Two rivers and only 30 miles separate Middlesbrough and Sunderland but there is some debate as to whether the Tees-Wear clash counts as a real derby. Judging by the dismissive attitude of the visiting fans as they alternated choruses of “We hate Newcastle” with “You’re just a small town in Yorkshire” it is not a top‑rank rivalry.
The good news was that no one seemed to have told the players. If regional bragging rights are not quite the be-all and end-all, the race for the playoffs most definitely is and the action was nothing if not intense.
