WHEN striker Mark Viduka jets off with Australia to their first World Cup finals in 32 years next summer he is hoping to head there as a UEFA Cup winner.

Viduka turned in a hard-working performance to help Boro secure the point against AZ Alkmaar that has guaranteed progress from the group stage of the tournament.

The goalless draw was further proof that Steve McClaren's side are proving to be a tough nut to crack and are unbeaten in all five of their games in the competition so far.

It is a run - spanning games with Xanthi over two legs, Dnipro, Grasshoppers of Zurich and now AZ - that has been achieved without conceding a goal.

That ruthlessness has increased talk of Boro actually going on to lift the trophy in May when the two finalists battle it out for the right to be champions in Eindhoven.

And Viduka would love nothing more than to raise the UEFA Cup above his head just a few weeks before becoming one of the players to end more than three decades of World Cup hurt for Australia.

"Next year could be a very special one for me," said Viduka, who was part of the Aussie side that overcame Uruguay in a play-off eight days before Thursday's trip to Alkmaar.

"I've got a World Cup to look forward to and who knows, we could go all the way in the UEFA Cup. Playing the World Cup is every player's dream, including mine, but there's so much that can happen with Middlesbrough as well.

"It's a busy year and hopefully an enjoyable one too. We have shown we are more than capable of doing well in the UEFA Cup - to win it would be fantastic."

Boro head into tomorrow's Premiership meeting with West Brom knowing they have not won back-to-back league games in over a year.

But to have shut out one of European football's most improved teams in recent years away from home on Thursday should increase confidence within the squad.

Three points against the Baggies is seen as essential by McClaren if his team are going to be genuine candidates for a top-six place.

Viduka agrees and points to the gritty performance at the Alkmaarderhout as the benchmark for Boro to try to reach every time they go out on to a pitch, while adding a goal or two at the other end in the process.

"AZ are a very good side who could win the Dutch League," said Viduka, about a team who have scored 24 goals in six home matches this season in the Eredivisie.

"We certainly didn't go to Holland for a draw. We tried to attack when we could and were looking to win the game right until the end.

"They passed the ball around the Dutch way. There's a real chance we could meet them again later on, maybe even in the final.

"But now we know we can't just sit back and wait for the knock-out stages of the UEFA cup to come around. We haven't won back-to-back games in the Premiership for a long time. That's ridiculous."

When former Boro boss Bryan Robson returns to the Riverside Stadium tomorrow with his West Brom side, Viduka realises there has hardly been a better time to rectify the search for two consecutive wins.

Last weekend's 3-2 win over Fulham has set up a real chance of claiming maximum points in successive Sundays.

Viduka said: "For a side like this to have that sort of record is poor. If we want to climb up the league table, that's something we've got to address.

"We've got a great chance against West Brom. Consistency has been a problem but I think we're getting there. We're not satisfied with our league position. We're better than that but need to prove it by gong on a good run."

It remains to be seen whether or not Viduka will be handed a rare chance to start a league game, with McClaren opting in recent weeks to pair Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Aiyegbeni Yakubu up front.

Viduka has not started a Premiership match since the defeat to Sunderland on September 25.

"Three into two doesn't go," said Viduka, who has five goals to his name.

"It can be frustrating but I like to think it brings out the best in all of us.

"Obviously everyone wants to play, no one more than me, but the manager makes the decisions and it seems to be working.

"Will I be in the team on Sunday? I haven't a clue, He keeps us guessing."

* Boro will give a £10 voucher to every season ticket holder who buys an adult ticket for their remaining UEFA Cup Group D tie with Litex Lovech on December 15 - while seats in most areas of the ground will be just £5 for season ticket holders aged under-16 or over-65.

Each season ticket holder who purchases a full-priced adult ticket - from just £15 - will receive a voucher worth £10 redeemable against any purchase of £25 or over at the MFC Retail stores up to January 31.

Tickets are available from the main Riverside ticket office from 9.30am this Monday, November 28. Postal applications are also available.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.