Middlesbrough 3 Leicester City 3: Mowbray’s delight as Yakubu denied glory

The hosts looked down and out when Leicester’s former Boro striker Ayegbeni Yakubu completed a hat-trick early in the second half, but, in a frantic finale, they clawed a goal back then missed a penalty and twice clipped the post before Stephen McManus headed an equaliser deep in stoppage time.

“We were delighted with the comeback,” said Mowbray. “In the end, we are even a bit disappointed that we didn’t win it because once we got to grips with the game in the second half we created the better of the chances.

“We missed from the spot and we hit the woodwork twice and so we could maybe have got the win but I don’t think anyone could deny that we deserved at least a draw.”

Mowbray’s team were given the runaround by a powerful Leicester side in the first half and Yakubu lashed home an early opener which was quickly cancelled out by Marvin Emnes.

The Nigerian then claimed a scrambled second just before the break – even though it appeared to go in off team-mate Sol Bamba – and slammed home his third 10 minutes after the restart.

“Yakubu is a fantastic, powerful player packed with Premiership qualities and people at this club remember from when he was here exactly what a handful he can be,” said Mowbray.

“But it is not just Yakubu. Leicester are a good side and they have a lot of quality and lot of fighting spirit and I’d like to think our game plan to match them worked.”

The visitors’ fighting spirit showed itself in seven yellow cards and a red for Jeffrey Bruma 13 minutes from time. He picked up a second booking for dissent following the controversial penalty decision when Julio Arca’s shot hit the Leicester man as he tried to turn his back on the piledriver.

Middlesbrough: Smith, McMahon, Hines, Davies (McManus 71), Bennett, Smallwood (Zemmama 60), Rhys Williams, Arca, Taylor (Kink 71), Emnes, McDonald. Unused substitutes: Coyne, Halliday, Grounds, Tavares.

Leicester City: Weale, Naughton, Bamba, Bruma, Van Aanholt, Vassell, Wellens, Oakley, Gallagher (Abe 71), Kamara (Waghorn 88), Yakubu (Miguel Vitor 80). Unused substitutes: Pereira, Howard, King, Dyer.

Referee: A Haines (Tyne & Wear).

Man of the match: Ayegbeni Yakubu.