Middlesbrough's Adam Reach has been denied by the crossbar as his side played out a goalless first half with Championship-topping Bournemouth at the Riverside Stadium this afternoon.
Middlesbrough enjoyed much of the early possession in the first 45 minutes and Lee Tomlin almost made it count as he looked to make use of Grant Leadbitter's pass with an attempt down low to Artur Boruc's right.
Bournemouth's first real chance was to fall into the path of Matt Ritchie, but he couldn't make use of it having shot straight at Dimitrios Konstantopoulos from the centre of the box.
The hosts thought that they had taken the lead when Reach cannoned in a shot from range, only to see his standout effort crash back off the crossbar, before Adam Clayton sent another long-distance attempt high and wide of the target, leaving the sides to go into the break level.
Christopher Dodd
