Boro make Southgate proud
07 Apr 2008 - 07:51:48
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- Boro make Southgate proud
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate was proud of his players as the Teessiders secured a hard-earned point from an exhilarating 2-2 draw with Premier League leaders Manchester United on Sunday.
Boro conceded an early goal to Cristiano Ronaldo but hit back to lead thanks to Afonso Alves' brace and only a late Wayne Rooney equaliser ensured the spoils were shared.
A delighted Southgate said: "We were still creating chances right until the end. I'm very proud of the way we played.
"We've played three or four of the top sides in the last few weeks and given an excellent account of ourselves in different ways, both in defence and in attack.
"We've shown we can compete with the best and in between we've picked up three points against Derby as well. We've had lessons we can learn and grow as a team from.
"Last week we were in awe of Chelsea for 60 minutes. Today we started well and it was a blow to concede from a set-piece but the response was good.
"We played simple but effective football, slid balls down the sides of them and asked questions of them defensively.
"They are as good as I've seen and we've more than lived with them today."