MIDDLESBROUGH   V   CHELSEA

KICK OFF

3pm

DATE

Saturday 25th September 1999

FA Carling Premiership

FIXTURE

The Riverside Stadium

AT

ATTENDENCE

MAN OF THE MATCH

SCORE

Bernard Lambourde

34,183

1-0

SCORERS

CHELSEA

Lambourde 54

REFEREE

Paul Alcock

REFS PERFORMANCE

3/10

ASSISTANT REFEREES

C.Bassindale
P. Barston

TEAMS

CHELSEA

Ed De Goey, Bernard Lambourde, Marcel Desailly,Frank Leboeuf, Graeme Le Saux, Dan Petrescu, Didier Deschamps, Dennis Wise, Gabrielle Ambrosetti, Gianfranco Zola, Chris Sutton

Substitutes

Babayaro (Ambrosetti) Flo (Zola) Morris (Deschamps) Hogh, Cudicini

BOOKED

Sutton, Desailly, Petrescu, Deschamps

MIDDLESBROUGH

Schwarzer, Festa, Pallister, Cooper, Fleming, Juninho, Ince,O'Neill, Ziege, Ricard, Deane

Substitutes

Gascoigne (Deane) Vickers, Armstrong, Roberts

Ziege, O'Neil, Ricard, Cooper Gascoigne (Sent Off)

BOOKED

MATCH REPORT

On the way up there on the coach I was thinking to myself what have I let myself in for , travelling some 5 hours on a coach to see Chelsea lose.

By the statistics Chelsea had not a hope in hell from beating Boro up at there place, history shows Chelsea have not beat Middlesbrough up there since 1931 so the omens were not good.

When the team was announced I was shocked to hear that Ferrer or Poyet were not playing and suspect that they were injured and I suppose given more time to recuperate for the Galatasaray game on Tuesday night.

In a uneventfull first half Chelsea yet again looked like scoring and our midfield did see to want to get stuck in and win the ball, so few chances were created from any loose balls.

Bernard Lambourde was by far the best player on the park and played very well in the right back position.

Apart from a header from Zola following a lovely cross by Sutton we never troubled Boro goalkeeper Schwarzer.

In the secoond period Middlesbrough had 2 penalty claims turned down by referee Paul Alcock who was a absolute disgrace.

Thre was so many incidents happening off the ball which he failed to see, and when he did he booked 8 players all told for very minor fouls.

With his constant blowing up for free kicks he ruined the game and never allowed the game to flow.

Chelsea in the second half really took the game to Boro and we started to press there midfield much more, with Wisey working is socks off

The breakthrough came after intense pressure put on the Boro defence when Sutton was quite clearly brought down just outside the box by Pallister and Chelsea were awarded a free kick in "Zola Territory"

The little mans resultant free kick caught Schwarzer napping and all he could do to stop the goalbound shot was to palm into onto the bar and somehow amoungst the scramble to clear the ball away Bernard Lambourde managed to steer the ball into the net.

The remaining part of game saw Chelsea consolidating the  lead and the only other bright moment was when Gascoigne was sent off for swearing at the Asisstant Referee.

A special message must go to the travelling Blue Army who sang right through the game as opposed to the the Boro fans who very rarely sang, it reminded me a bit like Old Trafford.

I have to the say the Stadium is fantastic and the view superb.

Now we have finally beaten Boro up there, is this the turning point for us this season ?"

Viva Vialli