Plenty of Positives for Boro

Anyone telling themselves the Tees-Wear derby isn’t a ‘proper derby’ wasn’t at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night for the FA Cup Fourth Round replay.  Over 22,000 passionate ‘Boro fans supported their brave young side for 120 minutes, with 4000 away fans sucking Stephane Sessegnon’s 113^th minute strike into the net. The attendance was Middlesbrough’s 2^nd highest of the season and both sets of fans were magnificently brave for turning out in force in subzero temperatures.

Despite the painful score line, the so called ‘underdogs’ performance over the games against their rivals from up the A19 can only be viewed as a positive. To take the country’s form side to a replay, followed by a tense and tight affair at home and be beaten by the odd goal is no mean feat. The result left the home crowd disheartened, but reflecting on the performance can only have warmed them up on the way back to the comfort of their own homes.

The atmosphere itself was something they can take pride in. There was a real sense of pride and from the terraces and this visably made its way onto the pitch through tough, but fair, challenges from the likes of local lads Joe Bennett and Matthew Bates. Money is tight on Teeside, a fact that is not made enough of in the National media, with more emphasis on the empty seats in the stadium than on the match in some instances. Attendances and passion like Wednesday remind all the players that this is a big club and the supporters should never be taken for granted.

On the pitch there was even more reason for positive thoughts. The Boro finished with 8 players having came through the club’s famous youth academy on the pitch – 9 if you count young Curtis Main, who learnt his trade not far at Darlington. If Main’s debut is anything to go by he could become an invaluable asset to Boro’s promotion campaign, with Scott McDonald potentially out for the season and Marvin Emnes looking increasingly out of sorts. A relatively new name to some Boro fans is Adam Reach, who came on in the second half and looked promising, built in the mould of academy graduates Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson.  With the squad stretched enough as it is the younger players are relied upon increasingly and based on the derby the club can be satisfied it’s future is in safe hands.