MIDDLESBROUGH are confident this evening’s game with Leeds United will go ahead as planned, with Tony Pulis urging his players to prove they have the ‘winning mentality’ in the final dozen games of the season.

Boro officials have spent the last 24 hours doing everything possible to ensure tonight’s game at the Riverside can take place despite the heavy snow that has swept across the North-East in the last few days. Undersoil heating means the Riverside pitch is playable, and snowploughs were out in force yesterday clearing the car parks and ensuring the stadium approaches are free of snow and ice.

A number of meetings took place yesterday between council officials, police officers and representatives of the Highways Agency, and while Middlesbrough Council’s ‘Safety at Sports Grounds Committee’, which is responsible for issuing the safety certificate at the Riverside, could still opt to force a postponement, the Boro hierarchy are confident of the game getting the go-ahead provided there is no further heavy snow. The weather forecast is for more flurries this morning, but there is not expected to be significant further snowfall after midday.

There are financial incentives for Boro to ensure the game takes place – the club are set to receive £100,000 from Sky Television and more than 27,000 tickets have already been sold – but there are also compelling footballing reasons behind the club’s determination to play tonight’s fixture.

Boro head into the game three points adrift of the play-off places, and will move level on points with sixth-placed Sheffield United if they claim their third home win in a row. That would pile the pressure on the Blades, who host Burton Albion tomorrow, and seventh-placed Bristol City, who are set to take on Sheffield Wednesday.

Pulis’ side tossed away two points when they conceded a 96th-minute equaliser at Sunderland last weekend, and the Boro boss admits it is time his players started displaying more of a ruthless streak with just 12 games of the season to go.

“I’ve had a chat with them on Monday saying they’re 12 big, big games,” said Pulis. “For two-and-a-half months now, we need to really fix our minds on trying to get into the play-offs. It will be interesting to see how the players react and respond.

“They’re a good group, and as I’ve said to them, they’re a pleasure to work with. I’ve got no problem with them, but we want winners.

“That’s what this football club wants, that’s what everybody wants. We want winners on the pitch who are going to take us forward. That’s what we’ve got to do. In the next 12 games, it’s vital that people step up to the mark.”

In particular, Pulis wants his players to improve their defending, particularly when they are dealing with set-pieces.

Two of the three goals they conceded at the Stadium of Light were as a result of switching off from corners and throw-ins, and they were also punished in a similar manner as Sean Morrison headed home the only goal of the game in last month’s 1-0 defeat at Cardiff City.

Pulis likes his sides to be defensively resolute, and while Ben Gibson and Daniel Ayala have formed an effective central-defensive partnership on occasion this season, their efforts have regularly been undermined by a lapse of concentration from those around them.

“We’ve talked about it and talked about it, but we’ve just got to make sure that we tighten up and people take responsibility and do their jobs,” said the Boro boss. “Off set-plays, it’s nothing other than doing your own job and being strong enough, mentally and physically, to see things out.

“That’s not what we’ve done over the last couple of weeks, and it’s been a disappointment. Three goals out of the four we’ve conceded have been from set-plays. If you look at the Cardiff result, and then two of the three goals we conceded at Sunderland, they’ve come from set-plays, which is poor.”

At least Pulis will be able to call on the services of Adama Traore at the opposite end of the field, with the winger’s red card at Sunderland having been rescinded after a meeting of the FA’s disciplinary commission.

The FA panel ruled that Traore’s tangle with Bryan Oviedo did not represent serious foul play, and overturned what would otherwise have been a four-match ban.

Boro also lodged a successful appeal against a red card awarded to Rudy Gestede earlier in the season, and while Pulis is pleased his initial verdict on the Traore incident was vindicated, he is understandably disappointed that his side has been wrongly forced to play without a key player on two separate occasions this season.

“The disappointing thing is that we’ve had the two decisions turned over, but on the day we’ve suffered and you can’t turn the clock back in that respect,” he said. “We have suffered, and we’ve been very unfortunate to play those two games with ten men, when really when you look at it, and the panel has looked at it afterwards, it was unjustly done in lots of ways.

“I’m pleased that we’ve got Adama fit and available to go. But again, disappointed that he wasn’t on that pitch for 90 minutes on Saturday.”

While Traore will start tonight, Grant Leadbitter will have to pass a late fitness test after suffering a hamstring twinge last weekend.

“There have been a few supporters a bit disappointed that Grant didn’t celebrate after scoring the penalty, but when he took the penalty, when you look back, he actually felt the top of his hamstring and that was a real concern for him straight away,” said Pulis. “Fingers crossed he’ll be fit, he’s an outside chance, and we will assess it last minute.”

Middlesbrough (probable, 4-2-3-1): Randolph; Shotton, Ayala, Gibson, Friend; Leadbitter, Besic; Traore, Downing, Bamford; Assombalonga.