MIDDLESBROUGH boss Steve McClaren hailed his players' performance as 'magnificent' despite as the club's first run in the UEFA Cup coming to an end in Portugal last night.

A late Pedro Barbosa strike put the finishing touches to a Sporting Lisbon aggregate win but McClaren feels Boro have already exceeded expectations in Europe this season.

And the proud boss was left to consider what might have been had some great chances for Szilard Nemeth and Joseph Job gone in.

He said: "The ten games have all been different and everything has been spot on. We were outstanding and we have gone out with our heads held high.

"We have gone out by inches and we had the best three chances and luck wasn't with us this evening.

"We didn't expect to get this far initially but we got through a tough group and we are proud of what we have achieved.

"The fans have really enjoyed it and it's whet all of our appetites for more of this."

Boro now go into Sunday's Premiership fixture with Southampton knowing three points are vital if they are to keep hopes of playing in Europe again next season.

Full-back Tony McMahon had to go off with a knee injury last night and McClaren said: "We have had taste of this (Europe) and done well in it. We are hoping that this performance will help us to keep going in the league.

"It's another huge task on Sunday. There's no excuses and the character they have shown throughout this season has been fantastic with all the injuries."

Sporting boss Jose Peseiro admitted his side were initially caught out by the way Boro tried to stifle the home side's attacking play.

And Peseiro, who revealed he hopes to avoid Newcastle in today's quarter-final draw, said: "It was a match with a lot of anxiety. We played against a team that had a strategy that looked like a team winning from the first leg and that surprised us.

"We looked more like a team losing and at half-time I had a word and we were much better.

"It's difficult to take risks against a side that didn't give us much space and we had to be pragmatic. It was a fair result."

* Austria Vienna held on to record the shock victory of the round with a win over Real Zaragoza on away goals to progress to their first European quarter-final for 20 years.

The visitors raced into a two-goal lead within the first 15 minutes but were forced to survive the final hour with only 10 men after goalkeeper Joseph Didulica was sent off.

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