Albion v Middlesbrough - from The Amex (From The Argus)

5:03pm

Reaction to come on this website later.

5:02pm

Andy meant "home" but you take his point. 

5:01pm

4:57pm

4:55pm

Boro saw out the added time with no alarms. The one moment of threat came when LuaLua cut inside on to his right foot. But his shot was sliced well wide of the far post.

4:53pm

A minimum of five minutes were added.

4:50pm

Boro almost settled the contest on 88 minutes on a counter attack. Sub Miller got away from Bridcutt's covering tackle but, faced by Kuszczak, poked the ball just wide.

4:47pm

Buckley quickly won a free-kick on the right edge of the area but Albion over-complicated matters and the eventual cross came to nothing.

4:44pm

LuaLua's introduction for David on 83 minutes led to Buckley switching to the right wing.

4:39pm

4:38pm

4:38pm

Boro were coming under increasing pressure with Buckley adding a new threat operating down the left flank. But the visitors almost doubled their lead when Leadbitter's angled drive was tipped past the far post by Kuszczak.

4:36pm

4:33pm

4:33pm

Dobbie was quickly into the action with a mazy dribble which took him into the Boro box and had fans on their feet. But, under pressure, he could only poke his shot tamely into the grasp of Steele.

4:31pm

Albion made a bold double tactical switch in the 71st minute as Crofts and El-Abd made way for the attacking duo of Dobbie and Buckley.

4:26pm

Steele kept Boro ahead with another fine save on 63 minutes but - as with his stop from Mackail-Smith in the first half - he should have been left with no chance. A slick move ended with Hammond guiding in a super cross from the right. Barnes met it with a downward header, but his effort was close enough to the keeper to allow Steele to show off his reflexes and parry left-handed. Mackail-Smith was lurking for the rebound but a defender poked the ball against him and it ricocheted off the Albion striker and just past the top corner.

4:20pm

A great first touch by Bridge brought the crowd to life in the 57th minute. He took the ball in his stride and then released Barnes down the left for a deep cross which David volleyed goalwards from a narrow angle - but Steele saved.

4:11pm

Hastings led Blackfield and Langley 2-0 at half-time in their FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie.

4:10pm

Albion would have loved a flying start to the second half and David produced a clever turn in the Boro box before being crowded out. But the visitors otherwise kept things under control with a good spell of possession early in the half as their fans made themselves heard in the eastern half of the South Stand.

4:04pm

4:04pm

The second half gets underway.

3:49pm

We have yet to see a replay of the Emnes goal but it seemed to take a big deflection.

3:49pm

Albion's last act of the half was to win a corner which David delivered on to the head of Mackail-Smith beyond the far post but no one in blue and white could get on the end of his knock down.

3:48pm

Half-time

3:47pm

3:47pm

3:44pm

3:43pm

Bruno was at the origin of a counter attack which brought another near thing in the 40th minute. Mackail-Smith eventually got the ball on the left corner of the box and saw his curler just miss the far post. Albion - notably Poyet - thought it had taken a touch off a Boro man en route but ref D'Urso ruled otherwise. 

3:35pm

3:34pm

3:34pm

There was another great chance a couple of minutes later - and this time it fell to the hosts' top scorer. Bridge curled a lovely ball inside the defender and into Mackail-Smith's path but his shot on the run was tipped over by Steele when the keeper really should have been left with no chance.

3:31pm

The hosts should have been level in the 28th minute. David's free-kick forced a corner, which the Spaniard took from the left. It was perfectly flighted for Hammond but the midfielder headed badly off target from in front of goal.

3:27pm

3:23pm

The tight and cagey stuff was opened up by a through ball from Bridcutt on 19 minutes to send Mackail-Smith behind the defence. He took the ball down well but then slipped and could do more than win a corner which David curled straight out of play.

3:19pm

3:17pm

Albion were enjoying most of the possession and a slightly flat atmosphere was lifted when they won a corner. But David's dangerously whipped-in delivery was cleared.

3:13pm

3:13pm

Emnes had a couple of early runs for Boro although there was no end product.

3:12pm

Early signs were that, not surprisingly, the pitch had a bit of extra zip in it, although rain stopped well before kick-off.

3:10pm

It was a fairly quiet start but there was a hint of excitement from the hosts on five minutes when David got Bruno breaking forward down the right. The right-back crossed low from the byline towards Mackail-Smith's near-post run but the striker was crowded out.

3:06pm

3:01pm

A reminder. I am subject to a three-minute delay on this service while the game is in progress. That delay does not apply to our Twitter accounts @AndyNaylorArgus and @Brian__Owen.

3:00pm

Albion again defend the North Stand in the first half.

3:00pm

Correction. David had (a) loose stud(s).

2:59pm

Looks like David has a problem with his grip underfoot. The kit man has been sent to get new boots as we await kick-off.

2:58pm

2:57pm

Going back to the three questions - Dave Sexton scored for Albion in 1958, Mogga was off to watch the final of X-Factor after last season's game and Ian Baird netted for Boro in support of a Bernie Slaven treble in 1990.

2:55pm

We've just had Hey Jude. The first Saturday 3pm kick-off here since August is minutes away.

2:44pm

Right, no prizes - just for fun. A test of your Albion v Boro memories.

Would-be Forest, Derby and Albion manager Brian Clough scored a hat-trick at the Goldstone in 1958. But which future Manchester United boss was also on target that day?

Which TV programme did Boro boss Tony Mowbray write about in his programme notes when Albion lost 1-0 at the Riverside last season?

And which would-be Albion striker scored for Boro at the Goldstone in October 1990?
 

2:42pm

News of a 1-0 win for the under-18s today at Brentford. Jimmy Muitt got the goal.

2:33pm

BBC TV are here today. It was interesting to read in Howard Griggs’ nostalgia feature for The Argus today that Boro’s 6-4 win at the Goldstone in 1958 was shown on Match Of The Day. Anyone got a link to it on Youtube?
 

2:32pm

Just posted the main team news piece elsewhere on this site.

2:24pm

Woodgate skippers Boro, who give the dangerous McDonald a first start of the season alongside Emnes.

2:16pm

2:16pm

Subs are Ankergren, Dunk, Calderon, Dicker, Buckley, LuaLua, Dobbie. 

2:15pm

2:14pm

Albion: Kuszczak, Bruno, Greer, El-Abd, Bridge; Bridcutt, Hammond, Crofts; David, Barnes, Mackail-Smith

2:14pm

Starting with team news. Mackail-Smith, Hammond and Crofts come in for Buckley, Dicker and Orlandi.

2:13pm

The World Cup qualifiers offered drama, excitement, farce even - but welcome back to the REAL group of death. Twenty-four teams and they can all beat each other. Updates from the Championship on their way.