Middlesbrough FC

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• Manager:Tony Mowbray

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Southgate offers no excuses

05 Apr 2009 - 09:24:01

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Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate admitted his players shot themselves in the foot after losing 4-1 at Bolton Wanderers.

The 19th-placed Teessiders inched closer towards relegation to the Championship after the heavy defeat at the Reebok Stadium.

Boro are now five points adrift of safety with just seven matches remaining after capitulating just minutes after Gary O'Neilhad levelled the game at 1-1 late in the first half.

"I don't think there was anything in the game at half-time in terms of the performances of the two teams," claimed Southgate.

"I thought we looked a threat at times throughout the afternoon, especially in the first half when we have hit the post and scored a very good goal.

"Having gone a goal behind we changed the shape to counter what Bolton were doing and then after the equaliser we were fine at 1-1.

"There was nothing in it and at that stage we looked to have the upper hand.

"But we have conceded really poor goals and, as always, the concession of goals changes emotions and the third is the key to it.

"All the while there is one (goal) in it there is hope, but I think you could see in the body language of the team the lack of belief to come from two goals behind.

"We finished the game in really poor spirits because we tried to throw people forward and became disjointed. We shot ourselves in the foot."