Just 90 minutes away! The headline on the front of the Evening Gazette summed up the excitement.
Boro were closing in on a trip to Wembley.
After a true test of grit more than anything else against Sheffield United on this day in 2008 in an FA Cup fifth round replay at the Riverside Stadium, fans were starting to believe.
Why shouldn’t they?
Yes, Manchester United and Chelsea were still in the competition and had been handed what looked like winnable ties but all Boro had to do was sweep aside Cardiff in the last eight to book a semi-final trip to Wembley.
A home tie against lower league opposition to win a spot in the last four of the FA Cup.
It almost seemed too good to be true.
But for long periods against Sheffield United, it appeared the Blades were going to hold out and take dominant Boro to a penalty shoot-out.
The hosts were on top throughout.
The only surprise was the fact it took 114 minutes for the deadlock to be broken - the hapless Paddy Kenny inadvertently slapping the ball over his own line after Mido’s strike bounced back off the woodwork.
It was the very least Boro deserved.
Afonso Alves, making his first start for Boro, partnered Mido up top and the duo caused the visitors no end of problems.
Downing was a constant menace down the left while Rochemback and Arca carved out chance after chance.
But none of that would have mattered if Sheffield United had held on for a lottery from the spot.
“The longer it went on, the prize that was at stake started to take its toll on the game and the more it looked like it was going to be one goal that decided it, the game got a bit scrappier,” said a relieved Gareth Southgate after the game.
“They pushed us all the way and it was a scrappy, quite fortuitous goal that got it for us.
“But I felt it was our character and guts that saw us through.”
Unfortunately it would be the lack of character and guts that cost Boro at the quarter-final stage as the Wembley doors were slammed in their face.
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