MAN CITY'S LAST VISIT TO THE RIVERSIDE ...
2008/9 BORO 2 MAN CITY 0
BORO: Turnbull, Wheater, Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor,Aliadiere, O'Neil, Digard (Arca 75), Downing (Adam Johnson 83),Sanli, Alves. Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, John Johnson, Grounds, Walker.
MAN CITY: Hart, Ben-Haim, Richards, Dunne, Onuoha, Kompany,Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Elano (Fernandes 67), Robinho,Sturridge (Evans 77). Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Jo, Garrido, Hamann, Berti.
Att: 25,731
Afonso Alves proved the scourge of Manchester City once again as his coolly-dispatched 53rd-minute penalty proved enough to secure Middlesbrough the points at the Riverside Stadium.
Brazilian Alves had hit a hat-trick in rather different circumstances in the corresponding fixture last season as Boro struck an extraordinary eight goals past their opponents to round off their campaign.
On a decidedly more chilly evening another nine-goal epic was always a distant dream but that will not perturb Boro boss Gareth Southgate, whose workmanlike side were full value for their points.
They were finally secured in the fifth minute of injury-time when Boro streaked over the halfway line and Tuncay Sanli squared for Gary O'Neil to lash his side's second into the roof of the net.
Goalkeeper Ross Turnbull made a super series of saves to deny Vincent Kompany, Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips but ultimately City boss Mark Hughes could have few complaints.
Referee Lee Mason pointed to the spot after Daniel Sturridge tangled with David Wheater on the edge of the City box - despite the complaints of visiting players that the incident happened outside the box.
The goal came at a time when City were threatening to take control of the game and build on a bright start which had seen record signing Robinho at the centre of most of their early moves.
The Brazilian fired high and wide in the sixth minute and three minutes later danced his way around the Boro rearguard again before hitting a low shot which Turnbull did well to save at full stretch.
Boro had their first chance in the 12th minute when Stewart Downing dug out a deep cross from the left and found Alves, who aimed a weak header straight at City keeper Joe Hart.
But City continued to look dangerous every time they streaked across the halfway line, and in the 18th minute it was Micah Richards' turn to direct a rising shot which Turnbull plucked out of the air.
Boro continued to have their moments in an open game, Alves setting up a chance for Andrew Taylor which was blocked by Tal Ben Haim, and Tuncay Sanli's weak effort gathered by Hart.
Boro came close in the 39th minute when Jeremie Aliadiere's persistence paid off down the right and he flung in a dangerous cross which missed the head of the lurking Alves by inches.
Turnbull was called into action twice in the opening four minutes of the second half, first parrying Ireland's low shot in the box then stretching to deny Wright-Phillips' low effort with his feet.
But Boro grabbed the chance to turn the match in their favour in the 53rd minute when Sturridge and Wheater tangled in the far right corner of the City box and referee Mason pointed to the spot.
Alves stepped up to coolly place the ball high to Hart's right and give Boro the lead at precisely the time when City had been threatening to take control.
Inspired by the goal, Boro began to get forward with more purpose and the impressive Tuncay was ruled narrowly offside as he squared toward Aliadiere in front of goal.
Turnbull saved Boro again in the 71st minute when he superbly parried a long-range effort from Vincent Kompany which seemed to be heading into the bottom corner, before Sturridge fluffed the rebound.
Boro held on with relative ease and secured the points deep into injury-time when Tuncay squared in front of goal after a swift counter-attack and O'Neil gleefully rifled the ball into the roof of the net.
BORO v MAN CITY ... THE HISTORY ...
2008/2009 Sat 07 Feb Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough Premier League
Wed 29 Oct Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Man. City Premier League
2007/2008 Sun 11 May Middlesbrough 8 - 1 Man. City Premier League
Sun 07 Oct Man. City 3 - 1 Middlesbrough Premier League
2006/2007 Sat 17 Mar Middlesbrough 0 - 2 Man. City Premiership
Mon 30 Oct Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough Premiership
2005/2006 Sun 02 Apr Man. City 0 - 1 Middlesbrough Premiership
Sat 31 Dec Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Man. City Premiership
2004/2005 Sun 15 May Man. City 1 - 1 Middlesbrough Premiership
Mon 06 Dec Middlesbrough 3 - 2 Man. City Premiership
2003/2004 Sat 08 May Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Man. City Premiership
Sun 30 Nov Man. City 0 - 1 Middlesbrough Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 12 Apr Man. City 0 - 0 Middlesbrough Premiership
Sat 23 Nov Middlesbrough 3 - 1 Man. City Premiership
2000/2001 Sat 03 Feb Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Man. City Premiership
Sun 17 Sep Man. City 1 - 1 Middlesbrough Premiership
1997/1998 Fri 17 Apr Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Man. City League Division One
Sat 20 Dec Man. City 2 - 0 Middlesbrough League Division One
1996/1997 Sat 15 Feb Man. City 0 - 1 Middlesbrough F.A. Cup
1995/1996 Sat 09 Dec Middlesbrough 4 - 1 Man. City Premiership
Sat 23 Sep Man. City 0 - 1 Middlesbrough Premiership
1992/1993 Sat 12 Sep Man. City 0 - 1 Middlesbrough Premier League
Wed 19 Aug Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Man. City Premier League
1991/1992 Sat 04 Jan Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Man. City F.A. Cup
Tue 03 Dec Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Man. City League Cup
1990/1991 Wed 19 Dec Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough (Full Members)
1987/1988 Sat 09 Apr Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Man. City Second Division
Wed 04 Nov Man. City 1 - 1 Middlesbrough Second Division
1984/1985 Sat 09 Mar Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough Second Division
Sat 20 Oct Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Man. City Second Division
1983/1984 Sat 25 Feb Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Man. City Second Division
Sat 22 Oct Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough Second Division
1981/1982 Sat 27 Mar Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 07 Nov Man. City 3 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
