With four defeats from four games it looked like we had a long hard season ahead of us and a battle against relegation for yet another season, but credit to the lads and the management they stuck at it and began to grind out the results.
The turn of the year saw us steadily improving and a cup run was just the tonic to keep the confidence high. We progressed against Wimbledon at the second attempt, then drew little credit for beating Man. United, Blackburn and Everton in consecutive rounds, to find ourselves in the semi-finals, and without conceding a goal.
In the league we were easing the threat of relegation with every game and climbed to the top half of the table with half a dozen games remaining. We even have a realistic chance of equaling our highest top flight finish since the 1950's, which was seventh in 1974/75 under Jack Charlton.
With the semi-final now upon us we find the squad whittled down to the bare bones. Brian Deane, Andy Campbell and Hamilton Ricard have moved on while injuries to Szilard Nemeth and Noel Whelan have cut Boro's forward line to just Alen Boksic and Dean Windass. Even Alen Boksic is struggling with a groin injury and is doubtful.
Boro go into Sunday's match as massive underdogs, but at the end of the day if your name is on the cup it doesn't matter what team you put out, fortune will pervail and Boro will finally lift that first piece of silverware.
Realistically we might sneak a 1-0 or triumph after penalties, but whatever the outcome we have had a tremendous season since them opening games, and I am sure most Boro fans would have been happy at the outcome, if you had told them back in September, that we would finish in the top half and be challenging for the cup.
We are Boro, we are Teesside, we are proud of you.