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MIDDLESBROUGH 0 EVERTON 2 - SOUTHGATE FEELS FOR TIRED SQUAD
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate refused to criticise his players after they slipped to a fifth league defeat of the season on home soil.
Boro have been inconsistent in the Barclays Premier League this term, inflicting Arsenal's only defeat of the campaign before losing consecutive matches to West Ham and Birmingham.
But their home form has been the one constant disappointment, with just two wins coming at The Riverside.
Boro had plenty of possession as they sought to add a third against European-hopefuls Everton but they could not make it tell and eventually succumbed to a pair of well-taken goals by Andy Johnson and James McFadden in the second half.
Nevertheless, Southgate is happy with the levels of commitment from a small squad which has been pushed to the limits over the festive period.
"At the moment at home we haven't quite hit the heights that we have away. In terms of the squad, we have not been able to change games," said Southgate.
"At home the onus is on you to break teams down a little more and you get hit on the break.
"We weren't quite at our best but I can't fault what they've given.
"There wasn't the freshness to win the game," said Southgate.
"The players are out on their feet and they must be feeling like every time they take a step forward a door slams in their face."
Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli both had shots cleared off the line, while Toffees keeper Tim Howard produced a stunning save to deny Gary O'Neil with the score still at 0-0.
And Southgate insists their inability to score first was critical to their downfall.
"As is often the case with games at the end of the Christmas period, the first goal has a massive influence," he said.
"If we'd have got it, and we had two cleared off the line, it would have been a huge lift, an extra boost.
"But they got it and the energy drained away."
Victorious manager David Moyes, who saw his side get back to winning ways following their 4-1 reverse at the hands of leaders Arsenal, talked down his side's chances of breaking into the top four for the second time in his Goodison Park career.
"When we did it before everybody told us it was a fluke, so we'll have to see if we can change that," Moyes said.
"But the competition above us is very high. We're not kidding ourselves, finishing in the top 10 of the Premier League this season could be a big job, never mind the top four.
"We'd be happy to edge anybody out - it doesn't matter if it's Liverpool or anyone else.
"But the boys are playing well and they've played well all over Christmas so this result was very important."
Especially satisfying for the Scot was the way the side responded to the loss a host of players - including Tim Cahill to a knee injury and Mikel Arteta to suspension.
"We've no Cahill or Arteta, no (Joseph) Yobo or (Leon) Osman and Thomas Gravesen is injured.
"We came here with just about no midfield. Our only recognised midfield players were Lee Carsley and Steven Pienaar.
"It shows the strength in depth and what we have got here. The players who came in were fantastic."
By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.
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