We were 2 rows in front of him and the grandchildren got their photo taken with him. Mowbray and Harvey both sat about 12 seats to the left of us as well. Alese was there as well.
Excellent mate, I saw on twitter that a few of the first team went down to watch as well. Sod the result, I hope your grandkids enjoyed the game.
Didn't see any of the others but nice to know that they are supporting each other. Yeah, they enjoyed it and as one of my sons said "just as well our first team is f...... mint"
Middlesbrough U21 2-0 SAFC U21 SAFC Under-21s suffered defeat on Friday night in the Premier League 2, going down 2-0 to Middlesbrough at Heritage Park. Calum Kavanagh and Hayden Hackney made the impact with the goals either side of half-time, as the Lads ended with 10 men following Edouard Michut’s second-half dismissal. A handful of first-team players featured for John Hewitson’s side on the night in Bishop Auckland, with Alex Bass, Bailey Wright, Michut, Jay Matete and Leon Dajaku all in from the start to maintain match sharpness. Wright captained the side. In a first half where chances were certainly at a premium, Boro did manage to draw first blood early on. Joe Gibson managed to create space to strike a fierce shot just inside the area which had debatably bounced on the line after crashing against the underside of the bar. From the rebound, Kavanagh’s header did manage to cross the line, despite the best efforts of Bass to keep it out. Spells of possession evenly came and went, with the only notable efforts a Hackney free-kick off target from distance, and a hooked volley on the turn from Dajaku as he met Nathan Newall’s pass. Max Thompson also forced a low save out of Oliver Swan, as he headed Callum Wilson’s cross towards goal. The second half started with a Boro chance as Sonny Finch made space before firing inches wide, before Wilson headed Dajaku’s corner from the right wide Finch then forced Bass into his first major action, a smart save after the forward had been played in behind, before the crucial moment then struck. Booked moments before for an alleged cynical foul, Michut was then penalised for a second yellow card for pulling back Gibson on the edge of the Sunderland area. To make it a double blow, Hackney’s effort from the resulting free-kick managed to find its way past Bass and into the back of the net, doubling Middlesbrough’s tally. From there, chances slowed down and Boro looked to see out the game in an organised fashion despite the Lads’ efforts to commit forward. Matete’s smart long pass towards substitute Owen Robinson nearly saw him in on goal, but for a very tight offside flag. Aside from that, the Teessiders remained largely untroubled in the latter stages and saw out their three points. SAFC U21: Bass; Wilson (Robinson 66’), Johnson, Wright ©, Jessup (Pye 55’), Newall; Matete, Michut, Kelly; Dajaku, Thompson. Subs not used: Richardson, Crompton, Chiabi. Well what looked like a strong team on paper proved not to be the case, so the learning process gathers pace. Boro seem to have the measure of us so far, but the end of season Championship table will be a firmer indicator, watched closely by both sets of supporters. Yet there will be only one winner in the long term and we all know its not going to be Boro. OaU.
Quiet. Pretty obvious lacking in match sharpness but tidy in possession but Boro played it at a pace similarity league 1 so was never going to suit him. Will be OK once he gets his fitness and better players around him.
