FOR seven members of the Middlesbrough squad that took on Millwall at the weekend, the memories of the club’s last appearance in the play-offs remain painfully raw. For one player, though, reflecting on 2015’s Wembley showdown sparks much happier thoughts.

Jonny Howson was wearing a Norwich City shirt as Middlesbrough froze in the play-off final three seasons ago, and while Aitor Karanka’s players were left with their heads in their hands at the final whistle, the midfielder was able to cavort across the Wembley turf in gleeful celebration.

In truth, he had earned the right. During his time with Leeds United, Howson lost in both a play-off semi-final, to Millwall, and final, to Doncaster Rovers. He has experienced his fair share of hurt, so as he looks ahead to this year’s end-of-season shoot-out, with Middlesbrough having guaranteed a top-six finish at the weekend, there is a sense of excitement tempered by an acknowledgment that nothing has been achieved yet.

Howson knows what it feels like to lose at Wembley, and senses his team-mates’ determination to right the wrongs he helped inflict three years ago. But with Cardiff City, Fulham or Aston Villa standing in Boro’s way at the semi-final stage, another play-off final still feels a long way off.

“It’s funny how things like this come around,” said Howson, who scored his third goal of the season to help Boro see off Millwall at the weekend. “Since I’ve been here, quite a few people have mentioned that game as you can imagine, but that’s part and parcel of football. As a Norwich team, we played pretty well on the day.

“Speaking from a personal point of view, I’ve been in the play-offs and done everything. I’ve lost in the semis, lost in the final and won the final too. I’ve done the lot.

“It’s exciting. You’d obviously like to go up automatically if you can, but they’re huge games and you play football to be involved in occasions like that. When you look back on your career, it’s always the big games that stick out in your memory and hopefully we’re going to have three of those.

“We’ll look forward to it, but there’s still a long way to go yet. As I know only too well, just getting into the play-offs counts for nothing.”

With successive wins over Bristol City, Derby County and Millwall under their belt, Boro will be heading into the play-offs with momentum on their side, but Howson feels late-season form is not always as significant as people expect it to be once the play-offs begin.

Back in 2015, Boro beat Norwich in their penultimate away game, but the victory counted for nothing once rivalries were renewed at Wembley.

Form can be a factor, but experience and togetherness can often be every bit as important in the crucible of a play-off environment, and Howson feels Boro rate highly on both scores. Most members of the squad have extensive experience of playing in high-pressure matches, and since Tony Pulis replaced Garry Monk in December, there has been a coming together that has helped power Boro into the heart of the top six.

“Things go out of the window a bit in the play-offs,” said Howson. “The season I won in the final, Middlesbrough had beaten Norwich twice in the league but it didn’t count for anything in the final. Once you’re in the play-offs, I don’t really think form or previous results matter.

“It’s obviously nice to be hitting form going into the play-offs, and we’ve got Ipswich away on Sunday and we’ll be wanting to carry that momentum on. It’s not a case of getting carried away though because once the play-offs start, I really don’t think it matters whether you’re the form team or not. It’s anyone’s game.

“We’ve got an experienced group, and I’ve lost in the final myself before so I’m aware that some of these lads that played in that game will be wanting to put that right. We’ve got to get through a semi first though.”

Defensive reliability has been the bedrock of the Teessiders’ performances since Christmas, and Pulis will have been delighted at his players’ focus and resolve at the weekend.

Millwall have overachieved markedly this season, and when Boro travelled to The Den in December, the Lions’ rugged, physical approach resulted in a 2-1 home win that hastened Monk’s managerial exit.

There was never any danger of a repeat on Saturday, with Daniel Ayala continuing his recent renaissance as he strolled through the game, casually containing the evergreen Steve Morison. Ayala was a crucial performer in both of Boro’s promotion pushes under Karanka, and the Spaniard’s performances in the last couple of months have been as good as anything he has produced during his four-and-a-half years on Teesside. He will be a crucial performer once the play-offs begin.

His partnership with Ben Gibson looks rock-solid, but the last three games in particular have also seen Boro produce much more cohesion at the opposite end of the field.

Pulis’ decision to stick with Britt Assomablonga was rewarded at the weekend as Boro’s leading scorer claimed his 15th goal of the season to open the scoring, effortlessly trapping Ayala’s long ball before turning inside Mahlon Romeo to drill home a low finish via the inside of the post.

Patrick Bamford’s recent scoring spree earned him an extended run in the team, but Assomablonga remains the most accomplished finisher in the Boro squad by some distance. It would surely be folly to drop him again now.

Assombalonga’s 12th-minute strike set the Teessiders on their way, and while Adama Traore missed a gilt-edged chance to double his side’s lead at the start of the second half, firing wide after ghosting past the Millwall defence, Boro put the game beyond doubt when Howson scored shortly after the hour mark.

Millwall goalkeeper Jordan Archer somehow allowed Stewart Downing’s cross to slip through his hands, and Howson was left with the simple task of slotting home from the edge of the six-yard box.

“If I’m being honest, there were probably times this season when things maybe weren’t looking great,” said the midfielder.

“It was never from a lack of effort or a lack of trying though, so there was always a sense that we weren’t far away. Sometimes in football, you don’t always get what you deserve, but I think if you stick to it and keep working hard, it will change around.

“That’s certainly the case when you have good players.”