Downing's escape artistry gets McClaren out of jail

Middlesbro - 1 Portsmouth - 1: Footballers tend to be creatures of habit but the one possessing Stewart Downing is one of the more useful. Middlesbrough's improvisational left-winger has the coveted knack of salvaging seemingly lost causes by creating or scoring goals.

With Steve McClaren's side trailing to cleverly configured guests yesterday, Downing performed his latest great escape, seizing on a loose pass and scoring the goal that eased his manager's growing discomfort.

It was Downing's fourth of the season - not a bad tally for an orthodox winger who started the campaign in the reserves. But even so all the pre-match attention focused on a certain Dutchman.

The Undertones may not have had Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in mind when they recorded Jimmy Jimmy but their hit has been adopted by Riverside regulars in homage to their leading scorer.

But its final strains had barely faded from the Tannoy when Diomansy Kamara reminded everyone that Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka were not the only strikers on the pitch by shooting Portsmouth ahead, then promptly earning a yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration.

Struck low from 20 yards, after seizing possession from an adroitly dummied George Boateng, Kamara's goal emphasised why the Senegal international was signed from Modena.

Nominally deployed as a deep-lying, left-sided midfielder in Harry Redknapp's flexible 4-5-1 formation, with freedom to break with alacrity when circumstances dictate, Kamara's rapid change of pace persistently destabilised Boro's back line.

"He's a special player," said Harry Redknapp who appeared unsure as to whether the forward was on loan or had signed permanently. "Kamara doesn't speak a word of English and can't understand the booking but he'll become one of the Premiership's top talents."

Meanwhile, across on Boro's left was another such talent, Downing. Intercepting Nigel Quashie's pass, the winger shimmied beyond two markers, cut inside and let fly from outside the area, his low shot flashing between Shaka Hislop's legs.

After initially dismissing Downing's contribution prior to the goal as "quiet", McClaren eventually conceded: "Stewart's crosses and goals show that his game has an end product - and he is lethal from 18 yards."