MIDDLESBROUGH’S returning duo Dael Fry and Joe Lumley received high praise from the manager following their 0-0 draw with Stoke City.

Fry and Lumley’s inclusion were the only changes to the side and went on to keep a clean sheet at the Bet 365 Stadium.

The defender’s return to the side will been seen as a huge boost. He featured for the first time since October after recovering from injury while Lumley started his first game under Chris Wilder. He last played in a Boro shirt in their 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City last month.

“I thought he (Fry) was outstanding” said Wilder.

“For not playing any sort of football apart from 60 minutes in a behind closed doors game on Tuesday and to be out for two months, I thought he was excellent.

“I thought (Anfernee) Dijksteel was really good. He was on a booking early on so for him to come through that period was a really mature performance.

“I thought Paddy (McNair) was excellent. We’ve got two younger boys there at wing-backs as well.

“I thought there was really good performances all over the pitch.

“With Joe, I made a decision on that and Joe has come in and he’s been solid in his performance.”

Wilder made the call to drop Luke Daniels to the bench having started in Boro’s last six games. The 33-year-old has made one clean sheet in that time.

The Boro boss has shown he’s not afraid to make big calls if he feels it is beneficial to the team and today was no exception to that.

The 54-year-old added: “We all have tough decisions to make so players have got to get on with it and accept it and I made that decision. That’s how it is.

“Its not for me, it’s not for Joe, it’s not for Luke. I think it’s what was best for the football club and it was a difficult decision but these are the things we’ve got to do when we need to do it.

“Joe was comfortable. I thought he was good on the day. He made a couple of decent saves. I don’t think it was one way traffic but it was tidy and he and the team deserved the clean sheet.”