Middlesbrough 2 Doncaster Rovers 0

Aug 23 2009 Sunday Sun

BORO were left hanging on as they clocked up a 2-0 win over Doncaster Rovers with a solid team performance.

The rock-solid side had to dig in against a patient passing Rovers team to record a fourth successive clean sheet at the start of the season for the first time since Bryan Robson’s debut campaign in 1994/95.

And they struggled at times to impose themselves despite long spells of possession and some frustrating moments in the first half when the offside flag was their toughest opponent.

But they showed they had the extra quality that counts in front of goal as first Turkish international Tuncay blasted them ahead in the first half then Leroy Lita bagged his first for the club to seal it after the break.

Boro started brightly and had Rovers on the back foot with good probes down both flanks as Tony McMahon’s cross from the right was hacked clear, then after some tricky footwork Marvin Emnes chipped in a ball that a defender just took off Leroy Lita’s toes.

Boro went close to an opener on five minutes as Lita scooped up a poor defensive header to pick out Adam Johnson on the edge of the box and he held the ball while full-back Jonathan Grounds overlapped and pulled a defender away, then Johnson turned inside and drilled in a cracking shot that sent Neil Sullivan diving to save superbly.

And a minute later the ball was in the net as Lita nipped through on to a Mark Yeates ball and rounded the keeper to slot home, but the flag had already gone up for offside.

Doncaster’s first chance came on 10 minutes as a patient passing move found John Oster 20 yards out, but Boro keeper Danny Coyne went full-length to save.

Straight up the other end, Boro suffered a blow on 11 minutes as Rovers keeper Sullivan raced out of his box to wipe out Emnes as the striker raced with Lockwood to a ball from Yeates.

The defender got a toe in to clear the ball but the keeper kept on steam and collided heavily with Emnes, and was perhaps lucky to escape with just a yellow card, while after lengthy treatment the Dutch hitman was stretchered off suffering from concussion, Tuncay taking his place.

The Turkish talisman made a dramatic entrance, scoring within a minute of his introduction.

Tuncay tussled with a defender out on the left touchline for a high ball forward and won then slipped it inside for Lita before dashing forward for the return and showing quality and composure he held off a challenge to carry the ball into the box then drilled an unstoppable low 15-yard shot under the diving keeper on 16 minutes.