Michael Carrick hopes Middlesbrough point at Luton proves vital in play-off bid

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick hopes the point from the goalless draw at struggling Luton proves to be an important one in his side’s battle to make the Championship play-offs.

Having been under the cosh in the first half, with the Hatters wasting three glaring chances, the visitors came into the game after the break and might have snatched a late winner.

The draw left Boro three points adrift of the top six and Carrick said: “The biggest thing I can say is that hopefully it will prove to be an important point at the end of the season.

“It was a good point in the circumstances. Coming here with the type of game it was going to be, conditions and the pitch, it was just different types of challenges.

“It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t a classic, but there were good things in the game.

“A new back four, to deal with that in the extremity of the way the games goes and direct play, long balls, I thought once we settled into it we dealt with it well.

“”I’m pleased with the attitude and the mentality and the way we had to adapt in the game.

“We thought we could be a little bit more effective going forwards if I’m honest.

“It was difficult, the pitch was so dry and bobbly, so to create in the way we like creating was challenging. I thought we might have nicked it towards the end but we’ll take the point.”

During the opening 45 minutes, Thelo Aasgaard fluffed his lines from close range, skying over the bar, and he also put another volley straight at visiting keeper Mark Travers, who kept out Elijah Adebayo’s one-on-one chance and Liam Walsh’s attempt.

Walsh dragged another opportunity wide, with the busy Travers saving well from Carlton Morris in a first half that Luton were utterly dominant.

It became more even in the second period, Finn Azaz inches wide on the hour mark for Boro, while Luton threatened more through set-pieces, with Mark McGuinness off target on 72 minutes.

Hatters substitute Lasse Nordas stabbed wide via a deflection late on as Town remain deep in relegation trouble.

Boss Matt Bloomfield said: “I was really proud of the performance.

“I thought some of the football we played, the chance creation, we put pressure on our opposition, top opposition as well for the league, I thought the boys were excellent, especially in the first half.

“It was never going to be easy to replicate that in the second half because of how dominant we were but I feel incredibly disappointed I’m not sat here with three points now.

“We created numerous opportunities to win the game, on another day we probably take two, three or four of them, they were that good.

“Some of the football we played, the way tactically we had spoken about how to break our opposition down, the boys implemented it and I’m so proud of the way they are going about their work at the moment.

“We’re playing against some real top teams and having a right go so to not take one of the chances is obviously incredibly disappointing.

“I have to go back to the positives of the performance defensively, another clean sheet, but I understand the situation.

“I’m a realist but I’m also incredibly proud of the performance the players put in today.”