STEVE AGNEW is refusing to accept that relegation is inevitable despite Middlesbrough crashing to a humiliating defeat at Bournemouth yesterday.

Boro suffered their heaviest loss of the season as they were thrashed 4-0 at the Vitality Stadium, and with Hull and Swansea both winning, their position in the relegation zone now looks irretrievable.

The Teessiders are nine points adrift of safety with five games remaining, and while they host bottom club Sunderland on Wednesday, three of their final five matches are against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

It is hard to see how they can haul themselves to safety, but despite having picked up just two points from his six matches since replacing Aitor Karanka, Agnew continues to insist that survival is achievable.

Agnew said: “We have to be realistic in situations like this, it's a huge challenge for us but all we can do is dust ourselves down and get ready for the Sunderland game.

“We have to be upbeat, because we're in a position now where every game is one we have to win.  We need a win, we need three points and we remain as positive we can be after a defeat like today, and we look to the Sunderland game.”

Boro conceded two goals in the opening 16 minutes of yesterday’s game, and would have suffered an even heavier defeat had it not been for a couple of decent second-half saves from Brad Guzan, but Agnew denied his players had effectively thrown in the towel.

He said: “I wouldn't say (we folded), we just gave ourselves a very difficult afternoon by conceding two early goals and obviously going down to ten men.

“Playing with ten men in the Premier League against a very good team at home who score lots of goals, it gave us a very testing afternoon.”

Gaston Ramirez was dismissed for two first-half bookings, and while the midfielder made very little contact with Bournemouth midfielder Marc Pugh prior to his dismissal, Agnew admits it was a reckless challenge given he had already been booked for a dive.

He said: “I couldn't see the first one from where I was, but obviously if you do have a yellow card, you have to be very careful, as any player would be for the rest of the game.”