DAEL FRY is doing his bit for the Middlesbrough cause this season - but he could do with a little help at the other end.

Boro boast the best defensive record in the Championship and made it four clean sheets in a row as they stretched their unbeaten run to ten games at Brentford’s sparkling new ground.

It’s now 380 minutes since Middlesbrough conceded a goal. However, they’ve found the net just nine times and their attacking shortcomings were again on show in the stalemate against the Bees.

Neil Warnock is desperate to bolster his forward ranks, with Duncan Watmore, Yannick Bolasie and Kamil Grosicki all on his radar.

And the sooner the Boro boss can bring in reinforcements the better if his side are to maintain a serious promotion challenge.

“We’re tough to break down this season,” said Fry. “We’re lacking a few goals but if we can add them, we’ll be a team to be reckoned with this year.

“Brentford probably should have gone up last season. They’ve kept some of their good players so to get a point here is a good one.”

Defenders pride themselves on clean sheets and praise must go to the Boro backline for keeping the Championship’s top scorer, Ivan Toney, quiet. The in-form striker already has ten goals in the league this season, one more than the entire Boro team, but he barely had a sniff as Fry and company nullified his threat.

“He’s a good player,” said Fry. “He’s strong and he’s clever. But our lads at the back dealt very well with him.

“To have the best defence in the Championship is fantastic. When we go into games, we don’t feel like we’re going to concede. If we keep the ball out of the net, as a defender there’s nothing better than that.”

Fry is also keen to contribute to the goalscorers’ column. Having missed a couple of chances in the recent 0-0 draw at Blackburn, he knows his gaffer might soon be having a quiet word.

“He isn’t so much on my back at the minute, but I feel like it’s coming,” said Fry. “It’s one thing I do need to add to my game.

“I’m a big lad, I’m strong, and when I’m coming up for corners, I want the opposition to be worried about me. It’s something I need to work on.”

The encounter in West London wasn’t a game that will live long in the memory as a shot apiece on target will testify.

The first incident of note didn’t come until the 29th minute. The visitors stood off Josh Dasilva who accepted the invitation to burst forward. He took aim from the edge of the box but saw his shot flash just wide of the far post.

Middlesbrough’s opportunities proved few and far between, but they finally fashioned an opening in the 55th minute - and what a chance it was. Lewis Wing slid Jonny Howson in down the right and the Boro skipper fired a low cross to Chuba Akpom who was waiting on the penalty spot. He did the hard bit in spinning his marker with his first touch but his second saw him blaze his left-footed effort into the empty stand behind the goal.

Suddenly the game came to life and this time it was Brentford to miss their cue as Vitaly Janelt raced in unchecked to connect with a Henrik Dalsgaard cross but somehow sliced his shot wide from eight yards.

Boro finished the game the stronger. Wing’s shot from a tight angle was turned over by David Raya in the first minute of stoppage time but, in truth, neither team really deserved to win.

Fry, though, turned in another fine display. “I feel like I’m playing well and the team’s playing well,” said the 23-year-old centre-half.