CHRIS Wilder walked away satisfied with his team's performance as Middlesbrough handed Morecambe a taste of their very best, particular in the first half.

Ryan Giles was at the heart of the action as provided three assists for all the goals as Marcus Tavernier, Matt Crooks and Riley McGree all found the net. 

While Giles grabbed the headlines, there were no bad performances on an evening when the Shrimps barely found an opening against a confident and dominant Boro who put the sword to the home side. That was down to the mindset of the players according to the manager.

Wilder said: "The mentality of the game set by the players from the first minute was great. We knew we’d have a lot of the ball and I was delight in our play, our patterns and our movements.

"A lot of it was good and I think that was the case from the off. Crooksy hit the post with a header within a minute and I thought that set the tone of the half and our mentality towards the game.

"These kind of games can go one way or the other, and tonight we ticked the box of minutes played, on the back of an uncomfortable night against Braga the other night. That was good in a lot of ways, good that we know we still have a lot of work to do. But the recovery from that to tonight was excellent and I was delighted.

"That will do us no harm in terms of the manner of the performance, the way we played and the attitude of the group. We got a clean sheet away from home as well. I know people might say it’s only a pre-season friendly, but we want to set the standards, so clean sheet away from home and with the ball some really good chances created."

As for his new left wing-back, Wilder was quick to praise how quickly he has adapted to life at the club. 

The Northern Echo: Ryan Giles celebrates Boro's third goal with scorer Riley McGreeRyan Giles celebrates Boro's third goal with scorer Riley McGree

“He’s come in and he’s made his mark" Wilder continued. "Yes, it’s his position so he knows but he is a young player and the end bit is the most important bit. We had that on the right last year and we wanted to tick that box on the left.

“We wanted competition for places so if Marc Bola is pushing him and if someone else on the right, they understand they have got to play well.

“Ryan has come in and he wants to do well and he’s a talented footballer. I think you’ve seen today what he can produce. Whether it’s midfield players, wing-backs on the opposite side or centre forwards getting in the box. We’re a team that creates chances and Ryan creates chances. He’s a good addition to a decent group."

While the club were on the receiving end of a 3-0 loss to Braga just five days ago, Wilder was quick to labour the point of why the trip was beneficial for the squad.

He continued: "Portugal was really beneficial for us. In Portugal they don’t go home at 3 or 4 o’clock. They stay together all day every day and find out a lot about each other. It’s not just about the warm weather. Getting them together for what is going to be a tough gruelling season is important."