How did the players fare in Middlesbrough's 2-1 defeat to Blackburn?


MIDDLESBROUGH (3-5-2):

8 STEFFEN: Produced three brilliant first-half saves to keep Boro in the game, with the pick seeing him keep out Gallagher’s header

5 McNair: Looked shaky defensively and wasn’t able to make a positive impact when he strode out of defence with the ball

5 Fry: Won a couple of important headers, but wasn’t able to deal with the movement of Gallagher and Brereton

4 Lenihan: Hardly enjoyed the reunion he would have been hoping for as he put the ball into his own net against his former side

4 Dijskteel: Never looked comfortable as Blackburn attacked down their left and was withdrawn at the half-time break

5 Crooks: Covered a lot of ground, but hasn’t come close to hitting the levels he was displaying last season so far this term

6 Howson: Tried to hold things together at the heart of midfield, and at least displayed some fight in the second half

5 Hackney: Was restored to the starting side ahead of McGree, but while his technical ability is evident, he wasn’t a factor in the final third

5 Giles: Got into some decent positions down the left, but his delivery into the box was patchy at best

7 Watmore: The one Boro player to make any kind of impact in the first half – took his goal with a clinical finish

4 Muniz: Seemed to want to spend most of the game niggling at the opposition rather than looking to find the back of the net


Subs:

7 Jones (for Dijksteel, 46): Made a difference as he looked to break forward down the right – surely should have started

5 Forss (for Muniz, 67): Offered very little during his time on the field – is yet to prove himself in a Boro shirt

4 Akpom (for Watmore, 67): Goodness only knows how he failed to claim an equaliser from just two yards out

5 Bola (for Giles, 67): Saw plenty of the ball down the left, but couldn’t produce a telling cross

McGree (for Hackney, 75)

(not used): Roberts (gk), Smith.


BLACKBURN (3-4-1-2):

Kaminski 8; S Wharton 7, Hyam 8, Phillips 7 (Carter 80); Brittain 7, Travis 7, Morton 6, Pickering 6; A Wharton 6 (Szmodics 65, 5); GALLAGHER 8 (Dolan 64, 6), Brereton 8 (Hedges 85).

Subs (not used): Pears (gk), Garrett, Dack.


Man Of The Match: SAM GALLAGHER – The Blackburn striker was just about unplayable in the opening half-hour, which effectively settled the game.