This will be the 12th time Middlesbrough have visited Vicarage Road. Our home record against them is completely even having won 5, drawn 1 and lost 5, scoring and conceding 13 goals. The first time they came to Hertfordshire was in the Old Division 3 back in October 1966 when we won 2-0.
The last meeting at the Vic was in the Premiership in November 2006 when we won for the first time that season 2-0. A Jonathon Woodgate own goal got us on the way after six minutes and Ashley Young secured the three points in the second half.
Earlier in the season we were the final nail in the coffin of Gareth Southgate's reign as Middlesbrough manager when a Tom Cleverley goal gave us a 1-0 win at the Riverside.
Middlesbrough have not exactly blossomed under new manager Gordon Strachan. They are currently 8th with 53 points from 39 games. Their away record reads won 6, drawn 5, lost 8. You have to go back to 26 January for their last away win, 4-1 at Doncaster. Since then on the road they've drawn with Ipswich and lost at Blackpool, Forest, Cardiff and Derby. Last Saturday they drew 1-1 at home with Reading and on Tuesday night won, again at home, 2-0 to Preston.
A match against Middlesbrough sounds like the perfect opportunity for a young loanee who was born and bred in Sunderland to make a name for himself. Ryan Noble, your newly adopted public awaits.
