SILENCE was anything but golden for Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray on Wednesday evening as a lack of text messages meant yet another away draw in the Capital One Cup.

Mowbray was out at dinner while the draw for the quarter-finals was taking place, but had asked to be kept informed of any good news.

When it got to 11 o'clock and he had not heard anything, he feared a difficult assignment. Sure enough, Boro had been drawn away in the League Cup for the 13th time in succession and must now travel to Swansea City on Tuesday, December 11.

“I didn't get a text so I knew it probably wasn't going to be good news,” said Mowbray. “I'd finished my dinner, but when I kept checking my texts, there wasn't a message. I had a feeling that it wasn't the draw we wanted otherwise my phone would have been red hot.

“My reaction is pretty muted. We got the expected away tie and I feel for our fans. It's a long trip, and I shudder to think how many miles it is from Bury to Gillingham to Preston to Sunderland and now on to Swansea. It's a difficult one for them to get to.

“The team will go there and give the best account of ourselves we can. I'm sure Swansea will play a strong side, but if we play to the level we produced at Sunderland on Tuesday, we'll have a chance.”