MIDDLESBROUGH manager Tony Mowbray is backing his side to end their wretched run and claw back into the play-off places.
The Teessiders slumped to a 2-1 Riverside reverse to struggling Millwall to take their woeful run to seven defeats in nine.
Two cheaply-gifted first-half goals, an opener turned in by defender George Friend then a second before the break for Martyn Wooolford, left Boro with a mountain to climb .
While Curtis Main pulled one back late on, Boro couldn’t salvage the situation.
The loss also saw the ailing Teessiders slip out of the top six for the first time since October.
However, despite a woeful winter wobble, Mowbray insists his side still believe they can extend their season by reaching the play-offs.
He said: “Of course we are very disappointed at losing and of course it has an effect on confidence.
“Of course it is very frustrating for the supporters here who have seen these results over the past few weeks.
“However, do we still believe we can make the play-offs? Of course we do.
“We know we have what it takes but we need to stay strong as a group and keep doing the things we did that won us 11 home games and got us in the top six in the first place.
“We have to remain positive, keep going, keep believing.
“It would be easy for critics to say we are going to drift away, but we have to react as a team.
“We have to make sure that after 46 games we have enough points to be in the play offs.
“Everyone at the club – the players, the coaching staff, the supporters – have to stay together and make sure that happens.”
Mowbray, though, knows his side cannot keep on leaking cheap goals.
They kept a clean sheet at Burnley in midweek – a welcome relief after conceding four in their previous two away games.
However, Millwall took control at the Riverside after being gifted two easy first-half goals, the first from a poorly defended free-kick and the second thanks to some slack marking.
Mowbray added: “The nature of the goals we conceded was very disappointing.
“A 35-yard free-kick we didn’t deal with then a long run on the ball which went unchallenged
“They were poor, poor goals to give away from a defensive point of view and we made it very difficult for ourselves.
“That gave them something to cling on to. We can’t keep giving away cheap goals like that. It’s been a recurring factor in recent weeks. It has to stop.”
Despite the slump which has seen Boro slip from second spot going into New Year after taking just four points from 27, Mowbray insists he will stick to his passing principles.
He said: “Against Millwall we continued to try to play and do the right things to claw it back and we did well in the second half and almost got something.
“That is what we will continue to do. It is no good throwing everything in the bin and stopping doing the things we did well earlier in the season and that won us 11 home games and start banging it long instead.
“You have to keep doing what you believe in. I can understand the frustration from fans when that extra pass is cut out, but that is what got us into the top six in the first place.
“I don’t think what we do going forward was the issue.
“It was the type of goals we conceded.”
Boro started brightly and dominated possession – but the Lions took the lead against the run of play on 25 minutes.
A Henry free-kick from distance sailed into the box and when John Marquis – looking offside – attacked it Boro man George Friend tried to clear his header flew into his own net.
Boro almost levelled but Andre Bikey had an effort cleared off the line after a corner then a Grant Leadbitter effort was tipped wide.
Millwall got a second on 39 minutes as Benik Afobe surged past Bikey and fired in a shot that Jason Steele could only parry and Martyn Woolford crashed in the rebound.
After the break the home side piled on the pressure and Mustapha Carayol brought a good save at the foot of the post with a low shot.
Boro clawed one back on 79 minutes as Friend crossed from the left and Curtis Main slotted in from close range for his third goal in three home games.
They thought they had a leveller in stoppage time as Scott McDonald back-heeled a Friend ball home, but the flag had already gone up.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Steele, Bailey, McManus, Bikey, Friend, Dyer (Miller 46), Rhys Williams (Carayol 46), Leadbitter, McEachran, Emnes (McDonald 69), Main. Subs (not used): Ripley, Ledesma, Hines, Smallwood. Goal: Main 75.
MILLWALL: Forde, Dunne, Shittu, Osborne, Beevers, Henry, Abdou, Wright, Woolford, Marquis, Afobe. Subs (not used): Maik Taylor, Trotter, Tyson, Keogh, N’Guessan, Adam Smith, Malone.
Booked: Osborne, Wright, Forde. Goals: Friend 25 og, Woolford 40.
Referee: Michael Naylor (Sheffield).
Attendance: 15,377
