Blackburn ... 1 Middlesbrough ... 0: Dwight Yorke's life became a misery at Manchester United last January when he infuriated the manager Alex Ferguson by refusing a £2 million transfer to Middlesbrough.
Yorke's refusal to leave scuppered Ferguson's hopes of signing Paolo di Canio from West Ham, and the striker was cast into the wilderness at Old Trafford until his move to Blackburn in the summer.
Twelve months later McClaren's failure to sign the 31-year-old came back to haunt him yesterday when Yorke scored his sixth goal of the season to complete a day to forget for Middlesbrough.
Not only did they again fail to score away from home in the Premiership - the dry run has lasted since the final weekend in September - but the England defender Ugo Ehiogu was taken to hospital with broken ribs and a punctured lung following an aerial collision with Brad Friedel in the first half.
"Ugo has got fractured ribs, a punctured lung and is in hospital," McClaren said. "We are not having much luck as it is and that was a real blow to us."
The only goal of the game came in the second half, when Keith Gillespie's cross from the right flank, dummied by Yorke to Andy Cole, rebounded to Yorke 12 yards from goal off the legs of Gareth Southgate. A chest trap and left-foot volley completed McClaren's misery.
"I feared the worst when the ball fell to Dwight because it came to him nicely and he doesn't mess about from 12 yards," McClaren said.
Had McClaren been successful in his bid to sign Yorke it is likely that Middlesbrough would have reached half-time with a comfortable lead. In his current form, Yorke would surely have scored the chance from six yards which was inexplicably missed by the Italian forward Massimo Maccarone. Middlesbrough's failure to capitalise on their early dominance allowed Blackburn back into the game.
Andy Cole, Yorke's former strike partner at Old Trafford, has almost dragged Yorke back to form this season. Cole's work-rate and movement off the ball has now been matched by Yorke and their second-half display against Middlesbrough's back line left Souness claiming that the pair are almost back to their very best.
With Damien Duff missing with a hamstring injury, Blackburn had struggled to break down the Middlesbrough rearguard, but the combined efforts of Yorke and Cole, along with the energy of David Thompson proved too strong.
BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Taylor, Johansson, McEveley (Todd 74), Thompson, Tugay, Flitcroft, Danns (Gillespie 45), Cole, Yorke (Ostenstad 83). Subs Not Used: Dunn, Kelly. Goals: Yorke 57.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Southgate, Ehiogu (Vidmar 8), Queudrue, Geremi, Wilson, Greening, Job (Windass 77), Boksic, Maccarone (Nemeth 72). Subs Not Used: Wilkshire, Crossley.
Referee: D Pugh (Merseyside).
