AITOR KARANKA has paid tribute to the Middlesbrough fans for helping his side to make it four wins in a row and put promotion to the Premier League in their own hands.

An Albert Adomah strike in the 32nd minute was enough to claim the win over a dogged Preston North End who could quite easily have got something from the game.

But Middlesbrough, who also had other great chances to score in the first-half, did enough to get over the line and they now know they will go top on Tuesday if they can win their game in hand against Reading.

The Ghana international’s eighth goal of the season has put Boro back back to within a point of leaders Burnley – who had beaten Leeds earlier in the day - and four clear of third placed Brighton, who travel to Nottingham Forest on Monday.

Karanka said: “We don’t want to be in the Championship next season and at the beginning of the season the aim was to get in the play-offs.

“With the experience we have had from last season, now with six games to go, we are there because we are doing really well and it shows how good the players are.

“Now we have to forget the play-offs and promotion and just concentrate on the next game. Every point is gold and the key today was the crowd.

“Sometimes when you don’t feel their support you are going down but with them behind us the team is confident. We are more than together and that is the main thing.

“It is important to win at this time of the season. Now we have our game in hand but we cannot think we have the three points in our pocket already.”

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos made a couple of saves to deny Marnick Vermijl and Eoin Doyle an equaliser, while defender George Friend made a brilliant clearance from John Welsh off the line.

Preston boss Simon Grayson felt Middlesbrough were fortunate to claim maximum points.

He said: “We are hugely disappointed that we haven’t got a result. We had four players out from the other night.

"We didn’t have a full bench but we created them problems and not many sides can say that about that when they come here.

“We really played well and but for some misses and good saves we could have got something out of the game. You could see the relief for everyone from Middlesbrough Football Club at the final whistle.

"We have some big games to be still involved in and we want to finish as high as we can.”