Frustrated Karanka concedes draw ´fair for everybody´

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka believes a draw was a fair result against West Brom, despite seeing his side’s winless Premier League run extended to six matches.

James Morrison scored in the sixth minute on his return to his former club, but Boro rallied and equalised through Alvaro Negredo’s penalty 11 minutes later, with neither side able to find a winner.

“I think it was a good point,” Karanka said. “We had chances to score and have conceded a goal in a way we knew. It is frustrating.

“West Brom are a strong team and we played with everything. I am proud of the players. As a coach, [I know] they have given everything.

“The reaction [to the goal] was good. We had the game under control against a strong team. A point is fair for everybody. The opponents have a lot of experience and good players. Sometimes you can’t stop them.

“But everybody has been brilliant. We need to forget the league position as we know we have many more games to play.”

West Brom boss Tony Pulis felt the game turned on the hotly contested penalty decision.

“It was two teams who were having a right go,” he said. “But we’re disappointed with the penalty. That was the first chance they had.

“We could have been 2-0 up, were in control of the game, and then they came back into it. It knocked us a little bit.”