STEVE McClaren last night hailed his young guns after they fired Middlesbrough to a convincing 1-0 win over Manchester City, and predicted things can only get better.

McClaren included seven players from Boro's academy in his squad at the Eastlands Stadium.

Five started the game with Andrew Taylor making it six when he replaced Franck Queudrue, who was suffering from a dead leg after only nine minutes, and Andrew Davies became the seventh in the dying seconds.

But the undoubted star of the show was match-winner Lee Cattermole, who headed Boro's winner two minutes before half-time.

The turnaround in the teenager's fortunes is one of almost fairytale proportions since he broke down in tears after gifting Aston Villa a goal in the a 4-0 thrashing at the Riverside in February.

Since then Cattermole and the club have done little wrong.

"I enjoyed the game and the performance and it was possibly the youngest side we have ever had out," admitted McClaren, who saw his side win for the fifth time in seven Premier League games.

"We have had seven players on the field who have come through the academy and six of them are English - Brad Jones is Australian.

"What I saw out there was the future of Middlesbrough and it was epitomised by Lee Cattermole and his goal.

"He has been terrific. He has been given an opportunity, like they all have, and he's taken it very well. There was a bit of over-exuberance in his celebration for the goal, but after he has scored a few he will calm down, I am sure."

The rise from the depths of Boro's home defeat to Villa to the highs of the UEFA Cup and FA Cup quarter-finals has been staggering.

Even the most optimistic fan could not have predicted the turnaround from players arguing with fans in the car park, a supporter throwing his season ticket into the home dug-out in disgust and Cattermole's tears.

But McClaren believes the club has finally put to bed that dreadful sequence of events which coincided with one win in 11 Premier League games and predicted good times are ahead.

He said: "The youngsters got great experience at Arsenal and Aston Villa. It wasn't a good experience but it has held them in good stead and gave me the confidence to put them in against Manchester City and enjoy their performance, energy and enthusiasm.

"It took us about 20 minutes to settle but after that some of our football was very good.

"We need to keep the momentum going and finish the season well. We have big games coming up and we've had to make seven changes from the team in Basle. City is a hard place to come and we've come with our youngest possible team and we've got a result."

Boro, with a game in hand, are now level with City on 40 points, although they remain one place behind them in 14th position on goal difference. The victory also stretches the Teessiders' unbeaten run over the Citizens to 14 games, since the inauguration of the Premier League back in 1992 and banishes any lingering talk of relegation.

The only disappointment was that Boro didn't win more emphatically.

"We had enough chances to score more," observed McClaren. "David James pulled off some very good saves and we missed a few. I said to the players afterwards 'you don't make it any easier for us'. But hopefully we're saving a few goals for Thursday."

Boro's date with Basle sets up a frenetic period of fixtures for the club. But McClaren has no complaints about a congested schedule.

"It means we're being successful," he insisted. "The key is sustaining it and with the youngsters coming through we can sustain it and improve on it.

"It's great isn't it? It is better than playing just once a week. Our season will be defined over the next ten days and the players know that. We have a big test on Thursday and it was important we got a result to set us up for that."

City boss Stuart Pearce launched a vicious attack on his own players, excusing only goalkeeper David James from blame.

Pearce has warned his squad that any repeat of such a shoddy effort will see them kicked out of the club.

''To say I am disappointed would be one of the biggest understatements of all time,'' he blasted.

''If I was a supporter, I would be disgusted with that performance. I know I am as a manager. We showed no moral courage whatsoever.

''I do not include the goalkeeper in this, but the rest of them I have told to go home, have a look at their kids and ask them how daddy did today.

''None of them stepped up to the plate. None of them showed any leadership. None of them earned their wages. Without doubt, it was the worst experience I have had as a manager.

''I have been in bad teams during my career but I would like to think somewhere down the line, if I wasn't playing well, I had the bottle to receive the ball.

''I had the bottle to get in someone's face and I had the bottle to get aggressive with someone, show my aggression out on the pitch and show I was not happy.

''Our players did not do that today. I am not passing the responsibility onto the players. The buck stops with me. But if I have to do something about it to be a successful manager I will.

''These boys have to come back into work again. They have to walk past me in the corridor and look me in the eye. They know exactly how I feel about them at this present moment.

''It was unacceptable and if it happens again, there will be people leaving this club.''

Boro's win ended any hope the Blues had of landing a European spot, which Pearce had made his primary target for the campaign.

''If you play like that, you haven't got a cat in hell's chance of getting into Europe,'' he said.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.