Fernando Amorebieta’s late goal gives Middlesbrough edge on Brentford
|
Version 0 of 1. This was the first instalment of a tie where everything is at stake, and how both Brentford and Middlesbrough demonstrated it. They provided a pulsating play-off first leg that Boro edged in stoppage time, taking a lead back to Teesside in this battle for Wembley and the potential golden goose of the Premier League. One can only hope the remainder of the Championship play-offs campaign is played out with such verve. Brentford will go to the Riverside next Friday having fought back from a goal down but fallen to Fernando Amorebieta’s unlikely late strike. Andre Gray had capitalised on some terrible goalkeeping to equalise Jelle Vossen’s first-half header but Aitor Karanka was certainly the manager who finished the evening more content. José Mourinho was present to watch his Spanish friend’s side in action and cast his eye over Patrick Bamford, the on-loan Chelsea forward who has performed so effectively this season. It was not Bamford, though, who made the crucial impact, but a Venezuelan defender who was brought on only in the latter stages. Amorebieta’s deflected winner puts Middlesbrough firmly in control of the tie when they could have easily fallen to defeat. Karanka’s side took the lead through Vossen but Brentford’s resolve did not waver and Mark Warburton can take much pride in this performance, his last stint in the dug-out at Griffin Park. As Warburton made his final pre-match walk across the pitch, he was met with a wall of noise. This was a most unusual situation for the former City trader but the crowd made their feelings towards him known, greeting a man who guided the west London club to a fifth-placed finish with great applause. Tempers flared on the touchline at full-time and Warburton was bullish after the match but, given Middlesbrough’s defensive record, Brentford now face a challenging task to overturn the deficit. “At the Riverside we have to work,” said Karanka, who said his team would play to win next week despite their lead. “We have to keep the ball more. I’m very, very pleased. The important moment is now and the following game next Friday. We have done nothing. We have to learn from this game.” On Mourinho’s presence he added: “It’s nice when a friend like him comes to support your club. I think he can be pleased with our victory.” This old stadium was rocking throughout a frenetic first half. The atmosphere was briefly punctured when Middlesbrough took the lead after 26 minutes but this was a dynamic tie that continued to fizz throughout. The volume increased when Lee Tomlin and George Friend received yellow cards in quick succession and nine bookings were made in all. Middlesbrough’s goal was probably the only way to reduce the noise. It all started from a foul by Harlee Dean 30 yards from his own goal and, although Grant Leadbitter’s free-kick was deflected away, Boro capitalised on some static defending during the follow-up, Adam Clayton was in a deep position on the right and the midfielder curled a fine ball into the box on to the head of Vossen, who finished precisely into the bottom corner. Another accurate cross was drifted in to the penalty area soon later and Friend nodded across goal to Vossen, but his snatched effort was kept out brilliantly on the line by David Button, the goalkeeper. Brentford were rattled and, although they came mightily close when James Tarkowski headed narrowly over from a corner, it was Karanka’s team who finished the half stronger. However, their good work was dealt a major blow nine minutes after half-time. Gray, the striker plucked from Luton Town and scorer of 17 goals in the regular campaign, had already blazed over from inside the penalty area, but he was not going to squander a second opportunity. Karanka, though, will have been furious. A ball down the line from Jake Bidwell should have been easily cleared by the Middlesbrough goalkeeper, Dimitrios Konstantopoulos but he dawdled and allowed Gray time to close down, nick the ball away and finish into the unguarded net from the left. The game burst into life once more and, although Brentford had chances to take the lead, they were undone at the very end. The substitute Amorebieta reacted first to a header inside the penalty area and his deflected left-foot shot nestled into the bottom corner. “It’s a one-goal advantage but that’s all it is,” said Warburton. “We’ve been capable of going to some tough venues this year. We’ll look forward, the players will relish it, a big stadium, a big atmosphere and a big crowd. “Our job now is to go there and win the game next week. There’s a lot of celebrating [from Boro] which is fine because they’ve come to our place and they’re 2-1 up. But we’ve got to go there next week and deliver a performance and we have to win.” |