BORO NOT CLINICAL ENOUGH, WARNS PULIS
MANAGER WANTS SIDE TO TAKE MORE CHANCES IF THEY ARE TO STAY IN PROMOTION HUNT
Tony Pulis has warned his Middlesbrough side they must be more clinical in front of goal if they want to stay in the promotion hunt.
The Boro boss was happy with his side’s overall performance against Bolton Wanderers at the Riverside on Wednesday night, as a 2-0 win moved the Teessiders up to second in the Championship.
But, after taking the lead through George Savillle in the first half, the hosts were unable to make their supremacy count and wasted several opportunities before striker Britt Assombalonga added a second in stoppage time.
“I thought we played really well in the first half, but we’ve got to make sure that we take our chances and the opportunities we get,” said Pulis after the game.
“When we’re in the final third, we’ve got to make sure that the passing and decision-making is better.
“There were two opportunities in the first and second half when we could have played the ball across the goal, but people have shot.
“If they’d played the ball across the goal, there was someone there who could have tapped it into the net. “We have people shooting when they can play people in, and for all that we do well, we need people to really be composed in that final third. The opportunities were there.”
The result moved Boro up to second in the Championship, one point behind leaders Leeds United.
At times it was a scrappy affair against a well-drilled Bolton side who were unbeaten away from home before Wednesday night’s game.
Even so, Pulis knows there will be times when his side will have to grind our results over a long and arduous 46-game season.
“We’re going to have lots of games where it’s tight and we have to dig in and really work hard,” he said.
“I’ve managed in the Championship for quite a few years, and I don’t think there have been many games where you’ve played and you can relax.
“We’re obviously delighted with the win and another clean sheet.”