Portsmouth 0 Middlesbrough 1

6:15pm Wednesday 2nd January 2008

THINGS may not be as bad as they seemed for Middlesbrough fans ahead of the start of 2008.

Dong-Gook Lee can actually play, Mohamed Shawky does exist and offers a decent midfield option while Tuncay Sanli? He just keeps scoring.

Even in the absence of George Boateng, Fabio Rochemback, Mido and David Wheater, Boro offered sufficient resilience and purpose to prove they have the talent worthy of a place in the Premier League.

It may not have been an outstanding display, yet manager Gareth Southgate can take great heart from the fact that his players returned to Teesside last night with all three points.

Portsmouth have struggled at home this season, they have not scored at Fratton Park in the league since September 29. Nevertheless, they are a team worth taking seriously and their top half position reflects that.

And while Boro had to allow the hosts large spells of possession, the visitors' defence stood firm with Jonathan Woodgate and Robert Huth at the heart.

Going forward there was still plenty of positives to take and, after two successive defeats, this result will raise optimism ahead of the visit of Everton on January 1.

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