Ehiogu's Hammer blow for Roeder

Middlesbrough 2 West Ham United

A hammer blow from Ugo Ehiogu denied the Hammers a victory with just two minutes remaining. In rising routinely at the back post to meet a corner, Ehiogu preserved Middlesbrough's unbeaten home record and extended West Ham's win- less run to seven games.

More significantly, it meant West Ham remain bottom. But when their emergency striker, Ian Pearce, crashed them into the lead for a second time in the 76th minute, they appeared to be moving up. With Michael Carrick and Joe Cole – captain for the first time – turning the midfield tide in their favour, and Pearce being ably supported by Jermain Defoe, the visitors created the lion's share of the chances.

"Those three young players, Carrick, Cole and Defoe, I have got unbelievable faith and trust in," said their manager, Glenn Roeder. "It's hard for an experienced player being in this position but their play was fearless."

So Ehiogu's equaliser must have felt like a dagger to the heart as chill as the Teesside wind for Roeder. "It was a game we should have won. I've got no complaints with the effort, team spirit and quality we showed," he said. "It isn't nice, it isn't comfortable, but I am handling it without a problem. I've been here before. I know what is required and feel I am better prepared this year than I was last year."

Roeder drew encouragement from his team's performance and the bottom club, who have already won away from home thrice this season, were unlucky not to be ahead within a trice. From the game's first corner in the second minute, Trevor Sinclair's darting header beat Mark Schwarzer but was cleared off the line by Jonathan Greening.

Schwarzer also had to contend with long-range efforts from Defoe and Edouard Cissé. He touched the latter's shot over the bar in the 31st minute and from the corner Pearce caused him more consternation with an awkwardly bobbling mis-hit. Minutes later, from another Carrick corner, the Aussie goalkeeper found Sinclair's flicked header too rapid to hold but Pearce poked the rebound wide.

In comparison, Middlesbrough's first-half efforts were far less threatening. They managed only one real period of pressure and that was around the 19th minute. David James parried a Geremi header for a corner, which the Cameroonian took himself, and Pearce blasted the ball against his own bar.

Indeed for Boro, it was a confusing match. Their manager Steve McClaren has built his side around a third striker playing behind the front two. Initially Juninho was that third striker but a pre-season knee injury allowed Joseph-Desiré Job, surprisingly, to fill the role in the hole. Job's form had been impressive and so last week's fractured skull presented McClaren with a major headache. He went back to the drawing board and returned with a back five for the first half.

But after the lacklustre opening period he was forced back to the drawing board yet again at half-time. He withdrew the defender Tony Vidmar and asked Szilard Nemeth to play in the hole. But within 54 seconds of the restart the plans were once again torn up as Cole, after a Pearce knockdown had found Defoe, shot across Schwarzer and into the net.

"It was always going to be difficult adapting without Job," said McClaren. "But we are still unbeaten at home, we came back twice and showed tremendous character."

At one goal down, Middlesbrough were indeed in a hole, but Nemeth dug them out of it. In the 58th minute Alen Boksic backheeled a return ball to the Slovakian and he burst into the area before shooting across James, off the foot of the post and into the net.

But 18 minutes later the ground opened up under the home side's feet. Carrick intercepted inside his own half, ran to the edge of the area and shuffled the ball across to Defoe. His shot into Franck Queudrue flew to the centre of the area where Pearce, falling backwards, crashed home.

With Sunderland not playing, West Ham's jubilant chant of "We are bottom of the League" was supposed to be ironic as they appeared to be moving up the table – until Ehiogu met Geremi's corner and burst their bubble.

Middlesbrough 2 West Ham United 2
Nemeth 58, Ehiogu 88; Cole 46, Pearce 76

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 28,283