Boro up to third in table

Middlesbrough 2, Bolton 0

Steve McClaren will link up with England next week knowing everything is fine on the domestic front after today’s comfortable Barclaycard Premiership win over Bolton.

The Middlesbrough manager, also part of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s backroom staff, saw his side keep the pressure on the leaders.

Goals from Ugo Ehiogu and Geremi were enough to give the club victory over struggling Wanderers.

In fact if McClaren has any complaints it will probably be about the number of good chances his side squandered.

Italian striker Massimo Maccarone worked hard but was particularly wasteful in front of goal.

He should have given Middlesbrough the lead inside the first minute. He lost his marker as Alen Boksic played the ball in but could only send his shot over the bar from close range.

Maccarone had the ball in the net after eight minutes, but his effort was ruled out because Joseph-Desire Job had strayed offside.

Middlesbrough squandered another good chance in the 13th minute when Boksic sliced his shot wide of the post.

George Boateng squared the ball to the Croatian striker after a clever backheel from Job.

Bolton hit back, and Frandsen stung goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer’s fingers with a fierce 20-yard shot after a neat lay-off from Youri Djorkaeff.

Middlesbrough, however, continued to look dangerous every time they broke forward.

Job found himself clear in the area but somehow managed to steer his shot from Franck Queudrue’s cross nearer the corner flag than the goal.

Middlesbrough made the breakthrough in the 23rd minute from a set-piece.

Geremi floated in a corner from the left, and Ehiogu scored his first goal of the season with a firm header.

Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen got a hand to the ball but could not prevent it going in the net.

Geremi then set up Maccarone with a good ball to the near post – but his touch let him down.

That goal from Ehiogu stunned Bolton – but if anything it seemed to make them more organised as half-time approached.

They were certainly getting more possession than they were at the beginning of the game.

Schwarzer did well to tip away a marvellous 25-yard curling shot from Kevin Nolan two minutes before the break.

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce brought on Michael Ricketts for the ineffective Dean Holdsworth at the break.

Midfielder Gareth Farrelly also came on, replacing Simon Charlton with Ivan Campo moving into defence.

Nolan then went close for Bolton, sending his shot narrowly over the top after Pedersen had laid the ball back.

Play switched down the other end, and Maccarone went on a darting run only for Campo to get in a timely tackle.

Campo won possession off Maccarone and released Mike Whitlow, who had linked up with the attack.

He fired in a shot from the edge of the area which took a deflection but was comfortably taken by Schwarzer.

Maccarone again got into a good position when Queudrue delivered a cross from the right on the hour.

But somehow he managed to steer a header from in front of the posts well wide of the target.

Bolton were beginning to look dangerous on the counter-attack, and Djorkaeff tested Schwarzer with a fierce shot from 25 yards.

Gudni Bergsson then should have equalised but he mis-directed his header from Djorkaeff’s corner.

Middlesbrough added their second goal in the 68th minute when Boksic sprang the offside trap and released Geremi, who raced on to score.

Bolton finished strongly but were unable to peg back the goals. Ricketts got into a good position only to send his effort high and wide.

Then Henrik Pedersen failed to get any direction on his close-range header following a cross from Anthony Barness.