Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of the Championship clash between Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough at Ewood Park.
Steve Kean's Blackburn have made a strong start in their bid to bounce straight back to the Premier League and currently sit top of the Championship with 14 points from six games.
Middlesbrough's start to the season has been mixed. At home they are equal on points with tonight's hosts Blackburn with a 100% record, but Tony Mowbray has yet to take even a point away from the Riverside so far.
The hosts are boosted by the return of Gael Givet in what is a very strong Championship XI.
9:44pmThanks for joining Sports Mole tonight. Hope you enjoyed the game; it was certainly a thrilling finish. Good night.
9:43pm"It was important to get an early goal. Especially away from home it gives you a bit of a cushion and it was enough to see us over the line."
9:43pmJust time for a quick word from the two-goal hero Lukas Jutkiewicz.
9:42pmThe home side had a strong penalty shout turned down after Hanley had pulled one back. In the end Boro defended well - desperately, but well.
9:40pmA frantic end to the game could easily have ended with an equaliser for Blackburn, but it's not to be.
9:39pmFull-time! Blackburn 1-2 Middlesbrough.
94 minAfter all that excitement Rovers fans almost forgot to taunt Kean.
94 minChances! Etuhu has a shot blocked, Gomes has a shot from an angle turned away by Steele. I don't think it's going to happen.
93 minChance! It's cleared from the boot of Etuhu and Robinson is up for another corner.
92 minChance! Emnes smashes into the side netting. Not over yet.
91 minShout for a penalty here and it could have been given! Rhodes nips in as Hoyte tries to clear. Blackburn unlucky there. From the corner Robinson gets a chance on the half-volley but he puts it wide. Late drama.
89 minIt's a wicked ball in from Blackburn's best player Nunes and Hanley just needs to glance it in. Late, but there's a chance here for the home side.
89 minGOAL! 1-2 Hanley.
87 minChance! Carayol, who really deserves a goal, cuts in and his shot is pushed away by Robinson. It falls to Emnes, but he can't get it under control. Almost well and truly game over.
86 minBlackburn have to score now, but the visitors continue to hold firm at the back. It's been a very good all-round away showing from Mowbray's team.
83 minChance! Nuno Gomes gets a header on goal, but it's great defending and it's over the bar.
81 minDelightful backheel from Carayol, but it comes to nothing. The left-winger has been outstanding tonight.
79 minThe momentum is back Boro's way. Can Blackburn put together another spell of pressure? Time is running out.
78 minLeadbitter hits it really well, but Robinson manages to push it away. It was central, but still a difficult stop.
77 minEtuhu gives away a sloppy foul about 30 yards out and it's a good chance for the visitors to work something.
75 minThere's still plenty of time for Rovers to get back into this. Boro are still looking to wrap it up with a third on the break.
74 minChance! A really good chance for Dann from a header, but he doesn't get enough on it and Steele claims comfortably.
73 minCarayol again wriggles free, but the eventual pass is out of touch for a throw.
71 minDesperate defending for Middlesbrough as the pressure continues to mount. Nunes has a shot blocked for another corner before Boro finally get a goal-kick.
69 minThe Kean chants subside for a moment as Rhodes has a shot well blocked. Blackburn have a few corners in a row here.
68 minIt's defended well but the ball comes back. Gomes works space for Etuhu to shoot but his effort is way over.
67 minFree-kick here in a good position for Blackburn. Rhodes was brought down after a nice ball from Murphy to feet.
65 min"Kean out" has started from the home fans. They were top a minute ago.
62 minA wonderful second for Jutkiewicz. Boro work some nice possession and Carayol clips a cross from the left. It's deep but the striker uses all his neck muscles to loop it into the far corner beyond Robinson.
61 minGOAL! 2-0! Jutkiewicz.
60 minA lovely little touch from Friend at his own corner flag sees the full-back get away from danger. Confident stuff.
59 minLeadbitter shoots from fully 35 yards. On target but Robinson is comfortable low to his right.
58 minTurning a bit scrappy here as the ball flies from end to end. Not many real chances being created.
55 minNuno Gomes gives the ball away and Boro break. It's only a corner though.
54 minGreat burst from McEachran, but Givet is in well to cut out his attempted pass.
53 minYellow! Givet is booked for bringing down Emnes. Easy decision, he just didn't have the pace to catch the Middlesbrough man.
52 minBlackburn get a spell of possession but Boro's defence holds firm. It is a home corner however.
49 minFormica, who's on as a halt-time sub for Ribeiro, puts in a dangerous cross which is well gathered. The ref stops the play for the sprinkler and the injured Olsson comes off for Grant Hanley. All happening here!
47 minChance! Carayol again with a fantastic turn of pace down the left. Robinson stops his shot, sort of, and it's hacked off the line.
46 minAnd here we go. Middlesbrough on the attack immediately to win a throw.
8:49pmWe're just waiting for the sprinklers to stop...
8:48pmI'm sure this won't be the end of the goal action. Kean's side will have to come out and pass the ball far better in the second-half, which is just coming up.
8:45pmWhat's that? You're looking for a summary of all that action? Here you go. Perfect.
8:42pmThe hosts should also count themselves lucky Olsson is still on the pitch. He got booked for a nasty, late and high tackle that should have been red.
8:41pmDespite all that, Blackburn could have been level on the stroke of half-time when Nunes's cross hit the bar.
8:39pmBlackburn were the better team until the goal, but that was the only time they dominated. Boro's midfield dominated Blackburn's, with the stats showing 53% possession to the away side. Mowbray couldn't have asked for more - except maybe another goal as a cushion.
