TONY Mowbray was left frustrated for a second week running after his shot-shy Middlesbrough side failed to kill off reeling opponents.

The Boro boss admitted two precious points were thrown away as the Championship draw specialists – eight so far this term – were pegged back and had to settle for a draw at London Road in a game they dominated.

That followed hot on the heels of a 2-2 home draw with besieged Blackpool in similar circumstances.

Fourth-placed Boro dominated Peterborough completely for a one-sided first hour – but spurned a string of good chances to wrap it up.

Nevertheless, the game looked over when skipper Matthew Bates headed home early in the second half.

Peterborough, though, wriggled off the hook, fought back and clawed level with nine minutes left.

The fragile-looking Teessiders clung on desperately in a frantic finale in which Peterborough rattled the post and brought a vital last-minute save from Jason Steele.

Mowbray said: “That was very disappointing, very frustating – again.

“It is another day when two points slipped away from us.”

The six teams behind Boro all dropped points, so it was a costly missed chance to open a gap.

Despite the late leaked leveller, Mowbray believes it was mistakes at the other end which proved costly. He added: “Maybe the reason why we did not take all three points was because we did not score another goal rather than that we conceded one. For the first hour we had total control of the game and I cannot remember them threatening our goal at all.

“We had a lot of possession, we created a lot of chances – and very good ones – but could not make them count.

“When we finally got the goal I thought that would do it. I could not see them scoring at that point to be honest.

“They changed their style and went more direct and their goal came from a ball like that was not cleared, although you have to say it was a super strike from a volley into the top corner.

“They did not have too many chances, so the frustration was that we did not take one of our other chances to finish it off earlier.”

Mowbray, however, was not too disheartened as he turned his attention to the clash with second-placed West Ham tomorrow at the Riverside, where Boro remain unbeaten this term.