Cardiff visited the Riverside stadium and won, No ghosts were exorcised, no revenge was exacted and no Boro fan left the stadium without thinking 'oh F**k, not again!'
And all because nobody moved to stop Chris Burke free-kick's from ending up in the Boro goal.
Boro, contrary to some reports written with hindsight, started well and looked 'up for it' particularly the under-used Mark Yeates who has the kind of relentless energy we need alongside injury prone players such as Gary O'Neil and Didier Digard.
Speaking of the pair, both were unavailable despite being fit at least until the first round of team news was printed.
However, with Yeates in for Arca/O'Neil, we looked more balanced than we have in recent weeks (QPR apart) and were actually on the attack as the game got underway.
Rhys Williams was back in midfield and looked strong alongside Isaiah Osbourne with Adam Johnson trying to get crosses into the box.
Johnson has still not reached the dizzying heights of his early season away form and is constantly thwarted by tag team marking from the opposition.
And then there's Jones. I have been championing Brad Jones this season, firstly as a viable alternative to Danny Coyne and in the last five games or so (pre Cardiff) as a good goalkeeper who has made some excellent saves and has been consistently let down by an ever-changing back four.
I also maintain that booing the name of one of your own players is the vocal equivalent of owning a personalised number plate - you need do nothing else to prove that you are a pratt!
Apologies to the players, a number of whom I know have their surnames and squad number emblazoned across their number plates...
However, had Jones even stuck out an arm, it is unlikely the ball would have found its way into the net. There was nothing to stop Wheater blocking the shot either.
And after that those of us who have defended Mr Jones were powerless to help him, as the Jones-haters felt vindicated and loudly took to booing and berating him again.
But it is not just Brad.
Sean St Ledger has left a hole in the Preston defence, but has not replaced Robert Huth in ours. Not that Huth has been a particularly good buy for Stoke, what with getting suspended and costing them penalties!
But that's beside's the point.
A lot of criticism has been levelled at St Ledger, who will be joining us permanently in January. I suspect some of it is because people are loath to criticise David 'he's one of our own' Wheater.
Now, I'm a big fan of Wheater and I like St Ledger too, but they are not a partnership. Wheater had a fantastic first season for the club. Last season he struggled but, comfortable with man mountain Huth alongside him, he began to put in man of the match performances (away from home) as the two kept clean sheets and Johnson scored the goals in Boro's early 2009-10 promotion campaign.
St Ledger will now miss the next three games, due to his loan running out, so we will field our twelfth? different defensive line up since the beginning of the season.
Sunday was one of Wheater's better games of late and if he keeps his place it will be alongside Pogatetz or Riggott, both of whom seem better suited to the Redcar Rock's style than St Ledger.
Stoke, having robbed us of both Huth and Tuncay at a rock bottom price, have generously lent us Dave Kitson to force Leroy Lita to a) run and b) remember that he can score goals.
It worked, for about two weeks. So why on earth was Kitson partnered with Marcus Bent?
Bent is an athletic player and can hold the ball up but when faced with the goal he tried to pass! He also managed his customary off target header before the final whistle was mercifully blown.
The game itself was not that bad. Boro were barely recognisable from the team who were trampled by Blackpool. But we were not the team who hammered QPR either.
Our defence (the goal apart) looked solid and the midfield were working hard to not put too much pressure on the boys at the back. But going forward we lacked any real threat. The fact that our shots came from Williams, Yeates and Wheater says it all really.
Watching boro at home this season is like watching Boro at home for the last three seasons (at least) and that is depressing.
Thank God for Rhys Williams who seems to be able to play anywhere without making any major mistakes. Although, even Williams was having a shocker when he was subbed for the first time this season against Blackpool.
And we have Chris Riggott fit again and Jeremie Aliadiere returning to training in the very near future. Riggott is solid and experienced.
Ali's strike record is poor but defenders do not like playing against him. He offers the pace which the stifled Johnson cannot unleash and could bring some creativity back to a team which, again, looks out of ideas, if only through fresh legs. The Frenchman arguably has less fans than Brad Jones, but he was a key ingredient in Boro's successful counter-attacks on the road last season.
It looks like we may have lost Adam Johnson to a hamstring injury which, in theory, could sideline him until we lose him to a Premier League club in January.
But enough of the doom and gloom, let's get into the festive spirit.
Altogether now "All I want for Christmas is three points against Newcastle!"
First published on www.ComeOnBoro.com on 14/12/2009
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