STEVE McCLAREN last night hailed his players' 'European performance' for ensuring Middlesbrough progressed through to the second stage of the UEFA Cup.

Boro's 1-1 draw in Banik Ostrava finished the job they had started two weeks earlier at the Riverside off by recording an aggregate 4-1 win.

Now Middlesbrough, playing in their first UEFA Cup campaign in a 128-year history, are looking forward to at least another four matches in the competition.

And McClaren believes his side showed great resolve to clinch progress and he singled out the displays of experienced defenders Gareth Southgate and Colin Cooper.

He said: "It was a European performance. We never really sat back and it was an ideal performance from us.

"The game at the Riverside was a great occasion but the atmosphere here was fantastic as well.

"We wanted more nights like these and now we are going to get them. They are different and they are great experience for our youngsters. Thankfully we have gone through and we will taste more.

"Southgate and Cooper were magnificent. We needed that and they came through with flying colours. You have to defend very well when you are away and we had a back four that defended well.

"It was a big night for us and important to make sure we went through. The performance was composed, controlled and disciplined with quality football from us at times. The game had everything and deservedly we went through."

Youngster James Morrison, a former pupil at Darlington's Hummersknott School, making his first start for the club, was the player to seal victory when he hit the equaliser on the night, Middlesbrough's fourth of the tie, in injury-time.

And McClaren said: "He showed great composure when he scored and it's what we deserved. I thought it was the perfect ending to the game. We defended with character and finished with quality.

"We wanted to score a goal because we knew that would kill the tie.

"We didn't just want to sit back and defend and they had two or three very good chances before they scored. We conceded a wonder goal. It was a display that had everything."

McClaren also believes the decision to send Franck Queudrue, who had already been booked, was the wrong decision for his foul on Zdenek Pospech.

"I thought it was very harsh and I thought Franck got the ball but these things happen in Europe and we did everything required to get the result," he said.

Disappointed Banik coach Frantisek Komnacky thought his side had looked the strong but their failure to break Boro down cost them a place in the next phase of the competition.

Komnacky's side must now concentrate on their domestic campaign after being knocked out of the UEFA Cup - adding to the misery of failing to qualify for the Champions League in August.

But he said: "Middlesbrough showed what a quality set up they are. In some respects they were the better team on the night because they defended well to stop us from adding to the first goal we scored.

"They have got some quality players and they will cause teams problems. We wish them well for the rest of the competition."

* Rangers manager Alex McLeish admitted the UEFA Cup first-round win over Maritimo had been a ''nail biter''.

The light blues should have won the tie in 90 minutes but could only score once through Dado Prso in the 71st minute.

However, they eventually qualified for the group stages with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.