Best yet as side handles pressurised atmosphere

BATTLING Boro delivered when it mattered. They showed spirit and steel and scrapped their way to a watershed 2-1 win in a massive match to seize the playoffs initiative.

Tackles were flying in a frantic and feisty game played in a pressure-cooker atmosphere but Boro put in possibly their best 90 minutes of the season.

They bossed the midfield in a fast-and-furious first half to grab the game by the jugular, scored at key moments and worked like Trojans to stifle any sign of a Derby revival.

And while it was a superb collective display there were some towering individual displays too.

Dani Ayala was a colossus. In a high-intensity first half the big defender stayed calm amid the chaos.

He put in some big blocks, won the aerial battles and calmly carried the ball out from the back to find time and space and to help build attacks.

And he was right at the heart of the sterling secondhalf defensive display that blunted the Blades. He conceded the late penalty but that shouldn’t detract from an otherwise impervious performance.

In a revved up engineroom Mo Besic was brilliant. After a couple of subdued weeks the high-tempo Bosnian midfielder was back to his best with non-stop running, closing and tackling as Boro seized control.

He did his share of the dirty work but got forward too and capped his display by cutting inside to unleash a sizzler for the opener.

And on-song Adama Traore (pictured) put in another constructive and destructive display.

His pace, control and wriggling runs helped demolish the shape and discipline of the Derby defence but he also helped build the Boro win with two more sublime assists.