Live: Middlesbrough 0 Everton 1

By Graeme Bailey   Last updated: 26th December 2008  

Live: Middlesbrough 0 Everton 1

Full Time90 Full time, the whistle goes and Boro can have no complaints as Everton take the win.

90 Johnson wins free-kick in the corner off Baines. Downing takes to back post, it comes for Emnes but he misses the ball in six-yard box - sums up Boro's day.

90 Four minutes of added time here as Boro finally look put the away side under some pressure.

Yellow Card90 McMahon booked for pulling back Arteta.

89 Real chance for Boro to level lare on. Long ball is flicked on by Mido and Alves take the ball down and shoots over from six-yards. Unlucky from the Brazilian.

Yellow Card88 Taylor booked for hauling back Gosling.

Substitution85 Final change for Boro as Dutchman Marvin Emnes comes on for O'Neil.

82 The expected late charge from Boro - still hasnt emerged. Not good from Southgate's men here.

77 Great save by Turnbull as Golsing looks to get on the end of Pienaar's cross. He almost got the better of Taylor - who was asleep at the back post. Turnbull is bleeding from a cut near his eye after stopping Gosling's effort, so play is delayed.

75 Good block from Jagielka as he denies Alves after another good ball from Johnson.

73 More good work from Johnson as he looks for Alves - good impact from the young winger.

Yellow Card72 Johnson is booked for diving in the box as he jinked his way into the box - could have gone either way.

Substitution70 Second change for Boro as Adam Johnson comes on for Aliadiere.

68 Boro looking to get back into match here but it is still Everton hugging the ball and not giving the home side much chance.

Yellow Card66 Riggott is booked for bringing down Fellaini.

65 Another Everton corner as McMahon puts it behind. Arteta takes but Riggott heads clear.

62 Half a chance as Downing gets behind Hibbert - but he can't beat Howard who claims it with ease.

61 Boro corner as they push forward at last as Aliadiere wins a corner. Set-piece comes in and McMahon volleys just wide, unlucky from the full-back.

57 Big miss from Golsing. More good work from Fellaini as it comes for Golsing, who fires over from four-yards - should have been a debut goal!

Substitution55 Change for Boro and it is Afonso Alves and he is taking Tuncay off - not very popular choice with the home fans. Strange one, given how poor the midfield four have been.

54 McMahon dives in on Pienaar and is lucky not to get a card. Another set-piece chance for Everton - Arteta takes but Boro clear this time with McMahon winning the header.

Goal51 GOAL - Shocking defending from Boro as the ball comes into the six-yard box. Turnbull saves from Cahill, but only Arca tries to stop the Aussie getting the rebound and he slots it home. Everton take the lead and fully deserved.

50 Another corner for Everton - number 7 if your keeping count. And this time it counts.

Steve Cavanagh and Joe Murphy bopth wanting to know how Gosling is doing - well very well I must admit, he looks an attack-minded midfielder, who fits in very well around the likes of Arteta and Pienaar.

47 Better start from Boro, with Downing already seeing more of the ball.

46 Boro get the second half underway - no changes at the moment.

Half Time45 Whistle goes for half-time. Goalless but Eveton very much the better side.

45 Just one minute of added time here.

Yellow Card45 Arca is booked for crudely dragging back Arteta.

43 Great chance for Lescott as Arteta's corner comes for him in six-yard box but he mis-hits it and it flys backwards - shocking effort from the England man, who should have opened the scoring.

42 Everton free-kick on edge of the box after Riggott pulls back Cahill. Real chance here. Baines goes for goal but it comes off the wall and goes behind.

42 Both sides are getting frustrated with Mr Riley here as he is blowing for everything here.

41 Great chance for debutant Gosling as he is sent clear by Pienaar but his first touch lets him down and he fires across goal.

39 Gosling appears lucky to escape a yellow as he jumps into Turnbull. He just gets a talking too.

38 Gosling comes close as Arteta, Baines and Pienaar combine to set-up the youngster - but his shot is deflected wide. Again, though, an Everton foul is given.

36 Better from Boro. This time Downing's shot falls for Mido, he turns in the box but Lescott makes a crucial block.

34 Another corner down the Boro right for Everton. Arteta takes again, but he can't beat the first-man as the home side clear their lines.

