LISBON is a port and city rich with a history of exploration and discovery, so it's a little ironic that Middlesbrough's maiden European adventure should come to a shuddering halt in the Portuguese capital last night.

Conceding three away goals in the first leg at the Riverside Stadium a week ago was always going to be a tall order and so it proved, as Sporting Lisbon booked their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup with a late 1-0 victory.

And, while Sporting dream of playing in the final here at the outstanding Estadio Jose Alvalade on May 18, Boro must focus all their attentions on domestic form to try to ensure that a first crack at European football was not just a flash in the pan.

Manager Steve McClaren can take great heart in the way his depleted squad battled until the end against the Portuguese giants who showed their quality in the North-East seven days ago - the only aspect missing from their play was the vital two goals.

Boro's first European campaign may be over but - after a run that has seen thousands of Teessiders travel to Ostrava, Athens, Villarreal, Graz and last night to Lisbon - it will never be forgotten.

McClaren, anxious to draft new blood in during the summer, has to make sure it returns to the club again come August and all eyes suddenly turn to the Premiership clash with Southampton on Sunday.

Boro go into that game eighth after Charlton's victory over Spurs in midweek and the boss, so often proud of his team's character, will need to pick his players up and make sure their attitude is right for the final nine games of the season.

Otherwise a date in the InterToto Cup could be booked in for July.

McClaren- left to rue an unbelievable second-half miss from Joseph Job last night - revealed he was a staunch believer in fate prior to the game and must have felt luck was beginning to turn his way when he learned the home side's team.

Cameroon striker Roudolphe Douala, such an important factor in the first leg when he scored one and had a part in the other two goals, only started on the bench while influential midfielder Fabio Rochemback did not recover from a knee injury in time.

The fact that the manager could be so optimistic after the dreadful run of misfortune Boro have endured in recent months on the injury front was clearly reflected in the players he had available.

And the inexperienced bench, with the exception of reliable veteran Colin Cooper, for such a vital European fixture signalled the shortage of numbers - with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink the tenth senior member of his playing staff to be ruled out through injury.

Boro did not start like a side bereft of so many regulars and things went to plan in the first half, although the goal was still sadly lacking.

Sporting enjoyed a large share of possession but there was very little by way of threat on Mark Schwarzer's goal.

A long range drive from Pedro Barbosa, after he was allowed the freedom of Lisbon midway inside the Boro half, and a free-kick from Beto flew straight into the arms of the Australian keeper but those highlighted the way the visiting defence had started so solidly.

And it was Schwarzer's awareness that very nearly led to the game's crucial first goal.

After catching a routine cross, his long punt upfield was well brought down by striker Job.

Goalkeeper Ricardo rushed out and made a hash of trying to stop Job. The African turned and found strike partner Szilard Nemeth but the Slovakian's effort from 20 yards was cleared off the line by Rui Jorge.

Job, whose goal last week after coming on as a substitute revitalised a tie that looked dead and buried, started like a man keen to impress and was by far Boro's biggest danger in the opening period.

The Cameroon international always looked for the ball and showed the urgency and desire the whole team needed to show after the restart if they were to stand any chance of completing a remarkable turnaround.

What was always a difficult task very nearly became mission impossible six minutes before the break, but Gareth Southgate did well to make a last ditch block on a Liedson strike before Schwarzer stopped a 20-yard drive from Hugo Viana.

Every time Stewart Downing was given the ball on the wing Boro looked dangerous.

He had already whipped in two glorious crosses that went begging when he delivered a third which looked to have created the opener.

Goalkeeper Ricardo failed to deal with the initial centre but the Portuguese No 1 made amends with an exceptional stop from Stuart Parnaby's effort when he reacted first to the rebound.

The Boro teamtalk at half-time would have been simple: Forty-five minutes to score two goals and record a clean sheet to keep a UEFA Cup dream alive.

And the first of those should have arrived just six minutes after the restart. However, Job somehow contrived to miss one of the worst of his career.

Erratic Ricardo, showing why he was binned by Manchester United, this time cleared the ball straight into the path of Nemeth.

The forward, largely on the periphery of play throughout, squared to Job but, with the full goal to aim for after the keeper charged to Nemeth, the former Lens man's outstretched left boot only directed the ball wide.

Had that gone in then things could have gone very differently.

Instead Sporting relaxed and had their own opportunities to extend their aggregate lead but found Schwarzer, who expertly saved a free-kick from Newcastle's Viana, in no mood to concede.

That was until Douala teed Barbosa up in the last minute to compound Boro's misery.

Result: Sporting Lisbon 1 Middlesbrough 0. (Sporting win on 4 - 2 aggregate).

Read more about Middlesbrough here.