Downing steals show and points for Boro

Middlesbrough 2 Fulham 1

The 19-year-old was at the heart of everything good about Middlesbrough and both their goals came as a result of his incisive dead-ball kicking.

Nippy, skilful and with a mouth-watering delivery from crosses and dead-ball situations, Downing looked true class.

Both goals resulted from set-plays, Joseph-Desire Job scored the first from close range and Szilard Nemeth netted the clincher with substitute Barry Hayles grabbing a consolation in injury time.

As for Saha, who had set the scene for the match by claiming that he was "disgusted, dejected and downhearted" that Al Fayed had blocked a "chance of my lifetime" move to Manchester United, it was a miserable night with barely a sniff of goal.

Fulham boss Chris Coleman will read the riot act to Louis Saha over his mutinous remarks towards club chairman Mohamed Al Fayed.

Coleman insisted Saha has to get over the disappointment: "I saw the comments and I'll nip it in the bud. I understand that he's disappointed but he has a job to do at Fulham.

Ugo Ehiogu had clearly identified Saha as the dangerman, for the Middlesbrough defender caught the Frenchman with a cynical challenge from behind in the third minute and had no cause for complaint when referee Paul Durkin flourished a yellow card.

Middlesbrough made early in-roads down the left flank with Downing exploiting Fulham's tentative defending. That pressure told in the 14th minute when Joseph Desire Job won a fortunate corner off Knight.

Downing's corner found Ehiogu unmarked Coleman would have been fuming that Fulham allowed him such space and he had time to bring the ball down and drive in a shot that Van der Sar could only parry for Job to rifle into the net.

After much frustration Fulham finally put together a good passing move and only Australian keeper Brad Jones prevented them drawing level.

The second half was also mostly Middlesbrough though Malbranque showed Fulham still had something left in the tank when he stepped neatly inside Downing's challenge and rolled a tempting ball across the penalty area, only to see Luis Boa Morte slice his shot horribly.

In the 54th minute Downing picked out Franck Queudrue with a wicked free-kick to the far post but he too headed over an empty goal.

After an hour, the crowd were chanting Downing's name and he nearly earned even more adulation when Mills delivered a deep cross and the teenager hooked in a shot from an impossible angle that missed the far-post by a whisker.

It was another Downing free-kick which led indirectly to Middlesbrough's second goal after 66 minutes. Van der Sar dropped the ball under some pressure, Ehiogu held off the Fulham keeper and nudged it to Southgate who squared for Nemeth to side-foot home.

Malbranque had a deflected shot saved by Jones before Juninho raced to the other end and brought a top-quality stop out of Van der Sar.

Nemeth poked wide as Boro searched for a third, then, with his first sight of goal, Saha hooked over the bar from 12 yards out.

With five minutes left Downing once again burst into the box and crossed for Juninho who had only to make contact to score but the Brazilian completely mis-kicked.

Fulham had the last word when Mills blocked Sean Davis's shot on the line and Hayles rammed the loose ball home.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Jones, Queudrue, Mills, Ehiogu, Southgate, Downing, Nemeth, Boateng, Zenden, Juninho Paulista, Job.

FULHAM: Van der Sar, Green, Djetou, Knight, Melville, Legwinski (Hayles 69), Sean Davis, Clark, Malbranque, Boa Morte, Saha.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).