Boro's UEFA Cup adventure ended by Sporting

Sporting Lisbon 1 Middlesbrough 0 (Sporting win 4-2 on aggregate)

Middlesbrough’s UEFA Cup adventure is finally over for this season after Steve McClaren’s side produced a gallant, but ultimately goalless performance.

In the end McClaren will look back on a disastrous 20-minute spell at the Riverside a week ago when Sporting scored three goals which virtually guaranteed their passage into the quarter-finals.

Although Boro hit back in that first leg of their last-16 clash last Thursday with two goals of their own, they were unable to continue the revival in the return at the Estadio Jose Alvalade as the goals they desperately required eluded them – with Pedro Barbosa’s goal at the end of tonight’s match sealing a 4-2 aggregate defeat.