Jose Antonio Reyes, Arsenal's new signing, scored his first goal in English soccer on Tuesday. Sadly for the Gunners, it made sure they didn't reach the League Cup final.
Signed from Sevilla last week and making his first start, Reyes slid to stop Stuart Parnaby scoring his first goal for Boro but diverted the ball past his own keeper five minutes from the end.
The victory at the Riverside meant that Boro triumphed 3-1 overall having won 1-0 at Highbury in the first leg. Bolton triumphed 5-4 over Aston Villa and two of soccer's least storied teams will meet in the Feb. 29 final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
Arsenal defender Martin Keown was sent off for the 13th time in his career for a professional foul a minute before half time to make things more difficult for the Gunners, who fielded a below strength team with many big stars rested.
Boudewijn Zenden gave Boro a 69th minute lead only for Edu to level eight minutes later. But Reyes, who failed to make an impact in attack, inadvertantly sent Boro, which has never won a major title in its 129-year history, into the final. Boro was runner up in 1997 and 1998.
"This means everything," said Boro manager Steve McClaren. "When you look at the tradition of this football club. It's been so close before and we're there again.
"The players were fantastic. I thought Juninho was absolutely magnificent. We did a great job at Highbury and the final's something to look forward. It will be a terrific day.
"Bolton-Middlesbrough -- the tradition of the two clubs, it will fantastic for both. I hope we have a great day and that we come out on top."
Although Bolton is a four-time FA Cup winner and reached the League Cup final in 1995, it hasn't captured a title since 1958, when it beat Manchester United at Wembley in the FA Cup final.
"Bolton about nine years ago went to Wembley and lost [to Liverpool]," said Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce who was also at the game for Sky TV. "When I first got to Bolton in '99 we got to two semifinals -- of this competition and the FA Cup -- and that was huge disappointing for me and everybody at the club."
Tuesday's game at the Riverside was the clubs' fourth meeting in 24 days, Arsenal winning in the league and FA Cup but losing the first leg of the League Cup semifinal.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger kept faith with the young backup players who had taken the Gunners to the last four with Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell, Dennis Bergkamp, Lauren, Gilberto Silva and Jens Lehmann all rested and Fredrik Ljungberg injured. But team captain Patrick Vieira was back from a one-game suspension.
"We had a team out today who could qualify. We have a big squad and we have only regular players in that squad. It happens that these players weren't playing in the Premiership."
Massimo Maccarone should have Boro further ahead overall in the 18th minute when he collected a short forward pass from first leg scorer Juninho but shot wide with just goalkeeper Graham Stack to beat.
Then Stack made a wonder save to keep out a close range shot from the Italian, scooping the ball off the line while diving backwards.
The Gunners were down to 10 men a minute before half time when Juninho's through ball gave Maccarone another run at goal and the beaten Keown hauled the Italian striker down 5m outside the area.
RSS