GARRY MONK hailed his Middlesbrough side’s “character” as they battled back to claim a point with Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Boro fell behind with just four minutes left as Aboubakar Karama headed home Ryan Sessegnon’s left-wing cross at the back post.

But the Teessiders picked themselves up to level just two minutes later as Cyrus Christie drilled a low finish into the bottom left-hand corner.

The point means Boro have now gone seven games unbeaten in all competitions, a run that underlines the mental strength within Monk’s squad.

“We always knew it was going to be a hard game here,” said the Boro boss. “Last season, they were one of the best teams in the league for me. I don’t think it’s any different this year – they’re going to be up there fighting and challenging for the higher positions.

“We knew it was difficult, and with the way that both sides that were set up, it was always going to be an exciting game. For the neutral, it was a good game to watch. Both teams had chances, both teams could have been more clinical and had more of an edge.

“We’re most disappointed with their goal, with when and how it came. We defended those situations pretty well all afternoon.

“But the character in the team is undeniable. We’ve shown it already this season, and to come back and get the equaliser was pleasing. If anything, after getting that equaliser, we were in the ascendancy and really trying to push for that winner. We had a couple of good chances, but overall I think a point was probably a fair result for both teams.”

Fulham threatened to run riot in the wide positions in the early stages, with Sessegnon giving Christie some difficult moments in the first half.

The full-back eventually provided the cross that led to Fulham’s goal, but Monk was pleased with the way in which his side dealt with their opponents’ attacking threat in order to extend their unbeaten run.

“Playing in wide areas is a big part of Fulham’s game,” said the Boro boss. “I didn’t think it helped Cyrus being booked so early on, that made it a little bit more difficult.

“Dealing with those wide areas with Fulham is a key challenge, and we’d worked on that. They’re very good in the interchanging in those positions, so the players have to understand what is required in different situations, and I thought we dealt with them well.

“They are always going to be a threat in those situations because they have quality, but I thought we handled that. We were disappointed with the goal, but with the reaction and the character, the minimum we deserved was the point.

“It’s another point. You could see we wanted three, but we’ve got two home games now and it’s important we finish this week strongly.”