Everton – Middlesbrough

1. The teams emerge on to the Goodison Park pitch with Middlesbrough welcoming back skipper George Boateng. Everton start with James McFadden and ex-Boro striker Yakubu up front.

2. Everton will begin the match bur Boro have the first attack of the afternoon with Gary O'Neil seeking out Mido unsuccessfully with a pass.

3. 3'

   Yakubu received a few boos from the visiting fans when he touched the ball for the first time. Which is a shame for him. He responds by chesting the ball down for Arteta to snatch a shot which clears the Boro crossbar by some distance.

4. 3'

   First catch of the day for Mark Schwarzer who rises to grab Tony Hibbert's cross in to his penalty area.

5. 5'

   Lee cuts through the Evetyn defence and passes to Boateng who has only the committed Tim Howard to beat. He instead sends a weak effort wide of the post. A great chance spurned.

6. 6'

   GOAL - From a corner which Boro fail to deal with Joleon Lescott has headed home from five yards. Boro fail to clear their lines at the near post allowing Yakubu to get his head to the ball. It then breaks to the lurking Lescott who has time to pick his spot. Easy.

7. 8'

   Yakubu shouts for a corner. Jonathan Woodgate looks at the ground and jogs away rapidly.

8. 9'

   Wonderful slide rule pass from Rochemback sends Young clear down the right but his cut back is cleared by Lescott.

9. 10'

   Mido climbs to win a great header which he guides back to O'Neil ten yards from goal. He has time to steady himself before his shot which is well smothered by Tim Howard. Another great chance for Boro who need to start taking these.

10. 12'

    James McFadden tries a speculative effort from long range. Boro aren't France though and it curls well wide of the goal.

11. 13'

    Arteta and Hibbert link up well before the full-back flashes a cross between the Boro defence and Schwarzer which is too pacy for anyone in a blue shirt to get a head to.

12. 14'

    David Moyes and Gareth Southgate. The most handsome men managing in the Premier League currently. Discuss. Certainly both are cutting quite a dash in their Sundy best attire this afternoon.

13. 16'

    Boro have gone and won themselves a corner which Downing bangs in towards Mido. Alan Stubbs gets his body in the way of his shot though and blocks it's path.

14. 17'

    Lee goes down rather easily when challenged by Lescott and Boro have a free-kick thirty yards out. Downing strikes it straight against the blue wall of steel which Everton have erected.

15. 18'

    Leighton Baines clips in a great ball straight on to the head of Yakubu who should have doubled Everton's lead from six yards but seems to panic and knock his header over. It would have been easeier to score. Some great play from Arteta in the build up there as well. Chances galore so far but players seem reluctant to claim their goal bonuses today.

16. 22'

    A terrible ball in from Phil Neville who hits it straight at Schwarzer.

17. 23'

    David Wheater comes across to cover the danger posed by Yakubu before Downing gets back to help out and clear the danger.

18. 24'

    Dong-Gook Lee has hit the crossbar from four yards out. Surely he should have scored there? It was a great cross from Luke Young to set him up. Possibly the easiest chance of the day so far.

19. 27'

    O'Neil's long flighted ball in is taken by Tim Howard as it flew towards the waiting Boro front men.

20. 30'

    Yakubu tries a long range volley but doesn't catch it with enough power and Schwarzer has time to get down to it.

21. 31'

    Yakukbu makes like a dying swan but Mike Riley is not impressed and ignores his theatricals.

22. 32'

    Mikael Arteta - who is CLASS - cuts inside after a couple of stepovers and hits a fierce shot which gets a deflection from the ball-watching Taylor. It seems to be heading straight in to the back of the Boro goal but Schwarzer has other plans and stands firm to block it.

23. 34'

    Arteta was surely fouled there by Young but the referee decides not.

24. 35'

    As well as missing chances, Boro are now wasting possession, this time Downing sends a ball straight in to the Everton crowd when a bit of composure would have been better.

25. 36'

    Boro have had 59 per cent of the possession so far. Answers on a postcard please for the Everton share.

26. 37'

    Yakubu, all arms and legs, lumbers in to Jonathan Woodgate to concede a free-kick.

27. 38'

    Another corner for Boro. Downing comes across to take it. Mido is moaning about something. As the ball comes over the referee has spotted something he didn't like and blows his whistle for a Toffees free-kick.

28. 39'

    Another good ball in from Hibbert and this time Pienaar attacks it. Young has positioned himself well though and does enough to put him off his header which is over the bar.

29. 40'

    Jagielka's shot from distance is well blocked and then the ball comes in to McFaddden who elects to head the ball from eight yards out when perhaps he could have chested it before shooting. Which is what I would have done. Perhaps executing some sort of bicycle-kick along the way.

30. 41'

    Moving swiftly away from idle reverie to the harsh reality of a Premier League dogfight - Mido has been booked by the referee. Not sure why but I'm sure he deserved it.

31. 45'

    Arteta swivels inside, foxing two Boro defenders and then shooting low and hard towards goal. Schwarzer reads his intentions well though and stoops to make the save.