8:37pmLukas Jutkiewicz scored an excellent goal in the seventh minute, latching on to Emnes's through ball to smash past Robinson.
8:35pmWell, an intriguing half and a somewhat surprising lead for Mowbray's team. In truth they deserve the lead and could even be in front by more.
47 minChance! Nunes swings a cross in from the left and it hits the face of the bar! Just before the whistle blows for half-time!
46 minCarayol, the player of the half, again sets up Jutkiewicz but the angle is too tight to really threaten.
44 minChance!Emnes looks for Jutkiewicz and Dann just about does enough to get the ball away.
43 minYellow card! for Olsson. A nasty looking tackle that could have been a lot more. It's late, it's very high, it's a potential leg breaker. Awful.
42 minMore strong Middlesbrough defending stops the threatening Nunes on the Blackburn left.
39 minMcEachran and Leadbitter are winning the midfield battle against the former Fulham duo so far tonight. However the latter wastes a good chance after being set up by the former.
37 minThe first hint of a mistake from Steele as the ball comes in from Orr. He misses the flight of the ball but, naturally, the free-kick is given against Rhodes.
36 minMurphy caught in possession and the ball falls to Carayon, but Blackburn shut him out well and the shot is blocked.
35 minSteele meets a long ball from Nunes with a diving header to clear. The Boro 'keeper has been solid tonight.
33 minEtuhu's distribution is not good tonight. Murphy's is slightly better, but really Gomes and Rhodes are feeding off scraps.
32 minThe replay backs up the referee's decision, as Givet skies over from 25 yards.
30 minMurphy finds Gomes, who find Rhodes, who goes down in a heap in the box. It would have been soft, but nothing doing. Correct call at first glance.
28 minsMiddlesbrough given offside after some lovely football. The replay suggests Carayol was on - the official on that side not having a good few minutes!
27 minBlackburn resort to a shot from 35 yards from Dann. It is a great effort however, but Steele holds.
25 minJutkiewicz clearly brings down Olsson to set up Leadbitter, who misses the chance. That looked a free-kick to me.
23 minWhich almost goes straight in from Leadbitter! But it just misses the top corner.
22 minEmnes is leading the line well, moving into the channels and he has won a free-kick on the left.
21 minIt's certainly not looking like the performance of a side top of their respective league. Kean's side aren't creating anything so far.
20 minBoro work some possession before Blackburn try to break at pace, but Gomes cannot keep it in play.
18 minOne corner leads to another and Blackburn cannot clear it. An Emnes shot is blocked for another corner.
18 minOne corner leads to another and Blackburn cannot clear it. An Emnes shot is blocked for another corner.
18 minOne corner leads to another and Blackburn cannot clear it. An Emnes shot is blocked for another corner.
17 minAgain Carayol creates space, this time down the left, and it's a corner.
16 minGood work from Carayol sets up a crossing chance for Friend, but it's dealt with well.
15 minSuddenly Middlesbrough are winning everything in the air and there's a whiff of last-ditch about Blackburn's defending at the moment. Murphy picks out Nunes with a fantastic ball but the cross is just too high for Rhodes.
13 minBradley Orr fizzes in a wonderful cross from deep, but Jordan Rhodes is just unable to poke it home.
12 minBlackburn break quickly from a Boro free-kick but the away side press well and Blackburn settle for a throw.
11 minsEtuhu strong in midfield and finds himself able to cross, however it's well claimed by Steele. Better from Blackburn though.
10 minThe goal was somewhat against the run of play, without Blackburn really creating much, but now Middlesbrough have the urgency to grab another.
8 minIt was a great finish from the striker making his first start of the season. He beat the offside trap and fired into Robinson's near post.
7 minGOAL! Blackburn 0-1 Middlesbrough (Jutkiewicz)
6 minLeadbitter overhits a free-kick from a decent position. The game has yet to find much fluency.
4 minSome nice passing in midfield sets Ribeiro off wide but it's defended well by George Friend. Steele takes a dangerous cross from Nunes well.
2 minsBoth sides looking for the target men up top early on. Blackburn having more success in picking up the second ball.
1 minWe're off. Blackburn looking to press Boro's defence straight away.
7:45pmSo recent history and current form doesn't really favour Middlesbrough here. That said, there's 90 minutes for them to change that opinion.
7:44pmAn interesting fact that the players probably won't be thinking about too much: a win for Blackburn would bring up their 50th in the league against today's visitors.
7:42pmHere's the full team news for you to take a look at before kick-off, which is about three minutes away.
7:41pmYou have to go all the way back to 2005 for the last Middlesbrough league win against their hosts this evening. They won 1-0 at the Riverside then, and indeed 4-0 at Ewood Park earlier that season.
7:37pmThe last three games between these sides have all ended in draws; most recently 0-0 in the Premier League in January 2009.
7:36pmMiddlesbrough will be hoping to bounce back after losing 4-1 at Blackpool. Andre Bikey scored their goal and Tony Mowbray will be hoping for more from Marvin Emnes, who lines up alongside Lukas Jutkiewicz tonight.
7:32pmSo Givet returns after missing the 2-1 win against Barnsley and it has to be said it's a strong line-up for Steve Kean with a lot of Premier League experience.
7:29pmMiddlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Woodgate, Bikey, Friend, Thomson, Carayol, Leadbitter, McEachran, Emnes, Jutkiewicz.
7:28pmBlackburn: Robinson, Orr, Dann, Givet, Martin Olsson, Ribeiro, Murphy, Etuhu, Nunes, Nuno Gomes, Rhodes.
7:26pmGood evening, let's hope for an exciting clash this evening. First things first, the teams.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
