Didn't turn up

Middlesbrough v Watford

Saturday 7^th April

This was a game I would have considered going to if Watford had still been in with a chance of survival but coupled with a trip to the semi-final next weekend, the long trip to the northeast didn’t appeal. Since Sky Sports News has gone from my cable service, I had to make do with the BBC Sport’s text update. However you followed the match, it didn’t make for Easter cheer. 1-0 down after five minutes, Damien Francis’ twenty-second minute equaliser was followed within two minutes by a second ‘boro goal. That’s how the scores stayed until half-time but John, my colleague at work, will delight in being able to return the taunts I dished out five months ago after his local team added another two and finished up giving us a 4-1 hiding. Betty made no excuses, calling us awful.

With the exception of the Hornets’ fate, the league has got more interesting. Charlton and West Ham have found form of late (the latter incredibly winning at Arsenal today) and Sheffield United have dropped into the bottom three. At the other end, ManU™ lost at Portsmouth this evening, which means there are only three points between them and Chelsea, with the teams yet to go head-to-head at Stamford Bridge. The UEFA Cup positions still seem to be up for grabs too. After 32 games and with just 6 to go, there seems to be only one certainty in the English Premiership: we are out of our league.