Boro were second best in the first half and fortunate to somehow still be level at the interval, but improved after the break, though finished the game having not managed a single shot on target.
Here’s the story of how the game played out:
FIRST HALF SURVIVAL
A neutral observer with no prior knowledge of the Championship would never have guessed that Boro were the team still hopeful of a top six finish and Luton the side next to bottom and in a scrap to survive on the evidence of the first half.
The only positive for Boro at the break was the fact they were still level at 0-0. They were extremely fortunate that was the case.
Luton missed three sitters in a one-sided first half in which Boro barely got a touch for the first 20 minutes and didn’t touch the ball in the opposition penalty area until the 32nd minute.
Thelo Aasgaard somehow lifted over the bar from just four yards out and fired straight at Mark Travers when he had another opportunity from similar range. Elijah Adebayo shot straight at Travers when gifted a chance after a loose pass from Aidan Morris and looked set to nod in the opener 10 minutes before the break only to be denied by a brave challenge from Samuel Iling-Junior.
It was, in short, a 0-0 hammering. Luton had 14 shots compared to Boro’s one, 23 touches in the box compared to five and five corners compared to none.
Boro’s xG at halt-time was 0.02, Luton’s 2.17.
But the measure that mattered was 0-0. Somehow.
BORGES INJURY SCARE
What on earth would Carrick have done had Neto Borges been unable to continue when the Brazilian went down injured at the end of the first half?
In the absence of any fit central defenders, Borges again partnered Jonny Howson but it looked like Carrick would momentarily be forced into yet another reshuffle.
Borges went down with what looked to be a knee problem, needed treatment and didn’t look at all comfortable when he re-entered the action. That was at the end of the first half but thankfully for Boro Borges re-appeared at the start of the second and saw the game out.
To answer the question posed at the start of this section, a guess would be that Josh Dede – back on the bench after his injury – would have come on and Anfernee Dijksteel shuffled over to partner Howson.
Carrick will hope his defensive options are boosted by some key returns after the fortnight break, though Howson and Borges deserve immense credit for the way they negotiated a tough and physical challenge. The makeshift centre-half pairing have conceded just one goal in 180 minutes.
SECOND HALF IMPROVEMENT BUT L
Boro at least managed to slow Luton down in the second half and Travers was nowhere as busy, but at the other end Thomas Kaminski remained untested.
Rarely did Boro threaten to enter the Luton box and their only shot was a curling Finn Azaz effort that went wide.
Tommy Conway was a spectator, starved of service and it was a surprise to see the striker’s number go up instead of Kelechi Iheanacho when Carrick finally turned to his bench 15 minutes from time.
Boro finished the game on top and had not chances but openings in the final moments, only to let themselves down with poor decision making. There was relief at surviving the first half onslaught but surely an element of regret at not asking earlier questions of a team that have conceded 60 goals this season.
WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE BORO?
It’s as you were, with Boro still eighth, three points adrift of the play-off places.
Carrick will no doubt point to the battling qualities that were required to weather the first half storm – and from that perspective this was a much-needed improvement on last week’s Swansea debacle.
But this wasn’t a performance that will raise hopes that Boro are capable of stringing together the results required to finish in the top six this season. Boro didn’t have a shot on target against the side second bottom in the division.
Still, it’s only one defeat in five for Boro and the coming two games are at home to Oxford and away to a Blackburn side whose form has nosedived.
