Championship
Middlesbrough
Nov 8, 2014 3.00pm
0
0
HT : 0 0
FT
Bournemouth
  • Adam Clayton 35' yellowcard
  • Ben Gibson 44' yellowcard
  • yellowcard Simon Francis 30'
  • yellowcard Harry Arter 76'
  • yellowcard Ryan Fraser 91'

Live Commentary: Middlesbrough 0-0 Bournemouth - as it happened

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Boro 0-0 Bournemouth - as it happened
© Getty Images

The top two sides going into gameweek 17 in the Championship were Bournemouth and Middlesbrough and they faced off at the Riverside this afternoon.

Neither sit at the summit anymore after they played out a goalless draw, with Derby County now top of the pile after their handsome win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Read how today's game in the North-East unfolded with our minute-by-minute updates below.

5.07pmDo have a click around the site to read instant match reports for all Championship and Premier League. There'll be plenty of reaction on site for you to tuck into as well very soon. Enjoy your evening!

5.05pmThat's all we've got time for unfortunately. No more Championship football for the next two weeks because of international fixtures. When it all returns, Boro travel to Wigan while Bournemouth host fellow high-flyers Ipswich.

5.02pmEven though Bournemouth and Boro have missed out on first place this afternoon, they're still just a point behind Derby in what is a really tight top 10. Just six points separate Derby at the top and Norwich in 10th.

5.01pmHere's how the top six looks now:

4.58pmIn the end, the game between the top two disappointed slightly. The first half an hour or so had a really high tempo, but the players all looked a little jaded after half time. Maybe that was because this was the third game in a week.

90+4 minFULL-TIME: BORO 0-0 BOURNEMOUTH

90+3 minYou usually get at least one late chance in added time, but so far there's been little goalmouth action since the 90-minute mark.

90+1 minFOUR minutes added on at the Riverside.

90 minReach darts inside from the right and has room to fire at goal from 20 yards. It's another well-struck effort, but this time he gets under it too much and it flies over the top. How much added time will we have?

87 minDoes either side want to win it? They both know that a late goal will send their side top of the table.

4.45pmUPDATE: There has been a goal in the other top-six clash this afternoon as Ipswich sneak ahead against Watford. Top 6 as it stands: Derby, Bournemouth, Boro, Ipswich, Watford, Brentford.

83 minVossen has seen quite a bit of the ball already and just sent over a dangerous cross, but once again Boro can't take advantage because of a foul on Cherries keeper Boruc.

80 minBORO SUB: Karanka makes his third and final change, taking off the impressive Tomlin, who is maybe a little tired, for Jelle Vossen.

77 minLeadbitter's free kick into the middle is an inviting one, but Ayala is adjudged to have fouled Boruc in the air and the danger is ended.

76 minBOOKING! Arter is cautioned for a foul on Tomlin. Ironic cheers from the home fans greet the raising of a yellow card.

74 minBOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Howe makes his first changes of the afternoon, taking off Kermorgant and Ritchie for Brett Pitman and Ryan Fraser.

72 minSHOT! Pugh's effort from 20 yards or so is a tough one for Konstantopoulos as it bounces just in front of him, but he makes a good save.

71 minA little over 20 minutes left then and it remains goalless on Teesside. The top six are all playing each other today and after Derby's 5-0 thrashing of Wolves, Ipswich and Watford are also locked in a stalemate at Portman Road. Translation = Great day for Derby.

68 minBORO SUB: It was quite surprising to see Adomah, like Kike, on the bench today and he's just come on for Chelsea loanee Bamford.

64 minCLOSE! Chances have been less frequent in the second half, but Bournemouth almost nab the opener as Pugh's cross is just too far ahead of Wilson in the middle. If he was a foot taller, that was the opener.

62 minKaranka is fuming on the sideline and it looks like he's unhappy with opposite number Howe, who presumably was claiming that Clayton should be sent off.

