Middlesbrough 2-2 Newcastle

By Mike Henson

Carroll fires his equaliser past David Wheater and Kyle Naughton

Andy Carroll's late equaliser denied Middlesbrough in a pulsating derby as Newcastle saw their lead at the top of the Championship cut to four points.

Peter Lovenkrands scored from Jonas Gutierrez's clever pass against the run of play, before the hosts struck back.

Barry Robson blasted the Teessiders level with a superb long-range shot and his side took the lead when Scott McDonald hooked in from five yards.

But Carroll's composed finish denied Middlesbrough local bragging rights.

Chris Hughton's Newcastle side came into the game having scored 15 goals on their way to four successive victories, while Middlesbrough had suffered three defeats and scored just twice over the same period.

606: DEBATE Boro deserved to win that. 2 points thrown away rather than 1 gained cornishborolad

But McDonald's return to the forward line after two games out with a hernia seemed to reinvigorate the hosts.

Inside the first minute, referee Lee Mason waved away appeals for a penalty as the Australian hit the turf chasing a long ball over the top with Fabricio Coloccini.

Middlesbrough continued to make light of the 25-point gap between the two sides with all the early pressure and Fitz Hall had to dive in bravely to make a close-range block from Stephen McManus' fierce shot.

But Newcastle took the lead with their first attack of substance.

Kevin Nolan fed Gutierrez on the left-hand edge of the box and the Argentina midfielder held off the attentions of Kyle Naughton to slip a perfect pass through for Lovenkrands to coolly slot home.

Robson's curling free-kick demanded a plunging save from Steve Harper before Chris Killen's header lacked the power or direction to trouble the goalkeeper.

But Harper was reduced to a spectator by Robson's equaliser as the midfielder exchanged passes with former Celtic team-mate McDonald before finding the bottom corner from 20 yards.

After two finely crafted goals in the game, Newcastle came close to going back in front with a more direct approach.

Carroll's flick-on directed Harper's goal-kick into the path of Lovenkrands, but the Dane could not beat an onrushing Danny Coyne.

Barry Robson was an impressive performer in Middlesbrough's midfield

Coloccini's departure brought on Ryan Taylor and the substitute did enough to keep Julio Arca from getting a decisive touch at the far post.

After a mis-hit cross from Gutierrez almost embarrassed Coyne at the other end, Arca was sent clear by Gary O'Neil, but could only lift his shot into Harper's knee.

Middlesbrough ascendency continued as Killen came within inches of diverting McDonald's shot towards goal, but Newcastle countered with a Tamas Kadar header that Coyne did well to tip over.

Gordon Strachan's side's breakthrough came as Killen nodded Robson's free-kick ball across the six-yard box and McDonald twisted to turn it in.

But the visitors were back on to the front foot almost immediately and restored parity inside 10 minutes.

Taylor's cross found Carroll in a pocket of space and the striker duly controlled the ball before sliding a finish past Coyne with the outside of his foot.

With his side pressing forward Carroll could have nicked an unlikely winner but he failed to connect cleanly with Gutierrez's cut-back.

Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan on Scott McDonald's claims for an early penalty:
"We should have had a penalty in the first two minutes, and the referee just to make it up, allowed us to get away with a free-kick 30 seconds after it.

"If you are going to make a decision, referee, don't try to even it up. It's not right, we don't want that.

"Be brave and stand by your decisions."

Newcastle manager Chris Hughton:
"What we have always had this season is we are never out of a game.

"That's one thing we have in this group of lads, a real desire not to give up and you just hope among all that, you have a bit of fortune in front of goal.

"By our admission and his own, it wasn't one of Andy Carroll's better games today and the chance he had was very much a half-chance.

"But this is a lad who is in good goalscoring form and when you are in that type of form, they are the type of goals you score."

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