Scott McDonald was so close to giving Middlesbrough a one-goal lead in Wednesday night's FA Cup clash with Chelsea.
The Teessiders eventually lost 2-0 to the reigning FA Cup champions in the fifth round at the Riverside Stadium but it could have been an entirely different story if the Australian striker had put his header on target in the first half.
McDonald got on the end of Nicky Bailey's cross with a powerfully nodded ball but it flew inches wide of the post, with Petr Cech looking on, in the 27th minute as Boro pressed for a go-ahead goal.
However, that never came and Chelsea took advantage of the miss to score through Ramires (off Fernando Torres' back) and Victor Moses in the second half to set up a quarter-final meeting with Manchester United.
McDonald's fellow Aussie, Boro skipper Rhys Williams, put in a superb performance in central midfield but in the end the class of the Premier League outfit proved too much for the Championship side who are still in the hunt for a promotion playoff spot.
