Teessiders stung by another late show

LEAVING things late has become the story of Middlesbrough’s season so far. The decision of chairman Steve Gibson to wait until almost midnight to sack Gareth Southgate in midweek may have attracted all of the attention, but it has been an inability to see out games which has cost them most this season.

Southgate would still be in a job, sitting pretty at the top of the Championship, had he been able to solve the problem of conceding late goals since starting life outside the Premier League.

Now it is the next man’s turn to try his methods.

When Gordon Strachan steps into the role one of his first tasks will be to try to ensure the players he has inherited can defend late, late surges forward that have cost them dearly so far.

When Preston full-back Billy Jones arrived in the penalty area to nod in Ross Wallace’s free-kick in injury-time at Deepdale, there was something all too familiar about Middlesbrough’s collapse.

At Bristol City they conceded late to lose, just as they did when Leicester City arrived at the Riverside Stadium in September.

There was also a case of deja-vu when Jones nodded in the equaliser on Saturday, almost a month to the day they let a lead slip at Coventry.

Six points dropped which would have had Middlesbrough looking down on the rest of the Championship by three points this morning, with Southgate still leading the promotion charge.

And don’t the players know it.

“It’s happening too much this season,” said Adam Johnson, who was a frustrated figure after the match having felt his ninth goal of the season should have won the game.

“There’s something not right, you can’t fault the way we played. If Preston were honest we played them off the park all game. I spoke to a few of them and they said it was robbery. We have to defend much better late on because it’s happening far too often.

“We could have been in the top two had we held on. It’s a long season, we have to cut out late goals and if we had we would be a few clear now. We have to get on with it. We have just switched off thinking we have won the game. With a minute left it’s gut wrenching.”

It has been an extremely fraught week on Teesside.

There has been an enormous amount of sympathy shown towards Southgate from inside the dressing room since last Tuesday’s shock sacking.

The players are well aware of the fact that Southgate delivered a £12m profit from threeand- a-half-years transfer trading as he worked on reducing the club’s wage bill by £7m.

But the squad he has left behind are intent on proving they are still more than capable of returning to the Premier League.

For two-thirds of the match that is exactly what they did.

Preston struggled to live with Middlesbrough in the opening half, even though it took until two minutes before the break to open the scoring.

The Lilywhites, promotion hopefuls themselves, had already come close to conceding when goalkeeper Andy Lonergan tipped over a 25-yard Gary O’Neil drive before Didier Digard struck a low left foot shot inches wide.

Striker Leroy Lita had also gone close before O’Neil was fouled 20 yards out by Paul Parry. O’Neil struck a low-freekick powerfully through the wall and Lonergan could only help the ball high into the net.

Even after the restart Middlesbrough looked the stronger unit. But after Darren Carter had curled just wide of Brad Jones’ goal, Preston equalised on the hour.

Former Sunderland man Wallace, lively throughout, witnessed his delivery from the left flicked towards goal by the burly Jon Parkin, only to be denied by Jones. The loose ball fell to Parry at the back post, who found the net.

Middlesbrough’s good work had been undone.

“Everything has been up in the air this week, it’s been difficult,”

said Johnson. “These things happen. It’s our job and we have to get on with it, even if it was a massive shock for everyone. We have to put it behind us.

“We have to appreciate what Gareth did, but we can’t let it affect us. We could have felt sorry for ourselves but we put on one of our best displays. We should have been three up at halftime.”

During Middlesbrough’s bright opening, there was always a sense that Johnson was playing within himself.

But just days after he scored a sensational goal to defeat Derby, he looked to have repeated the trick at Deepdale.

Seven minutes after Preston’s leveller, Johnson’s direct running got him into the area and with ex-Sunderland defender Neill Collins reluctant to dive in, the winger’s quick feet and change of pace created space in which he struck low inside Lonergan’s far corner.

On Tuesday it was Steve Bruce who was left admiring his talent, on Saturday it was Everton manager David Moyes left discussing the merits of offering him a contract to the winger who is out of contract in the summer.

“I have been linked with massive, massive clubs since I was 18. I thrive on it,” said Johnson, who has been credited with interest from Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. When you get mentioned with these big, big clubs it boosts your confidence.

Any player would like it. I tend to get on with my own game and whatever happens, happens.”

From that moment on Middlesbrough never looked like conceding again; until Jones was allowed to rise unmarked 53 seconds into stoppage time to grab a surprise second equaliser. Johnson was devastated as he trudged off after a warm down. He is certain that Middlesbrough can win the Championship this season, whoever the new manager is.

“We have got to be excited, there will soon be change, we have to take everything as it comes, but there’s a chance a new manager will be coming in this week and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

“We have to win the league because that’s what we are capable of. We have the squad to do it and we have to cut out these errors we are making.

Whoever comes in will think he has inherited a very good squad.”

Match facts

Goals:

0-1: O’Neil (43, hit low free-kick through the wall and keeper helped it in)

1-1: Parry (60, on hand at the back post to net the equaliser after Jones denied Parkin)

1-2: Johnson (67, beat Collins before unleashing low drive into Lonergan’s far corner)

2-2: Jones (90, met Wallace’s centre unmarked with a downward header)

Bookings: Bennett (63, foul); Wallace (82, foul); Digard (87, foul); Johnson (90, time-wasting)

Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northampton) – routine afternoon for the official, who was always on top of things 7

Attendance: 16,160

Entertainment: ✰✰✰

PRESTON NORTH END (4-4-2):

Lonergan 5; Jones 6, Collins 4, Chilvers 5, Nolan 5; Parry 6, Shumulikoski 4 (Chaplow 57, 6), Carter 5 (Brown 78), WALLACE 7; Parkin 5, Mellor 5 (Elliott 90). Subs: Hart, Mawene, Sedgwick, Henderson (gk).

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2):

6 Jones: Held most things but failed to stop Preston’s two equalisers;

6 Hoyte: Battled away to keep the threat of former Sunderland winger Wallace at bay

6 Wheater: Defended strongly against the man-mountain that is Parkin

7 St Ledger: Should have enjoyed a winning return to Deepdale

6 Bennett: Caught out a couple of times, but was solid on the whole;

7 O’NEIL: Will be amazed that his low free-kick found its way in

6 Digard: Still looks short of full fitness, but improving

5 Williams: Not reaching the heights he hit earlier in the season

7 Johnson: Goal number nine, this time in front of David Moyes, his list of admirers keeps growing;

6 Lita: Was difficult to contend with, without looking like scoring

5 Emnes: Full of energy, which is fast becoming his trademark

Subs

Franks (for Emnes 90) (not used): Coyne (gk), Pogatetz, Yeates, Grounds, McMahon, Arca MAN OF THE MATCH

GARY O’Neil – opened the scoring and will be an important player under the new regime.