Aliadiere earns vital points

Middlesbrough 1 Wigan Athletic 0Fabio Capello made his first visit to Teesside last night, but the England coach cannot fail to have noticed that the best two players on view were a Brazilian and an Argentinian.

Yet, if Middlesbrough's Fabio Rochemback and Julio Arca stole the show, at least Capello had one English performance to ponder, Stewart Downing impressing on the left wing for Gareth Southgate's side as Boro secured a vital victory in their wider battle to steer clear of relegation waters.

Afonso Alves was on Teesside yesterday undergoing a medical at Boro ahead of his proposed move from Heerenveen.

Even so, the Brazil striker's transfer to north east England is inching, rather than sprinting, towards a conclusion as the clubs are still haggling over the fee and Boro have yet to secure Alves a work permit.

Boro, with Rochemback excelling in central midfield, were creating numerous chances. Indeed Paul Scharner made a vital interception to deny Aliadiere, scooping the ball to safety just as the French striker appeared poised to connect with Downing's inviting cross.

The winger tends to be involved in most of Middlesbrough's goals and so it proved here when his lofted pass to Aliadiere confounded Steve Bruce's backline and enabled the striker to confound his less than prolific reputation by directing a rising left foot shot beyond Chris Kirland's reach.

Boro - who had replaced the injured Tuncay with an alarmingly weighty Mido - might have scored a second, but Aliadiere proved unequal to a glorious Downing cross following Gary O'Neil's inspired crossfield ball.

The win was deserved but Mark Schwarzer needed to make a difficult save from the increasingly dangerously Heskey after a clever Koumas free-kick.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Young, Huth, Wheater, Grounds, O'Neil, Arca, Rochemback, Downing (Cattermole 88), Aliadiere (Johnson 72), Sanli (Mido 34). Subs not used: Turnbull, Riggott. Goal: Aliadiere 19.

WIGAN ATHLETIC: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner, Kilbane, Valencia, Brown, Palacios, King (Koumas 53), Heskey, Bent (Sibierski 75). Subs not used: Pollitt, Taylor, Boyce. Booked: Heskey.

Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).