32. 45'

    HALF-TIME: A host of chances have gone begging so far and the Boro strikers are most culpable. They have had three outstanding opportunities to score. Perhaps they know something we don't and are just biding their time before something better comes their way. Or perhaps they will rue their misses.

33. 45'

    The players are back and Yakubu is sharing a laugh and a joke with ex-Boro team-mates as they shape up to re-start the match. Perhaps they are discusssing Boro's attempts at scoring so far this afternoon.

34. 46'

    (It's five o clock now so is that still afternoon or have we slipped seamlessly in to evening?). No matter, the game is back on and Tim Howard has cleared a long ball up the park.

35. 47'

    Phil Neville shapes to shoot, has a re-think, then deicdes what the hell and has a go anyway. It was ambitious at best, foolhardy at worst and it was certainly easily stopped by Schwarzer.

36. 49'

    Stubbs and Jagielka combine to improvise a clearance. Now Rochemback has been booked for telling Mike Riley he should have given a yellow card to an Everton player. Unless he was asking to be booked himself in which case everyone's a winner.

37. 50'

    Good commanding header from Lescott gets an Everton move underway. Arteta moves the ball on nicely but when Pienaar's cross comes in Schwarzer takes it comfortably enough. A good, sweeping move.

38. 52'

    An inviting cross from O'Neil but Arteta gets back to clean up smartly.

39. 52'

    Another cross in from O'Neil towards Mido who chests the ball back to his strike partner Lee. His shot is wild though and curls past Howard's post.

40. 53'

    Lee is now shown the yellow card for going in late on Lescott as he cleared the ball up the park.

41. 54'

    Four Boro players are now in the book which may have a bearing on any substitutions Gareth Southgate decides to make.

42. 55'

    O'Neil gets right under the ball when Downing croses for him and his attempt goes high and wide of the goal.

43. 56'

    Mido crosses in for Lee who has two blue shirts accompanying him and is crowded out from getting to it.

44. 57'

    GOAL - Steven Pienaar slots home from eight yards out. Pienaar wins the ball back in midfield then races in to the box just in time to receive a delightful flicked pass from Arteta. He then guides the ball low inside the far post. Game over?

45. 60'

    Boro go straight on the offensive and Mido pounces on a weak defensive header from Lescott to belt a volley from thirty yards out. A fine effort but it whizzes just over.

46. 61'

    It's Mido's last contribution of the day as he jogs - limps? - to the touchline to be replaced by Tom Craddock.

47. 62'

    Good firm header from Luke Young to cut out a sixty yard pass from the Everton defence.

48. 64'

    Stubbs battles his way out of defnce with the ball and Jagielka then attempts to release Arteta down the right. He over-hits it though and now Everton will make a change. A disappointing afternoon for Yakubu ends when he is replaced by Victor Anichebe.

49. 67'

    Rochemback takes the ball easily from Everton's new arrival and begins a Boro attack which has yielded a corner.

50. 68'

    Downing's cross in is headed away by Jagielka. Boro need to be making these opportunities count for more and need to start troubling Tim Howard again.

51. 69'

    Lee is caught offside and has done little to impress this afternoon. Although to be fair it does take real ability (of the 'in' variety) to miss the sort of header he did earlier on.

52. 69'

    Stubbs, showing his inexperience, rushes out to challenge Lee who falls over willingly to claim a free-kick. Lee is then removed from the field of play to be replced by Chris Riggott.

53. 70'

    Taylor takes the free-kick from thirty yards. Badly.

54. 72'

    Boateng has a look around before picking out Wheater just inside the Everton penalty area with his pass. Wheater is unable to get any direction or power on his header though.

55. 75'

    James McFAdden comes off to be replaced with Joseph Yobo who is wearing a brightly coloured t-shirt with the words 'I am happy with the way things are right now and will not be doing much more attacking today thank you - D.Moyes' emblazoned on it.

56. 77'

    Good firm tackle on Gary O'Neil by Jagielka in the middle of the park.

57. 79'

    Yobo makes a neat interception as Craddock looked on hopefully over his shoulder.

58. 80'

    Downing plays a ball in towards Riggott but Jagielka is on hand for the home side to sort it aht.

59. 82'

    The game has died somewhat and Boro seem to be content to meekly take the beating which is surely coming their way. They are playing without any real sense of urgency which suits Everton just fine.

60. 83'

    Good ball in from Young meets the head of Craddock but he is too far out to trouble Tim Howard.

61. 85'

    Gary O'Neil makes some room for himself in the Everton penalty area but Hibbert rushes across to concede a corner as he shaped up for a shot.

62. 86'

    The corner is dealt with and there then follows a series of balls in and crosses all of which fail to test the Everton defence. This game is, like, SO over dude.

63. 88'

    Wheater tries to glance a header towards Craddock in the Everton penalty area but doesn't get enough of a touch on it to even manage that.

64. 90'

    Arteta is withdrawn to be replaced by Lee Carsley.

65. 92'

    FULL-TIME: Everton move up to fifth place after Boro failed to take their chances. As my old mum always said - 'you've got to take your chances Middlesbrough'. Bye.

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