RARELY is it so easy to take positives from a defeat. And rarely can the argument be made that a loss actually builds confidence.

But that - taking into account what comes next - was the case for Middlesbrough on Saturday. The manner of the defeat to one Premier League side raises hopes that a different outcome against another - in what, let's be honest, is a more important tie - is a real possibility.

And, taking into account how stretched Boro's squad has been and remains, Matty Cash's deflected late strike for Aston Villa - as fortunate as it was for the visitors and harsh on the hosts - actually meant Michael Carrick's side avoided a replay they could have really done without. Of course, that's not to say there wasn't huge disappointment in the home dressing room at the Riverside. Carrick and his players wanted to win the game.

But they'll have taken huge heart and belief from the 87 minutes that had gone before Cash's drive clipped off Emmanuel Latte Lath as Villa finally - and with a slice of huge fortune - found a way past the excellent Tom Glover.

For the most part, Boro contained and frustrated a team only below Liverpool in the Premier League and only outscored by Manchester City. Even with Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz on the bench, Villa's side was strong. Both were introduced with 20 minutes left, as well as Moussa Diaby and Nicolò Zaniolo. No opposition wants to see those players readied to come off the bench but the changes were a compliment to Boro and their organisation and game-plan.

It wasn't simply a case of Boro hanging on in there, either. Even if they only managed one shot on target, they had their moments in attack, especially in the second half, and with a better final ball and decision making the outcome could have been different.

Despite the eventual defeat, the display bodes well for Chelsea.

"That should help us," said Carrick, with a verdict that will further build excitement ahead of Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

"We have a lot of young boys in there and that will be a massive experience for them. It should help them no end - for Tuesday and going forward beyond that hopefully. I think we can take a lot from it.

“I won’t have to lift them. It’s a huge game for us on Tuesday. There won’t be any issues for motivation for that one - my job’s almost done for me in that regard."

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The fear when the Villa draw was made was of a repeat of last season's Brighton hammering in the same competition and the damage that would have had ahead of both legs of the semi final.

Carrick said: “In the Brighton game I thought we were really good, to be honest. It was only really from the 65th minute where I thought it started to get away from us.

"But I thought for large parts we were really good, while Brighton were particularly good on the day. The boys learned an awful lot from that day and seeing a team at that level who want to go about things in the same way that we do.

"We used that Brighton game to our benefit going forward from it last season and I think this one will be similar."

The positives for Boro didn't just come in the performance. Hayden Hackney's return to the starting XI was a huge and timely boost ahead of Chelsea. Emmanuel Latte Lath looked sharp from the bench and Matt Crooks was fit enough to be on the bench but wasn't used with Tuesday's game in mind, when Sam Greenwood and Morgan Rogers are both unavailable.

Carrick and Boro showed tactical flexibility as well in impressively shifting to a back three.

Positives for Boro weren't hard to find. Now to try and build on them.