Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren was warned as to his future conduct after admitting a charge of improper conduct following a confrontation with referee Phil Dowd at White Hart Lane.

McClaren requested a personal hearing to defend his actions in complaining to Dowd after Franck Queudrue's red card at Tottenham on November 28.

While he admitted the charge, the disciplinary commission took into account his previous good behaviour, as well as his guilty plea.

A statement read: ''At a disciplinary commission hearing, Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren was warned to his future conduct.

''McClaren had admitted a charge of improper conduct for his incursion onto the field of play to confront and/or remonstrate with the referee during the match at Tottenham Hotspur on November 28, 2004.''

Queudrue was shown a straight red card five minutes before half-time during the game at White Hart Lane, which ended in a 2-0 victory to Spurs but was scoreless at the time of his offence.

McClaren, one of Sven-Goran Eriksson's England assistant coaches, went onto the pitch at half-time to protest to Dowd and those actions led to his FA charge.

He nevertheless insisted last month: ''I felt it was very unjust. If finger-wagging makes me guilty, then I'm guilty. But of anything else - foul and abusive language - there was none of that.

''I didn't swear at the referee so I'll go down and state my case.

''I just stated my opinion at half-time and entered the field of play to keep the players away from the referee to keep them from any more serious trouble.''

l Boro reserves went down to a single goal against Everton last night, as both sides struggled to cope with the elements.

Strong, blustery conditions made life difficult for both sides, though neither would rush to offer that as an excuse for a relatively ordinary game.

Boro gave much run outs to Stuart Parnaby and Malcolm Christie, though both only played the opening 45 minutes, appearing to suffer injuries in the first half which may mean more time on the treatment table.

Boro had a couple of chances in the opening 20 minutes, but both Mark Wilson and James Morrison were wide of the mark, while it took an outstanding clearance from Parnaby to deny Everton striker James Vaughan.

But Vaughan scored the only goal after 36 minutes when a sharp turn with his back to goal saw him create space and time and he curled a powerful shot beyond the reach of Carlo Nash.

Morrison had a shot charged down by Nash's opposite number, Ian Turner, early in the second half, while Danny Graham squandered a chance to equalise when sending a 16-yard volley well over the bar.

Boro: Nash, McMahon, Taylor, Parnaby (Burgess 46) Wilson, Bates, Morrison, Peacock, Christie (Craddock 46), Graham, Johnson.