MIDDLESBROUGH did little at Wigan yesterday to contradict accusations about their recent uninspiring performances.

Boro put in yet another workmanlike shift but could only manage to scrape a disappointing draw at the JJB Stadium in a match they should have won.

When Aiyegbeni Yakubu made it two goals in two Premiership games, latching on to Mark Viduka's flick from Abel Xavier's long ball after 14 minutes, it looked as if Boro were coasting to a second successive Premiership victory.

But the visitors ultimately paid the penalty for some Viduka profligacy and an annoying lack of adventure.

Following Yakubu's emphatic finish the Teessiders seemed content to tuck in, sit back and hang on for the victory, more so in the second half when James Morrison had to go off through injury.

But Wigan, buzzing from consecutive victories against Sunderland and West Brom, were rewarded for all their endeavour and enthusiasm, despite rarely threatening the visiting defence, and grabbed an unlikely equaliser through Henri Camara in the 67th minute.

The substitute striker had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he gambled on Leighton Baines' long ball forward and took advantage of Ugo Ehiogu's hesitancy to fire home from ten yards.

Viduka, however, should have ended the game as a contest when he fired over on the half-hour following good work from Morrison on the right.

In between, new signing Fabio Rochemback looked impressive in the middle of the park pulling all the strings and nearly opened his account when he rattled the crossbar.

Prior to the game the general consensus on Teesside was that football had died - if a local radio talk-show is to be used as a barometer.

Plenty of disillusioned Boro fans have recently bombarded the Three Legends talk-show on Century FM to vent their spleen about the current standard of football on display from the Riverside club.

One disgruntled caller - Ian from Teesside - who yearned for the swashbuckling years of Juninho, Emerson and Fabrizio Ravanelli - confessed it is too painful to watch his beloved side in action most of the time. But added his masochistic love for Boro was like a marriage and would support the club through thick and thin.

This widespread disenchantment culminated in Middlesbrough's lacklustre 2-0 midweek UEFA Cup win against FC Xanthi, when they drew a miserly crowd of just over 14,000, despite the game not being televised. The general feeling after the game from those who did go was that they wish they hadn't wasted their money.

The paradox to all of this frustration, of course, is that Boro are currently enjoying the most successful spell in their long history and have a youth academy the envy of the Premier League.

Manager Steve McClaren delivered the club's first major piece of silverware when they lifted the Carling Cup 18 months ago and followed that by steering Boro through to the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup and posting a highest ever Premier League finish of seventh last season.

Consequently, Boro qualified for the UEFA Cup once more. A remarkable achievement considering the Teessider's crippling injury list last term.

Despite his success fans have vilified McClaren because his side has failed to entertain in the process, yet in Stewart Downing, Adam Johnson, Matthew Bates and James Morrison, to name only a few, the club boasts some of the country's most exciting young talent.

But if Boro fans look at the bigger picture they'll probably realise not everything is in black and white. It is all very well reminiscing over the, so-called, halcyon days of 1997/98 and three successive cup finals but, the reality of Boro's fantasy football resulted in a relegation from the top flight and a few years of Premiership uncertainty. Leeds United is a perfect example.

Surely fans don't want a return to the more risky boom and bust yo-yo years of Bryan Robson's revolution when a new pragmatic blueprint of gentle evolution - drawn up by chairman Steve Gibson and McClaren - is steering the Boro ship steadily forward though Premiership's choppy waters.

Yesterday's performance, and indeed previous ones, may not be pretty but they're usually effective and you wouldn't back Boro to at least equal last season's achievements.

But for a bit of excitement maybe Ian from Teesside and his fellow Boro fans might want to spice things up a little and take a mistress while their marriage rides the recent storm. Chelsea are looking quite sexy this season.

Result: Wigan Athletic 1 Middlesbrough 1.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.