MIDDLESBROUGH will have missed out on an automatic promotion place if Bournemouth win their game in hand tonight, but Grant Leadbitter is adamant there will be no lingering negativity if Aitor Karanka's squad do have to battle it out in the play-offs.

Karanka - who did suggest he has fresh doubts about his side’s suitability to go up this season - was left frustrated and bemused by his team’s first half performance at Fulham on Saturday which left Boro chasing the game having fallen behind to a Michael Turner header moments before half-time.

Middlesbrough improved after the restart but the need for points in the battle for a top two spot caused a frenetic second half in which there were a further six goals; the last of which saw Ross McCormack grab a dramatic, late goal to claim a 4-3 win.

The defeat leaves Middlesbrough in third spot, level on points with Bournemouth, but a victory over Bolton tonight will see the Cherries climb three clear of their rivals and a superior goal difference means any chance of avoiding a play-off fight at the Riverside will have gone.

Middlesbrough’s players will be watching tonight’s game with interest, but regardless of the outcome Leadbitter believes there is enough character within the squad to overcome any hint of disappointment for the games that may lie ahead.

“It is important for us to finish as highly as we can,” said Leadbitter. “If that’s third place or if that’s the play-offs, then great. The dressing room will not need lifting for play-offs because we want to achieve as players and we want to achieve for Middlesbrough Football Club.

“We will be confident whatever we have coming up. There will be four teams in those play-offs, we don’t know who those are yet but we will not rule anything out. Anything could still happen so we have to keep going.”

As Fulham’s players celebrated at the final whistle on Saturday, their Middlesbrough counterparts trudged off disconsolately fearing their big chance had gone, knowing leaders Watford had become the first team to be certain of playing Premier League football next season.

The 4,000-strong travelling support at the Craven Cottage then burst in to ‘we’re going to Wembley’ chants to try to lift spirits knowing a trip to the home of English football could be on the cards if they are successful in any play-off push.

Leadbitter said: “We have to think of every scenario. We will think about coming in to training and working hard like we have all year. It’s the best group of players in there I have been with.

“We have some senior players and now we have to give our home fans something to cheer about in front of a sell out against Brighton next week. If we have more games after next week then great, we will be ready.”

He added: “As a group of players we will not reflect on the second half we will reflect on why we did not play in the first half. We will reflect why we got beat. We will train hard this week and we have to go again. It is out of our hands. If we finish on 87 points and if that’s not good enough for a top two place it is not good enough.”

Middlesbrough have the added blow of being without left-back George Friend against Brighton. He will serve a one match ban for his sending off for bringing down Hugo Rodallega in front of goal before McCormack scored his second penalty.

That was one of the many flashpoints in a topsy-turvy encounter in which Middlesbrough came from two goals down to level at 3-3 before McCormack added a late winner when Dimi Konstantopoulos had been ordered up to try to nick a late winner.

Leadbitter said: “It was a crazy game but we got beat. It was disappointing. We need to win the next game. We had to win five games after the Watford game and we lost one here. We move on.

“We are disappointed with the first half performance. That is the disappointing thing. We conceded from a set piece which is the most disappointing thing. But there can’t be any negativity. We still have a lot to play for.”