MIDDLESBROUGH missed out on a chance to significantly close the gap on the Premier League safety zone by failing to claim the three points that would have given the fight for survival a real shot in the arm.

Battling Boro had a few great chances to win it at the Riverside Stadium but Burnley returned to Turf Moor with a point – only the fourth away from home they have claimed this season – to leave head coach Steve Agnew searching for his first win.

The point means Middlesbrough are still in with a shout of staying up. They have a game in hand on Hull City, who are six points clear of them and sit fourth from bottom with seven matches remaining.

But this could have been so much better ahead of a tough finish to the season.

Burnley defender Michael Keane, watched by England boss Gareth Southgate, perhaps should have been red carded for bringing down Patrick Bamford in the closing stages.

Spanish defender Daniel Ayala also had a late header cleared off the line and Alvaro Negredo had the ball in the net as well as seeing an earlier effort stopped by goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

The fight goes on for Middlesbrough, although so does the wait to end a winless run that has now stretched to 14 Premier League games dating back to before Christmas. This was the 16th time they failed to find the net this season, despite their best efforts today.

It was a surprise to see leading scorer Negredo named on the bench, despite the fact Agnew played with two strikers in a wing-back system.

The head coach has been desperately searching for a change of fortunes, though, so made that call as part of four changes to the side which lost at Hull in midweek.

There were plenty of positives about the way the team played too. The problem was they still struggled to threaten the opposition goalkeeper, with Heaton rarely troubled.

The closest they came in the first half was when Rudy Gestede directed a glancing header wide from Antonio Barragan’s centre. Apart from that there were only half chances that came to nothing.

Burnley, who have only collected three points away from home all season, struggled to threaten too. Robbie Brady did shave the crossbar with a free-kick, but that was all they could muster to. Goalkeeper Victor Valdes was quiet.

There was more for the keepers to do after the restart. From the first Middlesbrough attack, a corner was forced and Gestede had a header that had to be well held by Heaton.

Negredo’s introduction gave Middlesbrough an extra edge in the final third and he would have scored had Heaton not made a brilliant low save on the line from the Spaniard’s acrobatic volley.

Middlesbrough had to go for it and that led to Burnley finding more gaps at the other end. The visitors had claims for a penalty waved away when Bernardo’s arm blocked Sam Vokes’ goalbound effort; it would have been harsh had it been given.

But it Middlesbrough who pressed in search of a winner. Bamford was introduced as a third forward and was clean through when Keane brought him down, only for the yellow card to be issued.

Downing went close with the free-kick, then Ayala’s header was cleared off the line by Matt Lowton and it just wasn’t to be for Middlesbrough when they could easily have claimed a vital victory.

MIDDLESBROUGH (3-5-2): Valdes; Ayala, Bernardo (Bamford 83), Gibson; Barragan, Clayton, Leadbitter, Forshaw, Downing; Stuani (Negredo 58), Gestede (Traore 69). Subs (not used): Guzan (gk), Fry, de Roon, Fischer. BURNLEY (4-4-2): Heaton; Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward; Boyd, Barton, Hendrick, Brady; Gray (Vokes 62), Barnes (Tarkowski 90). Subs (not used): Flanagan, Arfield, Agyei, Westwood, Pope.