Hasselbaink strike steals it for Middlesbrough

Everton 0 Middlesbrough 1

The visitors created plenty of chances on the break and more than deserved their win, but Everton showed further signs of a recovery after their dreadful start to the season with an attacking display that could have forced the tie into extra-time.

As it was, a 20-yard free-kick against the bar from their outstanding player Mikel Arteta was the closest the Merseysiders came.

Fresh from their fine draw with Chelsea, there was an urgency about Everton and when Arteta gave Queudrue the slip on the right and fired over a dangerous low cross, Chris Riggott managed to scoop it wide under pressure from Kevin Kilbane.

But Boro youngster James Morrison could easily have been on the scoresheet early on. First he saw Nigel Martyn save at his feet and when the ball broke in the box it was Arteta’s block that stopped the 19 year-old’s follow-up. Almost immediately Morrison found space on the edge of the box for another effort, this time slicing wide.

Boro sat back and waited for the breaks while Everton worked hard to find a way through with Arteta a constant threat.

But Martyn was the busiest keeper, turning away an Emanuel Pogatetz low drive before making two saves from Viduka as Boro continued to threaten on the break.

It was this ability to turn defence into attack quickly that saw Boro take the lead after 38 minutes when Viduka fed the ball through the middle for Hasselbaink to muscle his way past Joseph Yobo before drilling a low shot straight through Martyn’s legs as he tried to scoop up the ball.

Just 18 seconds into the second period, Beattie almost caught out Schwarzer with an acute angled shot from the right that caused the Boro keeper some trouble in pulling down from just under the bar. Kilbane then lashed a 30-yard shot just wide.

For all Everton’s efforts, had Hasselbaink been more clinical with his finishing, the game would have been beyond the Merseysiders.

He hit the bar from close range and then saw shots squirm wide on two occasions when he was put clear.

Arteta was booked for pulling down Pogatetz before forcing Schwarzer into the best save of the night, flying to his left to beat away a rising drive.

EVERTON: Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Weir, Ferrari (Bent 41), Arteta, Neville, Davies (Osman 78), Kilbane, McFadden (Van der Meyde 62), Beattie.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Queudrue, Riggott, Ehiogu (Bates 45), Parnaby, Rochemback, Morrison, Pogatetz, Doriva, Hasselbaink (Nemeth 67), Viduka (Yakubu 78).

Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).