Five-star Boro shatter Nuneatondreams

Middlesbrough 5 Nuneaton Borough 2

The Teessiders ran riot against the part-timers after a tense start to book a fourth-round trip to Coventry.

Chris Riggott’s 34th-minute opener set the ball rolling and Aiyegbeni Yakubu made it 2-0 from the penalty spot before the break.

But it was a devastating return of three goals inside 13 second-half minutes which turned a comprehensive victory into a rout as Stuart Parnaby, Yakubu and Mark Viduka struck.

Gez Murphy capitalised on a mistake from Boro ‘keeper Brad Jones to head home with 19 minutes remaining and then added an 86th-minute penalty.

McClaren had insisted in the wake of the Highbury nightmare that his blossoming stars would learn from the experience, and he gave them an immediate chance to show what they had taken on board as Jones, Andrew Taylor, Matthew Bates, Adam Johnson and Lee Cattermole started.

Had striker Murphy, the man whose last-minute penalty earned Nuneaton their trip to the Riverside been as composed as he was 10 days ago, they would had been in front with just four minutes gone.

He could scarcely believe it when he turned to find himself with just ‘keeper Jones to beat, but the Australian made a fine save low to his right.

However the breakthrough finally arrived 11 minutes before the break, if from an unexpected source.

Riggott, having gone forward for a corner, remained in the danger area as Bates lifted the ball back in, and he coolly scooped it over the advancing Darren Acton to claim his first goal of the season.

Nuneaton’s woes deepened eight minutes later when Mendieta went down under Stuart Whittaker’s innocuous challenge and referee Mike Riley pointed to the spot.

Yakubu stepped up to stroke home his 13th of the campaign and the tie was effectively over. It was definitely over within five minutes of the restart when Parnaby weighed in with his first senior goal.

Acton did well to palm away Johnson’s cross, but they could only clear it as far as the makeshift midfielder, and his 25-yard strike was unerring.

Midfielder Mark Noon and defender Neil Moore went close for the visitors, but 3-0 became 4-0 with 58 minutes gone when Yakubu muscled his way into the clear and rolled a left-foot shot past Acton.

The former Portsmouth front man was instrumental in his side’s fifth as his presence caused panic in the Nuneaton penalty area and Viduka took full advantage to add his name to the scoresheet.

Jones was left red-faced on 71 minutes when he came for opposite number Acton’s clearance and missed it to present Murphy with an open goal. The striker was to leave the Riverside with a double after he was tripped by substitute Ray Parlour and beat the ‘keeper from the spot once again with four minutes remaining.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Jones, Bates, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Parnaby (Parlour 63), Mendieta, Cattermole, Johnson, Yakubu, Viduka (Maccarone 64).

NUNEATON: Acton, Oddy, Moore, Angus, Love, Collins (Reeves 81), Noon, Fitzpatrick, Whittaker (Wilkin 77), Quailey (Frew 59), Murphy.

Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire).