GEORGE SAVILLE wants Middlesbrough to focus on climbing the table rather than look over their shoulders ahead of a run of three games against teams below them.

Boro’s wait for a first win since January 1 was extended on Saturday when Brentford edged a five-goal thriller on the Teessiders’ last ever visit to Griffin Park.

Second half goals from Lewis Wing and Ashley Fletcher were not enough to avoid a defeat that leaves Middlesbrough seven points above the relegation zone ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to third from bottom Wigan Athletic.

The Latics is the first of three games in a row against sides fighting to beat the drop along with Luton and Barnsley, who are the other two teams to make up the relegation zone.

And Middlesbrough midfielder Saville, knowing promotion chasing Leeds arrive at the Riverside after those, said: “We don’t want to be looking over our shoulder, maybe before Christmas we were, but we feel we are in a position to kick on now and performances like at Brentford will see results come our way.

“It could have have gone either way, at 2-2. We gave Brentford a sloppy goal for them to go 1-0 up. We came back into it but couldn’t get that third goal or hold on to get a point at least.

“Things do go against you when you’re not where you want to be. We pushed for those goals, at 2-2 they kept going and they are relentless with that front three.”

Middlesbrough equalised twice against Brentford to cancel out goals from Julian Jeanvier and Bryan Mbuemo. But with three minutes to go Ollie Watkins sealed the points to keep the Bees’ promotion dream alive.