Match Description: Boro and Cherries play out an entertaining 3:3 draw

Middlesbrough 3 v  3 AFCB
21 September 2013

Attendance 13,617 (340 AFCB)

Eddie Howe made three changes from the mid-week game with Rantie making his first start and Elphick and Hughes coming into the team. Shaun MacDonlad was fit enough to make the bench and Charlie Daniels did not make the squad, while Ryan Fraser surprisingly found himself on the bench and then had a tight hamstring in the warm up, as McDermott came in for him on the subs bench. So it looked like AFCB would be playing 3-5-2 with Francis and Pugh as wing backs and Pitman playing just behind Grabban and Rantie.

"It's a very happy camp on back of Tuesday's big win, said Eddie Howe."We are entering a tough run of games. We have not been to Riverside recently. It's a huge stadium lovely arena that could suit our passing game. We need to start well and defend well to get any thing. ..We can take great heart from our last away game at Doncaster."

Match Description
Listening to BBC Radio Solent

AFCB did line up as a back three and what a start to the game. Rantie is taken down inside three minutes after a ball through from Grabban and it's a penalty to the Cherries. Rhys Williams, Boro's captain, took him down and the ref pointed to the spot. Pitman then smashed the penalty right down the middle and made it one-nil to the Cherries! 4 minutes gone.

Woodgate had a header at the far post just wide while the AFCB fans were still celebrating. Butterfield then had a shot and Allsop palmed it away from goal.

Rantie and Pugh link up and Friend has to put the ball out for a corner kick. Steve Cook tried to get there but William headed away, Grabban put the ball back in and Fraser Richardson handled the ball! Pitman stepped up again and two-nil! 12 minutes on the clock.

Middlesbrough appear shell-shocked. Their supporters are booing. What a chance to grab three points here for the Cherries. Bournemouth are moving the ball around well. O'Kane finds Pugh and a back heel to Rantie, before Pugh receives it back and wins another corner.

Hughes takes the left side corner and Pugh then crosses and Cook hits the ball a foot over the cross bar - great strike. 16 minutes gone and Midlesbrough just can't get much possession. Butterfield does cross though and Ward clears. Carayol comes for a header but Allsop claims the ball.

Whitehead on the centre circle is devoid of ideas it seems, Cook clears the ball for a moment but in what turns out to be a scramble Kemira stabs the ball in from six yards after 19 minutes and its 2:1. Willo said Allsop could have come for the ball but it was a mix up with a centre back and Boro were claiming for a penalty as a player was bowled over before the ball was stabbed home.

Rantie finds Pugh in the box and he goes down. No penalty this time. Ward then stopped Adomah as he broke at the other end. Francis went down in a heap as Friend takes him out. Things are very physical.

Francis is then penalised for a foul on Friend. Leadbitter delivers the ball, but Elphick heads it out for the corner. Kemira concedes a free kick though. Pitman has a problem with his wrist and gets it seen to.
Carayol's cross hits Marc Pugh on the arm and it's a free kick on the edge of the box. Kamara got to the ball first but headed over with AFCB defending zonally. "O'Kane and Grabban are the quietest two players," says Kris Temple.

Carayol has a speculative shot and it deflects off an AFCB leg and it loops in over Allsop for 2:2. About 31 minutes gone and we are back where we started. The Cherries have reverted to 4-4-2 according to the AFCB blog.

Middlesbrough are keeping the ball better now. Butterfield is playing well and George Friend on the left. Kamara is down now.

The atmosphere is still quiet. Leadbitter keeps giving the ball away but Bournemouth can't capitalise. Francis gives a free kick away for a challenge on Adomah just before half time. Cook gets the ball away.

O'Kane was wiped out by Friend and manages to escape getting booked. Rantie goes past a couple of players and Hughes, then Pugh down the left before Rantie almost scores, but Friend puts it our for a corner. Elphick rises well for the corner but Boro clear.

Hughes find Pugh and Rantie is challenged by Whitehead and its out for a throw. O'Kane then gets the ball through to Hughes who has a poor wide of the post and it was half time.

Half Time
Grabban came out wide on the right and Pugh on the left, Rantie is the lone striker with Pitman just behind him - perhaps 4-2-3-1. Cook wins a free kick of Richardson by their own corner flag. Allsop puts the ball straight out though.


