Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Middlesbrough

 

A dramatic injury-time header by substitute Benni McCarthy rescued a point for Blackburn with at Ewood Park.

McCarthy levelled after heading home Brett Emerton's corner, which Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson had come up for in the dying seconds of the game.

Boro had taken a 74th-minute lead when Afonso Alves hit the ball past Robinson from the edge of the box.

Earlier Tuncay Sanli had a overhead kick wrongly disallowed for Boro.
Jeremie Aliadiere hit the bar, and Rovers' Roque Santa Cruz hit the post.

Blackburn manager Paul Ince:
"I am delighted and I'm a bit angry and annoyed.

"It would have been a travesty if we had come away from that game with nothing. I have told the lads when you are on top you need to take your chances.

"I always said when I first came to Blackburn if we get a fit and hungry Benni McCarthy he will always be in my side.

"He's a fantastic guy, he's always smiling and he does try hard."

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate:
"It's always painful but I think we've given a performance which restored some pride after last week.

"There were lots of positives to take form it even though we were disappointed at the end. We wanted them to respond in the right way.

"I've got to be pleased with the players, they couldn't have given more than they gave."

Blackburn: Robinson, Simpson, Ooijer, Nelsen, Olsson (Treacy 81), Emerton, Grella, Warnock, Villanueva, Roque Santa Cruz, Derbyshire (McCarthy 65).
Subs Not Used: Brown, Kerimoglu, Khizanishvili, Andrews, Roberts.

Booked: Derbyshire, Olsson, Grella.

Goals: McCarthy 90.

Middlesbrough: Turnbull, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard, Downing, Alves, Sanli (Emnes 85).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Shawky, Adam Johnson, John Johnson, Grounds.

Booked: Wheater.

Goals: Alves 74.

Att: 17,606

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).