Boro gained revenge for their most humbling day suffering a 9-1 defeat on this same ground in September. Galaxy began much the better as Boro struggled to get a foot on the ball but after Ian Rugg's free-kick was flicked on by Ryan Butt who found Ross Deegan to have two bites at tapping home, it was a confident, committed a disciplined display. Saying that, within a minute it was 1-1 as the left winger was allowed time to shoot and as the ball bounced wickedly in front of Humphries it deceived the Boro keeper to nestle in the bottom corner. Boro did not cave in like last time and a superb move saw Deegan play a peach of a pass down the line for fellow striker Oldershaw to home in on goal and tuck the ball in the bottom corner from a tight angle to the surprise of everyone. Now it was Boro playing the better football and a superb move saw Adam Chandler overlap from right-back and deliver a ball into Oldershaw and his sublime clip over the defence was volleyed in from close range by Paul Mears. Boro thought it was 3-1 but the linesman called Mears offside despite the midfielder surging past 2 Galaxy players in the build-up. It seemed that Boro would not have to wait long for more as Chandler chased a through ball and went into a crunching tackle with the keeper and Oldershaw picked up the pieces to cross for Deegan to tap home but the prolific forward missed his kick and the defender on the line somehow scrambled away.
Boro went in at the interval deservedly at 2-1 and came out the hungrier of the two sides immediately bagging that 3rd goal. Oldershaw homed down the left and sent a doozy of a ball across goal that split the defender and goalkeeper to leave Deegan with a tap-in. Boro were creating more space and breaking at will as Galaxy's all out attack approach was being found out. Oldershaw's pursuit of another great through ball by Styles resulted in being taken clean out by the on-rushing keeper right on the line of the penalty box. Galaxy got away with just a booking as the free-kick resulted in little. Then after barley having an attack Galaxy earned a corner and as Boro half cleared it outside the box the left-back came storming in to smash an unstoppable strike into the top corner. Harsh on Boro who had the game under control but this changed the shape of the whole game as the title contenders upped the ante. Credit should go to the back 4 and goalkeeper who marshalled the attack superbly as the 2 forwards who tormented Boro a few weeks back were relatively anonymous. Then another incisive counter-attack earned a free-kick as Oldershaw nodded home James Andy's superb delivery. The 2 goal breathing space again was pegged back soon after as a cross from the right was deflected onto Butt's arm at some pace but the Mr Brum pointed straight to the spot for a harsh penalty. Up stepped the Galaxy centre-back to hammer home and it was set-up for a back's to the wall job in the last 15 minutes which Boro defended defiantly to the frustration of Merton for a vital 3 points. The prospect of possibly meeting again in the 2 cup competitions is now poised nicely if Boro see-off Premier League Wimbledon Royals next week.
