Middlesbrough 2 Bradford City 2 (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Middlesbrough 2 Bradford City 2

12:00am Saturday 25th November 2000 in Bantams

A last-minute strike from Boro captain Paul Ince denied Bradford City their first away win of the season at the Riverside this afternoon.

City looked to have banked the three points when they led 2-0 inside 10 minutes through Dean Windass and Benito Carbone.

But Boro pegged one back straight after half-time through Ugo Ehiogu and despite having Carlos Marinelli sent off, levelled just before the end with a close-range finish from Ince.

Billy McKinlay went straight into the Bradford City team the day after signing on a free transfer from Blackburn.

The Scot, who came in for Peter Beagrie, was one of three changes made by Jim Jefferies as he began his Bradford City reign with a relegation showdown.

Benito Carbone had sat on the bench as City slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Derby a week ago but he earned a starting chance with Stan Collymore dropping down to the substitutes.

And Andy O'Brien made his first start since breaking his collarbone on August 26 in place of the injured David Wetherall.

On the bench was another welcome face for City fans as Robbie Blake was included in the squad for the first time since the Intertoto Cup.

Boro boss Bryan Robson, fighting to save his job, gambled by throwing in Argentine teenager Carlos Marinelli for his full debut. Captain Paul Ince was back after five weeks out with a knee injury.

A half-empty but noisy stadium greeted the sides for a game both sides desperately needed to win.

And City made a sensational start by roaring into a second-minute lead after a dreadful error from Gianluca Festa.

The Italian defender, recently out-of-favour at Boro, was hailed as a hero when he came out but he immediately threw the home side into disarray.

Festa missed a penalty-area clearance on the rain-lashed surface under pressure from Jamie Lawrence and when he got the ball away, gave it straight to Carbone.

His cross was instant and pinpoint and Dean WINDASS rose above a defender to plant a header past Mark Schwarzer.

City, with McKinlay wearing 27 and operating in left midfield, almost had a second straight from the kick-off as Ashley Ward held off Curtis Fleming for a diving header from Dan Petrescu's cross, which Schwarzer smothered.

But City were not to be denied and stunned Boro by making it 2-0 after 10 minutes. Ian Nolan's long free-kick landed at CARBONE's feet just outside the box, nobody closed him down and the Bantams ace had time to pick his spot and drive into the net.

With Boro shell-shocked and their fans livid, City again carved open the Boro defence with Ward's superbly-timed pass setting up Petrescu overlapping but he fired over the bar.

Boro coach Viv Anderson appeared briefly on the touchline to be booed all round amid chants of "You don't know what you're doing".

Alen Boksic drove into the side-netting but was offside anyway and Noel Whelan summed up his side's frustration when he lost the ball on the touchline by lashing out at a corner flag.

City had a close shave from Boro's first corner in the 25th minute. Ince headed Whelan's kick powerfully to Matt Clarke's right, but the keeper got a strong enough arm to it to turn the ball away.

But still the Bantams were well in command, confidence clearly surging back after so many wretched away results. Boro, on the other hand, looked petrified in defence whenever City had the ball.

Stamp created Boro's best chance on 35 minutes with a cute chip into the path of Boksic but Clarke was down quickly to block the Croatian's near-post effort.

Ward was booked for a foul on Stamp, who needed lengthy treatment on the touchline. He returned as Boro were enjoying some pressure, Stuart McCall producing a well-timed tackle to thwart Whelan in the box and then Boksic heading across goal from Marinelli's right-wing centre.

City were let-off just before half-time when the dangerous Boksic headed a Stamp cross against the bar. Then Ince ran in to referee Paul Taylor as he tried to make a break from the half-way line.

Ward earned City's first corner in first-half injury time with a deflected shot. Boro survived that but couldn't escape the abuse they received when the half-time whistle was blown.

Half-time: Middlesbrough 0, City 2

Boksic, who had been rubbing his hamstring, failed to reappear for the second half as Boro brought on Brian Deane.

He had barely touched the ball when they grabbed a lifeline with a 47th-minute goal from a corner.

Clarke came for Marinelli's kick but only flapped it towards Ugo EHIOGU whose firm header flew over Petrescu, positioned on the far post, and into the City net.

Boro's new-found momentum was checked when play was held up for lengthy treatment on Lawrence who had stayed down after a challenge.

Jefferies made his first change after 54 minutes, bringing on Andy Myers for Petrescu. Nolan swapped sides as Myers took over at left-back on the ground where he had lasted just 90 seconds of a reserve game last month before going off injured.

The swagger had gone out of City's play as Boro probed for the all-important equaliser, and the home side hit the woodwork again on the hour when Festa headed another Marinelli corner against the top of the bar.

Collymore replaced the tiring Ward in the 65th minute as the Bantams looked to rediscover the cutting edge of the first half.

But Boro's plight worsened three minutes later when Marinelli was sent off for a two-footed challenge on McKinlay. The young winger, who had been Boro's liveliest player, lost possession after going round two players and lunged straight into the Scot.

Players from both sides converged in an angry huddle before referee Taylor took action and sent the Italian packing.

Lawrence was booked for a foul on Cooper just outside the City penalty area but the free-kick created little as Boro's 10 men began to toil.

Joseph-Desire Job came on for Whelan but Boro were running out of options against a resolute Bantams defence.

Job squeezed in a shot from 10 yards but Clarke kept it out with his legs and the keeper palmed away a lazy effort from Deane.

But in the last minute, the City keeper was beaten again as Fleming's cross aimed at Job fell to Ince who drove through Clarke's legs.