Middlesbrough 1 Peterborough 0

Feb 14 2010 by Mark Douglas, Sunday Sun

IT has rarely been pretty at the Riverside this season, but at least Boro are beginning to master the art of winning ugly.

Gordon Strachan’s new-look side provoked all the familiar feelings of frustration on an afternoon of precious little entertainment on Teesside, but there was one crucial difference – they emerged with the three points.

Sure, it descended into dreadfully uninspiring stuff during an insipid second half as Boro reeled in their early attacking intentions.

No-one will be getting carried away by beating an atrocious Peterborough side destined for a quick return for League One.

However, the Championship race is rarely won by the free-wheeling fancy Dans.

Instead, the battle for promotion from a perilously poor division is a war of attrition and the side which rolls its sleeves up, digs in and takes its chances is likely to be there or thereabouts come May.

Maybe now Strachan has infused his side with Scottish steel they are beginning to become that side.

Not that the feisty Scot was in the mood to hear that after the game as he let his unhappiness with a poor performance spill out in his post-match Press conference.

“Football is not all about three points,” was the gist of his argument and he was spot on when he talked about Boro’s criminal carelessness with the ball. Against a better team, their profligacy would definitely have been punished.

Newcastle United are top of the Championship on the back of winning unconvincingly, and every passing victory replenishes the belief which has been missing for large chunks of this campaign.

In December or January, Boro would not have won this game. They probably would not have scored the goal, which owed much to Barry Robson’s single-minded determination to be in the penalty area to connect with Jonathan Franks’ delightful cross.

They definitely would not have had the sheer bloody-mindedness which kept Peterborough at bay during a frantic conclusion to this clash.

Boro had a tendency to switch off at crucial points earlier in the campaign but, judging by the way they were able to negotiate a tricky final few minutes, that is another fatal flawStrachan has managed to iron out.

Throw into the mix the way they coped with a home crowd which grew agitated as the urgency drained from the game and Boro might just have the character to force their way into the play-off mix - even if Strachan is raging at the performance levels.

Judging from the way they started this game confidence is flowing through Boro veins again.

Sniffing a chance to gate crash the top six, they were on the front foot from the start against a fragile Posh side.

Josh Walker cracked the first goal bound effort at Joe Lewis within 90 seconds and it was not long before Boro converted their pressure into a deserved lead.