Middlesbrough midfielder Paul Gascoigne effectively threw his season away as
his side were plunged into ever-deeper relegation trouble.
The 32-year-old former England star broke his forearm as he lunged at Villa
midfielder George Boateng five minutes before half-time.
Just as in the 1991 FA Cup final, when Gascoigne severely damaged his knee
following a reckless challenge, it appeared as though he had contributed to his
own downfall.
But while Gascoigne's folly may have been sad enough, it was the way his side
capitulated with barely a murmur which was the greater cause for concern.
Boro, who have now won just one of their last 11 Premiership games, fell
behind after 11 minutes when Benito Carbone was gifted possession by Gianluca
Festa and the Italian made no mistake to put his side ahead.
The former Sheffield Wednesday player made it two on 65 minutes with a
deflected shot.
But it was strike partner Julian Joachim who heaped the humiliation on Boro as
he grabbed two goals within five minutes to confirm the Teessiders' status as
relegation contenders.
Villa did not even have to be at their best to see off Bryan Robson's side by
extending their unbeaten Premiership run to eight games.
Boro, missing several key players through injury, suspension and international
call-ups, looked badly misshapen.
And with Coventry and Leeds due to visit the Riverside Stadium in the next
fortnight, they find themselves in a desperate situation.
They have not won a top-flight game in February since 1981 and on this
evidence they look unlikely to do so this year.
The reception was mixed as the final whistle put the home fans out of their
agony, some fans expressing their loyalty while other booed a dreadful display.
Robson had spent the time since the 2-1 defeat at Leicester last weekend
talking up the powers of Gascoigne as he prepared for a difficult run of games.
So it was no surprise when the former England star was included in the
starting line-up in place of the suspended Christian Ziege.
Goalkeeper Marlon Beresford also got his chance, with Mark Schwarzer on
international duty with Australia, in a game his side could simply not afford to
lose.
Improving Villa made just one change to the side which beat Watford 4-0 last
weekend with skipper Gareth Southgate returning in place of Colin Calderwood.
That meant a first return to the Riverside Stadium for Paul Merson, whose name
was predictably booed when the teams were announced.
But Gascoigne's injury proved the main talking point of a drab first half in
which Villa were marginally the better of two drastically under-performing
sides.
Carbone's goal came after Festa badly miscontrolled the ball just outside his
own penalty area and his fellow Italian raced away to slot a shot past the
stranded Beresford.
Boro almost levelled from their only genuine chance of the half when Gascoigne
and Colin Cooper, playing out of position at left-back, combined to allow
makeshift striker Keith O'Neill to drive in a low cross which defender Gareth
Barry almost turned into his own net.
But while Robson may have been worried by the space afforded to Steve Stone
and Mark Delaney down the Villa right and the pace of Carbone and Joachim, that
paled into insignificance when Gascoigne and Boateng clashed in the middle of
the field.
The extent of the injury was initially unclear after Gascoigne's forearm made
contact with the head of Boateng, who was able to continue after lengthy
treatment.
But what was certain was that the Boro midfielder left the pitch in agony on a
stretcher as he famously had done at Wembley almost nine years earlier.
If the Boro fans had hoped for better things after the break they were to be
sadly disillusioned as an insipid fightback attempt dissolved into farce.
Joachim had already fired a warning shot across Beresford's bows when he
sparked the attack which saw his side extend their lead on 65 minutes.
It was his pass to substitute Lee Hendrie, on for a clearly disappointed
Merson, which set the ball rolling.
And when Hendrie found Carbone the Italian drove in a shot which ricocheted
off the unfortunate Mark Summerbell and into the net.
Large sections of the home support voted with their feet five minutes later
when Beresford could only parry Steve Stone's shot and Joachim guided his shot
home from close range.
The remaining Boro supporters greeted their manager with choruses of "Robson,
what's the score?" when, 15 minutes from time, Alan Wright broke into the
penalty area and crossed for the diminutive Joachim to rise unopposed and head
past Beresford to make it 4-0.
Carbone whistled a shot just wide as the home defence crumbled once again, and
although the Teessiders battled hard for some consolation the mood on the
terraces was ugly to say the least.
Teams
Middlesbrough: Beresford, Fleming (Maddison 76), Festa,
Pallister, Cooper, Gascoigne (Stamp 45), Ince, Summerbell,
Juninho, Campbell, O'Neill (Armstrong 73).
Subs Not Used: Roberts, Gavin.
Booked: Festa, Cooper.
Aston Villa: James (Cutler 84), Delaney, Ehiogu, Southgate,
Barry, Wright, Merson (Hendrie 63), Boateng (Taylor 73), Stone, Carbone, Joachim.
Subs Not Used: Walker, Samuel.
Goals: Carbone 11, 65, Joachim 70, 75.
Att: 31,571
Ref: A Wilkie (Chester Le Street).
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