Chopra Double for Sunderland Sees Off Middlesbrough

Michael Chopra cemented Sunderland's reputation as being the kings of the late-goal as he scored twice in the last ten minutes for Roy Keane's side as they beat local rivals Middlesbrough 2-0. For Chopra, it was a personal triumph having come off the substitutes bench to make his first appearance of the season following a spell in the Sporting Chance Clinic after some personal difficulties.

By the time the former Newcastle player latched on to Kieran Richardson to slot past Ross Turnbull in the Middlesbrough goal to open the scoring, his side should have been behind. Stewart Downing missed a penalty after 73 minutes after Nyron Nosworthy was harshly adjudged to have brought down Jeremie Aliadiere. The England man blazed his penalty high into the stand much to the delight of the home supporters. Chopra got his second in the dying minutes to punish Gareth Southgate's side for some poor finishing.

The visitors were dealt a blow before kick-off when Mido was injured during the warm-up and his place was taken by Afonso Alves. Boro kicked off with England international Stewart Downing being asked to support Alves in attack with Johnson lining up on the left, and Wheater filling in at right-back.

Sunderland put themselves under pressure with three minutes gone when keeper Craig Gordon slipped as he tried to control Ferdinand's back-pass under pressure from Alves and hacked the ball out for a corner. Downing's cross was cleared to Didier Digard, who smashed a long-range shot over the bar. The Teessiders were dominating, although the home side had a glimmer of a chance five minutes later when Djibril Cisse got the benefit of a tight offside decision, but wasted it by slicing his effort embarrassingly wide.

The Frenchman went closer, but not close enough, from 22 yards with nine minutes gone after Wheater had hooked another Downing corner across the face of goal at the other end. But Gordon was called upon to make the game's first save with 19 minutes gone when Alves' free-kick was blocked to Downing, who fired in a first-time shot which the Scotland international did well to turn away. Sunderland finally responded and Cisse saw a cross and then a shot blocked as his side exerted real pressure for the first time.

Boro threatened with 26 minutes gone when Downing's cross from the left was met by Jeremie Aliadiere, although his attempt to cushion the ball past Gordon only succeeded in sending it wide of the far post. The Wearsiders were in need of creativity in the middle of the park, where O'Neil and Digard were dominant. However, Malbranque was starting to have a bigger influence, and it took a well-time challenge by Robert Huth to block Cisse's 33rd-minute shot after his compatriot had played the ball into the channel.

Alves just overdid it with a threaded pass to Aliadiere 10 minutes before the break, but, as the game opened up, Cisse got in on the Sunderland right and Huth had to hack away his cross as the red and white shirts gathered in the middle. But Boro's Brazilian striker would have given his side a 37th-minute lead had it not been for Gordon's resilience.

Boro broke swiftly through Johnson, who slid the ball into Alves' path, but Gordon got his angles right to block the resulting shot with his legs. The half finished with a flurry of activity as first Cisse and then Aliadiere went for goal after turning neatly, but neither man troubled the respective goalkeepers to any real extent. Keane was forced to make a change on the stroke of half-time when Tainio, who had earlier hurt his shoulder in a clash with Alves, was replaced by Chopra.

Cisse wasted a glorious opportunity to create a chance for his side within seconds of the restart. He collected Chopra's flick wide on the right and then prepared to take on the covering Huth. The defender slipped as Cisse danced towards him, presenting the striker with a clear run into the box, but he then crossed the ball straight out of play.

O'Neil saw a long-range effort blocked by Ferdinand with 51 minutes gone, but Sunderland broke swiftly and Huth had to get in a crucial challenge at the near post to prevent Chopra from reaching Chimbonda's cross. But Gordon continued to be the busier of the two goalkeepers, and he had to get down well to turn away another Alves effort two minutes later.

As the game moved from end to end, Kieran Richardson fired over the top after Chopra had laid off Malbranque's cross to him. Chopra's 58th-minute run from his own half put Cisse into a promising position on the right, but he was held up and when the ball returned to him after changing hands several times, he crossed it straight into Turnbull's waiting arms.

The Boro goalkeeper almost handed Sunderland the lead four minutes later when, having collected the ball, he dropped it at Diouf's feet and he fed it out to Cisse. He curled the ball towards goal, but Emanuel Pogatetz made a fine block as he and Huth threw themselves into the path of the shot. Both managers made double substitutions as the game entered its final quarter with Digard, Johnson, Diouf and Cisse making way for Mohamed Shawky, Hoyte, Andy Reid and Daryl Murphy.