Amorebieta leaves it late but it's advantage Boro in play-offs

The Griffin Park exit polls certainly favour the Teessiders ahead of Friday’s second leg at the Riverside after Fernando Amorebieta’s deflected stoppage-time strike secured a priceless 2-1 advantage to take back to Teesside.

Having led through Jelle Vossen’s first-half header, which, to continue the election theme, came from putting a cross in the box, Boro looked to have been pegged back when Dimi Konstantopoulos followed up his costly charge upfield at Fulham with an even more calamitous error to hand Andre Gray a second-half equaliser on a plate.

Konstantopoulos dawdled for what seemed like an eternity before his clearance was charged down, but after producing a sensational save to deny Jonathan Douglas shortly after, the Boro goalkeeper was able to watch Amorebieta settle things at the other end in the third minute of stoppage time.

The defender has barely been involved since moving on loan from Fulham, but on his return to the capital, he drilled in a strike that will go down in Middlesbrough history if the Teessiders maintain their advantage in six days time. If nothing else, he has certainly put Aitor Karanka’s side well and truly in the driving seat.

Seven points separated last night’s opponents in the final Championship standings, but they started as equals at Griffin Park, a tight, intimidating throwback of a ground that still features standing areas behind both goals.

With Mark Warburton leaving his position no matter what happens in the rest of the play-offs, last night’s opening leg was the popular head coach’s final home game in charge and the Bees fans were clearly determined to give him a raucous send off.

The atmosphere bristled from the off, but with George Friend returning from suspension and Patrick Bamford starting despite his lack of training in the last fortnight, Boro produced a master-class in soaking up pressure and hitting their opponents on the break.

It is a template that has enabled Jose Mourinho, who was sitting in the stands, to win the Premier League title with Chelsea, and having worked alongside the Portuguese at Real Madrid, it is also one that Karanka has adopted to similar effect on Teesside.

Alex Pritchard tested Konstantopoulos with an early long-range free-kick that was easily saved, but if the visitors’ game plan was to keep things tight in the early stages, they achieved it without alarm, with skipper Grant Leadbitter typically influential at the base of midfield.

The one concern would have been the early yellow cards shown to Lee Tomlin and George Friend, although Boro’s committed and forceful approach was a key factor in curtailing Brentford’s threat.

The hosts, who scraped into the play-offs on goal difference on the final day of the season, are especially strong in the wide areas, and Konstantopoulos was forced to produce an excellent save to deny Alan Judge midway through the first half, tipping the midfielder’s shot around the post.

Boro hadn’t really created anything at that stage, but when they finally crafted an opening in the 26th minute, Vossen ensured it would not go to waste.

The goal owed much to some dreadful Brentford defending, with Vossen pulling between the two centre-halves and finding himself completely unmarked as he waited for Adam Clayton’s floated right-wing cross.

The Belgian had only scored twice in the final 17 games of the regular season, but he displayed superb composure to cushion a deft header into the corner of the net. Having spent the best part of two years chasing him, Boro’s persistence was well and truly rewarded.

Vossen troubled the Brentford defence all night, drifting here, there and everywhere in the ‘number ten’ role, and Friday’s second leg might have been irrelevant had he been marginally more forceful when he almost claimed a second goal before the break.

Friend headed Leadbitter’s corner towards goal, but while Vossen thought he had stabbed home from inside the six-yard box, David Button scrambled superbly to claw the ball to safety.

With no video technology in the Championship, Boro’s players were adamant the whole of the ball had crossed the line, but replays showed the officials were right to wave play on.

A second goal at that stage might have broken Brentford, but as it was, the hosts came out with all guns blazing, searching for an equaliser at the start of the second half.

It would have arrived had Gray displayed more composure six minutes after the break, but while he met Moses Odubajo’s cross inside the area, the striker could only hook a wasteful shot over the crossbar.

Four minutes later, however, and he was handed the leveller on a plate. Konstantopoulos had an eternity to deal with a routine long ball into the inside-left channel, but rather than clearing into the stands, the goalkeeper inexplicably dithered outside his area.

Gray charged his clearance down, and having displayed impressive commitment to close down the keeper, Brentford’s leading scorer rolled the ball into the empty net.

It was a calamitous mistake on Konstantopoulos’ part, although to be fair to the Greek shot-stopper, he made at least partial amends with a remarkable save as the game became increasingly stretched eight minutes later.

Douglas’ looped header from Jota’s cross looked to be floating in, but Konstantopoulos somehow arched backwards to claw the ball to safety.

On a night peppered with fine stops, Button was equally influential at the other end, with the pick of his second-half efforts coming courtesy of a magnificent flying save that denied Adomah after the winger had juggled and shot from the edge of the box.

That prevented Boro reclaiming the lead, but the Brentford keeper was unable to deny Amorebieta when he struck decisively in the 93rd minute.