BORO OUT TO KEEP UP PLAY-OFF MOMENTUM
TEESSIDERS DETERMINED TO MAKE THE MOST OF HOME ADVANTAGE IN DERBY SHOWDOWN
Middlesbrough face a tough challenge as they look to make it back to back Championship wins tomorrow.
Boro bounced back from last weekend’s defeat at Leeds to beat Birmingham 2-0 on Wednesday night to climb to sixth place in the table.
Tomorrow, they welcome seventh-placed Derby, only behind the Teessiders on goal difference to the Riverside Stadium, looking to maintain their place in the play-off slots.
Boosted by the win over lowly Blues, experienced midfielder Stewart Downing wants another run of wins for a side who had secured three victories on the trot prior to their loss at Elland Road.
“That’s the best thing about this league,” said Downing, when asked about the hectic nature of life in the Championship.
“You get two or three days, you don’t have to reflect too much, and you just bounce into the next game.
“There were a lot of positives [at Leeds]. We were disappointed with the goals and to lose out in the way we did.
“Before that we won three games in a row. There’s nothing to stop us winning three on the spin again and shoot us back up the league..”
Derby could miss striker Sam Winnall, who was absent for the midweek defeat of QPR with ankle trouble.
Rowett told RamsTV: “He rolled his ankle in training so I think he’ll be touch and go for the weekend. He might be okay for the weekend, but the reality is that he’s going to be a doubt for the next couple of games.”
Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent and Mason Bennett are back in full training following lengthy injury absences.
The pair could figure for the Under-23s against Leicester tonight, with the Boro game considered too soon for them. Rowett added: “We might have to take the hit, in terms of our bench for the Middlesbrough game, in order to accelerate their chances of being involved.
“It will be nice to get them back involved, they both look sharp in training and we always want those type of options available to us.”
Derby have fex-oro striker David Nugent raring to go.
David Moyes has leapt to the defence of Andy Carroll, insisting the West Ham striker is more sinned against than sinner.
Carroll was singled out for criticism after catching Marvin Zeegelaar with his forearm, leaving the Watford defender with a broken nose, after just six seconds last weekend.
But ex-Sunderland boss Moyes insists his battering ram frontman is doing nothing wrong leading with his arm, and claims Carroll is more often the victim of fouls than the aggressor.
“I think it’s becoming ridiculous,” he said. “A couple of times people climbed over Andy and fouled him. And all it was was, ‘No that’s OK, if it’s Andy it’s fine for that to go on’.
“Just before he was booked, he was scythed by two people. If it been anyone else they would have gone down and taken a free-kick. Andy didn’t. We are a country who want to rule out simulation. But he stays up and is hit by two people and gets zero protection.
“I’m telling you, you can only jump with your arms for leverage.”