MIDDLESBROUGH might have claimed their best win of the season as they saw off Championship leaders Leicester City yesterday, but Michael Carrick senses a determination within his squad to ensure the victory at the King Power Stadium is not a one-off.

Boro ended a run of five matches without a win as they triumphed 2-1 against a Leicester side that have only suffered five league defeats all season.

The victory provided a welcome boost after a difficult spell that has seen the Teessiders suffer a number of injury setbacks, but still leaves Carrick’s side sitting in 13th position, seven points adrift of the play-off places.

With 14 games still to play, a top-six finish remains a realistic ambition, albeit that Boro cannot afford too many more slip-ups, so while there were celebrations in the wake of yesterday’s win, there was also an acceptance that it needs to spark a sustained run of success.

Carrick said: “The boys are happy, but happy without being over-happy, which I think is good. They’re eager for what’s next now, really. And I think there is also a hint of, ‘We could have scored one or two more as well and made it a little more comfortable’.

“I know they had chances towards the end and it was tough. But there is a good sense in there that today wasn’t enough, we want more, they want more. That’s up to us to try and do that in the next few weeks.”

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Lewis O’Brien played a prominent role in yesterday’s victory, lining up on the left-hand side as Boro adopted a new-look 5-4-1 formation.

The Nottingham Forest loanee set up Finn Azaz’s 24th-minute opener, and while the final result might have been something of a surprise, O’Brien claims it was a success that had been coming.

He said: “I think we’ve deserved something like that over recent weeks. Results haven’t been there, performances haven’t always been there, especially in my last start, but we came into this one feeling we had nothing to lose.

“We played exactly as we had to against a very good team and I think, to be honest, we maybe could have had a couple more.

“It’s nice to get my first assist though and help the team. It feels a massive win after the time we’ve had of late with results.

“To come here and beat them, it’s a massive boost for the confidence and the dressing room is bouncing right now.”