61 minOoooh, Clayton is a lucky, lucky boy. He cynically trips Kermorgant in the middle and you have to wonder, if he had not already been booked, would that have been a yellow card?

59 minIt opens up for Leadbitter about 25 yards out, but he can't get over his curler and Boruc can watch it wide.

55 minTomlin's ball over the top for Kike is clever and it looks like the Spaniard is in, but it's just got too much on it and Boruc is out to collect.

53 minCHANCE! October's Championship Player of the Month has a great chance to put the visitors in front, but he can only poke over a bouncing ball after a Boro clearance ricochets off Ritchie and into the path of the striker. Gibson slides in and does enough to put Wilson off, but was that a penalty and red card offence. The Boro man didn't get the ball and you could argue that the challenge was late and put off Wilson.

50 minRitchie with a lovely nutmeg to get past Friend on the right wing. Unfortunately for Bournemouth, the ball had just rolled out of play before Ritchie's bit of skill. He looks bewildered, but the linesman was right there.

47 minKike is immediately involved as Tomlin plays him in down the left. Elphick is back to square up the Spaniard and gives him little option but to shoot and his effort is straight at the Cherries' defender.

46 minKICKOFF! Boro get us back underway at the Riverside.

46 minBORO SUB: Karanka makes a half-time change, bringing on Spanish striker Kike for Wildschut. It's not a surprising one, as Wildschut had done very little in the opening half. Kike should given them more bite up top.

4.02pmAlmost 400 Bournemouth fans have made the arduous trip North this afternoon. The total attendance is 22,930.

4pm

3.58pmAS THINGS STAND in the Championship, Bournemouth and Boro will remain level on 31 points, one adrift of Derby at the top of the table. If Watford end up beating Ipswich, then they will go above both of them and into second.

3.55pmIf you're only just joining us here and want a swift recap of the opening 45, read our half-time report here.

3.52pmIt's as you were at the break then, but not for the want of trying. Both sides have gone for it and had their spells on top. A goalless half, but an entertaining one.

45+3 minHALF-TIME: BORO 0-0 BOURNEMOUTH

45+1 minTWO minutes of added time are signalled by the fourth official.

44 minBOOKING! Boro centre-back Gibson is yellow-carded after bringing down Wilson.

43 minSHOT! Wow, this is an incredible strike by Arter, who lets a cleared ball from a corner drop onto his left foot before whacking a first-time volley inches over the bar. Brilliant technique and so unlucky that the ball didn't quite dip enough.

40 minBournemouth have actually had more shots on target - two - and that save by Konstantopoulos to deny Ritchie was one of the best you'll see all season.

38 minDespite their great start, Boro have only managed to get one shot on target and that was Tomlin's tame early effort. They won't come any closer to a goal today than Reach's rocket that hit the bar, though.

35 minBOOKING! It's now 1-1 on the yellow-card count as Clayton is cautioned for a foul on Kermorgant.

33 minHalf an hour gone then and what a 30 minutes it's been! I predicted beforehand that both sides might be a little cautious given that it is a top-of-the-table clash, but it's been the complete opposite. Boro were electric at the start, but Bournemouth have had their chances too in the last 10 minutes.

30 minBOOKING! Bournemouth right-back Francis goes into the book for a late foul on Reach.

27 minCLOSE! It's all Bournemouth out of nowhere and they come so close again to the opener. This time Daniels's cross-cum-shot is deflected and loops agonisingly just over the bar.

27 minSAVE! What a save by Konstantopoulos! Bournemouth almost nick a goal on the counter as Daniels's cross finds Ritchie, whose technically-sound volley from the edge of the area is arrowing towards the roof of the net when the Greek stopper instinctively sticks out a hand to tip it over.

25 minElphick is lucky not to be booked after tugging at Bamford, who was trying to burst into the box. Had the offence been a yard or two further, it would have been a penalty. Leadbitter takes the free kick, but it's another disappointing one.

