Fans clash as Boro banish Banik

Middlesbrough survived a fraught onslaught in Ostrava to continue their long-awaited European adventure, sadly blighted last night by the age-old problem of hooliganism.

Violence flared before the second leg of Middlesbrough's UEFA Cup first-round tie against Czech champions Banik inside the Bazaly Stadium.

On the pitch, Boro went through to the second-round group stages - playing the final half hour with 10 men following a red card for Franck Queudrue.

The fan trouble was in part caused by the meagre 900-ticket allocation handed to Middlesbrough for this tie by Banik. Several hundred supporters made their way from Teesside to Ostrava, eager to see something which can never be repeated, the club's debut on the Continent.

With tickets sold for as little as £5, it meant they were all too easy for Boro supporters to purchase. But it also meant they were seated amongst the home fans - a recipe for disaster.

So it proved as rioting erupted, with a running battle between 200 fans staged in one corner of the stadium as fists and boots flew - while a number of seats were ripped up and hurled.

Remarkably, there was no police presence inside the ground - and a 100-strong force finally arrived brandishing batons and riot shields as the teams were taking to the pitch.

The trouble was eventually quelled - although not for Boro on the pitch as a makeweight team ravaged by injury went a goal down in the 19th minute.

Radek Latal and Zdenek Pospech initially combined, the latter providing a right-wing cross for David Bystron to crack a 25-yard left-foot volley beyond the helpless Mark Schwarzer.

Following Queudrue's first yellow card for deliberate and needless handball in the 49th minute, Schwarzer pulled off a stunning full-stretch save from a rasping right-foot volley from Mario Licka.

But Queudrue was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 58th minute, albeit harshly for an apparent foul on Pospech to the right of the penalty area.

Banik eventually ran out of ideas and enthusiasm. It led to a moment for 19-year-old debutant James Morrison to savour as in the fourth minute of injury-time, he seized on a through ball from George Boateng to round goalkeeper Martin Raska and slide the ball into the net from 20 yards.

BANIK OSTRAVA: Raska; Pospech, Besta, Dvornik, Licka, Latal, Bystron, Zubek, Cizek, Papadopulos, Matusovic. Subs: Bucek,Drozd, Kotrys, Hoffmann, Velkoborsky, Zurek, Varadi.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Cooper, Southgate, Queudrue, Morrison, Boateng, Doriva, Downing, Zenden, Nemeth. Subs: Nash, McMahon, Bates, Taylor, Mendieta, Christie, Wheater.

Referee: M Trefoloni (Italy)