1980/1981 Sat 17 Jan Man. City 3 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 30 Aug Middlesbrough 2 - 2 Man. City First Division
1979/1980 Wed 10 Oct Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
Tue 21 Aug Middlesbrough 3 - 0 Man. City First Division
1978/1979 Tue 24 Apr Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
Tue 17 Apr Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
1977/1978 Sat 25 Mar Man. City 2 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
Tue 27 Dec Middlesbrough 0 - 2 Man. City First Division
1976/1977 Mon 11 Apr Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
Tue 07 Dec Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
1975/1976 Wed 21 Jan Man. City 4 - 0 Middlesbrough League Cup
Manchester City won 4-1 on aggregate
Tue 13 Jan Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Man. City League Cup
Sat 10 Jan Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 13 Sep Man. City 4 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
1974/1975 Fri 28 Mar Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 21 Sep Middlesbrough 3 - 0 Man. City First Division
1971/1972 Tue 18 Jan Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Man. City F.A. Cup
Sat 15 Jan Man. City 1 - 1 Middlesbrough F.A. Cup
1965/1966 Sat 29 Jan Man. City 3 - 1 Middlesbrough Second Division
Sat 21 Aug Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Man. City Second Division
1964/1965 Sat 06 Mar Man. City 1 - 1 Middlesbrough Second Division
Sat 05 Dec Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Man. City Second Division
1963/1964 Tue 17 Mar Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough Second Division
Sat 29 Feb Middlesbrough 2 - 2 Man. City Second Division
1953/1954 Sat 10 Apr Man. City 5 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 21 Nov Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Man. City First Division
1952/1953 Sat 24 Jan Man. City 5 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 13 Sep Middlesbrough 5 - 4 Man. City First Division
1951/1952 Sat 29 Mar Middlesbrough 2 - 2 Man. City First Division
Sat 10 Nov Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
1949/1950 Sat 18 Feb Man. City 0 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 01 Oct Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
1948/1949 Sat 26 Feb Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 02 Oct Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
1947/1948 Sat 27 Mar Man. City 2 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 08 Nov Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Man. City First Division
1937/1938 Wed 09 Mar Man. City 1 - 6 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 23 Oct Middlesbrough 4 - 0 Man. City First Division
1936/1937 Sat 26 Dec Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 29 Aug Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
1935/1936 Sat 07 Mar Man. City 6 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 30 Nov Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
1934/1935 Sat 09 Feb Man. City 6 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 29 Sep Middlesbrough 1 - 2 Man. City First Division
1933/1934 Sat 03 Feb Man. City 5 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 23 Sep Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Man. City First Division
1932/1933 Sat 07 Jan Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 03 Sep Man. City 2 - 3 Middlesbrough First Division
1931/1932 Sat 19 Mar Man. City 1 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 07 Nov Middlesbrough 3 - 3 Man. City First Division
1930/1931 Sat 14 Mar Middlesbrough 4 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 08 Nov Man. City 4 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
1929/1930 Sat 08 Mar Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 02 Nov Man. City 3 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
1926/1927 Mon 27 Dec Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Man. City Second Division
Sat 25 Dec Man. City 3 - 5 Middlesbrough Second Division
1923/1924 Wed 02 Apr Middlesbrough 1 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 01 Mar Man. City 3 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
1922/1923 Mon 04 Sep Middlesbrough 5 - 0 Man. City First Division
Mon 28 Aug Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
1921/1922 Wed 01 Feb Middlesbrough 4 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 21 Jan Man. City 2 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
1920/1921 Mon 28 Mar Middlesbrough 3 - 1 Man. City First Division
Fri 25 Mar Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
1919/1920 Wed 18 Feb Middlesbrough 0 - 2 Man. City First Division
Sat 24 Jan Man. City 1 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
1914/1915 Sat 27 Feb Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 24 Oct Man. City 1 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
1913/1914 Sat 27 Dec Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 06 Sep Man. City 1 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
1912/1913 Mon 24 Mar Man. City 3 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
Fri 21 Mar Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
1911/1912 Sat 27 Apr Man. City 2 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 23 Dec Middlesbrough 3 - 1 Man. City First Division
1910/1911 Fri 14 Apr Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
Mon 26 Dec Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Man. City First Division
1908/1909 Sat 20 Mar Middlesbrough 3 - 0 Man. City First Division
Sat 14 Nov Man. City 0 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
1907/1908 Sat 21 Mar Man. City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 23 Nov Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Man. City First Division
1906/1907 Wed 02 Jan Man. City 3 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 29 Sep Middlesbrough 2 - 3 Man. City First Division
1905/1906 Tue 17 Apr Middlesbrough 6 - 1 Man. City First Division
Sat 30 Sep Man. City 4 - 0 Middlesbrough First Division
1904/1905 Sat 11 Feb Man. City 3 - 2 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 15 Oct Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Man. City First Division
1903/1904 Wed 09 Mar Middlesbrough 1 - 3 Man. City F.A. Cup
Sat 05 Mar Man. City 0 - 0 Middlesbrough F.A. Cup
Fri 01 Jan Man. City 1 - 1 Middlesbrough First Division
Sat 24 Oct Middlesbrough 6 - 0 Man. City First Division