Boro must be more ruthless, admits Pulis

MIDDLESBROUGH boss Tony Pulis wants his side to be more ruthless - but was pleased with the response to a defensive reshuffle in the 1-0 win at 10-man Blackburn.

The Teessiders kept their first clean sheet of 2019 in the absence of the injured Aden Flint and suspended Daniel Ayala, while fellow defender George Friend was forced off just after the hour mark.

Britt Assombalonga’s 19th-minute close-range header – his third goal in the last four – settled Sunday’s Sky Bet Championship clash with Rovers, who had Derrick Williams dismissed right on half-time.

Pulis said: “We are pleased. We had 26 shots on goal and only scored one goal and that has really been our Achilles’ heel since I have been at the club.

“We have to be more ruthless in front of goal. At times we played really well, controlled the game, created chances.

“When you think of the circumstances – losing Flinty, losing Ayala, then George having to come off – we needed to dig in and work together as a group and that is what they did.

“Fair play to Blackburn. They worked very hard.

“We have had a couple of days to work and talk about it and you have to get on with things at times.

“You cannot bemoan injuries, suspensions and the run of the ball, which have not gone for us.

“You can get a bit down on yourself but they have shown great character. ”

Blackburn have lost back-toback home league games for the first time since December 2016.

After seeing Rivers lose to Boro for the first time since 2012, manager Tony Mowbray criticised his team’s first-half performance.

He said: “I could not recognise my team first half.

“I have been here two years next week and I don’t know where that came from to be honest.

“I said to them at half-time it was an unrecognisable team from the one I see week in, week out.

“We lacked fire, desire and energy. Win, lose or draw, we have more fight and desire and quality than we showed in the first half. Second half was better.

“You are playing against a decent team.

“With 11 men, we would have given it a better go second half.

“It is not easy to create chances against the best defence in the league, yet we created a few.

“You would have had money on Danny Graham putting the ball in when he passed the last defender and runs down on goal but it was not to be today.”