Michael Carrick insists he is paying no attention to Championship table after Middlesbrough close the gap to Sheffield United

QPR held in-form Boro for 45 minutes at the Riverside, but Carrick’s side scored three times in an impressive second half, with the Championship’s top scorer Chuba Akpom bagging a double to take his tally to the season to 20.

It was a big win for Middlesbrough, who beat Sheffield United on Wednesday and then took full advantage as the Blades were beaten 3-2 at Millwall on Saturday afternoon.

“Genuinely, we’re concentrating on ourselves. We had a job to do, it’s irrelevant what’s going on elsewhere,” insisted Carrick.

Carrick made three changes for the game after the midweek win at Bramall Lane and felt that had an impact on the sluggish first-half display.

Ilias Chair was on target late on for Rangers but Boro wrapped up the points as Riley McGree hammered home from close range in stoppage time.

He said: “I’m happy. It was kind of what I expected really. I expected a tough game and I didn’t really expect us to be coming out of the traps at our best, as much as we set out to do that. That’s for a number of reasons.

"We wanted to get the balance right in picking the team and the squad is there for a reason as I keep saying. We needed freshness and energy in the team today to keep the connection and rhythm in the team that we’ve had so well. So it was a little bit sticky in the first half.

"But I had a laugh and a smile with the boys at half-time because I understand what that feels like. You need that second wind sometimes and so it was calm and encouragement at half-time and just telling the boys to keep going, keep believing and keep playing out from Zack and through the pitch.

"We had to keep believing in the process and I told them they would get their rewards. As the second half grew I thought that we did that really well and everyone played their part.

“I told them, just keep playing. If you start kicking it long because you give it away a few times then you become a totally different team and that’s not what’s got us here.

"We’ve got to do what we’re best at, which is playing through the pitch from Zack, playing short passes when we need to and a bit longer into the front men if we have to.

"Ultimately we have to be patient and trust ourselves. That’s what the boys have been doing and I thought the longer the game wore on the boys were terrific."

He continued: “We have to have patience. This has been a season of football and I said to the boys at half-time, ‘would you have taken this position four months ago?’ It was 0-0 at half-time and we were a little bit frustrated as things weren’t coming off. But it was all to play for, plenty of confidence and belief in the way that we go about things and how we’re playing. They went out second half and did what they’re good at, which I was really pleased with. They showed their patience and confidence.

"That took a real presence when it wasn’t always going to plan and you’re going to need that between now and the end of the season where there will be lots of different types of games to play and different situations that will be thrown at us.”

Middlesbrough: Steffen, Giles, Smith, McNair, Lenihan, Barlaser (Mowatt 88), McGree, Hackney (Bola 90), Ramsey (Howson 78), Akpom, Archer (Crooks 78). Unused substitutes: Forss, Roberts, Fry.

QPR: Dieng, Dunne, Kakay, Dickie, Paal, Dozzell (Adomah 69), Chair, Iroegbunam, Field, Lowe, Martin. Unused substitutes: Dixon-Bonner, Aoraha, Johansen, Gubbins, Drewe, Archer.

Referee: D Webb (County Durham)