Boro celebrate a special Saint Patrick's Day success

IN years to come, perhaps Middlesbrough supporters will celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with the same relish normally reserved for those with ties to Ireland. After yesterday, however, they will be toasting Patrick Bamford – the patron saint of promotion.

On the day that bears his name, Bamford’s second-half winner enabled Boro to claim a crucial victory over one of their main promotion rivals and fired them back into a top-two position with eight games remaining.

A week that was billed as a potentially decisive moment in the promotion race has now seen Boro claim maximum points from two matches against sides in the top seven, with a trip to third-placed Bournemouth still to come at the weekend. Win that too, and even a league as tight as the Championship might start to see some daylight appearing.

PUMPED UP: Ben Gibson

Yesterday’s win was especially noteworthy as it came in a game as keenly-contested as anything Boro have encountered all season. Chances were at a premium throughout, but when the best of them came Bamford’s way midway through the second half, he exploited it to the full by rounding goalkeeper Lee Grant to slot home.

It was an expert finish from a striker at the very top of his form, although the quality of the Teessiders’ defensive work was every bit as significant with Jonathan Woodgate returning to provide some welcome assurance at the heart of the back four.

With Ben Gibson every bit as dominant, Dimi Konstantopoulos barely had a save to make, and from a position where they were rightly being touted as promotion favourites, Derby suddenly find themselves five points adrift of Boro. With the clock ticking, that is a fair amount of ground to make up.

For once, the importance of the occasion even forced Aitor Karanka to avoid the temptation to experiment, although the return of Lee Tomlin meant the midfielder having to play on the left-hand side rather than in his preferred central position, a ploy that worked a treat when he set up the decisive goal.

That came shortly after the hour mark, and was somewhat out of the blue given the dearth of goalscoring opportunities that preceded it.

It was the 15th minute before either side attempted a shot on goal, and even that was a rushed affair with Jamie Ward sliding into the box at pace to meet Cyrus Christie’s cross, only to stab well wide of the target.

The majority of Boro’s first-half play revolved around getting the ball to Albert Adomah on the right-hand side and asking the winger to drive at Derby full-back Craig Forsyth.

SHOUT OF THIS WORLD: Leadbitter

Adomah’s final delivery wasn’t always what it should have been, but his willingness to take on his opponent at least ensured an impetus to the visitors’ attacking and he played a major role in the 16th-minute move that represented the Teessiders’ best passage of play before the break.

Released into the inside-right channel, Adomah drilled in a crisp low drive that was saved by Grant. The rebound fell invitingly for Jelle Vossen, but his follow-up shot was also saved by Grant before Tomlin’s third attempt was deflected over.

Tomlin was at his most effective when he drifted infield, but while the visitors’ defensive cohesion was to be admired before the break, with George Friend especially influential as he made a couple of timely interceptions, the contrast with Boro’s first-half attacking struggles was marked.

HAIR WE GO: Clayton

Derby were no more threatening, and with Chris Martin and Darren Bent both injured, it was easy to see why Steve McClaren was so keen to match Boro’s interest in Blackburn striker Jordan Rhodes earlier this month. The Rams fielded Johnny Russell up front, but he looked like a midfielder who had been press-ganged into playing as a forward.

With the two sides extremely closely matched, it felt as though a mistake might prove crucial, and when Grant erred in the Derby goal four minutes before the break, Boro could hardly have come closer to taking advantage.

Gibson’s long ball forced Grant out of his area, but the keeper’s hurried clearance went straight to Vossen. Without breaking stride, the Belgian swivelled to hoist a 40-yard lob towards the empty net, but after what seemed like an eternity, the ball dropped from the sky and bounced against the left-hand post. Even so, the quality of Vossen’s technique was remarkable.

DERBY DESTROYER: Bamford wheels away after his strike

Sadly, he was not so adept ten minutes into the second half, when his misguided attempt at a slide-rule pass to Bamford ended what should have been a promising counter-attack.

Bamford was booed throughout after refusing to return to Derby last summer, and there were times when the 21-year-old appeared to be swept up in the intensity of the evening.

Nevertheless, he continued to break into the box where possible, and came close to making a breakthrough shortly after the hour mark when he burst on to Adomah’s cross, only to bundle the ball wide as he failed to make a proper connection.

MOVING ON UP: Boro boss Aitor Karanka

Two minutes later, however, and his finishing could hardly have been more clinical. Released into the left-hand side of the area by a typically well-weighted through ball from Tomlin, he was forced extremely wide as he rounded Grant.

On Saturday, he displayed superb composure to claim his two goals against Ipswich, and he was every bit as polished again as he squeezed the ball inside the post from an acute angle close to the goalline. Whisper it, but it was the type of finish that can make the difference in a closely-matched battle for promotion.

BEST FRIEND: Bamford celebrates with George Friend

Vossen’s volley from a corner came close to extending Boro’s lead, and the visitors should have had a late penalty when substitute Adam Reach was felled in the area.

Bamford wasted a glorious opportunity to claim a second in stoppage time, shooting wide after breaking from the halfway line, but the miss did not prove costly.