The red entries in the cost of opportunities lost in away games column continue to mount up for Boro – and at just the wrong time.
After an uneven month, yesterday’s reverse completed a brace of blanks on their travels in a week with failings at both ends of the pitch on both occasions.
With two of the three Ides of March fixtures being away from The Riverside, Boro had better beware.
Even in this strangest of does anyone actually want top slot Championship seasons, not taking anything at Derby and Bournemouth will be damaging.
The vital importance of a three points against Ipswich next Saturday is also now double underlined in the ledger.
That means more work at Rockliffe in the coming week with Special K needing to find a way to get his charges to pay attention in a way the head coach admitted they hadn’t for the Forest game.
A clearly annoyed and frustrated Karanka said his side had not played well or done the things they had been drilled to do and so they lost.
Aitor Karanka
It’s hard to disagree with that assessment but I’d challenge his implied assertion that the issues are all with a back seven that is struggling for what used to be stock in trade clean sheets.
Yes, Boro never got a grip on Antonio and, having got ahead, conceded two eminently avoidable goals through routes that were predicted in advance and prepared for.
As if to underline the threat caused by backing off a midfield runner, Lansbury was allowed a couple of sighters before Gardner struck from distance to equalise.
Even blinded by the light of the slanting sun in the Bridgeford Stand the magnificent parmo army could see it coming and the very premature ‘we are top of the league, say...’ stuck in throats.
In the second half, Boro’s back line was pulled apart by a Forest break and a chasm opened up in the centre to give Blackstock a chance that even a striker struggling for goals couldn’t fail with – and he didn’t.
But The Teessiders also fired blanks up front and as the second half developed they ran out of attacking ideas to convert domination of territory and possession into goals.
Grant Leadbitter celebrates after putting Boro ahead at Forest
They played into The Trees’ trap by narrowing attacks into the central areas the home side had choked off with numbers or trying to flank it with full backs.
Instead of varying their game they just kept repeating moves that didn’t penetrate and final balls that lacked any imagination or quality.
Darlow didn’t have to dirty his gloves until the 90th minute and that was an entirely routine catch.
Other than Leadbelter’s very welcome but fluked opener that came from his chipped cross coming back off the far post and in off a defender’s back, the closest Boro got was Kike hitting a post late on when he should have hit the target.
Failing at both ends adds up to the reds dropping to bottom of a top four that can’t yet be separated on points but are by goal difference with the rest of the leading eight breathing down their necks.
Boro’s next steps must be onward and upward with best foot forward and shut outs at the back.
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