Steele, picked ahead of Chris Coleman’s usual first-choice keeper Robbin Ruiter, was at fault for both first-half goals
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JASON STEELE endured a wretched return to the Riverside as Middlesbrough piled more misery on local rivals Sunderland.
The Black Cats stopper came through the ranks at Boro and played 142 games in 12 years at the club.
But Steele, who was picked ahead of Chris Coleman’s usual first-choice keeper Robbin Ruiter, was at fault for both of Middlesbrough’s first-half goals in this Tees-Wear FA Cup clash.
And his blunders meant Sunderland were knocked out at the third-round stage for the third season running, while Tony Pulis’ side can look forward to a fourth-round fixture.
This tie was billed as the battle between the two Welshman in the North East, with Pulis appointed on Teesside on Boxing Day, a month after his countryman Coleman moved to Wearside.
But the 90 minutes merely reflected the gap between the two teams in the Championship, with the Black Cats currently bottom of the table and Boro just two points outside the play-off places.
The full-strength hosts opened the scoring after only ten minutes through Rudy Gestede’s first strike since August.
Adama Traore span two Sunderland players inside his own half, raced past another couple then played in Gestede with the outside of his boot.
And though the Boro striker was being pushed wide by covering defender Billy Jones, Steele unnecessarily raced off his line and Gestede was able to scuff the ball past him and into the empty net.
Martin Braithwaite, Jonny Howson and Stewart Downing all then also threatened Sunderland’s goal.
And Boro got their second three minutes before half-time when Steele, under pressure from Gestede, flapped at Downing’s corner and the ball fell to Braithwaite to stroke in from ten yards.
Coleman’s injury-ravaged visitors came close to grabbing a goal back after the break when teenager Josh Maja headed against the bar from George Honeyman’s corner.
Darren Randolph then pulled off an incredible reflex stop to tip over Tyias Browning’s header from Bryan Oviedo’s corner.
But there was little else for Sunderland’s 4,476 fans to cheer and their sole focus now is on their battle to stay in the second tier.
