Middlesbrough 0 West Brom 5

Sep 20 2009 Sunday Sun

BORO will have to reassess their promotion credentials after being crushed by West Ham in a one-sided top of the table clash at the Riverside.

They kicked off in second spot and just one point behind the Baggies but by the end the teams looked leagues apart.

They may argue that the decisive opening goal was a freak deflection after a free-kick that should really have gone the other way, but the truth is that they were out-played and out-muscled by a superior side.

It was a returning old boy who started the collapse, as Chris Brunt scored twice in 12 first-half minutes and after that, Boro huffed and puffed but never looked likely to claw their way back.

Boro started brightly and in the first 10 minutes looked the likelier to score.

In the first minute, Tony McMahon robbed a sluggish Jerome Thomas on the right then curled a cross in, and when Olsson chested it down six yards out, keeper Carson had to be off his line quickly to beat Jeremie Aliadiere to the loose ball.

A minute later they went close again, as McMahon’s throw was only half cleared, and Rhys Williams drilled a 25-yard shot over the bar then on six minutes after a neat move down the right.

Then Aliadiere squeezed a low ball through the box to Marvin Emnes but his shot was charged down by Shelton Martis. Soon after, Rhys Williams was brought down as he tried to skip into the box and from the resulting free-kick, Adam Johnson sent an effort dipping over.