Paul Gascoigne was denied a dramatic late winner for Middlesbrough at Ewood
Park by the width of the crossbar.
The mercurial midfielder was on the bench but came on just after the hour mark.
Gascoigne had made little impression on the game until in the final minute
when Boro won a free-kick 22 yards out on the left-hand edge of the Rovers area.
But unlike his effort for Comic Relief, this free-kick bounced off the
crossbar with Blackburn goalkeeper John Filan beaten. If his shot had gone in
that would have been very unfair on relegation-threatened Rovers who were on top
for most of the game.
They created most of the best chances, although they failed to convert any of
them into goals. Blackburn had gone straight on the attack against Boro, who
were without the suspended trio of Steve Vickers, Gianluca Festa and Robbie
Mustoe.
Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer held Chris Sutton's flick at the second attempt
before Matt Jansen headed over from a fine Jason McAteer delivery.
Boro stirred and after they had a half-hearted penalty appeal for handball
turned down, Dean Gordon forced a decent save from Filan with a header from a
Neil Maddison corner.
McAteer was Blackburn's most creative force and Jansen headed wide from
another teasing cross from the Republic of Ireland international. Perhaps
spurred on by McAteer behind him, Damien Johnson got into the game and from his
cross Ashley Ward forced a good save from Schwarzer low down to his right.
Blackburn kept pressing and Jason Wilcox, who signed a five-year contract this
week, ballooned the ball into the arms of Schwarzer from a promising opening on
the edge of the area. Gordon should also have done better when he squandered a
good chance to open the scoring just before half-time when the ball fell to him
in the area, but he miscued his shot wide.
Blackburn continued to make most of the running after the interval and
Schwarzer stopped Jansen's left-foot shot before Colin Cooper completed the
clearance. Callum Davidson then went on a run from left back and he advanced
unchallenged until just outside the Boro box where he unleashed a drive which
went just wide.
But for all Rovers' pressing, Boro still caused the home side one or two
nervous moments and Ricard was just inches away from directing Stockdale's drive
into the net.
Rovers began to flag midway through the half and boss Brian Kidd responded by
making a double substitution. On came Lee Carsley for his debut and the
fully-fit Keith Gillespie. By now Blackburn were getting sloppy and Sutton swung
and missed at Wilcox's cross before Davidson lifted a shot onto the roof of the
net instead of the back of the goal after Schwarzer had palmed a cross to him.
The visiting fans had spent the second half calling for Gascoigne to come on
and after an hour Middlesbrough manager Bryan Robson bowed to the cries.
Davidson tried his luck again, this time with a right-foot drive which went
just over the top. As the clock ticked down, Robson handed Keith O'Neill has
debut when he brought him on for Andy Townsend.
Then came Gascoigne's moment of brilliance, but not even that could break the
deadlock.
Teams
Blackburn: Filan, McAteer, Henchoz, Peacock, Davidson,
Johnson (Gillespie 61), Marcolin (Carsley 61), Wilcox, Sutton,
Jansen (Davies 86), Ward.
Subs Not Used: Broomes, Flowers.
Booked: Marcolin, McAteer.
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Pallister, Harrison, Gordon,
Maddison (Gascoigne 69), Cooper, Summerbell,
Townsend (O'Neill 78), Deane, Ricard.
Subs Not Used: Moore, Kinder, Beresford.
Booked: Stockdale, Summerbell, Gascoigne.
Att: 27,482
Ref: A Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).
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