OUTSTANDING goals are often described as good enough to win matches, cups or championships on their own.

If that is the case, then surely Frank Sinclair's bizarre own goal for Leicester is just as worthy as securing the Foxes' place in the Nationwide League next season.

How any professional player, or even one who plays in local Sunday League football for that matter, can put the ball in his own net from all of 40-yards, without lobbing the keeper, is incredible.

And that is exactly what Sinclair somehow managed to do with just three minutes left on the clock.

The hard-working centre-back, who has a track record of hammering home strange own goals, will never score a better one.

Sinclair received the ball from a poorly taken Lee Marshall free-kick, out wide near the half way line, and under no pressure from the Boro forwards, the ex-Chelsea man side-footed a back pass which stranded keeper Ian Walker's outstretched left hand was unable to stop.

Leicester had never conceded a goal at the Riverside, nor had they been defeated - but in one comical moment both of those impressive statistics were thrown out of the window.

Leicester boss Dave Bassett did not hold back in his description of the unfortunate mistake which inflicted his side's sixth successive defeat.

"Frank made a mistake against Boro earlier in the season," said Bassett, who admits he has one eye on the First Division. "You don't see Gareth Southgate or Ugo Ehiogu doing that - that's the quality you need back there."

What made the defeat worse and even harder to stomach for Bassett was the fact that it proved the difference between the two sides.

This was not a pretty game, this was two sides hoping to avoid relegation and by recording victory Boro have now opened the gap between themselves and the drop zone to eight points - and lie three below Charlton in ninth position.

Boro manager Steve McClaren knows how important success over the Premiership's bottom club was - regardless of how it may have been achieved.

"These three points are absolutely massive," said McClaren, whose side make the long trip to Southampton on Wednesday.

"The nerves were there and you could see that in bits of our play.

"But we can now look forward with these three points in the bag.

"If we can pick up a few more we are looking at the top ten and we can stop looking over our shoulders."

After the game's peculiar start, the 25,734 Teesside crowd could sense an entertaining clash - how they were fooled.

Two minutes after Sinclair's gaff, Noel Whelan had a glorious opportunity to increase the lead when he was put through by Paul Ince - but Whelan's tame lob was dealt with by Walker.

Young Matthew Piper, who has spent time on loan at Third Division Mansfield this season, looked lively for the visitors and caused problems for Boro's left-back Franck Queudrue.

But after Piper's blistering start he faded along with the tempo of the game.

Throughout the match former Boro striker Brian Deane's ability in the air meant Ehiogu and Southgate had their work cut-out.

But Deane, who grabbed the goal for Leeds which condemned Boro to relegation during the 1996-97 season, never troubled keeper Mark Schwarzer.

This could have been the perfect platform for Muzzy Izzet, the man who turned down a £6m move to Boro last month, to show McClaren what he had missed out on.

But, despite plenty of running in the middle of the pitch, he was kept quiet by the hosts' midfield duo of Robbie Mustoe and Ince.

In reality neither side were going to add to the scoreline, but it was Boro who went closest with a stinging Jonathan Greening drive. The former Manchester United man reacted to an Alen Boksic lay-off by firing a 20-yard strike which smashed against Walker's right-hand post.

On loan striker Benito Carbone, who has quickly become a fans' hero, lit up the dire encounter with his silky skills and Walker had to be alert to block a 25-yard shot from the Italian.

Leicester forward James Scowcroft should have done better with a close range header, which he put over, but Boro escaped.

McClaren's men go into the clash with the Saints clear of the drop-zone and they take on Everton in the quarter-final of the FA Cup on Sunday - so what was all the panic about.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.