CHRIS Wilder was left fuming at his Middlesbrough players attitude after they threw away what looked like a comfortable victory against Preston North End.

Boro were leading through Paddy McNair’s header in the first half and had complete control of proceedings at the Riverside Stadium.

That was until they conceded four goals in two minutes. The first of which was a header from a Ched Evans corner before a Sol Bamba horror show handed Emil Riis Jakobson the chance to snatch the points for Preston, which he took gratefully.

The defeat means that Boro remain six points off the Championship play-offs but other teams in and around the top six can widen the gap when they play later this evening.

Wilder is now winless from his first two games in charge of the club but has called the players conduct on the pitch into question after throwing away what looked like a certain win.

The Boro boss said: “I’ll say it honestly, I believed before the game the result would be decided in our changing room. I wasn’t being arrogant but we were confident with our preparation and what we’d seen on the back of the weekend.

“I thought they were the better side for 10 minutes and started the brighter but we got a grip and for half an hour dominated the game and got ourselves up in the game. Possibly for the amount of play we had we should have increased our lead.

“In the second half we weren’t so dominant but nothing from the opposition changed the flow of the game. It was more even but we were still in the ascendancy. They changed their shape a bit but it didn’t affect the game, what affected the game was our attitude.

"The period where we lost the game, we played like we were three or four nil up, but we weren’t, we were 1-0 up. When you’re 1-0 up, that’s not enough because how quickly things can turn around.

“Even if we were three or four up, I don’t want to play like that. I thought we went individual and tried to force it. I thought too many of the players were looking to be the star of the show, looking for the killer ball, it was about me.

“We had them where we wanted them and the result was lost in the changing room because of our attitude in the second half.”

The defeat will sting Wilder considering the comfortable position that they were in during the game. But what will hurt more is that the new boss has failed to come away from his first two home games without a win an lead during both ties. 

As for the goals they conceded on the night, Wilder was left just a frustrated as the watching supporters.

He added: "It's a really poor goal. Talk about counter attack at all levels of football. The shape when we're in possession is just as important, what's behind it and have we got protection?

"As you've seen today there's a certain element of risk with how we play, but it is a kamikaze. They countered on us and got the resulting corner and then that's just an organisational point of view. Someone has switched off and not done their job.

"I was frustrated with our play second half but I never felt in danger. The goalkeeper yet again for the second game running hasn't had a save to make. The top and bottom of it we've lost a game we should have comfortably won."

Boro go to Huddersfield Town this weekend as they go in search of their first win under the new manager.

Duncan Watmore was substituted in the second half as a precaution after passing a late fitness test ahead of last night’s defeat. Joe Lumley was out of the matchday squad after an ankle injury.