Player Ratings: Middlesbrough 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Middlesbrough

Brad Jones- 6.5: Did not have much to do as Spurs had trouble mounting any type of serious attack in the first half but made two great saves on Bentley and Jenas in the second half to keep the game scoreless.

Andrew Taylor- 7.0: Put in a solid, workman like performance without any fuss this afternoon.

Emanuel Pogatetz- 7.0: The heart and soul of the Middlesbrough squad and once again showed his determination by playing the second half with a head injury.

David Wheater- 8.0: Had a goal harshly ruled out in the first forty-five minutes but deservedly found his goal in the 71^st minute. Is a rising star in English football and will force Fabio Capello to take a long, hard look at him.

Robert Huth- 6.5 The big German was a rock at the back for most of the match until he turned the ball into his own net in injury time.

Gary O’Neil- 6.5- Passed a late fitness test to make the manager’s team sheet and responded with a solid performance by pushing Spurs’ young midfield around.

Stewart Downing- 8.0- The man with the golden left foot was the architect of the Middlesbrough attack and played a part in both goals.

Jeremie Aliadiere- 6.5: He was steady for most of the match but should have added his name to the score-sheet late in the second half but instead missed a one on one opportunity with only Gomes to beat.

Mohamed Shwaky 6.0: Largely invisible for most of the match expect for two long range efforts that were woefully wide of the mark.

Tuncay Sanli- 7.0: Continued his good form after a sensational Euro 2008 and looked dangerous on the counter attack.

Afonso Alves- 6.5:  Was very wasteful this afternoon as he missed two great chances in the first half including an absolute sitter.

Substitutions

Didier Digard (72”) 6.5, Hossam Mido (83”) 8.0

Tottenham Hotspur

Huerelho Gomes- 6.0: Was pretty steady in his Premier League debut today and cannot be faulted for either goals.

Jonathan Woodgate- 7.5- Was cool and composed at the back while dealing with a hostile crowd. He made two vital interventions including a goal saving block in the first half.

Michael Dawson- 6.0: Made a couple of crucial blocks in the first half and did well filling in for Ledley King.

Didier Zokora- 6.0: He played out of position this afternoon but made some forward runs and supplied some dangerous crosses.

Benoit Assoue-Ekotto- 5.5:  Caught out of position on a couple of occasions in the first half and some woeful defending gifted Alves a glorious scoring opportunity.

Luka Modric- 5.0: His performance today did not justify his lofty price tag as he failed to make any sort of impact on the match.

Jermaine Jenas- 6.0: The stand in captain failed to control the midfield and was largely disappointing.

Aaron Lennon- 5.0: Not one of his best matches as he failed to make his mark on the mark and was eventually substituted off.

David Bentley- 7.5: Was Spurs’ most dangerous player this afternoon and almost found the back of the net with a laserbeam in the second half that was parried away by Jones.

Darren Bent- 6.0: He was extremely quiet and could not carry over his sizzling pre-season form into the regular season.

Giovani Dos Santos- 6.0: Showed some flashes of brilliance but may be still too young to make an impact this season and was substituted off in the second half.

Substitutes

Dimitar Berbatov (64”) 6.5, Gareth Bale (64”) 6.0, Jaime O’Hara (77”) 6.5