The key talking points from Middlesbrough's 1-1 draw with Sunderland:

STRIKER HOPE AFTER TRANSFER WINDOW FRUSTRATION

Transfer talk on both Teesside and Wearside last month was dominated by strikers. Both clubs wanted one, neither got one.

Strangely, despite Michael Carrick having no fit centre-forwards and Michael Beale having four on the books before Eliezer Mayenda’s loan exit – Sunderland’s need felt greater than Boro’s - but Nazariy Rusyn's late equaliser after Burstow broke his duck last week is encouraging for the Black Cats.

Burstow started at the Riverside but was anonymous for Sunderland and withdrawn in the second half; Boro's Sam Greenwood, on the other hand, received a standing ovation after he was taken off – a nod of recognition for a tireless effort as a makeshift centre-forward.

Leading the line might not come naturally to Greenwood but he was a threat on the shoulder of the last man throughout and made a nuisance of himself. He should have been booked earlier than he was for his constant ankle snapping, fuelled by persistence and desire rather than petulance.

It was the best finisher on the pitch, Marcus Forss, who looked set to be the difference maker with his clinical second half strike. Forss might not play up-front for Boro, with Carrick preferring to use him on the right flank, but he’s lethal in front of his goal. He’s now scored three goals in less than two and a half hours since his return from injury. With Coburn's injury issue being managed and Latte Lath still out, Forss can ease Carrick's striker concerns if he continues in this form.

Just when it looked as though Beale was going to be facing the same old striker questions that have come again and again this season, substitute Rusyn scored an equaliser out of the blue after brilliant work from Jack Clarke on the counter. Sunderland must now hope such a pivotal goal in a game of this magnitude can spark lift-off for the summer recruit.

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FIRST HALF FLANK BATTLE

The fit-again Patrick Roberts had to settle for a place on the Sunderland bench, with Beale sticking with Abdoullah Ba, understandable after the Stoke win. What wasn’t understandable was how Ba failed to score in the first half.

Rav van den Berg’s goalline block to deny Ba late in the opening period was brilliant, but the Boro defender shouldn’t have stood a chance. Ba was wasteful earlier in the half, too, hitting the side netting from close range when he should have tested Tom Glover or squared it.

Despite those missed chances, Ba was a problem for Boro throughout the opening half. He had the better of Lukas Engel, but the left-back wasn’t helped by a lack of protection in front. Finn Azaz started on the left of the attack but the January recruit is more suited to playing in a central role and repeatedly got sucked inside, leaving Engel exposed and allowing Trai Hume the space and freedom to roam forward.

BORO’S SECOND HALF DOMINANCE – UNTIL CLARKE TOOK CENTRE STAGE

Ba’s first half missed chance looks set to prove costly as Boro took charge in the second half. The hosts were brighter, sharper and on the front foot after the restart, rewarded for their positive play when Forss hammered in the opener.

There was little response from Sunderland and no signs of a fightback – until Jack Clarke, contained for the most part by former Leeds teammate Luke Ayling, took centre stage late on. It was Clarke who made the equaliser, spotting and picking out Rusyn on the counter, though the substitute’s tame volley only reached the net after a clanger from Tom Glover. 

It was a goal from nothing but sparked a complete turnaround and Sunderland, so poor for so long in the second half, suddenly looked the more likely to win it – and it was Clarke at the heart of everything. It’s been said on several occasions before but when Clarke is on the pitch, Sunderland are always in with a shout.  

Ayling was booked shortly before Sunderland's equaliser which didn't help Boro late on. The right-back - who already looks like being a fine signing - had to be very careful and Clarke, by that stage, was in the mood.

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THE OUTCOME

In the end, Sunderland will almost certainly be the team happier with the point. The Black Cats looked more likely in the first half but were second best for much of the second and this feels like one that got away for Boro, who desperately need to string together a run of results if they’re to force a way into the top six.

As Carrick admitted afterwards, his team need to stop throwing away costly points if they're to lift themselves out of mid-table.

It was a game that told the story of the season for both – the promise and the hope but also the flaws that mean these sides are both currently looking up into the play-off places rather than taking residence in the top six.