Pulis said Boro had to dig deep at Brentford

Posted Sunday, March 18, 2018 by PA

Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis admitted his side had to dig out a valuable point in a 1-1 draw at Brentford.

Boro took the lead in the 21st minute when Adama Traore cut in from the left and rode two challenges before planting an unstoppable low drive just inside the near post.

But the Bees stormed back into it just after the half-hour when midfielder
Lewis Macleod beat Darren Randolph in the visitors’ goal with an almost
carbon-copy strike from the edge of the box.

“I thought they were the better team but we’ve worked really hard defensively and did a smashing job in restricting them to shots from outside the box,” Pulis said.

“They are a decent side and Dean Smith has done a smashing job here. He keeps producing good players, sells them and producing new ones.

“I’m disappointed in some ways because we can play much better than that, but this is an old-fashioned ground with fans tight to a pitch which looks small… but they made it look very big for us.”

Pulis insisted he was not surprised by the Londoners.

“Every time Adama (Traore) picks the ball up he gets fouled before he gets into motion. In the last few games the opposition have been quite content to bring him down, but to my mind he needs some protection,” he added.

“You have to turn up in this league because the opposition will always give you a game, but to be honest today I can’t criticise our effort or commitment.”

Brentford head coach Dean Smith hailed the performance of Macleod, who scored his first goal for the club after three years of stop start injuries.

“He’s worked very hard with the fitness team, looks bigger and stronger and he deserved his start.”

But for the second game in a row, Smith was critical of the officials, in particular referee Simon Hooper, who showed Romaine Sawyers two yellow cards in the space of five minutes after he came on as a 75th minute substitute.

“The second was very harsh as he couldn’t get out of the way,” Smith said. “I could show you five clips of Boro players who didn’t get booked for doing exactly the same thing.

“He also doesn’t make the decision straight away but sends him off after he’s been surrounded by Middlesbrough players.

“I thought the FA had issued an edict about that so it’s up to them to enforce it.

“It’s a shame we have to talk about that because I thought we were very good today. It’s easy to forget after watching that performance that they were a Premier League team last season.”