Gestede late show fails to break solid Toffees
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 EVERTON 0
LATE substitute Rudy Gestede was denied by a brilliant late save by Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles as Middlesbrough were frustrated in their efforts to clamber clear of the relegation dogfight at a freezing Riverside Stadium.
Gestede rose to meet an 88th-minute cross from Calum Chambers and powered a header which Robles tipped over the bar to deny Boro a first win in eight Premier League games. Captain Ben Gibson also had a second-half header cleared off the line for Aitor Karanka’s men, while Romelu Lukaku and Ademola Lookman both missed earlier chances for Everton.
Boro had spent part of last week on a mid-season break in Benidorm and it took them time to re-acclimatise to the north-east temperatures.
Fresh from his four-goal haul against Bournemouth last week, Lukaku missed the best chance to equal Duncan Ferguson’s club record of 60 Premier League goals when he fired straight at Boro keeper Victor Valdes on the half-hour mark.
Tom Davies had created most of the visitors’ opportunities up to that point, narrowly failing to reach Ross Barkley’s third-minute cross from the right, and then was just beaten by Valdes in a race to reach an Idrissa Gyeye through-ball.
Adama Traore presented Boro’s most likely early threat, his lofted shot from the right almost catching out Robles in the 10th minute, but it was Adam Forshaw
who missed the home side’s best chance when he hesitated in the box after being played in by Marten de Roon, allowing Robles to clear.
After Lukaku missed the best chance of the half, it was the turn of Lookman to try to break the deadlock, Valdes blocking his effort from pointblank range after Seamus Coleman’s cross.
Lookman also lashed a right-foot shot into the sidenetting two minutes before the break, but it was Boro who started the second period with more purpose, Cristhian Stuani heading at Robles from a Forshaw free-kick.
Everton looked short of ideas at the start of the second period and it took until the hour mark for them to present any kind of threat, Lukaku’s low cross in front of goal cut out by Adam Clayton with Lookman lurking.
Boro came closest of all four minutes later when Gibson met Bernardo’s corner from the right and directed the ball goalwards, only for Leighton Baines to head off the line.
But moments later it was Everton’s chance to grab the opener, when Barkley threaded a fine low ball through to Lookman, who stabbed a poor shot which was blocked by Valdes.
Alvaro Negredo was inches from connecting with a deep cross from the left by Fabio in the 82nd minute then Gestede, who replaced the Spaniard eight minutes from time, came closest of all.
Everton boss Ronald Koeman bemoaned Lukaku’s inability to break the deadlock.
Koeman said: “It was difficult for him because he will always get his chance and he hadabigone.
“But you are not going to score 100 goals out of 100 chances. He was working hard but the goalkeeper did well.”
Boro boss Aitor Karanka refused to be downcast after a his side’s bright performance.
“I think was a good performance once again against one of the best teams,” he said.