Boro progress to next round of UEFA Cup

Xanthi 0 Middlesbrough 0 (Middlesbrough win 2-0 on aggregate)

Middlesbrough progressed to the group stage of the UEFA Cup for the second successive season as Skoda Xanthi’s challenge wilted and died in Greece.

After a promising opening by the home side, during which keeper Brad Jones saved from Luciano and Gareth Southgate blocked a Levan Maghradze effort, the Teessiders rarely looked like surrendering their 2-0 first leg advantage, although sunstitute Szilard Nemeth cleared an Emerson header off the line with three minutes remaining.

However, had an offside flag not rather harshly ruled out Massimo Maccarone’s 33rd-minute strike, they might have returned to England with a second victory.