RYAN GILES might be following his manager’s mantra of not looking too far into the future, but the Middlesbrough full-back is confident his side can maintain their fine recent form for the remainder of the season and leapfrog Sheffield United into the second automatic-promotion spot.

Boro closed to within four points of the Blades as they staged a successful second-half recovery to claim a 3-1 win at Swansea City at the weekend, and with Paul Heckingbottom’s side not taking on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light until Wednesday, the Teessiders will move to within a point of the top two if they beat Stoke tomorrow.

Michael Carrick repeatedly states that he does not pay too much attention to the league table, and his words have clearly got through to his squad. Nevertheless, with Boro having won an incredible 14 of their last 17 Championship matches, Giles sees no reason why their brilliant run should not continue to the end of the campaign.

“There aren't many games left, but the confidence we’ve all got at the moment, I feel like we can go on a run,” said the full-back, who is on a season-long loan from Wolves. “We're not stupid, we know (what’s at stake). But as a team, we just have to just focus on one game at a time and that’s all you can do.

“You can’t go too far ahead in this division because you can get caught out quite quickly. We’ve just got to take it game by game and what will be will be. But, as I say, as a team we’re all full of confidence, you can see us bouncing off each other, creating chances. We’re looking good and we’ve just got to keep going.”

Boro’s collective confidence was evident in the composed way in which they brushed off the disappointment of falling behind at Swansea to eventually run out comfortable winners.

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There was no sense of panic when Giles and his team-mates found themselves trailing at the interval, just a firm belief that the processes that have served them so well in the last few months would enable them to come good again in the end.

“Right the way through the team, we’re all 100 per cent confident,” said Giles. “There's so much belief and that comes from the gaffer. He wants us to try and go out there and express ourselves and to a man, I think we’re all doing that. I think that’s what gets the best out of us as a team.”