A welcome diversion or a harmful distraction from the everyday business of Championship survival? Whatever your perspective, the FA Cup punctuates the league campaign regardless, but let’s face it, it’s much more fun when you’re taking on Premiership opposition as opposed to Lower League Shite like we have in recent years. Even more fun, when there is the genuine prospect of an upset on the cards.

After impressing as caretaker boss, Phil Brown took charge of his first game after his quasi-permanent installation in the KC hot seat and was forced to make four changes to the starting XI that triumphed at Hillsborough. Suspensions kept out Marney and Delaney, whereas injuries were cited as the reason for the late withdrawals of Barmby and Fagan, though terrace talk suggested the latter was left out to not cup tie a player attracting interest from Derby and Birmingham.

So City lined up thus: Myhill; Dawson, Coles, Turner, Ricketts; Elliott, Ashbee (Capt.), Livermore, France; Parkin and McPhee, and kicked the game off, playing towards the South Stand.

City showed more initiative than their top flight opponents early on, Andy Dawson’s clipped pass dropped the ball into the box for Stuart Elliott to chase but it outran the Ulsterman. Taking the ball down the left flank, McPhee interchanged possession nicely with the Beast but lost balance as he crossed and floated the ball harmlessly over the bar. Rattled by City’s good start, Boro looked a little ragged, the left back sliced the ball into touch and over the head of Gareth Southgate, who gestured for his charges to calm down. The 3500 or so red clad away fans, boisterous at first, were a little more subdued now after they realised this may not be the cakewalk they anticipated. 

The game was being played at a moderate pace, City nervously tested Middlesbrough like a curious child eager to see what they can get away with within parental boundaries, for their part Boro let this go, figuring they could always issue a spanking at some point should City really get naughty. Predictably, because Middlesbrough weren’t 4-0 up after 15 minutes, Chav Corner in the East Stand sang ‘Premiership? You’re having a laugh’.

It was mostly City in that period though, McPhee received the ball in the centre of the park and swivelled to chip the ball forward for Parkin to run on to, but the Beast, well aware of his current state of fitness, decided not to bother chasing, prompting some murmuring in the stands. The lively Ryan France jinked his way down the right wing and fielding the return pass from a one-two with McPhee, got the ball trapped underfoot as he entered the box, halting his run and allowing a red shirt to smack the ball clear. Moments later Ricketts delivered a cross towards the back post and ‘keeper Jones spilled the ball under pressure from Parkin, and inevitably the ref blew for a foul. Oh the ref, today saw the return to Hull of the Uriah Rennie travelling roadshow.

In Boro’s first real venture deep into our territory, portly Aussie Mark Viduka had a shot charged down before Ian Ashbee did well to deflect another shot wide for a corner. Middlesbrough’s only real chances of note came when Rennie granted them a few free kicks, the first from about 25 yards out given when the ludicrously haired Abel Xavier (evidently trying to look like Neptune, lord of the Sea) fell to his knees under no real challenge, still, Uriah loved it as it gave him a chance to look important, and the crowd loved it, as it offered a chance for outrage, ‘cheat, cheat, cheat’ chanted parts of the East Stand, but he’s not a cheat, he’s just a very poor and egocentric ref. Thankfully the free kick was tamely stroked wide by Downing. Another gratis attempt on goal was given to Boro from similar distance not long after when Rennie alleged he saw a Tiger hand ball, but that free kick was also driven wide of Myhill’s upright by Arca.

More determined running from France on the right won City a corner that was fired in by Elliott but headed away by a red shirt, Livermore sought to head the ball back into the box but was shoved, and persuaded by his flag waving assistant, Rennie acknowledged the foul. Elliott, having apparently taken over dead ball duties, hit the free kick across goal and so wide, the ball trundled out for a throw in. Has Andy Dawson forgotten he used to hit a decent dead ball?

From the throw Boro launched a counter attack that resulted in a shot being drilled wide across goal, a literal shot across the bows to illustrate that although we had enjoyed the most of the game’s possession so far, Boro had the potency to quickly carve us open if we grew complacent. In a sustained spell of pressure from the visitors, Ricketts thwarted Viduka to concede a corner after the Boro man had turned Coles and appeared to have beaten the sprawling Myhill, and minutes later Coles cleared off the line to prevent a certain goal when Yakubu appeared to stomach the ball towards the net when meeting a cross from the left.

At the other end McPhee beat a man before delivering a looping ball across the face of goal that no one was there to meet, Livermore on the by line cut the ball back to France but his attempt on goal was weakly shinned towards Jones, causing him little bother. Another pearler from the Uriah Rennie collection; the smooth domed ref decided the game should have a drop ball restart after stopping it for, err, I dunno why actually, and maybe he didn’t either, but it resulted in a real drop ball restart, contested and everything, as opposed to those ever so gay, unhindered drop balls where a player is instructed to kick it to the other keeper. One of those hasn’t been spotted in aeons!

