Nemeth bags derby day double as brilliant Boro sink Black Cats

Middlesbrough 3 Sunderland 0

The former Inter Bratislava front man struck after 16 minutes and then again on 66 after Massimo Maccarone had made it 2-0 before the break to send the home crowd home happy.

Jonathan Greening and Franck Queudrue set up Boro’s first attack, sending Maccarone into space down the left, where he was unceremoniously hauled to the ground by Matt Piper, although the yellow card the Sunderland man received was the only punishment when Michael Gray headed away Geremi’s free-kick. Robbie Stockdale joined Piper in Alan Wiley’s notebook for a scything 11th-minute challenge on Thomas Butler. , but the Scottish international could have put his side ahead two minutes later when he robbed Butler inside the Wearsiders’ penalty area but blasted his shot against Thomas Sorensen’s legs. The Teessiders went in front with 16 minutes gone, however, when Sorensen spilled Maccarone’s powerfully-struck long-range effort and Nemeth followed up to smash the rebound home.

Play moved swiftly from end to end as Boro attempted to cement their lead and the Black Cats sought a way back into the game.

Mark Schwarzer had to come from his line to punch away a 21st-minute Claudio Reyna corner after Geremi had headed the American’s free-kick behind.

Sunderland worked hard to make use of the width given to them by Piper and Butler in a bid to get back into the game but found Ugo Ehiogu, Gareth Southgate and Colin Cooper in miserly form when they eventually got the ball into the middle.

Boro were brimming with confidence, typified by former Empoli frontman Maccarone, who let fly with a first-time volley from Nemeth’s deep cross on 25 minutes.

Stewart picked up the game’s fourth yellow card nine minutes before the break after catching Geremi late, and worse was to follow for the visitors seconds later. Boro were awarded a free-kick wide on the right and Queudrue drove the ball left-footed to the back post for Maccarone to power an unstoppable header past Sorensen.

The one certainty after the break was that Reid’s side would come out fighting, and they did just that, but with the Boro defence continuing to dominate, chances were few and far between.

It took a fingertip save from Sorensen to keep his side’s hopes alive on the hour after Queudrue turned smartly to allow Nemeth to set the Cameroon international up to shoot powerfully from the edge of the box.

Flo climbed well again a minute later to reach a Reyna free-kick at the far post, but he again missed the target by some distance.

Sunderland were building up a head of steam with Piper in particular giving Queudrue a hard time, but a Boro rearguard which was looking shaky for the first time managed to regroup to repel a series of attacks.

But just as it seemed that the Black Cats might force their way back into it, the home side broke at lightning pace through Maccarone, who delivered a perfect pass into Nemeth’s pass and he lifted the ball over the advancing Sorensen to make it 3-0 with 66 minutes gone.

Reid sent on David Bellion in place of Butler with 16 minutes left, but there was only pride left to play for.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Queudrue, Southgate, Ehiogu, Stockdale, Cooper, Job, Geremi, Greening, Nemeth, Maccarone.

SUNDERLAND: Sorensen, Gray, Babb, Bjorklund, Wright, Butler, McAteer, Reyna, Piper, Flo, Stewart.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).