Middlesbrough FC 5–1 Tottenham Hotspur on 3 May 2003

Middlesbrough ended their four-game goal drought by scoring three times in five first-half minutes to stun Spurs at the Riverside.

With Szilard Nemeth at the heart of the goalmouth action, the Teessiders then ran away with the game to score five for the first time this season.

Bouncing back from what manager Steve McClaren dubbed their worst performance of the season at Birmingham last week, Boro wrapped up the points before half-time through goals from Malcolm Christie, Juninho and Nemeth.

Half-time substitute Massimo Maccarone added two more after the break, sandwiching a Spurs consolation from Jamie Redknapp.

There had been no hint of the scoring spree to follow in a low-key opening, but the match burst into life just before the half-hour with three Boro goals and the sending off of Spurs' Chris Perry all in quick succession.

Ironically, Spurs had looked the more enterprising side in the opening quarter, with Teddy Sheringham twice going close.

But those three Boro goals almost immediately dashed Spurs' hopes, with Nemeth central to each score.

Christie opened the scoring in the 23rd minute by turning in a rebound when the Slovakian's shot was saved by Kasey Keller, before Nemeth was brought down in the box by Perry two minutes later.

The Spurs defender was dismissed by referee Uriah Rennie for a professional foul and although Juninho's penalty was saved by Keller, the Brazilian followed up to score.

And in the 28th minute Nemeth added his own name to the scoresheet, converting Jonathan Greening's corner with a right-foot shot from the edge of the box.

Spurs responded by forcing three good saves from home keeper Mark Schwarzer before the interval, but saw their resistence ended by Boro's fourth goal six minutes after the re-start.

Again, Nemeth was the key, picking out the pass that freed Maccarone behind the visitors' defence to score with a confident finish.

Spurs finally grabbed a consolation goal just before the hour, through substitute Jamie Redknapp on his first appearance since fracturing a toe in December.

Brought down by Juninho, the former Liverpool midfielder got up to curl home a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner of Schwarzer's goal.

However, normal service was quickly resumed when Maccarone plundered his second and Boro's fifth, this time sent through by Juninho to shoot beneath Keller in the 75th minute.