22 minHalf-hearted appeals for a Boro penalty as Reach hits another long-ranger that ricochets off a Bournemouth defender. There was barely five yards between the two men and it would have been extremely harsh on Bournemouth had that been given.

19 minIt's been a pulsating start to this game, especially by the home side. They look really up for this and have got the crowd fully into it. Bournemouth look a little overawed and need to start showing more of their recent form soon.

17 minCLOSE! Tomlin has been so bright for Boro in the early stages and once again his quick feet are too good for the Bournemouth defenders, who can't get the ball off him before he shoots just wide of the post.

15 minOFF THE BAR! Reach was rewarded with a new Boro contract recently and he's just showcased why the club are keen to keep hold of him - a rocket from 25 yards that slams back off the face of the crossbar.

14 min'Anything you can do, I can do better,' says Wilson as he emulates Tomlin's trickery a moment ago with a run into the box of his own. The Bournemouth number 13, who received his first call-up to the England Under-21s this week, manages to dig out a cross that Ritchie acrobatically volleys straight at Konstantopoulos.

10 minKermorgant is careless with possession in the middle and Tomlin takes the ball away from him. The Boro frontman bears down on the Bournemouth goal and worms his way into the box, but he's a little off-balance when he shoots so gets no power behind his left-foot effort.

3.09pmUPDATE: The first goal of the day in the Championship is scored at Elland Road as Leeds United take the lead against Blackpool, who are simply dreadful at the moment, even under new manager Lee Clark's guidance.

5 minBoro continue to see more of the ball in the early stages. There hasn't really been a chance yet, but it certainly doesn't look like Bournemouth will be breaking the deadlock.

2 minBoro get off to a great start, winning a free kick close to the Bournemouth box. It's a poor delivery from Leadbitter though and Bournemouth hoof clear.

0 minKICKOFF! And we're underway in the North-East. Can Bournemouth make it seven league wins in a row and return to the top, or will Boro put an end to their incredible run?

3pmWe will now have the minute's silence at the Riverside, before the match ball is delivered to referee Hooper by a serviceman.

2.57pmToday's referee at the Riverside is Simon Hooper.

© Getty Images

2.55pmSTAT: Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last six against Bournemouth, winning two and drawing four.

2.52pmOn the day before Remembrance Sunday, we will be having a minute's silence before kickoff to remember those who lost their lives at war.

2.50pmPREDICTION TIME! Ten minutes until kickoff at the Riverside, so it's time for my prediction on the upcoming match. Both sides know what's at stake, so I think that it could be a cagey draw. 1-1.

2.48pmThe Cherries are certainly the hottest team in the league at the moment, but Boro are second in the form table and represent a huge test for Howe and his players.

2.45pmSpeaking of Wilson, he was awarded with the October Player of the Month award yesterday. His manager Eddie Howe also claimed Manager of the Month after a 100% record last month.

2.43pm

2.41pmBournemouth, meanwhile, have one change in their starting XI from the team that edged out Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday. It comes up front as Yann Kermorgant is preferred to Brett Pitman to partner Callum Wilson.

2.38pmMiddlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka makes two changes to the side that thrashed Norwich City 4-0 in midweek. Kike and Albert Adomah drop to the bench, with Adam Reach and Yannick Wildschut coming in.

2.35pmBOURNEMOUTH XI: Boruc; Francis, Cook, Elphick, Daniels; Pugh, Arter, Surman, Ritchie; Wilson, Kermorgant
Subs: Camp, Smith, Harte, Gosling, Pitman, Fraser, Rantie

2.33pmBORO XI: Konstantopoulos; Fredericks, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; Reach, Leadbitter, Clayton; Wildschut, Tomlin, Bamford
Subs: Mejias, Vossen, Nsue, Whitehead, Kike, Adomah, Veljkovic

2.31pmAfternoon folks! On another busy Saturday of sport, we'll be focussing here on the Championship match between Middlesbrough and Bournemouth. No time to waste, let's get straight to the teams.
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