Middlesbrough win at last

Managers play down row

Middlesbrough 1-0 Everton

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Joseph-Desire Job secured Middlesbrough their first win of the season at the sixth attempt as his early strike proved enough to sink Everton.

After a miserly return of just one point from their opening five Premiership games, victory provided welcome relief for under-pressure Boro boss Steve McClaren.

And, despite a much-improved showing from Everton as the game wore on, the former England coach deserved his break after bravely ringing the changes at The Riverside.

McClaren axed crowd favourites Juninho and Szilard Nemeth and offered Job and Malcolm Christie the chance to make an impact up front.

It was a bold move which meant Boro's starting 11 had not managed a goal between them this season.

But Job rewrote that statistic within six minutes as Boro swept ahead.

The Cameroon international striker begun the move deep in his own half, spinning away to set up a counter-attack.

KEY MOMENTS 6 mins: Job fires Middlesbrough in front 40 mins: Quedrue's header is ruled not to have crossed the line 88 mins: Quedrue heads off the line to deny sub Ferguson

And when Christie got on the end of a superb through ball from George Boateng, Job needed only to get ahead of Joseph Yobo to bundle the ball home.

Job looked hungry on his first start of the season and might have had a second on 31 minutes, only for his clever header from a Boudewijn Zenden cross to drop onto the roof of the net.

Zenden was causing Everton all sorts of problems down the left flank and Boateng pulled the strings in midfield as Boro totally dominated the first half against a curiously lacklustre opposition.

And McClaren's men should have secured the second goal their dominance deserved following Franck Quedrue's header from a Zenden corner.

The Frenchman's effort came down off the underside of the bar and hit Tony Hibbert on the back of the legs before bouncing behind the line and out again.

Everton should feel aggrieved - we'll play much worse and win this season From Mr Gumboot Have your say on 606

But Boro were left fuming as referee Alan Wiley's assistant failed to spot a clear goal, letting Everton off the hook.

David Moyes' side almost cashed in in first-half stoppage time when Tomasz Radzinski centred for Wayne Rooney, only for the young England striker to suffer a complete air shot as he looked to pull the trigger.

The embarrassing miss underlined a frustrating afternoon for Rooney, who was booked for a first-half foul and then petulently nearly talked himself into two yellow cards for the price of one.

Everton, though, were much improved in the second half, perhaps sensing a lucky reprieve following Quedrue's misfortune.

And they created enough chances to secure at least a point as Middlesbrough grew increasingly tense as the game wore on.

Radzinski was agonisingly close to an equaliser when he flicked a header wide from Hibbert's inviting cross.

And substitute Lee Carsley spurned Everton's best chance 20 minutes from time when he somehow scuffed wide of a gaping goal after Boateng had inadvertently headed into his path.

Then, in the dying minutes, Queudrue ensured Middlesbrough's first win of the campaign was in the bag when he headed off the line to keep out substitute Duncan Ferguson's header.

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Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Mills, Southgate, Cooper, Queudrue, Greening (Ricketts 76), Doriva, Boateng, Zenden, Christie (Nemeth 84), Job (Riggott 81).
Subs not used: Nash, Juninho Paulista.
Booked: Mills, Greening.

Everton: Martyn, Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs, Naysmith, Watson (Carsley 45), Gravesen, Linderoth (Ferguson 70), Kilbane (McFadden 79), Rooney, Radzinski.
Subs not used: Turner, Pistone.
Booked: Watson, Rooney, Kilbane.

Attendance: 28,113

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).