How did the players fare in Middlesbrough's 1-0 home defeat to Millwall?


MIDDLESBROUGH (4-2-3-1):

7 Dieng: Looked comfortable whenever he had the ball at his feet, and made an excellent second-half save to deny Nisbet

5 McNair: Showed signs of rustiness on the right of the back four and slid in unsuccessfully as Emakhu broke down the flank to set up the winner

6 Fry: Didn’t do much wrong for most of the afternoon and made a couple of important blocks inside his 18-yard box

6 Lenihan: Won a couple of important defensive headers, although he didn’t always look comfortable when Millwall’s players drifted to the flanks

6 Coulson: Saw plenty of the ball as he tried to get forward down the left, but the standard of his delivery into the box was variable

7 Hackney: Was poised and assured in possession and rarely gave the ball away – Boro’s best outfield player

6 Barlaser: Covered a lot of ground in the central-midfield area, but was never really able to produce a telling through ball

5 Forss: Wasn’t really a factor on the right-hand side and wasn’t really involved for long spells of the game

5 Crooks: Didn’t really look suited to the ‘number ten’ role, with Millwall’s defenders denying him any space in the box

6 McGree: Tried to break forward at the start of the second half, but ended up being moved back to left-back

5 Rogers: Didn’t look comfortable leading the line – his best moments came when he dropped deep, meaning Boro lacked a cutting edge


Subs:

6 Silvera (for Coulson, 69): Showed a couple of glimpses of what he could be capable of attacking down the left

Howson (for Barlaser, 76)

Jones (for Crooks, 87)

(not used): Glover (gk), van den Berg, Payero, Gilbert, Akpom, Coburn.


MILLWALL (3-4-3):

Sarkic 7; Hutchinson 7, COOPER 8, Wallace 7; McNamara 7, Mitchell 6, de Norre 6 (Saville 64, 6), Bryan 7 (Leonard 90); Watmore 7 (Esse 73), Flemming 8 (Emakhu 73), Nisbet 7 (Bradshaw 90).

Subs (not used): Bialkowski (gk), Evans, Voglsammer, Harding.


Man Of The Match: JAKE COOPER – Completely dominated the Boro attack from the heart of Millwall’s back three.