MARVIN EMNES made a goalscoring return to the Middlesbrough team on Saturday – and claimed that Boro going Dutch has benefited his game.

Emnes has scored his 11 goals this season mostly in a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2 formation, but injuries and suspensions forced Boro manager Tony Mowbray to employ a continental 4-3-3 formation to make best use of his depleted resources.

It was a tactic that worked wonders for the Dutchman, who was Boro’s middle man in a front three also featuring Bart Ogbeche and Scott Mc- Donald, scoring his first goal since November to send Middlesbrough into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Emnes said: “I enjoyed myself out there, we played a good shape and it was a very Dutch shape, which means I can get on the ball more.

“It’s good to play games again and get myself on the pitch and especially to come up with a goal.

“I’ve been injured quite a while now but it’s good to get back and score an important goal for the team.

Emnes has been struggling with a hamstring injury, which Mowbray and the coaching team have had to manage by leaving the striker out of training and taking a chance on him on a matchday.

However, the packed fixture schedule over Christmas forced Mowbray to leave his top scorer out altogether, much to the 23-year-old’s frustration.

“It’s a big thing for me,” said Emnes. “I want to play every game and if you can’t play it’s hard to watch. It’s tough when you’re injured and not playing.

“I’m fit again so it’s all about playing games and getting back into the groove.”

Emnes admitted his relief that Boro secured their passage into the next round of the cup, as Shrewsbury repeatedly threatened their hosts’ backline.

Emnes said: “Cup games are always difficult when you play against a lower team.

They might be in League Two but they played some good football and created some decent chances, so we were relieved to win.”