A FRUSTRATED Gareth Southgate last night acknowledged that Ben Hutchinson's last minute consolation strike was the one bright spot to emerge from a crushing defeat at Manchester City.

On a day that Boro were ripped apart by an Elano inspired City at Eastlands, the Nottingham-born teenager capped his first appearance for the club with a poacher's goal.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's men had already wrapped up the points by that stage but the 19-year-old could not hold his delight at finding the net in the Premier League for the first time.

Having been signed from North-East Counties League side Arnold Town last year, after scoring four in a win over Dunston, Hutchinson has been performing well for the reserves.

He is the joint top-scorer for Boro's second string with the man he replaced at City, Tom Craddock.

Craddock, from Darlington, had started his first game for the club after three substitute appearances but was asked to play most of the 59 minutes he spent on the pitch as a lone striker.

And Southgate said: "It will stay with Ben forever and is a special moment for him. As much as I am disappointed it was the highlight of the day. He will always regard it as the best day of his life.

"It was a difficult game for Tom, we didn't get enough build up, nor support to him, quickly enough. He worked hard and had a couple of half chances. It will have done both of them the world of good."

It would appear unlikely that either will figure against Chelsea on October 20, when Mido, Jeremie Aliadiere, Tuncay Sanli and Dong-Gook Lee are all expected to be back to fitness.

And the sooner Southgate has his leading strikers back the better, given how his lack of attacking options hardly helped in Manchester.

But while goals have proved hard to come by in recent weeks, Middlesbrough are also suffering from lapses in concentration at the back. They have now conceded 12 goals in their last five matches.

"The one thing we need is to be ruthless in the two penalty areas and we haven't got that," said Southgate, after a defeat that dropped them closer to the relegation zone following four league matches without a win.

"That's where games are won and lost. We are in the middle of a tough period and it would be easy for me to be critical and allow things to get us down but it's a situation that every one of us in the club believes can be put right."

Boro defender Andrew Davies is expected to complete a move this week after Norwich, Hull and Southampton all agreed a deal for the player.

It is understood that a loan move has been agreed with a view to a £1m switch when the transfer window opens in January. Southampton are favourites."