A SHELL-SHOCKED Gareth Southgate last night denied his Middlesbrough side had suffered from a lack of desire during Saturday's FA Cup upset at Nuneaton.

The Teessiders could only draw 1-1 with the Nationwide Conference North part-timers, despite standing exactly 100 places above them in the Football League pyramid system.

Gez Murphy's penalty equaliser might have come in the last minute of normal time, but it was nothing more than Nuneaton deserved after outplaying their illustrious opponents at a packed Manor Park.

Southgate, who conducted himself in a typically magnanimous fashion in the scrum that followed the final whistle, was honest enough to admit that Middlesbrough could have few complaints about the outcome of the game.

But, while he admitted Nuneaton fully deserved their replay at the Riverside, the Boro skipper denied his Premiership team-mates had performed half-heartedly.

"I don't think anyone could fault our effort," said Southgate, who conceded the last-gasp spot-kick when an attempted clearance rebounded onto his arm. "It certainly wasn't a case of just turning up and thinking we had a right to win the game.

"People will always look at your attitude when you come to a place like this, but I think we rolled our sleeves up and Nuneaton gave us a terrific game.

"We knew what to expect when we opened our curtains on the morning of the game. It was snowing, it was freezing cold, the pitch was always going to be heavy and it was one of the biggest matches in Nuneaton's history. We knew it was going to be very tough and that's exactly how it turned out.

"This is what the FA Cup is all about though. We're not the first team to have struggled at somewhere like this and I'm sure we won't be the last."

Nevertheless, the 1,500 fans who travelled to Nuneaton have a right to question why their side were unable to beat opponents who train twice a week and spend the rest of the time holding down full-time jobs.

Mark Viduka and Aiyegbeni Yakubu were successfully shackled by a bricklayer and a 39-year-old social worker, while Doriva and Lee Cattermole were over-run by a teacher and a 22-year-old student.

The entire episode was a considerable embarrassment although given the one-sided nature of the second half, things could have been even worse.

"You want to come here and win but, on the day, we weren't able to do that," said Southgate. "Of course we'll take some flak and it will go down as one of the biggest shocks of the day. But that's football and we have to live with it.

"I wasn't surprised by the quality of their play because, when you play teams at this level, they've always got guys who have been involved with league clubs in the past.

"They're always going to have a point to prove and I'm full of admiration for the way they played. It was a fantastic day for them and they deserve all of the celebrations they are having. We've had great days in our time and now it's their turn. In the end, they got the result they warranted."

Middlesbrough must now turn their attention to next Tuesday's replay at the Riverside, with Southgate admitting the return will be no easier to negotiate.

"The replay will be different although I'm sure it will still be very tough," he said. "It's going to be another fantastic occasion for them, but hey showed enough to suggest they're going to fight and scrap for every ball again."

Read more about Middlesbrough here.