Charlton stun Boro to move into third spot

Middlesbrough 0 Charlton 3

Danny Murphy inspired another magnificent away victory to keep Charlton riding high with a 100 per cent record in the Barclays Premiership this season.

The former Liverpool midfielder was in sparkling form again as Alan Curbishley’s men sunk dismal Middlesbrough with a thoroughly accomplished performance at the Riverside Stadium.

Murphy set up Dennis Rommedahl to fire a cool low drive past Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer and give his side a deserved 37th minute advantage.

Then he effectively sealed the game with a precise 81st minute free-kick which found the unlikely figure of Chris Perry to sidefoot home the visitors’ decisive second.

Darren Bent’s fourth goal of the season deep into injury time simply added insult to injury for Boro boss Steve McClaren’s beleaguered troops.

Murphy may have left it too late to impress England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson ahead of England’s World Cup bid next year but on this form he could inspire the Addicks to scale improbable Premiership heights.

Coming only two weeks after the visitors started their season with a clinical victory just up the road in Sunderland, there was plenty to delight their miniscule band of travelling supporters again.

Which may have come as a surprise to their Boro counterparts who felt they had every reason to begin their Sunday afternoon with confidence.

The home side emerged fresh from a midweek thrashing of Birmingham and boasting new £1.8million defender Emanuel Pogatetz on the bench. On this evidence, Pogatetz may get his chance soon.

Yet Boro had started brightly with Yakubu almost making an immediate impression on his return from an Achilles injury.

The Nigerian striker just failed to meet Ray Parlour’s first minute cross in front of goal, then headed a superb second minute chance over the bar from Stewart Downing’s cross.

Charlton were slower to get going after their long trip north but they did show early attacking intent when the speedy Rommedahl almost cued up Darren Bent in the box.

Having begun his season with three goals in Charlton’s first two games, Bent should have done better with a 13th minute chance when he was put through by Alexei Smertin but shot a weak effort well wide.

The visitors were looking more dangerous in a relatively open game with the lively Jerome Thomas causing no end of problems for Boro right-back Michael Reiziger.

Smertin too was in the thick of things and he was allowed to fling in an unchallenged cross which was just too high for Bent in front of goal.

Rommedahl’s opener in the 37th minute was all the visitors deserved for their bright start but owed a little to more lack lustre defending by the Boro back-line.

The speedy Dane burst through the middle onto Murphy’s precise through-ball and swept a left-footed shot past Mark Schwarzer from just inside the box.

Two minutes later Luke Young prevented a Boro equaliser when he booted a Franck Queudrue effort off the line after a goalmouth melee.

Then James Morrison was set up with a good chance by Yakubu but his powerful shot was acrobatically saved by Stephan Andersen.

Unsurprisingly McClaren made changes at the break, handing Pogatetz his Boro debut in place of Queudrue while Gaizka Mendieta replaced Morrison in midfield.

Just 14 minutes later Mendieta’s afternoon was over with the substitute being replaced himself by Italian striker Massimo Maccarone.

The expected Boro revival was not forthcoming with Charlton continuing to control the game to the mounting frustration of the home fans.

A run across the edge of the box by Radostin Kishishev ended with a right-foot shot by Bent which sailed narrowly over Schwarzer’s bar.

Maccarone glanced a header into Andersen’s arms in the 70th minute as Boro at least began to start getting forward with something approaching purpose.

But instead of setting up a grandstand finish Boro let themselves down from Murphy’s late free-kick, failing to pick up the unlikely figure of Perry who stole in to seal another magnificent afternoon in the north-east for Curbishley’s men.

Boro kept battling away but to little effect and Yakubu’s weak header over the bar in injury time ended a day to forget for Steve McClaren’s side.

Then deep into injury time Bent charged clear onto substitute Bryan Hughes’ through-ball before firing home a cool left-foot strike to complete the resounding victory.