BORO must be braver and bolder in the way they see out games said Gareth Southgate, after what he described as an "instantly forgettable" win over Derby County.

After narrow, nervy wins against Fulham and Wigan in recent weeks, Boro once again made hard work of a game they could have won comfortably after a taking a first half lead against Paul Jewell's strugglers.

"I thought we did okay in the first half, although we didn't stretch them as much as we wanted to," said the manager.

"We had some bright moves and we had good opportunities to make it two and a second goal would have been crucial.

"In the position they are in, we would have been comfortable then. But while they had something to play for it kept them in the game.

"But with the importance of the game to us, we started to do our usual and defended our six-yard box for the last 20 minutes.

"We have to be better than we were in the second half and we have to be bolder. We have to be mentally tougher and braver in the way we finish games.

"It was a dangerous game and we have to be better than that."

There were mitigating circumstances for Boro. The game was played in appalling weather - including a second half blizzard - and several players were carrying injuries.

"I don't like criticising them after an afternoon like that," Southgate said.

"The conditions didn't help and Poggy and Luke Young have hardly trained all week and Catts was on one leg at the end."

Cattermole and fellow midfielder George Boateng were two of Boro's better performers.

Indeed, the home side lost much of their threat after the Dutchman was switched to right-back in place of Young, with Shawky coming on for his home debut in the middle.

"George made an excellent run for the goal and was on top of the midfield," acknowledged Southgate.

"It probably wasn't the best thing to do to put an Egyptian on in the middle of a snowstorm and I thought we did miss George in there.

"It was an instantly forgettable afternoon in my opinion but the points are crucial.

"We've now got two games, people will look at and think we'll get nothing from them, but having scored two at Anfield and done well at Villa and Arsenal, there's no reason we can't get anything out of them."