Well, at least it was a win. For although Middlesbrough triumphed at Hillsborough yesterday, there was little else to write home about. Oh, it was a good work out all right. Sheffield Wednesday grafted away, forcing the Teessiders to do likewise. And in an increasingly niggley encounter, Boro did well to keep their heads and did well to recover from ex-youth team star Chris Brunt's leveller. Goals from Malcolm Christie and Yakubu - making amends for an earlier missed penalty - were the epitome of opportunism too. But that's the thing, they came nigh-on out of nowhere; otherwise, there wasn't an awful lot of direction, of intricacy or conviction. Not that that matters too much at this stage, after all these are mere preparations, work-outs for the serious stuff ahead. And players like Stewart Downing and Mark Viduka - yet to take their pre-season bow - will surely supply a sharper cutting edge. So too should Julio Arca, once he really gets going; the Argentinian new boy had a quietish debut, but exhibited enough poise and intelligence in possession to suggest he will be every bit the success at the Riverside that he was up the A19. At least he's out of the blocks, but Wednesday were quicker out of them yesterday. Six minutes in peroxide-topped Deon Burton slashed a firm drive well wide from 25 yards, but thereafter Boro's greater share of possession ought to have earned richer spoils. After a quarter-of-an-hour a clattering challenge by Lee Cattermole on Yoann Folly saw the ball ricochet into the area. But having darted onto the loose ball and slid a clam, left-foot shot past Owls keeper Chris Adamson, Christie was ruled offside. A let-off for Wednesday then, but a far greater one would follow. Seconds later Stuart Parnaby lobbed to Yakubu in the box, the Nigerian sought to chest down and turn, but was bundled to the floor from behind by home skipper Graham Coughlan. Penalty, but if it was a soft one Yakubu responded in kind by tapping the tamest of spot-kicks too close to Adamson, who saved easily low to his right. As if contagious, Yakubu's apparent apathy spread as proceedings slid into a lull and a near slumbering Hillsbrough crowd was only shaken back into life by a brief, errant blast of music over the Tannoy. It seemed to awaken George Boateng too, who saw a fierce, angled blast cannon off Deon Burton and squirt straight at Adamson. Blistering But what really enlivened matters was Brunt, who on 28 minutes crashed a blistering 30-yard free-kick off the underside of the bar, the ball bouncing down onto the goalline and back into play. So this time it was Boro's turn to enjoy a fortuitous escape, but at least they made the most of it. On 36 minutes Boateng brought a Wednesday counter-attack to an early halt, Ray Parlour latched on to the loose ball and fed it into the area via a deflection off Madjid Bougherra, leaving Christie to spring clear and stab past Adamson. Finally, class had told. Yet it would not last, as the second half burst into activity as explosively as the first had meandered soporifically. And now, it was all Wednesday, all Brunt. Two minutes after the restart the Boro old boy latched onto a stray pass by Matthew Bates, fed Steve MacLean in the box and when Parlour bundled the sub to the ground, Brunt hammered in the resulting penalty. A bout of handbags ensued and was reprised moments later when Yakubu caught Glenn Whelan whilst trying to protect possession. Brunt then curled a free-kick from wide right off the far post and lifted another effort across the face of goal after Lee Bullen's angled drive was clawed away by Ross Turnbull. So it came as some surprise when, just as Wednesday were warming to the task, Boro scraped back in front. Clearly not content at having blotted his copybook by conceding Boro's penalty, Coughlan guided a header back to Adamson. He hadn't spotted Yakubu though, and the Nigerian ghosted onto the gift and tapped past the Wednesday keeper from close range. Victory then, but only just; right at the death a short backpass from sub Rhys Williams looked to have offered up an equaliser to Steve MacLean, and only the alertness of keeper Turnbull spared Boro. | 
