Boro need more quality accepts Strachan after yet another draw

Boro took an early lead through Scott McDonald and had plenty of chances to add to that but went to sleep in first-half stoppage time and allowed Alassane N'Diaye to head in a leveller.

In the second half Boro – now 10 games unbeaten at the Riverside – piled on the pressure but could not break through a spirited rear-guard action.

And Strachan admitted that his team lacked the variety or clinical cutting edge to kill off Palace.

"Quality and imagination is what it comes down to," he said. "I can't ask for any more in terms of work rate or determination from this team but it is what you do in the final 25 yards that wins games and that's where we were lacking.

"I can't remember a game while I've been here where we have had more of the ball in that area but the quality and imagination with the last ball wasn't there.

"That is what the top sides have. If you have that you have a better chance of winning games and because we haven't had it is maybe why we have drawn so many matches.

"People play a lot of different tactics in this league but it always comes down to the same thing – quality and imagination.

"We haven't had that and that's why we haven't deserved to be in the top six."

Palace could have had the opener after five minutes when the defence failed to cut out a through ball and Alan Lee got into the box but his shot clipped the outside of the post.

Boro took the lead after 15 minutes as Gary O'Neil beat the offside flag to get to Justin Hoyte's ball down the right then squared for McDonald to bundle in under pressure.

Boro had a strong shout for a penalty five minutes before the break when Palace defender Patrick McCarthy brought down McDonald as he shaped to shoot but the referee waved play on.

Then in stoppage time Palace got the equaliser as Lee knocked a half-cleared cross back into the box for N'Diaye to put a looping 10-yard header beyond the dive of Brad Jones.

Palace boss Paul Hart admitted his side were looking for the draw with one eye on today's home game with Preston: "We were good value for the point. We set ourselves out to be hard to beat."

Middlesbrough: Jones; Hoyte, Wheater, McManus, Taylor (Naughton 42); O'Neil, Rhys Williams (O'Shea 78), Robson, Franks; Killen (Lita 57), McDonald. Unused substitutes: Coyne, Miller, Arca, Grounds.

Crystal Palace: Speroni; Ertl, McCarthy, Davis, Lawrence, Carle (Scannell 72); N'Diaye, Danns, Derry, Ambrose; Lee (Andrew 77). Unused substitutes: Manns, John, Comley, Zaha, Holland.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire).

Man of the match: Scott McDonald.