BEN GIBSON thinks Middlesbrough have an opportunity to crank up the pressure on the rest of the Championship’s title challengers by taking advantage of a second earlier Easter kick-off.

Boro’s victory over Wigan on Friday lifted them top of the table again and the satisfaction grew further when both Watford and Bournemouth failed to topple them in either of the day’s evening fixtures.

Gibson thinks that the outcome of the Riverside four days ago contributed to the results of both Bournemouth and Watford – who drew with Ipswich and Derby respectively – and he feels there could be a similar situation today.

Boro will extend the gap at the top to four points before the later games if they can win at Vicarage Road, while Watford will take pole position in the race to the Premier League if they turn Boro over.

And Gibson said: “Firstly it puts pressure on other teams, like Watford and Bournemouth found on Friday night. They knew we won and it poured pressure on them.

“We can look at it as a positive in that respect. We all have good squads though so it might not make that much difference, so it is important we just have to focus on ourselves.

“Monday will be the same, big style, because we have an early kick-off again. It does add pressure to the other teams depending on the result.

“You do have one eye on the other results at this stage of the season; you might have heard a roar in our dressing room on Friday when Ipswich scored against Bournemouth when we were getting changed.

“We just have to focus on ourselves really. If we can grind out results like we did on Friday then we will, get to where we need to be. We have a good squad. That has got us where we are and we have to keep going.”

Middlesbrough are today up against one of their main automatic promotion rivals in Watford. Only Bournemouth have scored more than the Hornets this season, which is in contrast to Wigan who arrived at the Riverside deep in the relegation zone.

“Wigan are fighting for their lives, but so are Watford in the promotion race, it means as much to them as everyone else. We have to be at it and hopefully we will get three points,” said Gibson.

“It was essential we won after Bournemouth. It was a couple of weeks but it has not been put behind you until you have played the next game. If we have had a mishap we have bounced back, we have not lost two in a row.

“That shows the character we have in there. Even if we were not great we have ground out the result.”

If Patrick Bamford can score his 16th league goal of the season today he will equal the best return of any Boro player in the last 25 years; Fabrizio Ravanelli was the man to make his mark in scoring 16 in 1997.

But while Bamford – who joined Marvin Emnes and Hamilton Ricard in scoring 15 league goals in the last 18 years by hitting the winner against Wigan – it has been Boro's defensive strength which has proven most crucial so far.

That good record – they have 18 clean sheets – was dented when they came up against Bournemouth, so Aitor Karanka is looking to include experience in his backline against Watford.

Jonathan Woodgate was excellent against Wigan and he will be given every opportunity to take his place at the heart of the defence, although Fernando Amorebieta is a contender to slot in.

Gibson said: “It was brilliant to be alongside Woody. He was brilliant on Friday. He won every header, we had a lot more to deal with, he is a leader and he has played at the highest level and we can see why.

“He is brilliant. He has played at Real Madrid, represented his country at all levels. Just because he is a bit older people think he is not the same player but I think he was the best player on the pitch. He won every single header, never lost one.

“I am watching and learning from him all the time. He gives little bits of advice and we talk. He has been fantastic for me. It showed against Wigan that if he puts himself in the right positions it doesn’t matter if he has lost a bit of pace. It makes it irrelevant because he is that clever with how he plays.”

Karanka is desperate for Woodgate to play, knowing he has been carrying a broken toe.

He said: “I hope he’ll be fine because he is the spirit of the team. Five or six months ago he was thinking about retiring but now he’s the captain, the most experienced player on the pitch. For me he’s amazing and deserves to finish this season.”