TWO enormous caricatures strolled around Middlesbrough's pitch before kick off on Saturday, shaking eager young hands and waving merrily. As look a likes go, this was uncanny. The inflated heads of Emerson and Fabrizio Ravanelli had been reproduced to perfection that the pair had to be led from the field due to a lack of vision merely completed the resemblance.

It was all a tad harsh on the genuine version of Middlesbrough's Italian striker who went on to score twice and take his season's goal tally to 31 (although anyone who still believes he will take up the cudgels next August ought to have witnessed his valedictory, one man lap of honour at the end.)

This was one of his more interested after noons - from shaking a baleful fist at the garrulous Villa supporters, right until he thundered a 90th minute penalty beyond Michael Oakes.

If only the same were true of Emerson. Its says everything about the popularity of his fellow Brazilian that the diminutive Juninho even received a few token nominations in the obligatory `favourite Spice Girl' category in a Born fanzine's end of season poll. A whopping 98 per cent voted him their player of the year.

Apart from coming up trumps in the worst hair cut section, the only award Emerson took was that of most disappointing player. It was not too long ago that the errant midfielder was being equated with a certain Bryan Robson, but for too long now both his mobility and organisational properties have displayed more kinship to Brian Mahwinney, the British Conservative Party's election campaign manager.

"If you're going to be a top team, you should be able to keep the ball better than we did," Robson accurately observed. "Villa came right back at us, but our passing was awful and in the end we were fortunate to win the game.

Others may have been at fault, but Emerson, in particular, appeared chronically incapable of finding a team mate. After falling behind thanks to Mark Bosnich twice haring from his line to convenient knee injury making his later substitution inevitable, with first Ravanelli and then his strike partner, Mikkel Beck, taking a touch beyond the goalkeeper, Villa almost took advantage before again falling into careless ways.

Steve Staunton was dismissed for dissent, Craig Hignett was dragged down by Gareth Farrelly inside the area and Ravanelli hit the winner with seconds remaining. Predictably, that ensured controversy, with Gareth Southgate being restrained from confronting the referee after the final whistle.

A wave of relief washed over the Riverside Stadium, at an outcome that had seemed distinctly improbable when Ugo Ehiogu had latched on to Fernando Nelson's long throwing and Savo Milosevic for once managed to find a way past the excellent Ben Roberts for Villa's equaliser.

Sixty one per cent of their own supporters may believe that the club are going down, but Middlesbrough's survival trek lurches on to Old Trafford today.