Middlesbrough 2 Chelsea 1: On the 20th anniversary to the day of Middlesbrough's rebirth as a football club, having previously been in liquidation, the Boro class of 2006 again demonstrated comebacks are a Teesside forte. In the stadium where they staged their amazing Uefa Cup fightbacks last season, they came back against the champions when all seemed done.
Andriy Shevchenko's first Premiership goal, allied to a composed all-round Chelsea performance, appeared to have given Jose Mourinho's team a second consecutive win, but Middlesbrough beat Chelsea here 3-0 six months ago under Steve McClaren and there could be no doubting their commitment to try and repeat that for Gareth Southgate.
Emanuel Pogatetz, a McClaren signing, was the scorer of the 80th-minute equaliser, Pogatetz rising unmarked to pummel in a free-kick from Fabio Rochemback. Chelsea were close from a Frank Lampard free-kick after that but in the 90th minute, Mark Viduka, on as a substitute, belted in a late winner after Aiyegbeni Yakubu had caused confusion.
For the verve and patience shown, Boro deserved their victory. After defeat at Reading last Saturday it will a first one received gladly by Southgate. The former England defender is easing his way in. There is almost a deliberate reticence to his comments and he is happy to be called "a novice". But last night Southgate displayed he will not shy away from decision-making.
Viduka is arguably the biggest name at the club but he was on the bench. That left Yakubu up front on his own, as he had been in February. It is not a role that daunts the Nigerian. He left Carvalho on the floor in the build-up to the game's first clear chance.
From Yakubu the ball found Stewart Downing whose cross was all it needed to be, behind the defence and inviting a touch. Boro were to regret Yakubu could not get on the end of it.
Four minutes later Michael Essien, in the inside-left channel, slid a pass the wrong side for Andrew Davies and the overlapping Wayne Bridge was clear.
His centre was low and hard and Shevchenko scrambled in front of George Boateng to wrong-foot Mark Schwarzer. It was presumably the first of many.
Any Chelsea anxiety vanished: three minutes after that Didier Drogba profited from a defensive mix-up and his drilled cross should have been converted by another summer signing, Salomon Kalou. With Essien and Claude Makelele prominent, Chelsea were comfortable. Drogba might have been awarded a penalty when clattered by Davies, and Shevchenko forced Schwarzer into a good save with a bending 25-yard free-kick.
Middlesbrough's fans were soon annoyed by the seemingly velvet nature of Chelsea's grip on the match and they welcomed the introduction of the feisty local Lee Cattermole. Boro instantly launched an attack but after Carlo Cudicini punched the ball clear, Chelsea broke at speed.
Shevchenko led the charge, showing a turn of foot to spurt down the left wing. Once the Ukrainian reached the area he checked and curled in a cross. Lampard, hitherto anonymous, had made the ground to guide a header goalward and was unlucky to see it cannon off the crossbar. Kalou was waiting to pounce but Schwarzer managed to get a fist to it.
But Southgate's men displayed their spirit, particularly after Viduka came on. It was a back-heel from Viduka that set Yakubu on his way to ground in the 76th minute. The amount of contact Yakubu received from Carvalho was debatable and the referee Howard Webb said it was no penalty. That would not deter Boro. Then came Pogatetz. Then came Viduka.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer; Davies (Cattermole 61), Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Parnaby, Mendieta (Viduka 72), Boateng, Rochemback, Downing, Yakubu. Subs not used: Turnbull, Morrison, McMahon. Booked: Parnaby, Boateng. Goals: Pogatetz 80, Viduka 90.
CHELSEA: Cudicini; Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Bridge, Essien, Makelele (Wright-Phillips 84), Lampard, Shevchenko, Drogba, Kalou. Subs not used: Hilario, Boulahrouz, Mikel, Diarra. Booked: Drogba, Paulo Ferreira. Goal: Shevchenko 16.
Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).
