But Wilder was candid enough to admit that his Boro side were architects of their own downfall in failing to stop goal machine and Championship record breaker Aleksandar Mitrovic from notching his 38th strike of a goal-laden league season to settle the issue on 73 minutes.

Boro, who dominated much of the second period, spurned big chances to level through Andraz Sporar and particularly Josh Coburn and Duncan Watmore.

They paid the price on a night when they dropped out of the play-offs after their run of eight successive home wins at the Riverside was ended by a Fulham side who will clinch promotion this weekend if Nottingham Forest lose on Saturday and they win 24 hours later.

On Silva’s comments, Wilder - who is hopeful that key winger Isaiah Jones will return for Saturday’s home game with Hull City after missing the Fulham match due to illness - said: “I appreciate the words. They are the best team by a distance (in the division) and they have smashed everybody all season, home and away.

“Their consistency has been incredible. Teams who win leagues have nights like tonight where maybe they are not at their best.

“I’d like to think there was a reason and it was us. But they found a way to keep the ball out of the back of the net. Although I am not sure it was them or us not sticking the ball in the back of the net.

“I think it was more us not taking some big chances and there were some huge chances. They weren’t half-chances.

“There are no pats on the back for going to the end as that is what I want my team to look like. It has to be that way.

“But in the second half, that was the reason teams win divisions. Because they came away on a wet, windy northern night and got the result they wanted. There’s no pictures on a golf scorecard.”

Reflecting on a bittersweet night and rueful of the concession of a poor goal from his perspective, Wilder continued: “I was a bit disappointed. We turned the ball over a little bit too cheaply in the first half.

"It seems as if we lacked a bit of belief to go toe to toe with the best team in the division. But we did in the second half and I have no complaints about how we played in the second half.

“The goal against is a really poor one. It was another poor challenge from Crooksy (Matt Crooks) and he gets booked.

"And of course, in our preparation we spoke about Mitrovic and his runs and where he wants to get into. He wants to get into the middle of the goal. We have switched off and not blocked that run off and they have stretched the zone too easily.

“Then, we were on the back foot. Up to that point, we were on the front foot and I felt we were going to go onto win the game and not lose the game. Ultimately, we have lost it and I don’t know how.

“Even after the Mitrovic goal, we have done more than enough to get back into it and get something from the game, but we obviously haven’t."

Kind words from Fulham's Marco Silva console Middlesbrough FC boss Chris Wilder - but only slightly