Boro earn place in group stages
Banik Ostrava 1 Middlesbrough 1
Middlesbrough survived a fraught onslaught in Ostrava to continue their long-awaited European adventure, sadly blighted tonight by the age-old problem of hooliganism.
Unsightly violence flared before the second leg of Middlesbrough’s UEFA Cup first-round tie against Czech champions Banik, tarnishing what was meant to be a triumphant first night abroad for Steve McClaren’s side.
On the pitch, Boro scraped through to the second round group stages via a 1-1 draw to earn a 4-1 aggregate verdict – having played the final half-hour with 10 men following a red card for Franck Queudrue.
