WHATEVER complaints there are about two crucial penalty decisions that decided the outcome at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough know the result should not have come down to those.

As much as the finger will be pointed at referee Geoff Eltringham for the second- half penalty he didn’t award and the one he did, Boro only had themselves to blame for not wrapping up the points beforehand.

When Tony Pulis took over from Garry Monk it was pretty clear before a ball had even been kicked that he would be looking to get Middlesbrough more disciplined in terms of shape and there are strong signs he has done that in a short space of time.

Despite arriving with the best scoring record away from home in the Championship, Fulham didn’t get the chance to really test Darren Randolph in the Middlesbrough goal until the fifth minute of added time, when Oliver Norwood converted the controversial penalty.

Before that Middlesbrough defended strongly, kept the Cottagers’ advances largely at bay and created enough chances at the other end, without completely dominating things, to have claimed a second Championship win under him.

“It’s really frustrating, but that’s football,” said Daniel Ayala, turning in a display to suggest his confidence is returning under Pulis after more than a year of being in and out of the team.

“Sometimes decisions can go your way and this time it hasn’t gone our way. We played quite well and we have a lot of positives to take out of this.

“I think everyone can see we are a lot more organised already, that was the case again here. We just haven’t taken our chances. Defensively we are a lot better and going forward I think we are creating great chances. We didn’t take them and we have to move on.”

Middlesbrough could have been ahead inside five minutes. When Norwood was guilty of gifting possession to Rudy Gestede it looked like the Riverside crowd would have an early goal to celebrate.

Gestede, preferred ahead of top scorer Britt Assombalonga after his display against Sunderland in the FA Cup, had no other outfield player around him when he was faced with just goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli to beat. The former Aston Villa striker stumbled and made a complete mess of the chance and Fulham survived.

Just before half-time he had an even better opening. This time he was sent clear on goal again and in a more central position. Bettinelli charged out to distract him but Gestede should still have done better than the chip he directed wide of the empty net.

All Fulham could muster during that first period was an Aboubakar Kamara header from a Ryan Sessegnon cross, while Middlesbrough looked more dangerous without ever being in full flow. Adama Traore, enjoying a new lease of life under Pulis, was dangerous again – though he wasted his final ball in typical Traore fashion all too often.

Even in the second half, when Middlesbrough allowed Fulham more of the play late on, fantastic chances went to waste.

Martin Braithwaite, who brilliantly created a chance for himself by running at the defence, hit the side-netting from close range.

In the dying seconds, just moments before the Norwood winner, Assombalonga hit the crossbar when he lifted a bouncing ball over Bettinelli after he shrugged off a defender to go clear.

No wonder Pulis was frustrated afterwards, having been encouraged by plenty of aspects of his team’s display.

Nevertheless, there is no getting away from the fact that the two penalty decisions were the main post-match talking points.

Middlesbrough’s unsuccessful shout was on the hour.

Braithwaite had cleverly turned Tomas Kalas in the penalty area after chesting down Traore’s chip into the area.

Fulham’s Boro old boy could clearly be seen with his arms wrapped around the Danish forward before pushing him to the floor.

If that incensed the home contingent then referee Eltringham, a graduate of the Sunderland Referees’ Association, made things worse deep into stoppage-time.

There is an argument he got the second one correct because Norwood has gone down in the area after Grant Leadbitter’s foot made contact with his boot.

The fact that was given and the earlier one wasn’t, however, was what really rankled.

Ayala said: “We know we had a lot of chances and we should have won the game comfortably.

“If you don’t take your chances then you can lose the game like we did, we have to accept that. But I have seen the penalty (Norwood) again and it definitely wasn’t a penalty.

“I don’t think he’s touched him enough, the ball is going out anyway.

“I just think the player thought when he got to the floor he would see what happens and the referee bites.

“We have to move on and make sure we win in seven days.

“You can see that the other one was a penalty, the defender has moved and I think it was a definite penalty.

“The referee didn’t give it and that’s what can happen, which is why you need to take your chances.”

Norwood’s penalty, sending Randolph the wrong way, was effectively the last attack of the game.

It lifted the rejuvenated Cottagers, who started the season inconsistently, to within a point of the play-off places, while Middlesbrough missed out on a chance to climb in.

The Northern Ireland midfielder was accused of starting to fall before there had even been contact made and he said afterwards “there was contact and I went down. It’s a penalty.”

Norwood’s team-mate, Tim Ream, said: “Both penalty decisions could have gone either way.

“We’ve got ours and they haven’t, but it evens itself out over a season because there’s been times this season where decisions haven’t gone our way for sure.

“We had what should have been a penalty called a dive earlier this season so yes, it evens out.

“Ollie’s not like that. We’ve looked at replays and he’s definitely come across him and caught him with his left leg.

“Boro are obviously disappointed so they’re going to claim different.”

Pulis will have plenty things to ponder when he takes Middlesbrough to Queens Park Rangers next week, not least whether to mix up his starting line-up in a bid to get his team scoring again.

“He has not seen his team score in either of the two home league matches he has had in charge, with 1-0 defeats to Aston Villa and now Fulham.

Ayala said: “The league is very tight, I am just very frustrated with how things have turned out here.

“I know you can feel bad when you lose, but when you feel like you have played well and still lost it is more frustrating.

“We have to look to the next game and move on.

“The manager has said we have to go on the training ground and make sure we do everything he says to improve and we will be OK next week.

“We have to make sure he is right because we want to keep up with those above us.”