AFTER suffering a first home defeat of the season, one that saw Middlesbrough concede at the Riverside for the first time this season, George Friend admitted Saturday’s loss will ‘sting’.

Boro were beaten 2-0 by Nottingham Forest, both goals coming in the second half of a match that saw the Teessiders drop two places to fourth.

Middlesbrough’s display was disappointing, unable to match the standards set previously in the season, such as Ipswich Town last Tuesday when Tony Pulis reckoned his team had played some of their best football of the campaign.

Instead, they go into the international break wondering where they went wrong. Pulis’ side are not in action until a week on Friday at Sheffield Wednesday.

Friend said: “Will I able to switch off? No, not really. Not after we have lost.

“You need a winning mentality and anyone who is happy after we’ve lost is in the wrong game.

“I’ve got two kids, a one year old and four year old, and they don’t really care if we’ve lost and so that makes a difference at home, you have to try to be normal and upbeat but personally, yes, it bothers me when we have lost.

“It would have been nice to have a midweek game to get over it but we haven’t and we have to deal with it.

“When we come back there is a whole load of games to bounce back in and we have to be ready for them.”

Friend has started all 12 league games so far, playing a full part in a team that, has kept eight clean sheets, more than any other EFL team.

He added: “When have such a good start then it stings when you lose. We have set such high standards that it does feel disappointing when you have a set-back like this, it feels disappointing but everyone should keep their heads up . It’s only one defeat.

“You don’t dwell on it but have to work out what’s gone work as a team and evaluate your own performance as well.

“We’ve got the break now to get the lads here together and work hard, keep the fitness levels up and hopefully the lads who are away to play well in their games.”

It was something of a missed opportunity as, due to Leeds United dropping points at home to Brentford, Middlesbrough could have gone top of the table.

Sheffield United now occupy top spot, though only three points separate the leading four positions.

“To be honest I don’t study the table and really start looking until Christmas,” added Friend.

“I know a lot of people say that but it does tend to be the way. So long as you keep up there, that’s the important thing.

“It is so tight and it can all change so quickly - Forest jumped a lot of place with that one result for instance - so you can’t get too hung up on how it swings from week to week.

“You can’t be going home after that one result and thinking all is over. We have to stick together. We know how things can swing and change in this league.”