Saints ready to march on and end Boro hopes

The Saints head to Middlesbrough knowing a victory will be enough to take them back to the top flight, and with so much on the line Adkins wants to keep minds focused on the task in hand.

“So near, yet so far as they say,” he said. “All the focus is totally on getting ready for the Middlesbrough game.

“We’ll debrief the game from the other night first (a 3-1 win at Peterborough) and the lessons learned from that one. We’ll put that game to bed so then all the focus and our concentration will be on Middlesbrough.”

Boro have not yet given up on making the play-offs, but their hopes have been hugely undermined by home form which has seen them win only seven of their 22 matches at the Riverside.

That has left them four points outside the top six with only two games left to do anything about it.

That will hardly intimidate the Saints, but Adkins does not see it as an easy game. “We’ve got to focus on a very challenging game at the weekend against Middlesbrough. They’ve still got aspirations to get into the play-offs, they need to win the game, we need to win the game.”

Boro full-back Joe Bennett and midfielder Faris Haroun both missed Tuesday’s draw with Doncaster with hamstring problems, but could return.

Striker Marvin Emnes (knee) will be monitored, utility man Rhys Williams is closing in on a return after ankle ligament damage but captain Matthew Bates (knee) is out for the season.