Boro kids are alright

Lifting the FA Youth Cup was rather overlooked in the club's post-Cardiff glow, but yesterday's thrilling 1-1 draw with Manchester United proved just how much young talent Steve McClaren now has at his fingertips.

The legacy of the Carling Cup was last month's European debut against Banik Ostrava, but the Youth Cup has bequeathed McClaren a new generation of Boro starlets and, at Old Trafford, two of them came of age in dramatic fashion.

Wayne Rooney might have hogged the headlines in midweek but, in James Morrison and Tony McMahon, Boro had their own 18-year-old heroes enjoying a memorable Manchester debut.

Morrison was a revelation on the right of midfield, while McMahon rendered Ryan Giggs utterly anonymous with an accomplished display in front of him at right-back.

Stewart Downing is two years older than that pair, but he too has found his first-team chances limited in the last 18 months.

His first-half goal capped a tremendous first Premiership start of the season and, while Alan Smith's late leveller took some of the shine off the result, Boro's youngsters have proved they are ready to make their mark.

Some games are won in the opening quarter of an hour, others are settled in the final five minutes - with seven first-team absentees to contend with, this one looked like being over as soon as Boro boss Steve McClaren submitted his team sheet.

But, after seeing off Banik Ostrava in the Czech Republic on Thursday night, another patched-up Middlesbrough side showed the requisite desire and discipline to extend the club's tremendous recent record at Old Trafford.

Downing's eye-catching performance meant that neither Rooney nor Cristiano Ronaldo finished the day as the primary teenage talisman, but the Portuguese international began in a manner that suggested he would not be denied the limelight.

His early backheel - the first of a succession of party tricks - released John O'Shea down the right wing, only for the Irishman to shoot wastefully at Mark Schwarzer, before Ronaldo flashed a shot wide himself after charging at the heart of the Boro defence.

That defence included Stuart Parnaby in a somewhat unorthodox left-back berth but, while the England Under-21 international limped off injured in the 35th minute, he had already proved pivotal in keeping the scoresheet blank by that stage.

Giggs was steaming in on goal as Gary Neville crossed from the right touchline but, with the Wales international approaching the six-yard line, Parnaby produced a great defensive touch to turn the ball behind.

And, from the resultant corner, the youngster made an even more dramatic intervention by throwing himself in front of Ruud van Nistelrooy's goalbound drive after Mikael Silvestre had nodded Ronaldo's delivery into the Dutchman's path.

That flurry of action underlined the home side's threat but, while Boro spent most of the first half camped inside their own territory, it took almost 25 minutes for them to be stretched again.

With Bolo Zenden and Gaizka Mendieta displaying uncustomary midfield bite, the visitors were able to frustrate their opponents by preventing either O'Shea or Roy Keane from advancing on the Boro back four.

Rooney and van Nistelrooy were well shackled by the experienced Gareth Southgate and Chris Riggott and, while the former blasted over dangerously on the half-hour mark, it was a Middlesbrough youngster who broke the deadlock two minutes later.

The Teessiders had hardly ventured into Manchester United's half at all before Morrison raced outside Gabriel Heinze on the right touchline.

But, after Thursday night's goalscorer whipped in an inch-perfect low cross, Downing held his nerve to sweep a clinical finish into the top corner of the net.

The goal was undeniably against the run of play but, on their first foray forward, Boro's youngsters had been able to create a better chance than United's seasoned internationals could muster in more than 30 minutes of non-stop possession.

As if to underline the point, Downing then nutmegged Keane before firing a stinging 20-yard drive straight at Roy Carroll. Ronaldo's early tricks had turned Old Trafford into someting of a circus - suddenly Middlesbrough's magician had assumed control of the big top.

Downing's mixture of poise and purpose stood in direct contrast to United's tepid first-half display, with Keane and Giggs in particular looking like a pale imitation of their former selves.

Van Nistelrooy failed to turn in Heinze's misdirected header shortly after the hour mark but, with Szilard Nemeth working tirelessly as the lone striker, Boro gave as good as they got after the break.

Nemeth has found himself squeezed out since the arrival of Mark Viduka and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink but, despite limited support for large periods of yesterday's game, his willingness to chase lost causes gave his team-mates a much-needed chance to catch their breath.

His commitment should have seen the visitors double their lead in the 65th minute but, after Zenden had dummied the Slovakian striker's cross, Mendieta shot lazily over the crossbar from 12 yards out.

Boro were almost made to pay for the miss instantly - Schwarzer making a fine low stop to thwart Ronaldo on his 300th appearance in English football - and, with the home side finally finding their form, van Nistelrooy rapped a header against the crossbar after Neville had exploited a rare pocket of space on the right.

That was a let off, but United are never more dangerous than when the clock is ticking down and, sure enough, the home side levelled with just nine minutes left.

Ronaldo proved too quick for a tiring Colin Cooper, and substitute Smith evaded Boro's two centre-halves to head in unchallenged from close range.

Neville went close to winning it three minutes later, blasting over with the goal at his mercy, but despite an injury-time rally of head tennis in the Boro six-yard box, the visitors clung on for a more than deserved point.