Cool Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough FC refuse to be swayed from bigger Championship play-off picture

A 0-0 draw in the Championship play-off semi-final first leg was just a platform in a contest with plenty of time to run.

Middlesbrough should be better in Wednesday's return not only because it is at the Riverside, not only because the timing will play to the depth of his squad, but also because players coming back from injury should be sharper.

So although Boro could have won, Ben Wilson tipping Chuba Akpom's shot onto the bar, they were cool enough to know they did not have to.

Without their leader, Jonny Howson, who travelled without pulling on his boots, Alex Mowatt slotted in seamlessly, making important interceptions whilst allowing the midfield to tick over.

Marcus Forss was only fit enough for the bench after an ankle problem and Aaron Ramsey unable to step in, so Isaiah Jones stepped up as Boro's most dangerous outlet, the runner their passes needed until fading in the second half.

Dael Fry was on the bench as he edges back from injury so Paddy McNair lead an excellent second-half defensive display which meant Zack Steffen never had to save a shot.

With Riley McGree's wanderlust leaving him exposed at times, Coventry tried to focus first-half attacks on Ryan Giles but the left-back was content to concede a few corners and deal with anything else that came his way.

When the Sky Blues refused to press when they did not want to, Tommy Smith let the game pause for a few seconds, standing still with the ball at his feet with no one from either side rushing him into action.

Coventry fans were no more able to disrupt Boro, letting off fireworks outside their hotel the night before.

“I woke up, had a little chuckle and then went back to sleep," said Carrick. "Apparently it was fireworks, but I didn’t see them, I just heard them. I looked at the clock, saw it was one o’clock, and then shut my eyes again. I don’t think the players were too bothered by it, they didn’t make a big deal of it."

Had you tried to guess what sort of side Carrick would build when he switched from cultured midfielder to manager, you probably have been pretty close to this Boro team.

In a side where a centre-back – McNair – takes corners, rather than trying to head them passing and possession are paramount.

Early on, stroking the ball about was Carrick's solution to quietening a pumped-up 28,874 crowd. After 10 minutes or so, the passing became more ambitious and incisive. When Coventry got into the game after half-time, there was no panicking, just understanding.

"We tried to win the game but we knew it was effectively one big game and you can get caught chasing and forget about what’s to come next," explained Carrick, who played his fair share of two-legged football.

The best chance came in the 13th minute as Boro's creator in chief, McGree, tried his luck down the inside-right channel.

When Hayden Hackney picked him out with a wonderful pass a minute earlier, he checked back and picked out Tommy Smith, only for the right-back's cross to be cut out.

When it was McGree passing, Akpom's finish required an excellent save to bounce it off the crossbar.

Balls down the channels were Boro's main line of first-half attack but when Hackney picked out Jones his centre was cut out and when Mowatt released him, the angle tightened at he bore down on Wilson, who saved again.

When Akpom dropped deep to play the pass at the end of the first half, only a tight offside decision denied Jones a head-to-head.

And although Coventry had a spell in the first half, it did not amount to much, Liam Kelly's stretching header at a corner missing the target and his shot shortly afterwards hitting Darragh Lenihan.

It looked like Boro would boss the second half too when Akpom headed McGree's cross to the far post wide less than 90 seconds in. But varying their line of attack and trying to get more on the ball, Coventry began to play more at Boro's end.

Mowatt headed away a corner and threw himself in front of a Viktor Gyokeres shot, Jones defended brilliantly at the back post to Gustavo Hamer being picked out.

Boro probably could have pushed harder for victory had they needed to. They did not.

There was no need to panic. Not in a Michael Carrick team.

Coventry City: Wilson; McNally, McFadzean, Doyle; Norton-Cuffy, Hamer, Kelly, Eccles (Allen 66), Bidwell; Godden, Gyokeres. Unused substitutes: Moore, Panzo, Wilson-Esbrand, Sheaf, Maguire, Dabo.

Middlesbrough: Steffen; Smith, McNair, Lenihan, Giles; Hackney, Mowatt; Jones (Forss 68), Akpom, McGree; Archer (Crooks 83). Unused substitutes: Fry, Barlaser, Dijksteel, Roberts, Bola.

Referee: R Madley (Huddersfield).