Rob Edwards admits Middlesbrough had to work hard to break down Southampton

Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards praised his team’s resilience as they fought back to draw 1-1 at Southampton to remain unbeaten at the top of the Championship.

Adam Armstrong’s goal had put the Saints on course for three points but Senegalese super-sub Kaly Sene came off the bench to rescue a late point for Boro.

Edwards said: “It was really difficult game. I think you have seen how good they are.

“Southampton are a really good team. They’re in a false position at the moment and they’ve got a lot of good players.”

Sene, who scored his first goal for the club in the win against West Brom last week, latched on to a pass from Luke Ayling and scored from the tightest of angles in front of the away end, with the ball deflecting off Saints’ Nathan Wood.

“He’s hit some of the highest heights as a really young player,” said Edwards of the former Juventus and Lausanne striker.

“And he’s shown a lot of fight and determination and obviously good play as well and good quality to get where he is right now.

“I think he’s got a high ceiling. He’s a good lad. He’s quiet, smiles and goes about his business well.”

Edwards was full of praise for Southampton – and for Armstrong in particular, who scored a wonderful goal from Tom Fellows’ cross to give Saints the lead in the 61st minute.

But Sene’s goal means Will Still has only won once in the league so far, on the opening day against Wrexham.

Still said: “For large periods of that game, we’ve been in control and dominating and causing them quite a lot of problems. I think we’ve scored a great goal, but we’ve just left them in it and haven’t punished them when we had the opportunity to do so and kill the game off.

“In the end, it was a third of a chance that’s got them a really unlucky goal for us. It symbolises where we’re at, what it looks like and how things are turning for us.

“There’s only one way that you influence that luck and change, that is by keeping believing in what we’re doing, by working, by sticking at it and by staying positive.”

Still named Armstrong as captain in the absence of Jack Stephens and was rewarded by the striker scoring for the second game in a row.

He said: “I think Arma has been top-notch. We had a chat over the break before we came back into the club. I think he’s realised what he wants to do. He’s come back incredibly fit.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever seen Arma that fit. He wants to be important and he wants to put his mark on this Southampton team.”