Wanderers slipped into the bottom three of the Premiership after high-flying Middlesbrough gave them a roasting.

Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock was at the Riverside to cover the action for this website.

14:41: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2002

BARCLAYCARD PREMIERSHIP

MIDDLESBROUGH V WANDERERS

NORMAL service was resumed, selectionwise at least, as Sam Allardyce picked his strongest available team for Wanderers' return to Premiership action at The Riverside.

Having made 10 changes, all by choice, for the disastrous midweek Worthington Cup tie against Bury, the Bolton boss made 10 more - only Ivan Campo retaining his place in the starting line-up.

As expected, Kevin Nolan returned to action after making a rapid recovery from the groin injury that kept him out of the Arsenal and Southampton games - Gareth Farrelly dropping down to the subs' bench. But Allardyce sprang a surprise in the front line with Henrik Pedersen replacing Michael Ricketts, who was also among the subs. So too was Jay Jay Okocha, who was passed fit after missing the 1-0 Bury defeat with bruised ribs.

Boro fared better in the Worthington Cup, winning 4-1 at Brentford, but Steve McClaren still reverted to his full strength line-up with changes from 1-11.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Southgate, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Geremi, Boateng, Greening, Boksic, Job, Maccarone. Subs:

Crossley, Cooper, Whelan, Marinelli Nemeth.

Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Barness, Bergsson, Whitlow, Charlton, Frandsen, Campo, Nolan, Djorkaeff, Pedersen, Holdsworth.

Subs: Poole, Okocha, Farrelly, Ricketts, Tofting.

Referee: Clive Wilkes (Gloucester).

15:52: MIDDLESBROUGH 1, WANDERERS 0.

Half-time

ENGLAND defender Ugo Ehiogu broke Wanderers' resilience when he put Middlesbrough ahead in the 23rd minute of a virtually one-sided first half at The Riverside.

Seconds after doing a superb shepherding job to snuff out Youri Djorkaff at one end, the big defender was riding high at the other to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen with a powerful header from Geremi's corner.

It was no more than brilliant Boro deserved. Massimo Maccarone, Alen Boksic and George Boateng all went close to rounding off lightning quick attacks that Gudni Bergsson and Co appeared to have no answer to.

Yet Per Frandsen mustered the first shot on target and Kevin Nolan brought a good save out of Mark Schwarzer three minutes before the break to suggest that it was not necessarily a lost cause.

16:56: MIDDLESBROUGH 2, WANDERERS 0.

WANDERERS left Teesside beaten and, at times, bewildered by brilliant Boro but furious that the goal that finally broke their spirit should not have stood.

Virtually over-run in the first half, they were working hard to cancel out Ugo Ehiogu's 23rd minute opener when they were hit by a double whammy. Referee Clive Wilkes ignored appeals for a foul when Joseph Job left Anthony Barness in a heap then his assistant kept his flag down as Geremi raced clear to finish confidently.

Kevin Nolan and Youri Djorkaeff threatened an equaliser as Wanderers looked a much better unit in the second half with Michael Ricketts on for Dean Holdsworth but Boro always had the quality and the class and would have been two-up on 61 minutes if Massimo Maccarone had not missed a sitter when he fluffed a header.

It was all too late but Wanderers fashioned a string of chances at the end - Ricketts firing off-target when clean through, Henrik Pedersen having a shot deflected and Djorkaeff clipping the crossbar from a tight angle, teed up by Ricketts.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Southgate, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Geremi, Boateng, Greening, Boksic, Job, Maccarone. Subs: Nemeth for Boksic 72 mins, Cooper for Stockdale 81 mins, Whelan for Maccarone 90 mins. Not used: Crossley, Whelan, Nemeth.

Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Barness, Bergsson, Whitlow, Charlton, Frandsen, Campo, Nolan, Djorkaeff, Pedersen, Holdsworth. Subs: Farrelly for Charlton (h-t), Ricketts for Holdsworth (h-t), Okocha for Frandsen 72 mins. Not used: Poole, Tofting.

Referee: Clive Wilkes (Gloucester).

Attendance: 31,005.