THE fire drill that forced a hasty exit for those supporters lingering to enjoy a post-match drink in the West Stand on Saturday evening was not the only alarm bell to sound at the Riverside Stadium.

Fortunately, this one was confirmed as false just as the fire brigade converged on Middlesbrough's home ground with reassuring swiftness. It's to be hoped Garry Monk's players take on board with similar urgency the important lessons to be learned from this distinctly below-par display, from which they were lucky to escape with a point.

In terms of the modest seven they have harvested from five games back in the second tier of English football, Boro are equidistant between the top six and bottom six following this somewhat fortunate draw, one which underlined that without toil, there cannot be triumph.

Boro boast arguably the finest squad in this division, but on this occasion at least they seemed oblivious to the fact that quality only shines through once the foundations have been laid by hard work.

Monk was the first to concede his players had failed to do the basics as they came a distinct second best to the hunger and desire of their impressive opponents. While the manager may have been slightly more animated within the confines of the dressing room, he stopped short of openly criticising his squad in public.

Though delivered in a calm manner in the post-match press conference, his assessment was pretty damning, and no doubt one he will hope to avoid having to repeat once the Championship and all its madness cranks back into life after the international break.

Monk spoke of Preston's desire being at a level above that of his own players, and how they failed to do the basics. As a result, they were quickly on the back foot and thankful to goalkeeper Darren Randolph for stemming the tide against a side that showed glimpses of being able to emulate Huddersfield's elevation from this division in May on a relative shoestring should they come through the remaining days of the transfer window unscathed.

"It wasn't the performance we wanted," Monk reflected. "We were probably lucky to get that result and we have to realise that whenever you step onto a football pitch, number one you have to do the basics as well as or better than the opposition."

Britt Assombalonga barrelled through early on to be halted by a brave block from Preston goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, but with Boro's forward pairing largely starved of supply as Adam Clayton and Jonny Howson were employed primarily in manning the barricades, it was a flash of inspiration which gave rise to false hope for what was to come. The hosts simply became bit-part players in what increasingly became Preston's attempts to find a way past Randolph.

The Republic of Ireland international reserved his most memorable interventions to thwart the impressive Tom Barkhuizen, deflecting the midfielder's first-half chip onto a post, before an even more remarkable save from a point-blank header in a second-half where Middlesbrough were virtually anonymous as an attacking force, barring a snapshot from substitute Stewart Downing.

Jordan Hugill, the Teesside born and raised forward who is at the centre of a tussle for his signature between Wolves and Reading, went close with a glancing effort, while Randolph further underlined his worth by keeping out Paul Huntington's firm downward header in an embarrassingly one-sided shot count dominated by the visitors.

Ben Gibson's late block to halt substitute Josh Harrop's goal-bound effort as stoppage time loomed sealed a fourth consecutive clean sheet at the Riverside, a crumb of comfort, as was a scarcely-deserved share of the spoils which could prove more than useful eight months down the line, because this was a vibrant, dangerous Preston team that will claim the scalps of many of Boro's promotion rivals this season.

"Credit to Preston, they were very energetic and got amongst us," said defender George Friend. "We started slowly again, and that's something we need to combat. In the first half especially, they were first to a lot of things but we've still not conceded a goal at home, and that's a positive."

After this stark warning on home soil of the perils of being off the pace and resting on laurels, Middlesbrough will turn their attention to attempting to improve their wretched away form, which sees them having gone more than a year since winning on the road.

Trips to Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa come immediately after the international break, and Friend added: "The aim is to combat that record. It's not something we're worrying about, but it's certainly something we can address because in my eyes we've got the best squad in the league."

Such an assessment may be in little doubt, but this was a sobering afternoon to underline how much more than simply an array of expensively-assembled players is required to escape the clutches of the Championship, a division which rewards endeavour as much as it celebrates quality.