HAVING failed to secure promotion to the Premier League, Middlesbrough midfielder Richie Smallwood hopes a positive finish will help persuade supporters to return to the Riverside Stadium next season.

The club announced a prize freeze on season card renewals for the eighth consecutive season last month and despite their failure to make the play-offs, early indications suggested sales were going well before Saturday's deadline.

However, with a fifth season of Championship football on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether the club has managed to entice its core of supporters, which stands at about 11,500, back for another season in the second tier of English football.

Attendances at the Riverside have dwindled since the turn of the year after Tony Mowbray's side slipped from third to 12th.

Smallwood understands the squad will have to work hard to persuade supporters to part with their money.

Mowbray's men have two games left to achieve that, starting with the visit of Charlton Athletic on Saturday before the curtain comes down on the season with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

"We've got one home game and one away game and we've got to try and go out on a high and give the fans something to cheer about because they haven't had much over the last few months," Smallwood said. "Hopefully we can get six points from our final two games and come back flying next season.

"It would stand us in good stead going into the summer with some good results and hopefully that can persuade the fans to come out next season and support us and we can try and make it a good year."

Boro's Championship fate was sealed with Saturday's defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

On the same day, Cardiff City were crowned champions and having beaten them home and narrowly lost out to them away, Smallwood admits to being envious of Malky Mackay's men.

He said: "It's hard to see teams like Cardiff going up, because they aren't much better than us and we showed that in the games we played them, especially at home when we beat them, so for them to go on to win the league, it makes you think it could have been us. But, to be fair, they're a solid side and they've had the consistency to take the championship and maybe that's what we need to do better next season if we want that to be us in a year's time."

Smallwood was handed another starting berth in the absence of the suspended Grant Leadbitter at the Reebok Stadium and the 22-year-old produced an accomplished display.

The further tightening of purse strings at the Riverside means Mowbray will have to work to a strict budget in his summer recruitment drive.

The Boro boss has already hinted some of his younger players could step up to play bigger roles next season, but Smallwood insists he will remain patient.

"Every game I play I try to give my best and if the manager likes that he'll play me, but if he doesn't I've just got to keep working hard and show him on the training pitch week in week out and hopefully my time in the team will come."

Mowbray is keen to strengthen his squad, but that could hinge on players leaving the Riverside.

One player that won't be returning is Julio Arca, who has had his contract cancelled by mutual consent.

Arca played his last game for the club in September when he suffered a toe injury, but the Argentine remained on Teesside for treatment, which he will now complete back in his home country.

The midfielder was Boro's longest-serving player having made more than 180 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals.