Middlesbrough booked their place in the Capital One Cup quarter-final with a famous penalty shoot-out victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
By Jack Wilkinson
Neither side could find the breakthrough in an open and entertaining 120 minutes and the game was decided from the spot, with Boro stopper Tomas Mejias the hero – saving penalties from Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young either side of Michael Carrick’s miss as Middlesbrough sealed a tie in the last eight at home to Everton with a 3-1 victory.
United made nine changes to the side which were held to a goalless draw in Sunday’s Manchester derby, yet their lacklustre first-half display suggested their inability to create chances was pandemic throughout the squad as Middlesbrough carved out the clearer openings.
After their 10,000 travelling fans had delivered a touching early tribute to those who had lost their jobs in the city’s steel industry – shining their phone lights en masse 10 minutes in – Middlesbrough created the game’s first opening on 16 minutes
Captain Grant Leadbitter recycled a corner, setting up Emilio Nsue for an acrobatic over-head kick, but though George Friend should have found the back of the net from three yards, stand-in ‘keeper Sergio Romero was on hand to preserve parity.
United had to wait 34 minutes until they registered an attempt on target, with James Wilson’s low drive comfortably saved by Mejias.
A flurry of chances then came shortly before the interval, with Romero and Friend denying Kike and Marouane Fellaini from opening the scoring, before Romero was called upon again to tip Stewart Downing’s fierce drive over the bar.
Rooney was brought on at half-time and his presence kick-started United, although their promising build-up play failed to yield a goal as the Reds were limited to a long-range shot from Andreas Pereira on 53 minutes.
Boro then had a goal ruled out for offside when Daley Blind sliced the ball into his own net after Kike had rattled a shot against the woodwork, with replays showing the Spaniard had strayed a yard in the build-up.
Romero escaped an embarrassing moment in the 66th minute when he mis-controlled Blind’s back-pass just wide of the post, while at the other end, United had a claim for a penalty waved away by referee Lee Mason, who adjudged Daniel Ayala not to have handled Matteo Darmian’s cross.
With extra-time looming, both sides mounted a push for a late winner as Jesse Lingard rattled the Middlesbrough goal frame with a rasping drive and Leadbitter and Downing saw their efforts well saved by Romero.
After a slow start to extra-time, both sides came to life as Chris Smalling expertly blocked Leadbitter’s volley before Fellaini was outmuscled at the far post as he tried to head Pereira’s cross goalwards.
Boro then survived a second appeal for a United penalty as Ayala escaped punishment despite clearly handling substitute Anthony Martial’s chip in the box.
And Martial was left smarting at the death as he wasted the chance to send United into the quarter-finals, heading agonisingly wide of the target from close range.
To the shoot-out it went and Rooney’s kick was well saved by Mejias before United failed to make the most of David Nugent’s miss as Carrick and Young saw their efforts miss the target and saved.
Paul Walsh’s Soccer Special verdict
“It’s another massive knock for United. They were expected to win.
“They haven’t created enough chances but I think they were out-manoeuvred. Aitor Karanka got it spot-on. Middlesbrough got a bit of luck in the penalties but they had three or four good chances to win the game beforehand.”
Source Skysports
