The last time we won a game in the competition was in the fourth round against Burton in 2011 before losing at West Ham in round five. Since, we've had four immediate exits at the hands of Norwich, Barnsley, Southampton and Spurs.
It equalled our worst ever run in the competition when two of those clubs also featured. From 1904/05 through to 1907/08, we failed to win a cup tie, losing at the hands of Lincoln, Spurs, Aston Villa and Southampton.
If you'd asked Just before half time yesterday whether the run was going to an end, I reckon it would have been an emphatic no from those Burnley fans inside the Riverside Stadium, but an equaliser just before the half time whistle and a much improved second half means we'll be playing in the fourth round this season.
Rouwen Hennings and Stephen Ward have added their names to Burnley's list of FA Cup scorers; for Ward it is a first ever Burnley goal, and those goals have now left us eagerly awaiting the draw on Monday hoping for a home tie.
My trip yesterday wasn't altered by the problems on the A59. I was always going via the X43 for a pick up at Prestwich and then the M62/M1/A1/A19 route. I don't know how bad the problems were for those using the diversions but there was certainly a healthy number of Clarets there, almost double the number there for the recent midweek league game.
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| Rouwen Hennings scored a stoppage time equaliser at the end of the first half |
As expected there were changes. Middlesbrough made seven of them which was probably no surprise; Sean Dyche opted to make four, bringing in Tendayi Darikwa, Fredrik Ulvestad, George Boyd and Rouwen Hennings for Matt Lowton, Joey Barton, Scott Arfield and Andre Gray.
Middlesbrough had beaten Derby last week and the four players retained were Daniel Ayala, George Friend, Adam Clayton and Albert Adomah. Some of the replacements, it has to be said, would grace most Championship sides and it that included a Burnley nemesis in David Nugent.
It's easy to say we didn't play well in the first half, and we know that Dyche had a quiet word with them at half time. Middlesbrough dominated that first half but I think a lot of credit has to go to a team that, in my view, is the best in the Championship.
They played some terrific football at times and I'm sure we'd have fallen behind much earlier than we did but for the performances of goalkeeper Tom Heaton and his two central defenders Michael Keane and Ben Mee.
You sensed maybe it was going to be our day when Nugent was sent clear with only Heaton to beat. Given his ability in front of goal, added to his hunger for scoring against us, a goal looked inevitable, but the striker didn't make the most of it and Heaton saved well.
It wasn't long after that miss when the goal came. I think I'd just reached the point where I thought we might get to half time level when once again they got down the left with George Friend getting in a cross.
It found Nugent who again fluffed his lines; his shot rebounding off Ward. Ben Mee could only knock it back to Friend who saw his shot saved only for Diego Fabbrini to hit home from close range with Heaton grounded in the back of the net.
The Middlesbrough fans were raving about Fabbrini at the start of the season after he signed for them in a season long loan deal from Watford. The Italian doesn't score many goals, and yesterday's was his first since October, but he certainly looks a very good player.
That was, I thought, the end of the notion that we might go in level, and we still trailed 1-0 when the fourth official held up the board for three extra minutes, brought about when Tendayi Darikwa required treatment for a head injury.
We hadn't really threatened the home goal but Sam Vokes got the ball down the right hand side and did really well to eventually get in a cross. It found Hennings totally unmarked and the German striker did equally well to steer a left foot shot into the bottom corner.
I don't know what the fly on the dressing room wall might have heard without that goal; I'm sure it wouldn't have been just as quiet, but whatever was said and done, coupled with the equaliser, it had the desired result.
The first few minutes of the second half saw Middlesbrough push forward again but it was only for a few minutes and after that they never again had the upper hand in this game although they did miss one outstanding chance.
We looked comfortable and looked for all the world a different side than the one that had played in the first half when Middlesbrough had dominated in midfield and got at us down the flanks with ease.
Not so much now. Certainly we were stronger in wide areas and in the centre had got a grip with Ulvestad, who at times had looked lost in the first half, now looking a very good player.
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| A first Burnley goal for Stephen Ward is the winner |
And then came the moment we'd forgotten about, a winning goal in an FA Cup tie. David Jones took a right wing corner that a Middlesbrough defender could do no more than head upwards. Boyd tried a shot as it came down but it did no more than reach Ward who, from around seven yards out, spun and volleyed home.
If you are going to get your first goal for your club then there's no harm in it being a spectacular one. It was certainly not the sort of finish you'd expect from a full back. It's just 20 months since Ward last scored a goal and that too was in a 2-1 away win including a comeback. On that occasion he scored Brighton's first as they came back to beat Forest 2-1 at the City Ground to secure Brighton's place in the play-offs.
This one came with 19 minutes of time remaining, plus the four minutes that were added on, so still, in effect, a quarter of the game remaining. In truth, we never looked like surrendering the lead and might have even snatched a third.
As referee Simon Hooper blew for full time it was the Burnley fans celebrating with the home fans, as indicated by the travelling Clarets, executing a fire drill.
A word on Hooper. Sometimes a referee dominates a game with a string of bad decisions, and that's what gets a referee noticed. Three times Hooper got out his yellow card yesterday; Joey Barton on as a substitute getting ours, but other than that, and more than once making great use of advantage, he was hardly noticed simply because he did his job and did it very well. I wish I could report that about the referee after every game.
So, it's a cup win and ball number 30 in tomorrow's draw and we beat a very good side to get there.
It's also a cup win that will help wipe out the memories for those who were there 17 seasons ago when we played a first round tie against Darlington with the Feethams pitch unfit. Mercifully, I missed that game due to flu but that was the night we surrendered a two goal lead in the last nine minutes and lost 3-2. As was said to me yesterday: "So you never saw Kval play a first team game?"
Now it's back to the league for the rest of our week on tour.
The teams were;
Middlesbrough: Tomas Mejias, Tomas Kalas, Daniel Ayala, Fernando Amorebieta (Emilio Nsue 54), George Friend, Adam Clayton, Adam Forshaw, Albert Adomah, Diego Fabbrini (Kike 76), Carlos De Pena (Christian Stuani 76), David Nugent. Subs not used: Michael Agazzi, Ben Gibson, Grant Leadbitter, Stewart Downing.
Yellow Cards: Adam Forshaw, George Friend.
Burnley: Tom Heaton, Tendayi Darikwa, Michael Keane, Ben Mee, Stephen Ward, George Boyd, Fredrik Ulvestad, David Jones (Joey Barton 76), Michael Kightly (Scott Arfield 69), Sam Vokes (Chris Long 90), Rouwen Hennings. Subs not used: Matt Gilks, Matt Lowton, Tom Anderson, Matt Taylor.
Yellow Card: Joey Barton.
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).
Attendance: 18,286 (including 1,275 Clarets).