33 Some nice football from Boro and they win a corner. Downing takes it, and the ball is cleared - but only as far as O'Neil - whose volley is brilliantly tipped wide by Howard. Great stop from the American.

31 Just wide from Phil Neville, but Arca was to blame as Pienaar robbed him of the ball in the middle of the park.

Yellow Card30 Fellaini is booked mainly for petulance as he has committed a string of minor fouls already today.

28 Great chance for Everton as Pienaar smashes the ball against the post after Cahill picked him out in the box. Boro hanging on at the moment.

25 Another Everton corner, this time as Pienaar breaks into the box but his cross is blocked by Pogatetz. Boro struggle to clear their lines but eventually Andrew Taylor fires the ball down the line to safety.

Well seems to be mainly Everton fans tuning in today and again we welcome you all from around the globe, with John in Western Canada and Joe Murphy in Libya.

22 Downing gets down the left for the first time and gets his cross in - but it is only to a Blue shirt and they look to counter but Boro manage to get back and snub out what looked a decent chance for Everton.

20 Free-kick for Everton as McMahon is penalised for challenge on Fellaini, again a soft looking decision from Mr Riley. 35-yards out, Arteta swings it in - but it is too close to Turnbull who claims it.

18 Boro break down the over end and win their own corner as O'Neil sees his cross defelect off Baines, but Everton clear with relative ease.

17 Another Everton corner as Gosling and Pienaar combine to play in Baines down the left and his cross is put behind by Chris Riggott. Arteta takes, but again Mike Riley blows for another foul.

16 The home fans are pretty subdued here and that is because Everton are doing all the asking, although they are yet to create anything clear-cut - but they look the most likely at this stage.

14 First chance for Boro as Mido wins a flick-on and it drops for Tuncay, he has plenty of room on the edge of the box but he fires straight at Tim Howard - a decent chance for the Turk.

11 Gosling sees the ball for the first-time and he breaks into the box and wins a corner. Arteta again is over it, but once again Turnbull is fouled in the area. Looks like Everton are going to try and make the most of their set-pieces here.

10 Foul given against Aliadiere for push on Leighton Baines. Looked harsh but Mikel Arteta swings it in, it comes for Steven Pienaar and he fires the ball into the net - but it won't be given as Joleon Lescott charged into Ross Turnbull.

6 Tim Cahill continues in his forward role today and he is unlucky to see Marouane Fellaini stray into an offside position as he wins a nice flick.

Not much reaction so far, but a couple of opinions in. Swedish-based Boro fan Lasse Aberg is hoping I don't report any Evreton goals - but Marlon Wilson thinks the Toffees will claim a 2-1 win!

3 First attack sees Jeremie Aliadiere progress down the right flank but his cross is cleared by Phil Neville.

2 Very much a midfield battle at the moment with neither side managing to string anything more than a couple of passes together.

1 Everton get us underway kicking from right to left towards the Boro end.

Sky Bet I have also had a chance to go through the betting with our friends at SkyBet. Why not have a go? Mido - who is back in the Boro side - looks a decent bet at 13/2

Middlesbrough: Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Arca, Downing, Sanli, Mido.

Subs: Jones, Emnes, Alves, Huth, Johnson, Wheater, Walker.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Arteta, Neville, Fellaini, Pienaar, Gosling, Cahill.

Subs: Nash, Van der Meyde, Rodwell, Jutkiewicz, Anichebe, Kissock, Wallace.

Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire)

The teams have both been confirmed, with changes made by both Gareth Southgate and David Moyes. Leon Osman is sidelined for Everton, meaning Dan Golsing comes in for his debut, whilst Victor Anichebe is fit enough only for a place on the bench. Boro have dropped Robert Huth and Adam Johnson to the bench. Gary O'Neil, Andrew Taylor and Mido come in.

I will be guiding your through the action today, so please drop me a line, on what you think might happen or anything to do with Boro or Everton. My email is graeme.bailey@bskyb.com.

Welcome to our live minute-by-minute coverage of Middlesbrough versus Everton from The Riverside Stadium.

Bet on Boro - Everton