KEVIN KEEGAN bemoaned City's lack of work ethic, a quality counterpart Steve McClaren has instilled to telling effect at Middlesbrough.

Boro celebrated an historic season, one that has seen them finally lift the major trophy that had remained tantalisingly beyond their grasp for 128 years until a never-to-be-forgotten day in Cardiff.

The Carling Cup, and the FA Youth Cup Boro won under two months after February's triumph at the Millennium Stadium, were paraded at the end of the last game of the season on Teesside.

McClaren is the first to admit that Boro are far from the finished article, but glory this season and the promise of a place in the UEFA Cup assures him of spending power this summer.

Not so Keegan, who while confirming he would still be City boss next season admitted his transfer funds had dried up.

A 15 to 20-goal-a-season striker is, of course, top of McClaren's wish-list. With just one game left, no Boro player has yet reached double figures in the goalscoring stakes this term.

Szilard Nemeth, joint top on nine with Juninho, is Boro's most productive striker. Next come club record £8.15m buy Massimo Maccarone and Joseph-Desire Job with seven apiece.

But Keegan, having narrowly staved off relegation, knows that a goalscorer can't guarantee success. Nicolas Anelka has 23 goals this season - 15 in the Premiership - yet City have floundered despite Keegan's heavy investment in his squad.

City possess plenty of natural talent but Boro, who aren't short in that department themselves, have learned that it is graft as much as craft which ensures ultimate respectability.

After watching his side end a run of three defeats, McClaren said: "We have a tremendous squad and everything is in place, but we know where we're falling short and you can see it every week.

"We have a great work ethic and great players, but the end product is lacking. It's been a fantastic season, especially after the bad start we had, and the Carling Cup is a tough trophy to win. Many a manager would love to finish in mid-table and have won that trophy.''

Keegan certainly would. The former Newcastle boss, with 'Please Release Me' echoing in the background from the Riverside concourse, conceded: "Not enough hard work has been done this season.

"We have the players and we have to get them to play better and as a team. We left ourselves a mountain to climb with the start we made here and we've done that in too many games. That's why we've found ourselves down at the bottom.

"We battered this Middlesbrough side at our place - we even scored the goal for them - and I think they've been very fortunate to take six points off us.

"But we'll see if we can sneak them back next season. I think they've had a great season, they have the silverware and all the players have a medal. We should have had more to play for than them, but for half an hour it didn't look that way.

"I'll be there on July 5 when we return, just as hungry as ever, but I know there's no finance for next season.''

Maccarone and Nemeth gave Boro a 2-0 lead in little more than half an hour before Paulo Wanchope, whose solitary goal had beaten Newcastle at the City of Manchester Stadium a week earlier, quickly replied.

England goalkeeper David James was clearly expecting a centre when Maccarone beat Richard Dunne to deliver a left-wing cross-shot in the eighth minute.

Whether it was intentional or not on the part of the Italian - and it looked like the latter - James left an alarming gap at his near post.

Boro appeared to be coasting when Nemeth struck in the 32nd minute. Danny Mills crossed from the right, Job knocked the ball down and Nemeth stabbed home first time from around eight yards.

But when Gaizka Mendieta lost possession with an unfamiliar slip three minutes later, City's Paul Bosvelt surged forward to feed Wanchope and the Costa Rican outwitted Mills with his tricky footwork to find room for an angled finish which flew inside the far post.

Boro were then fortunate when Joey Barton had an effort disallowed after he was harshly penalised for a push on keeper Mark Schwarzer.

The home side should have added to their lead before half-time when, in a farcical assault on goal, Ugo Ehiogu - twice - and Nemeth contrived to miss from close range in the space of seconds.

But Keegan had reason to curse as City failed to capitalise on chances in the closing minutes.

Boro substitute Stewart Downing performed a last-ditch block to deny Shaun Wright-Phillips and Antoine Sibierski, a replacement for Bosvelt, forced wide in front of goal.

Result: Middlesbrough 2 Manchester City 1.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.