Source: Eurosport
Southgate revels in Boro victory
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate claimed his side had responded magnificently to the pressure after claiming a vital win over Hull.
Boro's Premier League status was in serious jeopardy after being cut five points adrift of safety last week but they hit back to beat fellow strugglers Hull 3-1 at the Riverside Stadium.
Marlon King, who left Hull after falling out with manager Phil Brown in January, capped a fine performance with the decisive third goal two minutes from time.
Tuncay Sanli and homegrown product Matthew Bates were also on target either side of a Manucho equaliser.
Southgate said: "I thought our work ethic was brilliant today.
"We had to be men, we had to stand up and answer some questions that were being posed internally and thrown at us externally.
"We have give ourselves hope now. We are still in there fighting and you just never know.
"The reason it was a must-win game was because of the impact it would have on the other teams at the bottom, Hull being one of them.
"It was a crucial win and I think the players deserved it."
The win was only Boro's second in 20 games and revived hope of beating the drop.
Southgate added: "If the season ends tomorrow we are down, so we have less to lose now.
"We are looking upwards. Can we get back into the race? Possibly we have now.
"There is still a huge amount to do but maybe other teams have got something to lose and, frankly, we haven't."
Hull's slide down the table continues with just one win in 16 games and they now face a crucial trip to Sunderland next week.
Tigers boss Phil Brown admitted the pressure had got to his players and blamed all three Middlesbrough goals on mistakes.
Brown said: "We asked for a lot but delivered little.
"We asked for a good start and to get our noses in front but we gifted them a goal and found ourselves on the back foot.
"We scored a good equaliser but then committed a cardinal sin at a set-piece. They had a free man [Bates] in our six-yard box.
"We threatened in the second half but with not enough quality and obviously the third goal killed us off.
"It was not great play by Middlesbrough, but poor play by us.
"The pressure is being cranked up. It looked as though Middlesbrough responded to that as opposed to us.
"I'm not saying players make mistakes deliberately but the pressure got to the players collectively and consequently the three goals we conceded were mistakes by ourselves."
