Middlesbrough’s unlikely hopes of finishing inside the top six were kept alive on Friday, as they secured an away point at Southampton.
Many were expecting The Saints, who are in the race for automatic promotion, to claim all three points, so it was certainly an encouraging result for Michael Carrick‘s side.
Boro were behind for most of the affair but their top scorer Emmanuel Latte Lath headed home late on to snatch a crucial point.
They reside nine points adrift of sixth-placed Norwich City with 21 points still to play for, so a play-off finish isn’t completely out of the picture.
The Riverside outfit rode their luck at times after Che Adams squandered a number of big chances, but in the end, the result is all that matters and there were certainly some positive performances.
Alex Gilbert impressed for Middlesbrough
Alex Gilbert, who joined Boro last summer after a stellar season with Brentford’s B team, has hardly featured in his debut campiagn at the Riverside outfit.
The ‘talented’ 22-year-old has been limited to just seven league appearances off the bench but has now staked a major claim to start against Sheffield Wedneday on Monday.
Gilbert impressed Carrick in his nine-minute cameo against Southampton and set up the equalisier with a well-placed cross.
Speaking post-match, Carrick heaped praise on his young Irish winger: “That’s exactly what we want. It’s been challenging for Alex and there is no hiding from that in terms of game time. He’s been frustrated and that’s part of carving out your career and trying to create a career for yourself by picking your moment and taking your opportunity.
“I couldn’t ask for much more from him after he came on,” the former Manchester United assistant added.
Alex Gilbert deserves to start v Sheffield Wednesday
Middlesbrough play host to 23rd-placed Sheffield Wednesday on Monday afternoon at the Riverside Stadium.
After his impressive display at St Mary’s, Gilbert surely deserves his first ever start for the club and could replace Isaiah Jones in the line-up.
He’ll be full of confidence now and will be desperate to really kickstart his career, so it seems a no-brainer of a decision.
If Boro can secure victory against Wednesday, they could potentially find themselves six points adrift of the top six, which is a much more surmountable gap.
Sixth-placed Norwich are in action away at promotion-hopefuls Leicester City whilst Hull City, who occupy ninth, make the trip to Leeds United’s Elland Road fortress.
So teams who they’re in and around with certainly could drop points.