Late goals save Boro from defeat

Middlesbrough 3 Leicester 3

Two goals in the final three minutes gave Middlesbrough an unlikely share of the spoils after Leicester had threatened to end their nine-match unbeaten run in stunning and controversial circumstances.

Foxes right-back John Curtis was left red-faced, steering home a Gaizka Mendieta cross with what was virtually the last kick of the game after Massimo Maccarone had pulled one back just moments earlier.

Before that, Leicester seemed to have the points in the bag as a Paul Dickov brace and one from Marcus Bent had appeared to give the visitors an unassailable lead after Juninho had opened the scoring early on.

Juninho had previously delivered a veiled criticism of manager Steve McClaren’s tactics, claiming he was too defensive-minded, and within nine minutes of his return after being dropped for last week’s FA Cup defeat at Arsenal he backed up his words with positive actions.

The goal can hardly be indebted to forthright attacking play, but at least Juninho was in the right place at the right time to latch onto Foxes goalkeeper Ian Walker’s hashed clearance which rebounded off Joseph-Desire Job.

The Brazilian then strode purposefully into the area before delivering a firm left-foot drive beyond the red-faced Walker for his fifth goal of the season, becoming the club’s leading scorer into the bargain.

But Juninho was then proved right in his comments as Boro sat back and allowed City to dictate play, which would have proved fatal against a more incisive team, such as the Gunners who again face Boro three times in eight days.

On this evidence there is little chance of McClaren’s side emerging from the Carling Cup semi-final double-header which sandwiches a Premiership clash with anything other than another three defeats.

But City lack pace, flair and ingenuity up front for although the Foxes dominated in terms of possession for around 20 minutes or so, they had little to show for their efforts other than a weak Dickov drive which Mark Schwarzer safely gathered.

The final 10 minutes of the opening period, though, were in stark contrast to what had been viewed before as the interval scoreline could easily have been 3-1 in Boro’s favour.

Nikos Dabizas, a recent free transfer signing from Newcastle, was in the thick of the action, with the Greek defender first looping a free header onto the top of the net after Schwarzer had foolishly come to claim a John Curtis free-kick from deep.

After his earlier error, alker then came to his side’s rescue, firstly with a fine double save and initially from Dabizas who inadvertently steered a low Szilard Nemeth cross goalwards.

From the rebound, Walker again showed superb reactions to block Stewart Downing’s flicked six-yard effort before Ricardo Scimeca finally cleared the danger.

After Marcus Bent had sliced wide a Dickov knock down, Dabizas then held down Joseph-Desire Job in the area, only for Walker to push the ensuing spot-kick round the post after the Boro striker tried to place his shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

In a frenetic end to the half, there was still time for further drama, with Danny Mills slicing off the line a James Scowcroft drive after Chris Riggott had cleared a Marcus Bent cross into the midfielder’s path.

Despite that opportunity, there seemed little to suggest Leicester would mount the second-half comeback they did, only to throw it away at the death.

Dickov’s first, though, was controversial and perhaps underlined the need for goal-line cameras for instances like these, and not just for when the ball has bounced down off the bar and onto the line.

In the 50th minute a corner from Steve Guppy – making his second debut for City after returning to the club on Thursday following two-and-a-half years at Celtic – was flicked on by Scimeca at the near post.

After the ball had gone through the legs of Scowcroft, it then bounced up to Dickov who used his hand to steer it home beyond Schwarzer.

Despite a double Boro change just after the hour with Massimo Maccarone and Gaizka Mendieta replacing Job and Boudewijn Zenden, it was City who remarkably took the lead in the 65th minute.

It was a goal which underlined just how much centre-backs Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu were missed due to injury for Scimeca was allowed to rise unmarked in the area to knock down a Jordan Stewart free-kick into the heart of the six-yard box for Dickov to stab home his 10th goal of the season.

Ten minutes later City added a third, this time a howler from Schwarzer in attempting to control an Andrew Davies back pass – the 19-year-old replacing another injured centre-half in Colin Cooper on 32 minutes – allowing Bent to simply tuck home his seventh this campaign into an empty net.

But Boro were not done as first Maccarone tucked home what appeared to be a consolation strike in the 90th minute, albeit off the outstretched left boot of Dabizas.

Then in injury time, Mendieta knocked a hopeful ball into the six-yard box, with Curtis obliging by tucking it past the ashen-faced Walker.