Manchester United 1 Middlesbrough 1
Alan Smith proved there is more than one striker at Old Trafford by cancelling out Stewart Downing's first half opener to resuce a precious point for Manchester United against Middlesbrough.
With Wayne Rooney completely shackled by a superb Boro defence - marshalled brilliantly by Gareth Southgate - and Ruud van Nistelrooy able to do no better than hit the bar with a firm header, Smith arrived off the bench to succeed
where his more expensive colleagues had failed.
The former Leeds man is making a habit of bailing United out a crisis. His goals have already earned victory over Norwich and a point at Blackburn - and although the Red Devils have now slipped an uncomfortable nine behind title
favourites Arsenal, the towering header he planted home from Cristiano Ronaldo's cross 10 minutes from time at least staved off a second defeat of the season.
It took Smith on to six for the season, but that will bring little solace to Sir Alex Ferguson as his old assistant Steve McClaren once again returned to
haunt him.
Ever since he swapped life at Old Trafford to go it alone on Teesside, McClaren has been a pain to Ferguson.
In each of the last three seasons, Middlesbrough have beaten United in Premiership combat - last term's effort effectively ending their victims' title aspirations.
Even though they headed west today without six key men - including strike duo Mark Viduka and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, plus defensive anchor Ugo Ehiogu - Boro
had their strategy spot on and by half-time had succeeded in frustrating their opponents, Rooney in particular, and taken the lead.
No one in the capacity crowd realistically expected anything like a repeat of Tuesday's astonishing debut from Rooney on Sunday. But the 18-year-old was almost
blocked out completely as Southgate and Chris Riggott performed superbly at the heart of Boro's rearguard.
The former Everton man dropped into midfield looking for possession, although it ended up being the area where he found most trouble.
He could rightly argue he was fouled by George Boateng as the Dutchman launched the move which saw the visitors grab the opener. But the response, a cynical lunge on the Dutchman just before the opening period ended, deserved a
yellow card - only for referee Rob Styles to take a lenient stance.
Rooney was not even the most influential teenager on the pitch. Team-mate Ronaldo shone brightly in the early stages, setting up two attacks with some impetuous skill - although he could not maintain the impact throughout the
half.
Even the Portuguese winger's efforts were overshadowed by James Morrison, whose last appearance on this ground was in a Youth Cup final two years ago.
The diminutive 18-year-old had already found space a couple of times down the
right flank - but when Gabriel Heinze was again caught out of position he
drilled over a low cross which Downing gleefully smashed into the net.
Like Morrison, Tony McMahon was making his first Premiership start - and he
was responsible for snuffing out United's best chance of the opening period,
sliding in with perfect timing to deny Ryan Giggs who looked set to steer home
Gary Neville's cross.
United were not much better after the interval, and Gaizka Mendieta should
have doubled Boro's lead when Szilard Nemeth cut an excellent cross back to the
veteran Spaniard with home defenders scattered around the penalty area.
A player of Mendieta's experience could at the very least have expected to hit
the target; but instead his scuffed effort sailed over the bar.
Ferguson anxiously prowled the touchline trying to urge his team on, handing
Boro an extra defensive problem by introducing the muscular threat of Smith.
Even as the substitution was being made, Rooney and Ronaldo might both have
profited from some rare hesitancy in the visitors' rearguard - but somehow Boro
survived.
Given the heroics of Southgate and Riggott, the Teessiders probably earned
that bit of good fortune - and they got some more shortly afterwards when Van
Nistelrooy's header crashed back off the bar.
The prolific former PSV striker was off target again with his next chance,
blazing wide after Giggs and Rooney had cut a path straight down the middle of
the pitch.
Undeniably, the chances were increasing as Ronaldo delivered a series of
bullet crosses which all looked like going to waste - until Smith rose above the
Boro defence 10 minutes from time to power home his header.
Teams
Man Utd Carroll, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze,
Ronaldo, O'Shea (Smith 69), Keane, Giggs, Rooney,
van Nistelrooy.
Subs Not Used: Ricardo, Kleberson, Djemba-Djemba, Fortune.
Booked: Keane.
Goals: Smith 81.
Middlesbrough Schwarzer, McMahon, Riggott, Southgate,
Parnaby (Cooper 35), Morrison (Doriva 79), Mendieta, Boateng,
Downing (Graham 87), Zenden, Nemeth.
Subs Not Used: Nash, Taylor.
Booked: Mendieta, Boateng, Nemeth.
Goals: Downing 33.
Att: 67,988
Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).
