Middlesbrough 2 West Bromwich 2: McClaren calls for greater consistency

The Riverside witnessed some quite spectacular role reversal yesterday. A referee who was the model of consistency in charge of two sides who, while striving hard, are anything but consistent.

Peter Walton hardly put a foot wrong, in contrast to Middlesbrough and West Bromwich, although their failings played a big part in an absorbing contest.

For the hosts in particular, inconsistency remains their only constant. On the plus side they continue to cast off their slightly unfair role as the Premiership's cure for insomnia. Of more concern to Steve McClaren and his long-term Champions' League ambitions is his side's inability to string together any victories.

Their last back-to-back wins arrived a year ago, and while they are yet to ship a goal in Europe this season their last domestic clean sheet is a distant memory, having come in August.

"It's frustrating, very frustrating," McClaren admitted. "Today summed up how we are at the moment. Five or six weeks ago people were complaining about the amount of goals and entertainment here, but you're certainly getting that now.

"I feel we can always score at least a couple of goals per game, but we're having to score three or four to win at the moment and some days it's not going to happen for you. We have to start keeping clean sheets as the season continues - we do that in Europe, so why not the Premiership? Credit to Albion, they didn't sit back, played some good football, and did enough to get the point."

Middlesbrough were indebted to Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who sent Tomasz Kuszczak the wrong way from the penalty spot on 67 minutes to secure a fully merited point. Ten minutes before that, Nwankwo Kanu's confident 18-yard finish to a flowing three-man move from deep inside West Bromwich Albion's half had given the visitors hope of a first victory on Teesside in 53 years.

"We just weren't quite clinical enough to round things off," admitted Bryan Robson, the West Bromwich manager, who had no qualms about the penalty after Paul Robinson climbed all over the substitute Szilard Nemeth.

"We caused our own downfall," Robson added. "Paul didn't leave the referee with any choice, it was a bit of a rash challenge. We missed chances and that's what's costing us away from home, but it's still a good result and hopefully we can build on this point and climb up the table."

Robson saw his side fall behind to Mark Viduka's impressive finish with the outside of his right boot after the Australian's attempted pass to George Boateng had bounced back to him on the edge of the area.

The lead lasted six minutes, Kanu blocking Franck Queudrue's weak pass out of defence to allow Nathan Ellington to send a low angled drive into the bottom corner of the net from 15 yards.

McClaren concluded: "The goals we conceded were disappointing, and it's something we need to address if we're going to become more consistent.

"We need to limit our mistakes. We're getting punished at the moment but I don't think we're set up to do better in Europe than the Premiership."

Goals: Viduka (12) 1-0; Ellington (18) 1-1; Kanu (57) 1-2; Yakubu (67) pen 2-2.

Middlesbrough:(3-5-2) Schwarzer; Riggott, Southgate, Queudrue (Nemeth, 46); Parnaby, Morrison (Doriva, 79), Boateng, Pogatetz, Rochemback; Yakubu, Viduka (Hasselbaink, 79). Substitutes not used: Jones (gk), Bates.

West Bromwich Albion:(4-4-2) Kuszczak; Watson (Albrechtsen, 46), Clement, Davies, Robinson; Greening, Inamoto, Wallwork, Kamara (Carter, 62); Kanu, Ellington. Substitutes not used: Hoult (gk), Horsfield, Earnshaw.

Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).

Booked: Middlesbrough Parnaby; West Bromwich Albion Clement.

Attendance: 27,041.

Man of the match: Clement.