BASLE is currently playing host to the world's biggest watch fair and, after Middlesbrough slipped to a 2-0 defeat in the city last night, the clock is now ticking on the Teessiders' UEFA Cup dream.

With the second leg of their quarter-final still to come, it is too early to call time on Boro's European adventure.

But successful strikes from Matias Delgado and David Degen have given their Swiss opponents a two-goal advantage that has certainly set the alarm bells ringing. In the shadow of the Alps, Boro have given themselves a mountain to climb.

Despite matching Basle for much of last night's encounter, the concession of two goals in the final three minutes of the first half undermined the efforts of Steve McClaren's men.

While this month's heroic rearguard action in Rome was characterised by doughty defending in the face of some spirited Italian attacking, last night's performance was peppered with crucial errors that ultimately cost the Teessiders dear.

Chris Riggott elected to duck under Delgado's long-range shot instead of attempting to head clear, while Franck Queudrue failed to track Degen's well-timed run as the midfielder broke free to inflict further first-half damage.

McClaren had insisted that he would rather have had an away goal than an eighth European clean sheet. In the end he got neither and, while a two-goal win is not beyond Boro's capabilities next Thursday, a Basle goal would leave McClaren's men needing four to progress. A repeat of last night's profligacy would undoubtedly prove terminal.

At least Boro know they have the attackers to fire them through. Hasselbaink's away goals proved crucial in both Stuttgart and Rome and, unsurprisingly, the former Chelsea striker found himself at the forefront of Boro's attacking last night.

A narrow failure to reach Queudrue's early cross was followed by a ninth-minute drive that fizzed past the left-hand post as Hasselbaink repeatedly dropped deep in an attempt to evade his marker, Boris Smiljanic.

The ploy proved effective, although the Dutchman's best chance of the night had little to do with his intelligent off-the-ball running.

Instead, Daniel Majstorovic's clumsy foul on Mark Viduka, preferred to top-scorer Aiyegbeni Yakubu, paved the way for a typically ferocious free-kick that flew narrowly wide of Pascal Zuberbuhler's left-hand post. Had it been on target, the Basle goalkeeper would have struggled to keep it out.

Hasselbaink was not the only South American-born striker on display though and, at the other end of the field, Brazilian Eduardo asked similarly stern questions of the Boro defence.

With Degen posing a constant danger on the right-hand side, Eduardo's lively movement twice threatened to undermine the visitors' defensive efforts inside the opening quarter of an hour.

His tenth-minute header was glanced beyond the far post, before Degen's pull-back preceded a wasteful low strike that was directed straight at Mark Schwarzer.

That was as close as Basle came for most of the first half, though, as Boro's remodelled backline forced their opponents to play almost all of their football in front of them.

Austrian Emanuel Pogatetz was hardly an obvious choice of centre-half in the absence of the injured Gareth Southgate - both Queudrue and Ugo Ehiogu have performed the role with relish this season - but he initially coped admirably with everything the home side could throw at him.

Even his questionable temperament held firm, although Boro fans would have had their hearts in their mouths as he charged towards his own goal on the half-hour mark.

Queudrue's slip had allowed Degen to ghost in behind him and, with the bit between his teeth, Pogatetz appeared ready to launch into an ill-conceived tackle from behind that would undoubtedly have resulted in a penalty.

His split-second decision not to did not prevent Degen going to ground - the Swiss winger was rightly booked for diving - but it did reveal a previously well-hidden cautious side to his personality. It seems that even mad dogs know when to remain on the leash.

Sadly, though, Boro's resolve was not to hold out much longer. Basle's opener came courtesy of Delgado's stunning long-range drive, but it was also due, in part, to two defensive errors.

Stuart Parnaby allowed the Argentinian midfielder to cut in from the left touchline and Riggott inexplicably ducked under his skidding 30-yard strike. With Schwarzer seeing the ball late, he was unable to prevent Delgado claiming his seventh UEFA Cup goal of the season.

That was bad enough, but things got worse just two minutes later as Basle doubled their advantage. Eduardo played a wonderful reverse-pass behind the Boro defence and, for the umpteenth time, Degen found himself on the wrong side of Queudrue. His slide-rule finish beyond Schwarzer was both clinical and, from the visitors' point of view, potentially crippling.

Boro's initial second-half response was positive. With both Queudrue and Parnaby making a concerted effort to overlap on their respective flanks, both Viduka and Hasselbaink became increasingly involved in the game.

Queudrue's whipped cross was glanced goalwards by Hasselbaink, only for Zuberbuhler to tip the striker's header around the right-hand post, while Riggott rattled the top of the crossbar from Gaizka Mendieta's corner.

Unfortunately, neither Doriva nor Ray Parlour were dynamic enough to make the most of Middlesbrough's increased movement. Providing a midfield platform is one thing but, at 2-0 down, the Teessiders could undoubtedly have done with some extra invention from the centre of the park.

As it was, Basle continued to press at the other end for the third goal that would surely have settled the tie. Delgado came closest to getting it, skimming the top of the crossbar with a 64th-minute free-kick from close to the byline, although substitute Scott Chipperfield would have found the net shortly afterwards had it not been for Riggott's alertness.

The Australian seemed to be side-footing into an empty net before Riggott's last-gasp intervention cleared the ball on the line.

Riggott had a new partner by that stage, Pogatetz having left the field. He was rushed to hospital with a suspected fractured skull following a nasty clash of heads, but Basle were unable to take advantage.

Boro will have to hope they are similarly unsuccessful next week.

Result: Basle 2, Middlesbrough 0.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.