MICHAEL Carrick says Middlesbrough's players know they need stop letting costly points slip away if they have serious ambitions of forcing their way into the Championship's top six this season.

Boro looked set for a crucial derby victory over Sunderland after Marcus Forss' second half strike, only to throw away two points after Tom Glover's costly late error allowed Nazariy Rusyn to equalise for the Black Cats.

It's not the first time Boro have been left ruing what could have been. They've only picked up one point from a possible six in two games against bottom club Rotherham since Christmas and lost to Coventry despite taking a first half lead.

Carrick says his players can take encouragement from the fact they're not far away but know they need to turn promising and positive displays into victories.

"I don't need to tell the boys that, they know that in the changing room," said Boro's head coach.

"The way they are, they're disappointed. It's such a mixed bag between feeling that confidence and knowing what you're capable of and when it slips away, it's a hell of a lot better position to be in knowing you can do that and play like that. Then when you're scratching around for a performance or a win, we know it's there for them and that gives the boys a lot of belief.

"But I don't need to give them the message, they know exactly the situation and we'll keep striving to get better and become that successful team with performances we want to build on."

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Carrick felt Boro deserved all three points against Sunderland.

“It’s frustrating, massively so," he said.

"We need to start getting what we deserve from games. It feels like we’re losing points that we should be gaining.

"It shows in the league table where we are, but I do feel like that there are too many games where we’ve put ourselves in a good position, do a lot of good things, gain control and look dangerous and then don’t give them an awful lot in the second half.

"But then we come away with that result. Without a doubt, it’s disappointing. I feel for the boys because they put a lot into the game and showed a lot of quality, especially second half, to control it fully. To not come away with the win is a disappointing one."

He continued: “It’s all sorts of different moments and factors that are costing us really.

"It’s hard to pinpoint a particular thing, compartmentalize and say, ‘that is the whole reason’. It’s a little bit of both ends really.

"The ruthless feeling and killer touch at one end, but I can't really fault the boys because a lot of the work is good and I feel like they do deserve their rewards. But I feel like it’s up to us to earn them rewards as well.

"It’s not an exact science when we look back over the reasons why, but there are so many good things in there that we’re doing against good teams, that should give us the confidence we need to make that extra step and finish games off."