Middlesbrough 2 Norwich City 0

Last updated : 28 December 2004 By Footymad Previewer
Cameroon international Joseph-Desire Job broke the hearts of brave Norwich City with two goals in two minutes as Boro picked up their drive for a top-five Premiership slot after a disappointing display against Birmingham.

Job, a replacement for injury victim Mark Viduka, took his season goal tally to five as he wrecked City's plans to swamp Boro's attacking ambitions.

Norwich flooded the midfield and kept Boro at bay until Job broke free early in the second half.

Norwich will struggle to survive in the top flight because their goal-shy forwards took so long to get into their stride.

Indeed there were 68 minutes on the clock before Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer was tested when David Bentley forced him into a full length save.

That was City's first shop on target. A record Riverside attendance of 34,836 must have wondered why they weren't at home in front of the telly for their festive entertainment because Boro weren't much better.

Both sides struggled to string anytime of cohesive play together. Indeed when Job contrived to head over the bar on 50 minutes it looked as if Boro would never find the net.

But he made amends two minutes later when City defenders left him unmarked at the far post and Job guided Stewart Downing's free-kick into the net.

Two mins later it was game up for City when Job ran on to a pass from Franck Queudrue and beat City's offside trap.

He guided the ball between the legs of City's unfortunate keeper Robert Green.

For a time Boro threatened to run riot, but Green held the City backline together with a couple of terrific shots to deny Downing and Bolo Zenden.

Green had been in sparkling form in the first half to keep Boro at bay. Despite flapping wildly at a couple of teasing crosses from England prospect Downing, the keeper redeemed himself with a stunning save to deny Job.

City lost Thomas Helveg in the tenth minute after he took a sickening blow to the back of the head from his own team-mate, Gary Doherty.

Jim Brennan went straight into City's stifling formation and the ploy worked well until Job's double strike.