25/09/1999  Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 1

Paul Gascoigne was sent off for apparently abusing a 
linesman to end a bad-tempered match - and a bad day for 
Middlesbrough.

Gascoigne had been on the pitch as a substitute against 
Chelsea for less than 20 minutes before being shown the red 
card, to the fury of the Boro players.

A single goal separated the teams, scored by Bernard 
Lambourde to Chelsea's losing streak on what proved to be an 
eventful afternoon for the defender.

Guadaloupe-born Lambourde scrambled home the only goal with 
55 minutes gone after the visitors finally wore down Bryan 
Robson's side.

But it could have all gone badly wrong for the Chelsea man 
before the break when he was twice at the centre of penalty 
appeals which, fortunately for the visitors, went their 
way.

The win came as a welcome relief for the men from Stamford 
Bridge, although the Boro faithful were left to reflect on 
what might have been after turning out to welcome back Juninho 
to the Premiership.

But while their hopes were pinned on the little Brazilian 
and skipper Paul Ince, it was Dennis Wise who proved the 
dominant figure in the heat of the midfield battle.

Robson decided to hand Juninho his first Premiership start 
since May 1997 as fit-again Gascoigne had to make do with a 
seat on the bench.

There were returns for Gianluca Festa at the back and Keith 
O'Neill in midfield, while Brian Deane was brought back in 
place of Alun Armstrong to partner Hamilton Ricard up front 
despite the manager admitting that the Colombian is in need of 
a rest.

Chelsea, who arrived at the Riverside Stadium with 
successive defeats by Watford and Hertha Berlin still firmly 
in mind, started with Chris Sutton and Gianfranco Zola in 
attack as they looked to end a run of four games without a 
goal from open play.

Juninho signalled his intentions just seconds into the game 
when he cheekily slipped the ball through Sutton's legs deep 
inside his own half as Boro took the fight to their 
opponents.

The home crowd thought they should have had a penalty with 
just four minutes on the clock as Ricard's header appeared to 
hit Lambourde's arm, but referee Paul Alcock waved play 
on.

The Colombian striker, still aggrieved by what he felt was 
a massive injustice, could have made up for it within four 
minutes when the Chelsea defence stood paralysed as Christian 
Ziege's free-kick speared into the penalty area, but although 
Ricard was first to react his shot on the turn flew high over 
Ed De Goey's crossbar.

It was an uncomfortable opening for the Londoners as Marcel 
Desailly had to get in a last-ditch tackle with Deane 
preparing to shoot after Ziege and O'Neill made the most of 
keeper Mark Schwarzer's early throw.

But Chelsea gradually began to exert more influence as 
skipper Wise and Didier Deschamps made their presence felt in 
the middle of the park, and that task became perhaps a little 
easier 11 minutes from the break when the in-form Ince was 
forced to leave the field with an injury.

In the meantime, Wise had tested Schwarzer with a 
well-struck 20-yard effort and Leboeuf had slid in to deny 
Deane after Ziege found space down the left as the game opened 
up.

But the home crowd were on their feet again with 40 minutes 
gone after O'Neill left Deschamps in his wake and ghosted past 
Lambourde, only to go down in a heap.

Alcock did not need a second glance as he awarded a 
goal-kick to ensure himself a hostile farewell as he walked 
off at the break.

Chelsea stepped up a gear after the restart and they were 
in front within 10 minutes after Gary Pallister was adjudged 
to have fouled Sutton wide on the right.

Gabriele Ambrosetti tapped the ball to Zola, who fired a 
shot towards the near post.

Schwarzer, who had perhaps been expecting a cross, managed 
to punch the ball straight up into the air but Lambourde was 
first to react and he forced a header home from close range as 
the red shirts charged in with him in vain.

Alcock was in the thick of the action as he added Ricard 
and Desailly to his list of offenders after a 61st-minute 
clash, but he again incensed the home supporters when he took 
no action after Deane appeared to be brought down by Desailly 
as he headed for the penalty area.

Deane squandered Boro's best chance of the half when he 
shot across the face of goal from close range 19 minutes from 
time - and even Gascoigne's introduction seconds later as a 
replacement for the striker failed to have the desired 
effect.

Pallister was too high with an 85th-minute header after 
Ziege picked him out with a free-kick from the left and 
Chelsea stood firm to close out the game.

But there was to be a final twist when Gascoigne was 
red-carded, apparently for using foul and abusive language, in 
injury time.