BORN-AGAIN Christian George Boateng went out of his way to make his peace with Nick Barmby after the pair were at the centre of a flashpoint which threatened an end-of-game free-for-all.

Middlesbrough midfielder Boateng spat in the direction of Riverside old boy Barmby, whom he accused of head-butting, in an ugly conclusion to a hugely-entertaining encounter that was also marred by the sendings-off of Alan Smith and Franck Queudrue.

It was the dismissal of Boro left-back Queudrue, like Smith red-carded for a second bookable offence, that triggered the unseemly scenes.

The good news for both clubs is that referee Rob Styles, though too quick on the draw when it came to his little black book, said he didn't see the fracas and would not be filing a report to the FA.

It is rather ironic considering that the misdemeanours of Smith and Queudrue were trifling compared to the antics of some on the final whistle.

Queudrue, booked in the first half for dissent after a challenge on Lee Bowyer, received a second yellow card when he brought down the same player in the closing moments of the game.

It was then that Boateng and others on the periphery took matters into their own hands. Boateng questioned Bowyer over whether he had taken a dive, and Barmby stepped in.

Leeds' Middlesbrough-born defender Jonathan Woodgate, skipper Lucas Radebe and Danny Mills also became involved.

Boateng was playing the innocent afterwards, but TV replays showed him shoving a referee's assistant out of the way to get at Radebe and Mills.

Woodgate was seen wiping his shirt down and later claimed Boateng's spit had hit him.

But Boateng was quick to defuse the situation behind the scenes. The Dutch midfielder, who joined Boro from Aston Villa in a £5m summer deal, explained:

"Everything is all right between Nick and I. We have apologised to each other.

"I went to the dressing-room, but he wasn't there so I went to the players' lounge. I don't want anything made of this.

"I was talking to Lee Bowyer and asked him if Franck Queudrue had really caught him, and he said 'yes'. I said: 'Fair enough, he has to go.' If he had been diving, that would have been cheating.

"But Barmby came up in the middle of all this and head-butted me. He was having a go at me and I don't know why. While I was walking away, I spat on the ground and he thought I was spitting at him.

"He got really angry and was saying things about my brethren and my wife. What was said will be between us, but it was offensive.

"Afterwards, I wanted to apologise to him because, from my side it was not nice, but certainly from his side it was not nice.

"I always play the game very tough, but I do not play to injure anybody.

"Spitting towards another player is the most disgusting thing you can do. That is the last thing I would do.

"He may have felt I was spitting at him, but I was not. I'm sure I did not catch him. I think Nick Barmby got involved in a situation he did not need to get involved in.

"I was just having a normal conversation with Bowyer. People think because I play tough that I am a Vinnie Jones type, but I'm just a cool guy and I try to keep it real.''

Radebe, however, insisted Boateng was spoiling for a fight. The South African defender said: "Spitting is bad, it's not allowed. We are professionals and we should know that we all have to set examples. If you do that to fellow professionals, it's out of order.

"I was surprised that George Boateng did that. I went to try to break it up and he tried to fight me. I couldn't understand why he was doing that.

"I have always got on with him in the past and I have no problems with him.''

Frenchman Queudrue, sent off for the second time in his Boro career and now due to miss the home game against Liverpool a week on Saturday, insisted: "I did not catch Bowyer, I was in front of him and he caught my heel. It was a mistake by the referee, but what can you do? Je ne regret rien.''

The dismissal of England striker Smith, however, was even more contentious.

Leeds boss Terry Venables, on his first return to the Riverside since his six-month stint two seasons ago as Boro's trouble-shooting head coach, was baffled by Styles' booking of Smith just before half-time and felt the second yellow, for a 76th-minute challenge on Gareth Southgate, was harsh.

Smith, unlucky to be sent off for England against Macedonia nearly a fortnight ago, picked up his first caution on Saturday after a foul on Joseph Job.

But Venables revealed that Styles said Smith had been booked for kicking the ball against advertising hoardings moments earlier.

"I just find that ludicrous,'' said Venables. "And I thought it was outrageous to send him off. He's really low. It looks like he can't go for a ball at the moment.''

Boro skipper Southgate scrambled to his feet to plead with the referee to show leniency, but later revealed: "He said he had no choice but to send him off.''

All this overshadowed an absorbing contest in which Boro had to come from behind twice to preserve their unbeaten home record this season.

Southgate was their saviour seven minutes from time. The impressive Geremi's low corner eluded Job and Harry Kewell and Southgate forced home only his second goal for the club.

Ugo Ehiogu's trip on Mark Viduka enabled the Australian striker to beat international colleague Mark Schwarzer with a tenth-minute penalty.

Boro replied in the 25th minute when Southgate found Geremi on the right, and the rejuvenated Job knocked in the cross for his third goal of the season.

Bowyer restored Leeds' lead 11 minutes into the second period, following up after Schwarzer had saved superbly from fellow Aussie Kewell.

But Boro were unlucky not to level when Geremi's right-foot curler came back off the bar.

It was enthralling fare for Pak Do Ik, scorer of North Korea's winner against Italy at Ayresome Park during the 1966 World Cup, and his compatriots on their return to Teesside.

But quite what they made of the mean-spirited finale, who knows?

Result: Middlesbrough 2 Leeds United 2.

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