Four minutes gone in the second half and Rantie loses his man with a quick turn but Whitehead picks him off. Francis then infringes a Boro player and they have a free kick. Woodgate is up but loses out to Elphick. Friend sends in a cross and Kamara and Carayol almost get on the end with Allsop not coming to get the ball.
O'Kane then wins a free kick. Pitman took the kick but the keeper, Steele has the ball. Francis' cross and both Rantie and Pugh miss it. Middlesbrough with Leadbitter, Kamara goes round the outside of Pugh but Pugh gets a foot in.

Leadbitter's free kick is aimed at Williams who has a free header and it goes wide. Carayol is tackled by O'Kane and Rantie is then caught by the Boro centre half.

Pitman is doing some covering now as Boro look to get their first home win. Much of their pay is sideways though. Richardson aims for three red shirts, but Francis clears. Rantie is looking more isolated now. AFCB passing not so hot.

Bournemouth take off Rantie and bring on Wes Thomas with 30 minutes to go. AFCB are less open this half. Carayol creates a chance for Leadbitter but Francis just gets there in time.

Thomas goes down on the break in the box and cries for a penalty but it is not given. Richardson's cross to Kamara but Grabban clears. Friend then has it on the left and Adomah is challenged by Francis and wins a free kick. AFCB are not getting the decisions and Pitman may well have got a card here, but no he gets away with it. O'Kane challenges Whitehead strongly enough to make him head wide.

Carayol is running through the middle but Elphick blocks. Pugh gets booked as he fails to win a decision, 66 minutes gone. Still plenty of time to win this one. Ward plays the ball up to Pugh and Williams and Leadbitter come away with it, then Adomah has the ball in the corner.

Butterfield's 30 yard shot is blocked by Hughes, Leadbitter then gets it but Allsop saves almost punching it back into trouble. It's mainly Boro now and AFCB need more possession. Boro get a corner following a brave header from an AFCB defender.

Just 20 minutes remaining. Kamara is now caught offside as Shaun MacDonald warms up. Boro again coming forward as Carayol tries to get around Cook but Allsop smothers the ball. Pitman loses the ball on half way and with 16 minutes to go Leadbitter closes on goal and scores! 3:2 to the home side.  Disaster!

Shaun MacDonald comes on for Hughes with 77 minutes gone. AFCB revert to three at the back. Bournemouth then get a chance but there is too much pace on the cross. This will be a sickner if it ends up like this.

The Cherries are now taking the game to the Boro. MacDonald and Grabban gets a cross in but Woodgate puts the ball out for a corner. Kamara defends and Pugh crosses but Elphick puts the ball over with a header. Just 10 minutes to go.

Friend has been Boro's best player, according to Kris Temple. Pitman's corner at the near post is cleared by Williams. Francis down the right, passes to ward and it's an own goal - Woodgate. It's 3:3. A point would be great, 83 minutes gone. Great composure from Ward in the box apparently.

What a game! The Cherries the only team not to have drawn so far this season. O'Kane plays in Thomas and he is brought down. Williams is sent off as the last man and the free kick is outside the box.

Middlesbrough try to make three subs! Pitman can try and hit this from 25 yards. Carayol is off and Jutkiewicz is on. Pitman smashes it past the near post and it's a goal kick. Varga is also coming on and Gibson, off go Adomah and Whitehead on 89 minutes.

Five minutes of extra time. MacDonald has got through a lot of work since he has been on says Willo. "Eddie Howe's Barmy Army", we can hear. Boro fans are heading home. Ryan Allsop picks up a yellow, done like a kipper as Elphick kicked the ball away.

Thomas almost steels in but not quite. Cook then challenges Kamara and Kamara ends up in the book and so to does Cook. Elphick holds of Jutkiewicz and puts the ball out. Kamara is in and Allsop tips the header over when it was destined for the top corner. An amazing save!

Cook puts the ball out again, while Allsop has taken a knock. Cherries struggle to clear then Grabban and Thomas is blocked off by Gibson. Grabban is flat on his back. There is a yellow card for Leadbitter for a tackle on Grabban. There is much confusion as the referee stopped play. Boro have the ball but Francis clears. Full Time.

AFCB 
Allsop, Francis, Cook, Elphick (C), Ward, Pugh, Hughes, O'Kane, Rantie, Pitman, Grabban.

Subs: Flahavan, Harte, MacDonald, Thomas, McDermott, McQuoid, Addison

Middlesbrough
Steel, Friend, Williams, Richardson, Woodgate, Butterfield, Leadbitter, Whitehead, Carayol, Adomah, Kamara

Middlesborough Subs:
Halliday, Hoyte, Varga, Gibson, Leutweiler, Smallwood, Jutkiewitcz.