Everton's unbeaten run extended by stalemate at Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough 0 Everton 0: Aitor Karanka's resilient hosts managed to keep Everton out but they remain without a win in their last eight league games

Middlesbrough drew a blank for the 10th time in the Premier League this season (Getty)

An afternoon that held the potential to be Romelu Lukaku’s coronation as Everton’s greatest goalscorer in the Premier League era, either by equalling or surpassing Duncan Ferguson’s club record, turned instead into a demonstration of Middlesbrough’s dogged determination to be in this league next season.

Aitor Karanka’s team specialise in stalemates – this was their tenth draw of the season – but the “commitment” Karanka mentioned afterwards was clear. It was welcome on a day when three others around Boro at the bottom of the table lost.

Boro have won just four times all season, and not since before Christmas, but defeats for Hull, Sunderland and Crystal Palace meant this 0-0 was not viewed as a missed opportunity. It was a point gained against an Everton team who arrived in threatening form.

Central to that was Lukaku, but one glorious chance in the first half aside, the Belgian did not look like a man about to break a record.

His manager Ronald Koeman was philosophical about that afterwards, saying: “Maybe he should have saved one from last week.”

Ronald Koeman's Everton are now unbeaten in their last eight league games (Getty)

Then Lukaku got four against Bournemouth. Here his one opportunity, coming from a pass from Tom Davies, which stemmed from a Boro defensive error, was saved by the boot of Victor Valdes. Valdes made two other telling stops and had a claim on being the game’s most influential player.

However, that would suggest domination from Everton and the pattern of the game was far from that.

At the other end, the same claim could be made for Joel Robles. He made his first save 14 minutes in from Cristhian Stuani and his last in the 87th minute from Rudi Gestede.

The latter was the moment of the match. Gestede had come on for Alvaro Negredo just five minutes earlier and this was one of his first touches. It was with his head, Gestede rising like a centre forward of the old days to power a fierce header goalwards. Robles tipped over acrobatically.

“It was almost the perfect game but for the last save by Robles,” Karanka said.

He agreed it was arguably Boro’s best display at the Riverside since August. But there was a but: “Yes, once again, more than the result it was the performance; once again we were at least as good as them.”

Romelu Lukaku could not add to his seasonal tally despite scoring four last weekend (Getty)

Back from a week in Spain, Boro were confronted with swirling rain, biting cold and Lukaku.

This felt like a serious occasion for Boro, in part because of what has gone before – no wins in seven, now eight - but also because of what comes next: Palace, Sunderland, Swansea and Hull are four of the next six in the league for the Teessiders. Boro need some belief for that.

They began well. Less cagey than at times this season, Adam Forshaw and Stuani tried to get forward to support Negredo and Robles made that early improvised save from Stuani.

The firecracker that is Adama Traore was predictably unpredictable and he disturbed the visitors. As the half-hour approached Seamus Coleman made a vital interception on Traore ten yards out.

Of Lukaku there was barely a sighting until supplied by the bright Davies. After ten more minutes of huff and puff Valdes made another save, this time from Ademola Lookman at the near post.

Koeman’s men needed a gear-change after the interval. Yet from the re-start it was Boro dictating the tempo, with Traore again prominent. There was a useful header from Stuani clasped by Robles.

With the home side pressing, on 65 minutes Marten de Roon harried Ramiro Funes Mori into a conceding a corner. From it Ben Gibson rose highest. Gibson’s eight-yard header was goalbound, but Leighton Baines proved the value of having a man on the line. Baines cleared with an equally decisive nod of the head.

The game was Middlesbrough's to take. Everton were anonymous up front and passive elsewhere. Then at last Ross Barkley found a great pass, to Lookman. His shot was true but again Valdes stretched out a leg.

It was looking like one of those goalless days. And, when Gestede was thwarted at the end, so it proved.

Middlesbrough (4-1-4-1): Valdes; Chambers, Bernardo, Gibson, Fabio; Clayton; Traore, De Roon; Forshaw (Guedioura 58) Stuani (Ramirez 66); Negredo (Gestede 82)

Subs not used: Guzan, Ayala, Leadbitter, Downing

Everton (4-2-3-1): Robles; Coleman, Williams, Funes Mori, Baines; Gueye (Valencia 62) Schneiderlin; Barkley (Barry 87) Davies, Lookman (Lennon 73); Lukaku

Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Jagielka, Holgate

Referee: M Dean (Merseyside)

Attendance: 31,496