Following today’s FA Cup clash between Middlesbrough and Sunderland, here are the instant reactions from both managers.
Middlesbrough hosted Sunderland at the Riverside Stadium for a 1pm kick off on Saturday January 6, with the hosts taking a two nil victory with goals from Rudy Gestede and Martin Braithwaite.
The hosts took the lead in the tenth minute of the game and secured their passage through to the fourth round draw when Braithwaite doubled their advantage just before the end of the first half.
Teams:
Middlesbrough:
Randolph, Shotton, Ayala, Gibson, Friend (Christie 90), Leadbitter, Howson, Traore (Johnson 81), Braithwaite (Clayton 65), Downing, Gestede.
Substitutes:
Konstantopoulos, Assombalonga, Fletcher, Forshaw.
Sunderland:
Steele, Jones, Browning, O’Shea, Wilson, Oviedo, Honeyman, Love, Robson (Embleton 81), McManaman (Asoro 53), Maja (Vaughan 74).
Substitutes:
Galloway, Ruiter, Beadling, Gamble.
Speaking to the BBC’s cameras a short time after match day referee Chris Kavanagh blew the final whistle, Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis explained.
‘I’ve got great respect for the FA Cup – I think it’s the best cup competition in the world and having been there with Stoke and taken a team to Wembley, it was a fantastic experience and if we could do it again I would be delighted. We played really well in the first half. In the second half we started really sloppy but I’m pleased with the way the players went about it.’
Sunderland manager Chris Coleman in his comparative interview explained.
‘We’re in a dogfight and you don’t go into a dogfight with kittens, that’s for sure. I just need whoever is ready for it and the boys today were ready. We were naive and nervous but at least they were out there having a go. These are the players we need, and they need support in terms of strength and depth.’
