West Brom Reserves 1 Middlesbrough Reserves 1

ANOTHER goal from Danny Graham confirmed his wellbeing and earned a share of the spoils for Boro's Reserves last night.

The 20-year-old striker was scoring his third goal in as many games since returning from a broken leg when on hand to tuck in from close range shortly before the break.

The goal came from a move which started on the right-hand edge of the Boro box and ended with a left-wing cross from Jonathan Grounds from a similar position inside Albion territory. Lee Cattermole powered a header towards goal, Tomasz Kuszczak able only to parry into Graham's path.

Boro had played well in patches in the opening 45 minutes and could have scored twice before Graham found the net, but from Graeme Owens deliveries David Wheater twice missed the target with close-range headers.

Perhaps with an eye on Thursday's game against Xanthi and Sunday's Premiership clash at Wigan, changes were made at half-time and during the second half, but that was no excuse for sloppiness which led to Albion's equaliser after 54 minutes as Brian Smikle was unchallenged when heading in from a Junichi Inamoto right-wing corner.

Kevin Burgess, who has played many of his recent matches in defence, did well when replacing Graham and playing up front, but it was Tom Craddock who went closest to restoring Boro's lead, bringing a smart save from Kuszczak with a low drive, while the Polish goalkeeper again thwarted the Darlington-born striker when blocking a chance late in the game.

Cattermole was thwarted by Kuszczak in the closing stages but Boro were grateful to Seb Hines for a timely intervention which denied Smikle a second approaching injury time.

West Brom: Kuszczak; Hodgkiss, Moore (Downing 46), Manchester, Baker, Humphrey (Elvins 68), Sissoko, Inamoto, Pringle (Kelleher 63), Smikle, Nicholson. Unused subs: Daniels (gk); McQuilkin.

Boro: Knight; Hines, Wheater (Cooper 73), Bates (Clough 46), Grounds, Liddle, Cattermole, Kennedy, Owens, Graham (Burgess 65) Craddock. Unused subs: Pennock (gk); Walker.

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