TONY Pulis still wants to see Middlesbrough be more clinical after watching his side claim a first home win in the Championship under his watch.

Boro closed the gap to the play-off places to four points after securing three valuable points by beating Reading 2-1 on Teesside.

The brilliant Adama Traore scored either side of half-time to put Middlesbrough in command.

Reading were allowed to fight back and reduced the deficit when striker Chris Martin found the net with 12 minutes remaining.

Pulis said: "I'm pleased with the win, but obviously disappointed that we've not taken our chances that we should.

“Don't think there's any question that when Adama gets a second goal we should have won ... when you miss a penalty, Patrick Bamford misses from about six yards out on the angle. Grant Leadbitter hits the post and somehow it comes out, so it should have been five there.

"When it's 2-0 the opposition only have to score once and you can end up throwing it away even though you've been dominant in the game, it's only one mistake.

“It was lovely to get them in afterwards and certainly talk about what happened after they scored. There's certain things we have to do better than we did today.”

Pulis is delighted with how Traore is progressing, having seen him hit his double on the back of his first goal for Middlesbrough last month at QPR.

Pulis said: "As I've said all along, if Adama gets it all together he'll be a wonderful player. He's fantastic as a lad, he's only 22 years old, (a) Spanish lad moved away from home and it's difficult, he needs time.

“I've been very patient with him, second half he looked a little bit tired but was still working a hard as he could so we're delighted with him.”