 3 points!
The team saw a few changes from the one that lost to Arsenal the week before.
Bennett, Sommeil, Wright, and Geary were dropped and Kenny, Bromby, Quinn and Tonge came in.
Armstrong was moved to left back and Quinn into midfield.
Kazim again continued on the left wing and also pushed up front from time to time to help Hulse.
The game started with both teams looking quite nervous.
The ball was treated like a hot potato with both teams giving it away constantly. United's main culprit was Leigterwood.
After a while the game seemed to settle down and the Blades had a couple of half chances through Kazim who was starting to cause the Boro defence a few problems.
The best two chances fell to Boro though. Firstly, Yakuba hit the post when he should have scored and then Woodgate, who was left totally alone on the edge of the six yard box as Hulse went walkabout, somehow managed to volley wide when it was easier to score.
These narrow escapes seemed to galvanise the Blades and after 36 minutes we took the lead on the counter attack after a Boro attack broke down.
Kazim picked up the ball in his own half. He ran on, made a deft change of direction and laid off a perfect pass to the on rushing Hulse who seemed to take the ball too far but somehow managed to chip the ball, over the approching keeper and defender, into the net.
From here on until the break, it was all United as we pressed for a second goal to kill the game off.
The second half had barely begun when Yakuba equalised for Boro.
A free kick from Davis was knocked straight back over his head for the Boro player to run on and score past a floundering Kenny. It is debatable whether the two centre halfs could have done more to stop it and Kenny too, but it seemed more to me like a fluke goal.
The Blades didn't let their head's drop and continued attacking Middlesboro.
Just when we thought, in spite of all United's efforts, that the game was going to end 1-1, Jags came up with a 35 yard cracker to compare to his one against Leeds four years ago.
Webber ran into the area on the right, crossed low into the box and it was cleared by a Boro defender. The ball dropped in front of Jags, who was lurking around the half way line, he ran onto the ball, chested it down and unleashed an exocet from about 30-35 yards, which bounced once in front of the keeper and arrowed into the corner of the net.
The ground erupted with unbounded joy and relief. Jags was buried beneath a red, white and black mountain of Blades players and the Boro players slumped to the ground in despair.
They had done it!
My player ratings in the style of Indian culinary delights:
Kenny - 7/10 : A good old Chicken Tandoori.
Mr. Reliable. rarely lets you down. Not too spicy, you know what you are getting with him.
Little to do, but still safe.
Bromby - 7/10 : Lamb Dopiaza.
Got booked early, but didn't let that affect him.
Snuffed out the attacking threat of the Boro winger very well and rarely troubled.
Similar to a Dopiaza, the onions usually return to remind you later. Bromby, rarely lets you forget he was in the game.
Davis - 9/10 : Lamb Madras.
A top curry!
Does what he has to do without any fuss. Will be one of our best players for years to come.
Jags - 9/10 : Chicken Balti.
A firm favourite already with supporters. You can't go wrong with a Balti!
Fitted in nicely alongside Davis and hopefully it will prove an excellent partnership.
Gets an extra 0.5 of a mark for that screamer of a goal.
Armstrong - 9/10 : Lamb Vindaloo.
Another contender for Man of the Match.
Tenacious display. A couple of tackles in our penalty area were world class. Just like a vindaloo, challenging, with a sting in the tail.
Gillespie - 8.5/10 : Rogan Josh.
A great attacking performance down the right wing from Keith.
His crosses always look dangerous and he had a couple of good shots too. Like a Rogan Josh, he can be a bit too tomatoee for some people, but most like him.
Leigterwood - 7/10 : Saag Aloo.
Started absymally, with lots of misplaced passes, but improved as the game went on.
Like a Saag, too inconsistant, not meaty enough.
Tonge - 7.5/10 : Prawn Passanda.
Just back from injury, but still smooth and cultured like a Passanda.
Quinn - 7.5/10 : Chicken Jalfrazi.
We have missed him in the side.
An exciting player who always makes things happen.
Like a Jalfrazi, he spices things up.
Kazim-Richards - 9/10 : Lamb Phal.
A red hot performance from Colin!
He was on fire (much like a Phal), turning players inside out.
A constant threat. I imagine his bum was burning that evening after that sizzling performance.
Hulse - 8.5/10 : King Prawn Dansak.
Another fine performance from our top scorer.
He leads the line well and offers a bit of everything as a striker, a bit like a Dansak with his veratility.
SUBS:
Subs will be desserts as they came on late in the game.
Webber - 8/10 : Mango Kulfi.
Webber again showed us his silky skills and coolness (like a Kulfi) in the short time he was on the pitch.
A wonderful mazy run which almost brought a goal, and the run which was cleared for Jag's thunderbolt.
Kabba - 7.5/10 : Banana Fritter.
Deserves the mark for the sprint back in the left back position to win the ball.
Slighly unpredictable, but can be very tasty, like a fritter, that's Kabba!
Nade - No mark, not on long enough. : The mint with the bill.
Held the ball up well to win a free kick at the death for us.
posted by Blades Bees @ 10:48,
