Middlesbrough 1 West Ham United 2
A LATE winner from Scott Parker saw West Ham come from behind to win their first top flight game on Teesside since 1982, writes GORDON COX from the Riverside.
Gareth Southgate was forced into two changes from the side which beat Derby, replacing the suspended Fabio Rochemback and hamstring victim Gary O'Neil with Adam Johnson and Julio Arca, who started a game for the first time since September.
Alan Curbishley was also forced into two changes as James Collins (groin) and Carlton Cole (suspended) were replaced by Jonathan Spector and Henri Camara.
Boro started with Stewart Downing on the right and Johnson on the left. It was from the left that Boro created their first chance with two minutes played as Arca linked well with Tuncay, who was dispossessed inside the penalty area at the expense of a corner.
Poorly delivered, it was easily cleared.
Boro again marauded down the left with a backheel from Tuncay sending Emanuel Pogatetz away on the overlap. A deep cross flew through the penalty area and was headed behind for another corner as Downing closed in.
Downing took the corner, delivering low and hard and Tuncay just missed with a repeat effort from last week at Derby, this time just failing to make contact.
Down the right came a confident looking Boro and an attempted overhead cross from Boateng was deflected away for yet another flag kick. United scrambled clear but Downing took possession and a low cross was just missed by Jeremie Aliadiere.
When Jonathan Woodgate was adjudged to have brought down Camara, West Ham were awarded a free kick on the goal line a few yards away from the corner flag.
A good delivery was headed behind by David Wheater, but the rare chance seemed to bring relief to a West Ham side who had by and large been penned in somewhere between the halfway line and the edge of their own penalty area.
But along with Liverpool the Hammers have the joint best defensive record away from home in the Barclays Premier League having, coming into this game, conceded just five in eight games and as a result direct chances were limited.
Suddenly the visitors broke down the Boro right and swung a good ball into the Boro box which Freddie Ljungberg volleyed towards goal and a deflection off Woodgate brought a corner.
The 31st-minute booking of George Boateng for a foul on Ljungberg carried more significance than just a yellow card, it was his fifth of the season and he will now miss next Saturday's game at Portsmouth.
The breakthrough came six minutes from half-time when Boro were awarded a free-kick a few yards up from the left-hand edge of the West Ham penalty area. Downing delivered to the back post, Aliadiere, unchallenged, headed back into the six-yard box and David Wheater tucked in from close range.
The lead lasted four minutes.
A lofted, speculative up and under was lofted to the edge of the Boro penalty area, Camara miscontrolled but the ball ran to Dean Ashton who drilled an excellent low shot away to Mark Schwarzer's right from around 20 yards.
Half-time: Middlesbrough 1 West Ham United 1
Downing and Johnson switched wings at the start of the second half, but Boro were soon under pressure at the back as Wheater was turned inside the penalty area by Camara who saw his cross clutched out of the air by Schwarzer.
Back came Boro and Arca and Downing combined to set up a Boro corner which was cleared.
Referee Martin Atkinson incurred the wrath of Boro's players and fans when awarding a series of free-kicks in favour of the Hammers. From one they almost took the lead when Nolberto Solano, from fully 25 yards, went for goal. His effort was dipping just under the bar until Schwarzer superbly tipped over.
A fine turn and run from Johnson ended with a low, skidding cross into the West Ham box which was cleared at full-stretch by Spector with Tuncay sliding in just behind.
Southgate was forced into a change with just over an hour as, for the third time in four games, Woodgate after suffering from cramp was replaced by Robert Huth.
Downing and Johnson switched wings again, but West Ham were a much more offensive unit in the second half and it was Boro midfield and defence who were the busier members and it took a timely clearance from Pogatetz to prevent Solano from having a clear close range shot on goal.
It became increasingly frustrating for Boro, despite good delivery into the penalty area from Downing and ever willing running through the team. United's game plan had worked well.
In the final minute of normal time the Hammers grabbed the winner when Scott Parker took possession just in from the left-hand edge of the Boro penalty area and wriggled his way past two challenges and drilled a powerful shot away to Schwarzer's right.
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer; Young, Woodgate (Huth 62), Wheater, Pogatetz, Johnson (Cattermole 76), Boateng (Capt), Arca, Downing, Aliadiere, Tuncay. Unused subs: Turnbull (gk); Shawky, Lee.
West Ham United: Green; Neill (Capt), Spector, Upson, McCartney, Solano (Noble 76), Parker, Mullins, Ljungberg, Ashton, Camara (Pantsill 85). Unused subs: Wright (gk); Dailly, Ephraim.
Referee: Martin Atkinson, West Yorkshire.
Bookings
Middlesbrough: Boateng, 31, foul; Arca, 66, foul.
West Ham United: Parker, 32, foul; Solano, 54, time-wasting.
Attendance: 26,007
Conditions: Cold and damp
Website Boro Man of the Match: George Boateng
