MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren last night claimed that his side's goalless bore draw with Newcastle represented "one point gained rather than two points lost".

The Teessiders strengthened their grip on the final UEFA Cup spot by pulling two points clear of eighth-placed Tottenham, but only after a game that was as poor as any Tyne-Tees derby of recent times.

Boro, who played without Stewart Downing for more than an hour, were restricted to half-chances from Szilard Nemeth and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Their opponents created the clearest openings but, after praising his side's workrate and commitment, McClaren stressed how valuable last night's point could be in the final reckoning.

"Hopefully this will be important at the end of the season," said the Boro boss. "We would have liked the three points but, if we couldn't win the game, it was important not to lose it.

"We've collected eight points from the last five games and this result means we have continued that run.

"We're in the driving seat and it's up to us. But we have three very hard games to play and you can't predict what is going to happen."

Boro's commitment was epitomised by skipper Gareth Southgate, who received ten stitches in a head wound after the final whistle following a clash with his Newcastle counterpart Alan Shearer.

"Those ten stitches summed our performance up," said McClaren. "In all probability, he should have come off as soon as it happened, but he wanted to stay on and see out the last ten minutes.

"When you come to play an away game at a place like St James', you need to sweat blood. We've done that."

Magpies manager Graeme Souness admitted the first half "wasn't much of a spectacle", but insisted that his patched-up side deserved credit for their efforts after the break.

James Milner would have broken the deadlock 15 minutes from time were it not for the rapid reflexes of Boro goalkeeper Brad Jones, before Charles N'Zogbia wasted an even better opportunity five minutes into second-half stoppage time.

Shearer pulled the ball back from the byline, but the 18-year-old midfielder blazed over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

"Considering the team I had to put out, I was very pleased with our efforts," said Souness, who reserved particular praise for the efforts of rookie Peter Ramage.

"As a manager, you can't ask for anything more than 100 per cent effort and commitment. That's exactly what I got.

"Both sides were tentative before the break, but we tried to win the game after the interval. We found another gear and only an excellent save from their keeper has prevented us taking all three points."

Newcastle's night was spoiled by the hamstring injury that forced Kieron Dyer from the fray ten minutes before half-time.

The midfielder, who also limped from the field as United crashed out of the UEFA Cup in Lisbon, will not play again this season after pulling his muscle yet again.

And, if Souness gets his way, Dyer will also miss England's controversial post-season tour of the United States that begins on May 24.

"That ultra-critical and important trip England are going on," said Souness sarcastically. "I would prefer him not to go - just like I would prefer all of my English players not to go.

"Kieron felt his hamstring and you won't see him again this season. It takes six weeks to get over something like that."

Read more about Middlesbrough here.