Middlesbrough 3 Scunthorpe United 0

Dec 27 2009 Sunday Sun

BUBBLING Boro turned on the style with a devastating first-half display to rip apart shell-shocked Scunthorpe.

It was new boss Gordon Strachan’s first victory at the Riverside Stadium at the fifth attempt and it was delivered with punch and panache.

Boro were handed a major boost after just nine minutes as the visitors had defender Chris Byrne sent off for a foul on Jeremie Aliadiere and Adam Johnson drilled in from the spot.

But Boro had already set out their stall with a sizzling opening. By then they could have been three up.

In a fantastic first half, Boro had 13 shots on goal, hit the woodwork four times and had the visitors reeling before goals either side of the break sealed the result.

In the second minute, a deft touch on from Gary O’Neil sent Leroy Lita surging to the edge of the box and, with keeper Joe Murphy advancing quickly, he slotted a low shot past him that fizzed just inches wide.

A minute later after Boro swarmed through in numbers, Isaiah Osbourne picked up a loose ball 20 yards out and checked inside to find space, then drilled a sizzling low effort that came back off the foot of the far post.

And as Boro set the early pace they threatened again on eight minutes as full-back Tony McMahon got down the right and crossed in for Rhys Williams to send a header flying wide.

But the pressure told as Boro went ahead in the 10th minute from the penalty spot.

O’Neil played a long ball into the box and when Teesside-born Scunthorpe captain Rob Jones’ header squirted down into the box, Aliadiere chased it and as he shaped to shoot, he was bundled over from behind by Byrne.

The ref quickly pointed to the spot and sent off the visiting defender before fit-again flanker Johnson stepped up to rifle home his penalty low and to the right.

And Boro threatened again on 13 minutes when O’Neil collected a Williams ball on the edge of the box and lashed in a first-time low effort that deflected off defenders’ shins and flew just wide.

And on 18 minutes they went close as Williams weaved to the edge of the box, slotted the ball inside for O’Neil to unleash a thunderbolt that keeper Murphy could only palm downwards, then he looked in horror as it spun between his legs and goalwards but he recovered to scoop it up before it crossed the line.

And on 20 minutes they went close again as Johnson skipped down the left and pushed a low ball into the box for Aliadiere to shoot on the turn and graze the outside of the post.

As the one-way traffic continued, Osbourne crashed a shot narrowly over from the edge of the box and Lita surged into the area on to a ball from Aliadiere, but the keeper was out quickly to gather before he could connect.

Scuthorpe carved out their first chance of the game on 27 minutes as they won a free-kick 25 yards out and when Thompson rolled it inside, O’Connor scooped it up and skipped over a challenge to hammer a 20-yard shot just over.

A minute later Thompson got down the right and crossed to the far post where O’Connor was arriving but alert McMahon was there in the nick of time to head clear.

Boro might have had a second goal on 32 minutes as Osbourne and Williams combined well to carve open Scunthorpe down the middle. When the ball was played out wide, McMahon curled a cross to the far post for Johnson to square to Aliadiere but his shot from six yards was blocked by a crowd on the line.

As it bounced around two yards out, the keeper got down to smother before Lita could stab it in.

On 37 minutes they went close again as McMahon took a quick throw and O’Neil picked out Lita on the right of the box and he muscled his way through two challenges to the byline before his low shot from a tight angle was scrambled away.

On 39 minutes an O’Neil free-kick from the right caused a scare before it was hacked clear.

And on 42 minutes they went close again as Johnson picked up a loose ball on the right, then audaciously tricked his way round Jones to get to the byline before cutting the ball back for Lita but his shot was charged down by a crowd at the near post.