Middlesbrough hold West Brom to maintain unbeaten start

Middlesbrough maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a bore draw at West Brom.

In a game that lacked any spark or quality, the home side had the best chances – but a lack of conviction in front of goal cost both sides a possible three points.

Salomon Rondon had the best chance at the very end of an even but uneventful first half, throwing himself at a corner from the left but just failing to make contact at the far post.

Craig Dawson went close for West Brom in the second half while Cristhian Stuani and Daniel Ayala had chances to win it for Boro, but the game ended in a stalemate and both sides will rue a lack of cutting edge in attack.

Do Boro have enough to stay up? A point on the road is rarely a bad thing in the Premier League, but Boro will need to show a greater ruthlessness in front of goal if they are to stay in the top flight. Their key forwards Gaston Ramirez, Stewart Downing and Alvaro Negredo failed to really click and West Brom dominated them in central midfield for periods.

Brendan Galloway (West Brom): An accomplished display by a rapidly improving young player. The left-back, on loan from Everton, was calm and assured throughout and even showed potential as a left winger when he got forward and joined West Brom’s attacks. A player to look out for for West Brom, Everton and possibly England.

West Brom: Foster 6; Dawson 7, McAuley 7, Evans 8, Galloway 9; Phillips 8, Yacob 7, Fletcher 6, Field 7, McClean 6; Rondon 7. Subs: Leko n/a, Berahino 5, Gardner 6.

Middlesbrough: Guzan 6, Nsue 7, Ayala 7, Gibson 6, Barragan 7, Forshaw 6, Clayton 6, Stuani 6, Ramirez 7, Downing 7, Negredo 6. Subs: Nugent n/a, Fischer n/a.

45’ - SO CLOSE! Rondon is inches away from connecting with a corner from the left which is missed by Guzan. But the unmarked striker fails to make contact at the far post.

64’ - DAWSON CLOSE! Phillips puts in the corner from the left and Dawson, surrounded by Boro defenders, glances a header wide at the far post.

73’ - BORO CHANCE! Brilliant skill again by Negredo to play in Barragán, who hangs onto the ball a little too long before feeding Stuani, who was off balance as he shot and Foster gathers.

81’ - SCRAMBLE! A corner from the right causes chaos in the WBA box. Ayala eventually manages to hack a shot at Foster through a sea of WBA bodies, but Foster hangs onto it.