Boro lucky to escape Austria

Middlesbrough's UEFA Cup hopes survived a torrid test as they escaped with a draw on a night when they perhaps should have been staring at the exit signs.
 
Steve McClaren's side, facing the Austrian champions in the first leg of their round-of-32 tie, produced one of their worst 45-minute performances of the season during the opening half at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium tonight.

The second half was a different story as they twice took the lead through Boudewijn Zenden and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - only for equalising goals from Mario Bazina and Roland Kollmann to set up a tense second leg at the Riverside next Thursday.

Boro's quest will be aided by the fact Kollmann, who set Austria on the road to a famous comeback in last September's World Cup qualifying draw against England, is suspended after being sent off late on for two bookable offences.  

But from McClaren's point of view the first 45 minutes were as bad as it gets, with the only saving grace being Graz's inept finishing.

The home side should at least have had one goal to show for the four gilt-edged chances that came their way, but during the recent two-month winter break they clearly forgot how to find the target.

This was the first game back for coach Walter Schachner's side, and in all honesty they appeared nothing special, it was just Middlesbrough as a team were way below par.

The alarm bells were ringing inside the opening minute when the defence were caught cold as the temperatures dipped well below freezing in this part of southern Austria.

Franck Queudrue initially failed to prevent Imants Bleidelis, the former Southampton midfielder signed from Viborg during last month's transfer window, from delivering a low right-wing ball. Despite a suspicion of handball from skipper Gareth Southgate, who made a mess of cutting out the cross, Mathias Dollinger then drilled a 20-yard drive inches wide with Mark Schwarzer seemingly beaten.

It was a warning to be heeded, but was recklessly ignored by the Boro players.

McClaren's defence were in no man's land again in the 20th minute when Kollmann took a right-wing free-kick after Queudrue had brought down Rene Aufhauser.

The cross from the Austria international striker was nothing more than a dinked chip into the area, yet centre-back Anton Ehmann was given freedom to run onto the ball, only to power a header over the bar from six yards.

And still the opportunities came, with Schwarzer next producing a superb reaction save in the 34th minute to keep out Ehmann's sidefoot shot to a low Emanuel Pogatetz corner.

Six minutes later and the defending was again poor as Queudrue and Southgate got in each other's way in attempting to deal with a Dollinger left-wing cross. 

The ball fell to an unmarked Bleidelis - but with only Schwarzer to beat he dragged his 18-yard shot wide.

In contrast, Graz goalkeeper Andreas Schranz had a quiet opening 45 minutes, making just one save - and that an unneccessary one as Michael Reiziger's drive was heading narrowly wide.

The interval produced the desired effect on Boro, and although McClaren chose to persist with a 4-5-1 formation which lacked punch and pace in the first half, the visitors were ahead six minutes after the restart.

Zenden picked the ball up in midfield and attacked, as the opposition backed off he surged forward and turned inside Ehmann before drilling a 20-yard right-foot shot inside Schranz's right-hand post.

Four minutes later Graz showed they were not prepared to roll over, with Kollmann feeding Mario Bazina to his left for a first-time shot that Schwarzer parried.

The same combination conjured up the equaliser in the 65th minute, with Kollmann again playing in Bazina on the left after a Doriva mistake, with Schwarzer getting a hand to his low shot - only to see the ball trickle over the line.

But Boro's response was instant and inside 90 seconds they were back in front, with Hasselbaink playing the ball out wide to Downing, and the return cross picked out the Dutchman for a flying header from four yards for his 12th goal of the season.

However, Graz hit back again with poor Croatian referee Edo Trivkovic awarding a free-kick for Samir Muratovic simply falling in front of Ray Parlour, with Kollmann curling home his 15th goal of the season.
 
A minute later, though, he was booked a second time - and subsequently shown the red card - for what Trivkovic claimed was a dive - yet on this occasion appeared a clear foul from Southgate, giving Boro a boost for next week's return.