A POSITIVE or a negative? Let’s be positive. Middlesbrough managed to avoid the defeat against a Huddersfield Town team that played in the Premier League last season which would have resulted in a drop into the relegation zone.

After the encouraging display against leaders West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, resulting in defeat, and a run of six without a win, securing a goalless point away from home should be perceived as a step in the right direction for Jonathan Woodgate and his players.

And it will, provided they can follow up both better displays by finally improving on an awful record in front of goal that was merely highlighted for what it is at the John Smith’s Stadium. Again, they had their chances. Again, they fluffed their lines.

Now, for the real negative. Middlesbrough have still only won two of their opening 14 games under Woodgate and they remain winless on the road this season, having collected just three points.

That is now a run of six away games without a win at the start of the season which is the worst since Gordon Strachan was in charge nine years ago. That was also the season they were last in the Championship’s bottom three, and Tony Mowbray was the man to guide them clear of trouble.

How Middlesbrough could do with this former captain, Woodgate proud to be born and bred on Teesside, repeating Mowbray’s trick by steering them to safety this time around. Middlesbrough need more points than performances to overcome the club’s disappointing start to the season.

How Middlesbrough could do with a little bit of magic from yesteryear to help them in the second tier, with Woodgate’s tenure desperate for a much-needed boost to give everyone a lift.

Twenty-three years to the day that Juninho, Emerson and Fabrizio Ravanelli were on the scoresheet in a 5-1 League Cup win at Huddersfield, these are completely different times for Middlesbrough, whose current crop are struggling to find the net once in a game never mind five times.

Not even the Teessiders’ highly-rated and coveted Ireland international goalkeeper Darren Randolph – the star of this current crop being courted by Premier League clubs - was in the side looking to stop the slide into the relegation zone because of injury.

His absence meant a huge opportunity for Aynsley Pears, the son of former Middlesbrough goalkeeper Stephen. This was Pears’ first league start for the club he has represented since the age of nine, so to emerge with a clean sheet should do him the world of good.

Woodgate felt Pears’ chance was deserved for a strong pre-season and a fantastic loan with Gateshead in the National League last season. He had a 16-game spell with Darlington a rung lower down the non-league ladder before that.

If that switch was forced then the other change from Saturday’s encouraging display against West Brom, which still ended in defeat, was not. Britt Assombalonga, the top scorer from the last two seasons, was replaced in attack by Ashley Fletcher after a string of less effective displays in the final third.

Pears was a lot busier than Fletcher in the opening half an hour. Middlesbrough displayed plenty of hesitancy and less than convincing passing, whether that was down to a nervousness or lack of confidence is unclear. It was evident though.

There were numerous times when Middlesbrough misplaced their passes. It was not just an individual player either, as a few of them were guilty. Pears, who could be forgiven given as this was his league debut, had not connected properly with a couple of kicks either, although his handling was good.

Middlesbrough still had a couple of chances to score first. The first of the night was the best when Daniel Ayala headed over Paddy McNair’s free-kick from the right, while he also somehow failed to turn one of the midfielder’s corners in from a yard out.

Huddersfield’s playmaker Lewis O’Brien gave Middlesbrough plenty to think about with his purposeful running, while Trevor Chalobah and Karlan Grant’s movement and link up play posed a few questions too. Grant had a header from Chalobah’s cross that shaved the roof of the net.

It took time for Middlesbrough to settle and their edgy start was summed up when Dael Fry was caught in possession deep in his own half. He was forced to haul down winger Elias Kachunga, collecting a caution in the process, and Grant’s free-kick was held by Pears.

But Middlesbrough, who also had to deal with a dead ball from Adama Diakhaby late in the half that curled a yard wide of Pears’ left upright, did grow into the first half and could easily have been in front at the break.

Indicative of Middlesbrough’s low scoring record – with only Wigan scoring fewer in the division – there was nothing for Huddersfield goalkeeper Ryan Schofield to do because the two best chances in the closing stages missed the target.

After Fletcher had seen a shot on the turn roll wide, McNair curled an effort from 22 yards high over the bar and that was not the end that a decent move deserved. Marvin Johnson, Fletcher and Jonny Howson were all involved before McNair wasted his good position.

There were times where Johnson had worked himself into good areas down the left side for Wing to pick him out, but the issue was making the most of those opportunities. When the interval came around, Woodgate must have sensed the game was there for the taking if they could find a way to make the most of their attacking play.

There is no disputing Middlesbrough should have gone ahead less than five minutes in to the second half but Fletcher’s instinctiveness didn’t have the desired effect.

The striker, who was guilty of a poor miss against West Brom after emerging as a substitute, somehow turned over the bar from inside six yards. He was left unchallenged to meet a save from Schofield after he got down low to block a Johnson delivery that was turned goalwards by McNair.

That was Fletcher’s last contribution. Assombalonga was introduced for the final 26 minutes, ten minutes after Huddersfield brought Juninho (Bacuna) on – to humour the 1500 away fans who were quick to point out he’s not the little Brazilian still adored on Teesside.

Assombalonga was also wasteful. When he was picked out in acres of space in behind the Huddersfield defence from Saville, he dawdled and displayed a lack of conviction which allowed the hosts to regroup and clear.

That was a sign of growing frustration and restlessness among the home side, although in the end both sides had their moments during a nervy and frenetic end. The result? Boro did enough, just, to stay above the bottom three.