Middlesbrough 0 Aston Villa 1

MIDDLESBROUGH will head to Villa Park on Tuesday needing to overturn a one-goal deficit after Aston Villa drew first blood in the play-off semi-final.

Mile Jedinak’s first-half header gave Steve Bruce’s side a 1-0 win at the Riverside, and while the away-goal rule does not apply in play-off matches, it is still advantage Villa ahead of the return in the Midlands in three days’ time.

Britt Assombalonga wasted three good first-half opportunities to fire Boro back on level terms, but while the hosts enjoyed plenty of possession, they struggled to create too many chances against a well-drilled Villa defence.

John Terry and Alan Hutton were superb for the visitors despite their advancing years, and things might have been even worse for Boro had Darren Randolph not produced an excellent save to tip Robert Snodgrass’ first-half effort against the post.

As expected, Tony Pulis named an unchanged starting line-up, and the pre-match atmosphere was cranked up a notch or two by the appearance of Leo Percovich.

The former goalkeeping coach became a cult hero during his time working under Aitor Karanka, and in a pre-match address from the touchline, he thanked the Boro fans for their support in the aftermath of the personal tragedy that saw him lose two of his children in a car accident.

Percovich was cheered to the rafters, and the noise became even louder when the action began. It was always going to be a frenetic opening, and sure enough, Conor Hourihane was fortunate to avoid a first-minute booking when he clattered into Adam Clayton.

Boro fashioned the game’s first opening in the 11th minute when Mo Besic curled narrowly over the crossbar after Alan Hutton struggled to deal with Ryan Shotton’s long throw, but Villa’s first meaningful foray into the area proved more productive four minutes later.

The quality of Boro’s defending has been one of their biggest assets under Pulis, but they were undone in surprisingly facile fashion as Jack Grealish delivered a corner from the left.

Shotton was caught flat-footed as Mile Jedinak ran off him, and the Australian midfielder glanced a header into the net via the inside of the far post.

Jedinak went close again midway through the first half, glancing another header towards goal that was saved by Darren Randolph, but Boro finally rediscovered some of their composure as they fashioned three decent opportunities before the interval.

All three fell to Britt Assombalonga; all three were unconverted. Assombalonga failed to find the target with the first two openings, blazing a half-volley over the bar after controlling Jonny Howson’s through ball on his chest before driving a low effort into the side-netting from a similar position on the left-hand side of the box.

The third opening saw Assombalonga finally test Sam Johnstone, but the Villa goalkeeper got down well to keep out the striker’s glanced header from Adama Traore’s cross.

Traore struggled to find space before the interval, with Villa regularly doubling up on him, and while he switched flanks with Stewart Downing in an attempt to make more of an impact, his threat was repeatedly snuffed out before he was able to get the ball into the area.

As a result, Boro trailed at the interval, and they would have been even further behind had it not been for a superb save from Randolph a minute before the break.

Robert Snodgrass’curled effort was heading into the left-hand corner, but Randolph produced a sensational finger-tip save that tipped the ball onto the post.

With Percovich clambering into the South Stand to join the ‘Red Faction’ for the second half, Boro continued pressing after the break.

Shotton stabbed the ball wide at the front post after Johnstone struggled to deal with a low cross, but with John Terry and James Chester sticking close to Assombalonga, the hosts struggled to make too many inroads into the opposition’s box.

Boro were forced into a change shortly after the hour mark, with Fabio replacing the injured Daniel Ayala, and the substitute immediately wasted a good position as he failed to pick out Assombalonga on the edge of the six-yard box despite finding himself in a large amount of space in the area.

Chances proved much harder to come by for both sides in the second half, although Lewis Grabban should perhaps have done better when he rolled a tame shot straight at Randolph after more good work from the impressive Grealish released him down the left-hand side.    

Boro’s best chance of a late equaliser came with seven minutes left,  but Johnstone got down well to tip Fabio’s header around the post after Shotton nodded Traore’s corner back across the box.

Fabio threatened again in stoppage time, but while he latched on to Patrick Bamford’s lay off in the area, his shot deflected harmlessly wide.


Middlesbrough (4-1-4-1): Randolph; Shotton, Ayala (Fabio 64), Gibson, Friend; Clayton; Traore, Howson, Besic, Downing; Assombalonga (Bamford 76).

Subs (not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Fry, Cranie, Leadbitter, Harrison.

Aston Villa (4-1-4-1): Johnstone; Elmohamady (Whelan 88), Chester, Terry, Hutton; Jedinak; Snodgrass, Hourihane, Grealish, Adomah (Kodjia 70); Grabban (Bjarnason 80).

Subs (not used): Bunn (gk), Samba, Onomah, Hogan.