Misses frustrate Southgate
20 Apr 2008 - 10:29:39
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate bemoaned a series of missed chances in his side's shock 1-0 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
Boro started with Tuncay, Afonso Alves and Jeremie Aliadiere in attack, but a host of spurned opportunities ensured Southgate's side are still not mathematically certain of avoiding the drop.
After the setback, Southgate said: "We had the chances in the first 20 minutes to have been in a very strong position at half-time.
"People have said we've nothing to play for and would we be up for it, but in the way we started the game I think we showed we were.
"But when you have those spells of pressure you've got to score and we didn't.
"They started the second half much better than us, simple as that, and when they had their spell they scored.
"We should have had a penalty when Gavin McCann handled the ball. It was at a time in the game when it was 0-0 and a goal at that stage would have made an enormous difference.
"But we didn't get it and these things are outside our control."