With over a third of the game played, this was quite an even affair, bereft of any clear cut goalscoring chances, it was more intriguing chess match than high octane shootout. In Boro’s box, the Beast stubbornly fought to maintain possession with a defender close to him, he managed to turn his marker but his touch took the ball away from goal and made the angle much harder to shoot from, when he did get in an effort on goal it was comfortably palmed away for a corner. Elliott fired that in and it was met by Coles near the back post, but his header was weak and too close to the keeper. City’s most clean cut attempt on goal came soon after when Dawson neatly controlled a punt from Jones and knocked it to Parkin with back to goal about 30 yards out, he laid off for McPhee who struck a low, powerful drive that whizzed a yard or so wide of Jones’ upright. Then followed two very good chances for City to take the lead; Elliott rose to meet Livermore’s cross and sent a looping header goal ward that had Jones back-pedalling to tip it over. And from the corner kick, after headers from Coles and Parkin, McPhee struck the ball goal ward but it was charged down by Arca who used his hand, the South Stand howled in protest but no spot kick was given by the meffotronic Uriah Rennie.

Middlesbrough had a decent chance before halftime when Viduka hit a shot into the side netting that elicited a few nervy ‘ooohs‘ from the South Stand, but goalless it remained at half time. Not a bad first half in all, though City would have to raise the tempo if they wanted to really take the game to Boro, who for their part seemed quite content with the status quo, contain us and attack sporadically on the counter.

The Teesiders raised their game in the second 45 though, former pizza ad star Gareth Southgate’s team talk saw his side emerge from the dressing room looking hungrier and more direct. Given yet another free kick from around 25 yards out they forced Myhill into producing an awesome save to keep them out. We survived a goalmouth scramble soon after.

Darryl Duffy had been promised a chance in this game and he replaced Stuart Elliott on the hour, the pacy Scot was warmly applauded by the Tiger Nation following his loan spell at Hartlepool where he notched an impressive 5 goals in 10 games. Whether he can do that against Championship defences remains to be seen, and here he had a crack against a Premiership rearguard.

Feed the Beast and he will score goes the chant, but not when at this level of fitness he won’t, for when fed Arca comfortably beat Parkin for pace to quell any danger. Nonetheless the Tiger Nation were heartened and urged City to really go at the Premiership visitors as the game became quite end to end. There were some decent performances from Tigers during this display, central midfield duo Ashbee and Livermore in particular shone in their interdiction roles, Ryan France had a busy afternoon too and impressed with his non stop running.

Dawson fired in a cross from the left that was met by Parkin but his header had no power in it. At the other end City had a fortunate escape when Yakubu was adjudged to have fouled Coles before he shaped to shoot when he probably just showed more strength than the City man.

The visitors took a perhaps undeserved lead on 73 minutes when Morrison ran towards goal but was craftily robbed by Danny Coles, having a decent game after some recent ’mares, the loose ball was stabbed at by Yakubu and it rolled kindly into the path of Viduka who lashed the ball beyond Myhill, who could do little to save it. 1-0 Boro.

City tried to respond quickly, Duffy crashed a shot against the legs of a defender and the deflection fell for Dawson whose cross found Duffy once more but his header was straight at Jones. City made a further change, bringing off McPhee and replacing him with Forster, not a change most City fans would have made but nonetheless it paid almost instant dividends. After Duffy was tripped by Taylor, City had a free kick on the right side of goal as we attacked it, some 25 yards out. Livermore swung the ball into the box and Parkin tried to direct it further goalward but it appeared to just graze the back of his neck, but still travelling it was steered by Forster’s head beyond Jones and into the net. 79 minutes in, 1-1. Game on!

Boro tried to regain the lead instantly, a free kick was slung into the box and a red shirt struck it on the volley, but Myhill made a superb save to his right. The attendance was announced, 17520, a figure that raised eyebrows, there looked to be at least 20K in the building. Yakubu lashed a shot wide across the face of goal.  

Southgate’s men stepped up a gear in search of a winner and one nearly came from a corner after Coles deflected Morrisons’s shot behind the goal. The ball was fired in from the quadrant and Viduka headed it goalward but Myhill clawed it away, but not to safety, it fell for Riggott to shoot, and near miraculously Bo toe poked it away.

The fourth official signalled 2 minutes of added time but that was taken up by young Nicky Featherstone replacing France and then by one of the linesman having his flag changed. And so it ended, all even. City can be happy with their display and the draw keeps a small unbeaten run going, vital for confidence before an important Championship game against Queens Park Rangers. We’ll take on Boro again, visiting their Riverside Stadium for the first time on the 16^th.