FA Cup progress is clearly low down on Bryan Robson's list of priorities, but the Middlesbrough manager, no doubt with some frustration, saw his side ease past an alarmingly poor QPR last night.
Goalless and low-key before halftime, Boro pushed the game their way with only the faintest of nudges when two well-taken goals by Andy Campbell and Robbie Mustoe in the space of four minutes just before the hour were enough to set up another fixture in an already busy season.
An indication of how seriously Middlesbrough were apparently taking this game arrived with the team sheet. There was no starting places for Craig Hignett, Mikkel Beck or Jaime Moreno. Three 18-year-olds were included instead. It seemed Boro were quite prepared to miss out on a possible fourth-round home tie with Arsenal, who replay at Port Vale tonight.
It took QPR nearly half an hour to create any danger, but Trevor Sinclair's long-range shot was saved by Mark Schwarzer.
Middlesbrough, however, returned much perkier after halftime, and nine minutes after the restart another spell of scrappy play was ended by Merson's smooth touch. Swivelling on to a bouncing ball, he produced an inspired reverse lob that cut out the QPR defence. Campbell chased it and planted an emphatic right-foot volley past the helpless Harper from 12 yards.
Four minutes later the contest was over when Mustoe drilled a shot low into Harper's right-hand corner from the edge of the area after intelligent work by Andy Townsend.
