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Boro only managed to attack properly in the closing stages
of the half, and Mark Viduka's effort was dragged wide of
the target to signal a good 45 minutes for the visitors from
London.
The hosts' intentions were obvious after the interval, but
Ghaly continued to excel. He reached the ball well at his
defensive far post, scrambling it away. And at the other end,
he was able to assist one of the finest goals of the season.
The Egyptian received the ball on the right, waited, and
chipped into the centre, where from distance, Berbatov struck
on the volley into the back of the net! The goal in the 47th
minute helped Spurs feel they were in comfort zone.
They could have added a third. A long ball saw yet another
fine off-the-ball run from Ghaly, but keeper Mark Schwarzer
came sprinting out of his box to head away. And on the hour
mark Keane came close in a one-on-one situation.
Boro realised they had to get back into the game, and Rochemback
began to show his abilities. An unbelievable pass in which
he looked in the other direction fooled everyone, but Viduka's
final shot went over. The striker compensated in the 66th
minute when he headed in superbly from a Stuart
Downing cross, after Pascal Chimbonda had failed to clear
the ball. It is fair to say that Ghaly's pressurising on the
right meant Chimbonda was able to do plenty of defending from
the centre; another positive the Egyptian added to Spurs'
game.
Viduka thought he had equalised two minutes after the first
goal but Paul Robinson made one of the saves of the season
from the close range strike. Middlesbrough were now taking
the game to a higher tempo, and Rochemback was able to skill
his way past Ghaly on the touch-line, but when the
Egyptian recovered the ball, the Brazilian took his legs away
in a nasty kick which should have resulted in a booking.
In the 72nd minute, Ghaly made way for Lennon, after showing
his worth in a decent showing. More of the same followed,
Robinson denying Viduka and before new Ghaly's replacement
ran well on the right and squared the ball to Keane to fire
home.
Middlesbrough did recover a goal in the final minutes from
an Emanuel Pogatetz header, but Spurs took three deserved
points.
If Spurs, as expected, win their match in hand at Charlton
they will jump up to 5th place. They are trying hard and on
track to guarantee European qualification and avoid the summer
wrath of Intertoto Cup action.
More soon on EP..
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