please log in to view this image Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final Tie please log in to view this image Middlesbrough 0 - 2 Norwich City FT 90 +4' HT 0 - 2Jerome 12' Redmond 15'Attendance: 85,656 Date: Monday 25th May 2015 Venue: Wembley Stadium Kick-Off: 3:00PM KIO's not606 Match Preview With the dust barely settled on the Carrow Road turf after the 'Mother of all derbies', the Canaries travel to Wembley stadium on Monday to participate in the biggest football match in the history of the Universe. Okay it's not the European Champions League final nor indeed is it the FIFA World Cup final but this years Sky Bet Championship finale is undoubtedly the richest game on the planet, whoever ends up lifting the trophy on Monday afternoon will have earned the right to play in the richest league in World football and will be guaranteed a windfall of at least £120M. Both City and 'Boro breezed into this year's final tie with comprehensive wins against Ipswich Town and Brentford respectively and with Norwich and Middlesbrough finishing the season in third and fourth positions in the table, it is arguably the two rightful teams that will compete for that coveted spot in English football's top flight. After a 1-1 stalemate at Portman Road in their semi-final the Canaries brushed Town aside in the second leg at Carrow Road. Wes Hoolahan calmly slotted home from the penalty spot for City's first after Christophe Berra had been dismissed for deliberate handball on the goal-line, Nathan Redmond fired in the second from eight yards, then Cameron Jerome put the icing on the cake with a deft flick past the 'keeper for the third giving City a 4-2 aggregate victory. please log in to view this image Wes Hoolahan calmly slots home from the spot against Ipswich Town Mayhem ensued on the Carrow Road terraces at the final whistle followed up by a pitch invasion by the home fans as they celebrated their greatest ever victory against their arch rivals. please log in to view this image Nathan Redmond cannot contain his delight after putting City 2-1 up Previously Middlesbrough had made sure of their place in the Wembley show-piece with a 3-0 win over Brentford at the Riverside. They had gone into the game with a 2-1 lead from the first leg at Griffin Park and after Lee Tomlin had curled in 'Boro's first from the edge of the box in the first half the end result never really looked in any doubt. Garcia Martinez netted the second before Albert Adomah's calm finish via the bar secured Boro's place at Wembley. please log in to view this image Captain Grant Leadbitter celebrates Middlesbrough reaching their first Wembley final since 1998 Final Facts This is only the fourth time the teams finishing third and fourth have met in the play-off final over the last decade. The third place finisher has won two of the last three; the last time in 2008, when Hull beat Bristol City. All three of those games finished 1-0. Six of the last ten finals have featured less than two goals and in seven of them only one team has scored. 1-0 has been the most common score in the last ten seasons and eight of the last ten finals have been won by a margin of one goal. Only Watford in 2006 and Swansea in 2011 have had a higher margin of victory. This will be the first final without a team from London, the South East or Lancashire taking part since 2008. Aitor Karanka's Match Preview “I think it’s amazing (reaching the final) for everybody, especially for me,” said Karanka. “I came here 18 months ago and I couldn’t imagine at that time we would be playing at Wembley.” “We’re going there because, like I said after the game on Friday, the players have had an amazing season and have done an amazing job every single day at Rockliffe. For this reason they deserve to be at Wembley.” please log in to view this image Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka “The main thing is not to celebrate, because we haven’t achieved anything at this moment. But I think we need to know how beautiful this moment is for everybody.” “For the players, for me, for the crowd and for the club . . . but again we have to play the final, because if we lose the game, on Tuesday everyone’s going to be upset.” “So I have to prepare the game thinking we can beat Norwich, and after the game we will see.” Middlesbrough's Previous Play-Off Form Middlesbrough have had one successful play-off campaign and one which ended in defeat. Both were in the second tier. Boro won promotion by beating Chelsea on aggregate over two legs in 1987-88 but lost to Notts County at the semi-final stage in 1990-91. Alex Neil's Match Preview “It will be a special occasion for everyone involved, but you want to have the memories of a win. The last thing you want to do is go there and be disappointed. We’ll try our very best to make sure that’s the case.” “We’re delighted that the supporters are turning up in their droves, and I hear that we could have sold 60,000. It just shows you the backing and the support that we’ve got, and hopefully we can give them a good day.” “It’s going to be fantastic. It will be great for myself, the players and everybody involved with the club. We’ve not been to Wembley in 30 years, so it will be a special occasion but it’s only special if you get across the line and win.” “What you’re hoping is that our players can have more than an impact in the game than theirs, and I think that’s what is going to be the decisive factor on the day.” “I think we’ve got to start well. I don’t think we started the game at Carrow Road well enough, and I think the first goal will be important as well. If we start on the front foot and get ourselves into the lead, then that gives you the platform to build.” The City boss on final preparations for the big game Norwich City's Previous Play-Off Form This is only the second time that Norwich have competed in the play-offs. The only other time was in 2002 when after a 3-2 aggregate win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-final they eventually lost the final at the Millennium Stadium Cardiff on penalties to Birmingham City. The match had finished 1-1 after extra time. Match History This will be the 50th meeting of the two clubs and the first on neutral ground. Middlesbrough have 21 wins to Norwich's 15 there have been 13 draws. 'Boro's biggest win over the Canaries was 6-1 at Ayresome Park on 4th October 1980 in League Division One (top flight) City's best win was a 5-4 thriller at Carrow Road on 9th December 1961 in League Division Two (2nd tier), this is also the highest aggregate score between the two sides. However they did share 8 goals on 21st May 1963 at Ayresome Park in the same competition when 'Boro thumped City by 6 goals to 2. Eight goals were also shared on 22nd January 2005 in the English Premiership at Carrow Road. City were losing 4-1 at one stage but eventually came back to draw the game 4-4 courtesy of Adam Drury's last minute equaliser. Highest Middlesbrough score Middlesbrough 6 Norwich City 1 Highest Norwich City score Norwich City 5 Middlesbrough 4 Highest Aggregate Norwich City 5 Middlesbrough 4 Latest Team News 'Watch thread' as latest team news will be updated here Match to be broadcast 'live' on Sky Sports 1 & Sky Sports 1HD please log in to view this image Full match commentary on talkSPORT with Sam Matterface & Stan Collymore please log in to view this image Full match commentary on BBC Radio Norfolk with Chris Goreham please log in to view this image OTBC !
A cracker KIO! One thing - isn't our biggest win 4-1 in ’61? Or are you taking biggest win to be most goals?
To be honest, if the Binners can beat them when not at the Riverside, that fills me with a great deal of hope. Cheers Welly.
If you look carefully at the first pic in the thread there is a guy just above the crossbar to the left in a red shirt with his arms raised in celebration as Wes scores the pen. Well the bloke directly under his right armpit with the skinhead haircut is yours truly
'Skinhead haircut' But seriously KIO, I hope that you enjoy your day out on Monday, win or lose, these kind of days are what it's really all about, have fun mate!
Very quiet on here tonight considering the magnitude of Mondays match. I presume everyone has gone to Earlham Park for Radio 1's Big Weekend?
From the BBC preview : No Championship midfielder has scored more goals this campaign than Bradley Johnson (15) - who is level with Bournemouth's Matt Ritchie and Wolves' Bakary Sako. Be very afraid, Boro! Full preview here - but not as thorough as KIOs http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32776552
