Manager Eddie Howe was quoted as saying after the match: "It was an excellent performance. I'm certainly not going to complain about losing the early lead because Middlesbrough are a good footballing side and we knew it would be hard and that anything we got here would be a bonus. We got a great start and they came back into it and we showed great character after they got back into it. We had to change shape a few times, first to get back into it after they went ahead and then again to shut up shop, and I was delighted at the way they applied themselves and did their jobs".