Middlesbrough 1 Aston Villa 1

Newcastle United 0 Fulham 1

Bolton Wanderers 1 Hull City 1

BORO, Newcastle and Hull City must all wait until the final game of the season before knowing their fate, writes GORDON COX from the Riverside.

The Boro side showed three changes from that which lost at Newcastle. Afonso Alves missed the game after breaking a foot at St James', while Shawky and Andrew Taylor dropped to the bench.

Matthew Bates moved to right-back, Justin Hoyte to left-back with David Wheater, despite needing a knee operation, returning in the centre of defence.

Adam Johnson began on the right of midfield, while Julio Arca started a game for the first time since March. Marvin Emnes started a home Premier League game for the first time following an encouraging first start at Newcastle.

The Villa side showed two changes from that which lost at Fulham. A foot injury prevented Luke Young from making a return to the Riverside, while Zat Knight dropped to the bench. In came Emile Heskey and Carlos Cuellar.

Villa started with Milner at right-back and Boro attacked that area immediately, winning a corner with 30 seconds played as Stewart Downing's cross was turned behind.

The visitors settled and, backed by a large contingent of fans, who were in excellent spirits, took the game back to Boro.

An end-to-end start saw Boro create a half-chance as a Johnson cross was played by Downing and Arca headed at Brad Friedel, who was extending his consecutive Premier League appearance record to 189.

His opposite number was soon in action, Brad Jones saving well with his legs as Gabriel Agbonlahor shot low after cutting in from the left.

The first shot which counted came after 14 minutes. Arca, just up from the D on the edge of the area played low to his left to Downing. He delayed his shot and when it came it looped up and Tuncay, with his back to goal, sent an expertly-executed overhead kick past Friedel from 12 yards.

There was a major injury scare when Downing was caught by Stiliyan Petrov when marauding down the left. Immediately he signalled he need to come off, but was able to limp back on after several minute's treatment, although he looked far from comfortable.

A few minutes later he went down again was unable to continue, being replaced by Marlon King.

That meant a reshuffle, with Tuncay dropping into midfield and King taking up his customary striking position.

The game continued in an open style, Hoyte saw a drive from the edge of the area headed over by Cuellar, Friedel spilled a shot and there were claims for a penalty when Emnes was caught, while Arca was spoken to for a challenge as Villa broke swiftly.

Back came Boro and excellent work from Emnes set up Hoyte, whose low drive from the edge of the D was turned behind for a corner by Friedel at full stretch.

As half-time approached and the scores from the other grounds filtered through the fans erupted into choruses You Are My Boro accompanied vociferously with chanting of the theme tune to The Great Escape.

Half-time: Middlesbrough 1 Aston Villa 0

Boro set about their task efficiently at the start of the second half, but were quickly penned back.

Villa had upped their game and Boro were forced deeper and deeper.

It was becoming frantic and Boro had no outlet as every player came back to defend.

With 56 minutes played Petrov sent over a cross from the right, Jones cleared from under his own bar but, despite every Boro player being inside their own penalty area, the ball was picked up by John Carew, who curled in from 11 yards.

The next few minutes were vital and Boro were taking in water.

Jones did well to deny Ashley Young, while a few minutes later it took a combination of Wheater and Jones to dispossess the same player.

Gradually Boro settled and King turned well inside the area after being set up by Arca.

Both sides were forced into making a change entering the final 20 minutes, with Young and O'Neil limping off.

Villa continued to look the more likely side to add to the score and there was a desperate, scrambling clearance when Agbonlahor headed for goal from a left-wing corner.

When Villa break they break with devastating pace and so it was with just over 12 minutes left as Agbonlahor set off down the left and brought another smart piece of goalkeeping from Jones.

Boro pushed forward and Wheater saw a shot from the edge of the box deflected for a corner.

They needed to get forward at every opportunity and when Hoyte crossed from the left and Tuncay rose unchallenged to end a fine run, hopes were high, but so too was his header from 12 yards, looping just over to land on top of the net.

Entering the final minutes of normal time Robert Huth, alongside Wheater a tower of strength at the back, acted as a forward as Boro desperately looked for a way through.

It didn't come and it all goes down to the final games of the season.

Middlesbrough: Jones; Bates, Wheater, Huth, Hoyte, A Johnson, O'Neil (Walker 72), Arca, Downing (Capt) (King 24), Tuncay, Emnes. Unused subs: Turnbull (gk); McMahon, Taylor, Grounds, Shawky.

Aston Villa: Friedel; Milner, Cuellar, Davies, Shorey, Petrov, Barry, A Young (Reo-Coker 70), Carew, Agbonlahor, Heskey. Unused subs: Guzan (gk); Clark, Sidwell, Gardner, Delfouneso, Knight.

Referee: Mike Riley, Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Bookings

Middlesbrough: None

Aston Villa: Barry, 52, foot up; Milner, 52, foul on Johnson.

Attendance: 27,621

Conditions: Breezy with a mixture of sunshine and showers.

Website Boro Man of the Match: Tuncay