Michael Carrick likes Middlesbrough FC's 'fighting chance' of making play-offs
MICHAEL CARRICK was pleased to see the patience of his Middlesbrough team rewarded in a hard-fought win against relegation-threatened Derby County.
The Rams looked set to pick up what would have been a crucial point at the Riverside but Finn Azaz struck the winner for Boro 10 minutes from time.
It was another late blow for the Rams on the back of Millwall’s stoppage-time winner last week.
by contrast, Middlesbrough are now just two points off the play-offs after winning back-to-back games for just the third time this season.
Carrick’s side had lost five on the bounce and dropped into the bottom half of the table before crucial victories over Stoke and Derby.
“It’s a good feeling when you do it like that,” said Carrick. “It’s probably the type of game we haven’t capitalised on enough during the season.
“I’m delighted we found a way. I thought we played well in the first half and created some good chances and played some good football. The second half was a bit sticky but we kept going and it was a big goal for us.
“I thought we deserved to win the game but you still have to find a way.”
Carrick insisted he never lost belief despite his side’s slump in February.
He said: “We knew there was always going to be ups and downs to come. Hopefully there are a lot more ups to come now.
“We’re right in there, we have a fighting chance and we look forward to the run-in.”
While disappointed, Derby boss John Eustace remains confident of avoiding an immediate return to League One.
“They lads are low, of course they are, but they still have to take a lot of positives from the game,” said Eustace, who succeeded the ousted Paul Warne just two weeks ago.
“I’ve only been here two weeks. We have to have a bit of realism. You can see the spirit and togetherness is there. It’s just the moments where we’ve let ourselves down with the quality and concentration.
“It’s just about keeping the level of concentration for the full 95 minutes. We have two home games coming up and we have to be really positive.”
Middlesbrough: Travers, Dijksteel, Fry, Ayling (Giles 62), Borges, Morris, Hackney, Forss (Iheanacho 72), Whittaker, Azaz (Burgzorg 83), Conway (Iling-Junior 84). Unused substitutes: Glover, Barlaser, Howson, Dede, McCabe.
Derby County: Zetterstrom, Nyambe, Langas, Forsyth, Elder, Adams, Armstrong (Osborn 76), Jackson (Roofe 83), Harness (Goudmijn 76), Barkhuizen (Thompson 65), Yates (Salvesen 76). Unused substitutes: Vickers, Phillips, Rooney, Agbawodikeizu.
Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).