DESPITE his side's exceptional form, ahead of the visit of Millwall Michael Carrick was asked whether he was at all concerned by one element of Middlesbrough's recent run: the lack of clean sheets.

His answer was a firm no. The fact Boro hadn't registered a shut-out since the resumption of action after the World Cup was "strange", he said, but certainly nothing to worry about, for he believes his team have been defending well.

But right on cue, Boro went and provided the perfect answer, keeping Millwall out and, in doing so, continuing their charge and climbing to fourth in the Championship table. They now have a three-point cushion on seventh place.

READ MORE: Paddy McNair's extra Rockliffe efforts during 'difficult Middlesbrough period'

The only games Middlesbrough have failed to win since the December restart have been against Burnley, who are looking like running away with the Championship, and Brighton. And perspective was provided elsewhere on Saturday as Albion thumped Liverpool, showing last week's heavy defeat to the Seagulls was certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

Boro answered another pre-match question, proving right their head coach, who was adamant there'd be no lingering hangover from the cup exit.

The visit of Gary Rowett's Millwall was never going to be an easy afternoon's work. The Lions are direct, in your face and make life uncomfortable for the opposition, which made the clean sheet all the more satisfying for Carrick.

The immense Dael Fry and Paddy McNair, superb in what was his first league start under Carrick, didn't give their visitors a sniff in the first half. Millwall looked like a team that had headed for Teesside with a stalemate in mind.

But after Boro scored the goal that had long been coming, Marcus Forss striking nine minutes into the second half, Rowett's men had to show some intent. Cue a nervy late aerial pummelling that the hosts dealt with superbly, the only real concerning moment coming when keeper Zack Steffen made a mess of an attempted punch from a long throw.

For Carrick, it was a game-plan superbly executed.

“It was a test, but I thought for long spells we controlled it by defending well," said Carrick.

"I said before the game to the boys that the key to this game was how well we defend, how much pressure we get on the ball high up the pitch and how well we can keep our backline high to defend in the areas of the pitch that we want to defend.

"Dael and Paddy then needed to win loads of first and second balls and were then composed on it when we had it. That’s a big part of what we did today.

"I was delighted for them, and the fact that we did get the clean sheet that we haven’t had enough of, was a bonus. As we spoke about before the game, I don’t think that’s because we haven’t been good enough, but it’s just moments in games haven’t always fallen for us.

"So I was delighted for them and with the way that they played, in and out of possession, and definitely in keeping that clean sheet."

While the defence stood firm, Boro once again had a matchwinner in their attack. Since Carrick tweaked his frontline at Blackburn, Chuba Akpom, Matt Crooks and Marcus Forss have all scored twice, with Riley McGree also chipping in with one.

Goals - or a lack of them - have plagued Boro for years but it's an issue that's been resolved. It's gone under the radar but Boro are now the third highest scorers in the league, only behind the runaway top two, and after Burnley and Sheffield United have the joint-best goal difference in the division. These things may well matter come the end of the season.

And Cameron Archer will hopefully add even more firepower between now and the end of the season. He got some more match minutes under his belt on Saturday, replacing goalscorer Forss in the second half. Forss was again preferred on the right side, with Isaiah Jones left out of the squad, taken out of the firing line as Boro attempt to help the young winger rediscover his best form.

Forss' goal was excellent, as was the finish and the pass from captain Jonny Howson that set the Finnish forward away down the right. There was still work to be done but he showed his strength to shrug off Murray Wallace before picking his spot in the far corner.

It was the goal Boro deserved. They'd dominated the first half, enjoying almost 80% of possession in the opening half hour, and though they didn't manage to break the deadlock before the interval, it felt a case of when the goal would come rather than if.

READ MORE:

Once again, there was no panic in Boro's play. They're proving to be the second half masters, this the third game in a row they struck the winner after the break.

And the fourth game in a row they've won. Burnley and Sheffield United look out of reach but with 57 points still to play for you never quite know in the Championship.

The fact it's even a point of discussion where Boro are concerned is remarkable when you consider where they were in the table when Carrick took charge. When Boro lost at Millwall back in October, they were 21st.

An awful lot has changed since then.