Saturday Live Football Blog (From The Northern Echo)

4:45pm

GOAL: Middlesbrough 1 (Jutkiewicz 83) Aldershot 0

Boro finally make a breakthrough with seven minutes left. Adam Reach crossed from the left, and Lukas Jutkiewicz got up highest to loop a header into the corner.

4:32pm

Middlesbrough 0 Aldershot 0

A couple of changes for Boro - Halliday and Ledesma for Smallwood and Emnes, who was booed off - but they haven't really changed anything.

Young has saved from Ledesma, but Boro are really struggling to create chances against a side in the bottom half of League Two. Worrying.

4:16pm

Middlesbrough 0 Aldershot 0

Boro still lacking inspiration here at the Riverside, with Aldershot holding firm fairly comfortably.

On the south coast, however, Hartlepool have claimed a second and now lead Portsmouth 2-0.

3:40pm

Middlesbrough 0 Aldershot 0

This game has gone very flat all of a sudden, with Boro struggling to break down an obdurate Aldershot defence.

Not enough movement from Emnes and Jutkiewicz - and not really sure the formation is working either.

3:25pm

Away from the Riverside, it's Portsmouth 0 Hartlepool 1 as Jack Baldwin heads the visitors into a surprise lead.

3:21pm

Middlesbrough 0 Aldershot 0

Boro not having things all their own way here, but they're causing problems when they attack in numbers.

Bailey just produced a decent header from Zemmama's free-kick, but Jamie Young got down well in the Aldershot goal to turn the ball around the post.

3:14pm

Middlesbrough 0 Aldershot 0

Lively first ten minutes here with both sides creating chances.

Danny Rose' free-kick for Aldershot clipped the top of the crossbar, before Merouane Zemmama drilled a shot straight at the goalkeeper after producing an excellent dummy on the edge of the area.

3:02pm

Middlesbrough 0 Aldershot 0

The game's under way at the Riverside, and as expected, Boro are lining up with a three-man defence.

2:38pm

Middlesbrough have made seven changes to their side for today's FA Cup fourth-round tie with Aldershot, but Tony Mowbray has still been able to name a strong starting line-up.

Jason Steele, Andre Bikey, Seb Hines and Rhys Williams are the only players to remain from the side that started the 1-0 defeat at Leicester.

Boro are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Marvin Emnes and Merouane Zemmama lining up behind lone striker Lukas Jutkiewicz.

Middlesbrough (3-4-2-1): Steele; Hines, R Williams, Bikey; Parnaby, Bailey, Smallwood, Reach; Zemmama, Emnes; Jutkiewicz.

Subs: Leutwiler (gk), McManus, Halliday, Haroun, Leadbitter, Ledesma, Main.

Aldershot (4-5-1): Young; Herd, Morris, Brown, Bradley; Vincenti, Reid, Hector, Cadogan, Rose; Hylton.

Subs: Morris (gk), Tonkin, Rankine, Risser, Mekki, Ainsworth, Cooksley.

2:24pm

Early Middlesbrough team news:

Steele; Hines, R Williams, Bikey; Parnaby, Bailey, Smallwood, Reach; Zemmama, Emnes; Jutkiewicz.

1:53pm

Away from the North-East, the early FA Cup kick off is currently goalless between Stoke City and Manchester City.

1:33pm

1:32pm

Away from the field of play, Middlesbrough are set to sign former Newcastle United midfielder Kieron Dyer on a pay-as-you-play basis.

Dyer was released by QPR at the end of the month and is expected to sign at the Riverside as a free agent at the start of next week.

1:27pm

With Newcastle United and Sunderland already out of the FA Cup, all of today's attention is focused on Middlesbrough's fourth-round tie with Aldershot.

The game is definitely on despite the heavy overnight snowfall, with the pitch and Riverside environs in perfect condition.

Boro will start as strong favourites against League Two opposition, and Tony Mowbray has pledged to name a strong side.

We'll also be providing updates from Hartlepool United's League Two game at Portsmouth.