Michael Carrick felt the “true character” of his Middlesbrough players was on display as they came from behind to beat Southampton and claim their first league win of the season.
Having failed to win in their opening seven league matches, it would have been easy for Boro’s players to have crumbled when Adam Armstrong opened the scoring at the Riverside Stadium.
Instead, they continued trying to play their football and were rewarded when Riley McGree rifled home an equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
With Southampton fading, Middlesbrough were the better team for most of the second half and they secured the win that lifted them off the foot of the Sky Bet Championship table when Josh Coburn was pulled down by Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jonny Howson slotting home from the penalty spot.
Carrick said: “It’s hugely positive. I just said to them in the dressing room, I was standing on the touchline in the second half thinking, ‘whatever happens here, I couldn’t ask any more of any of the players’.
“I speak a lot about how strong the group are, but words are words and some people might not believe what I’m saying. But it’s times where you’re tested where you see people’s true characters come out. That’s when you see what people are about and you saw that today.
“We started well, but we went a goal behind and it wouldn’t have come easy for them to put in the performance and the effort that they did.
“You could see the togetherness and the spirit, and that’s what made me most proud. The win came and that was brilliant. I was standing there on the touchline in the second half really proud of them anyway. That’s more powerful than a one-off result.”
Having started the season as one the favourites to win promotion, Boro have underperformed in the first six weeks of the campaign, but Carrick feels his players will emerge stronger because of their struggles.
He said: “I think that will help us moving forward and we’ll be stronger for the way we’ve all stuck together when it hasn’t quite been going so well.
“The supporters are included in that – to see the stadium like that at the end, with everyone enjoying it and celebrating, was great. It’s one game, but it’s not so much the one game and the result, it’s the overall feeling and collective support we feel that is the most important thing.”
Southampton started the season reasonably strongly, but have now suffered four successive defeats, with manager Russell Martin admitting his players are suffering a hangover from last season’s relegation.
Martin said: “The mentality needs to change. We had the game where we wanted it, but then for some reason, we let the game fall out of our grasp and slip. That’s a mentality problem, it’s not a lack of effort, for sure. The players are working extremely hard, but it’s not a quick fix at the club.
“It’s been a tough however long it’s been – certainly a tough year or 18 months. There’s a huge hangover from that, probably bigger than we thought. But we’ll continue to give everything we can and build into a better team and a better club.
“We want to give the fans a team to be proud of, but at the minute, we’re going through a really tough moment. We need the supporters more than ever, but we understand their frustration. We have to keep working, it’s as simple as that.”
Inter Miami 1-0 D.C. United: Super-sub Campana seals late win
Inter Miami snatched a 1-0 win over D.C. United thanks to Leonardo Campana’s stoppage-time strike.
Campana had an instant impact after coming on in the 93rd minute as he volleyed in the winner just 25 seconds later.
Lionel Messi returned from a knee injury that kept him out against Orlando City but struggled to have his usual impact as Miami only managed eight shots.
Cristian Dajome had come closest to scoring for D.C. minutes after his introduction, but his dipping shot sailed over the bar.
Miami remain a point clear of FC Cincinnati at the top of the Eastern Conference, while D.C. sit ninth, a huge 14 points behind the league leaders.
Data Debrief: Miami continue to set the pace
Miami left it late to get back to winning ways but extended their unbeaten run to nine games. It is their longest run without defeat in the competition.
D.C. have now conceded eight goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half - only Montreal (10) and San Jose Earthquakes (10) have conceded more in that time in the MLS this season.
Montero to coach Juventus until end of the season
Paolo Montero will take charge of Serie A side Juventus for the remainder of the season following the dismissal of Massimiliano Allegri.
Juventus sacked their former head coach Allegri on Friday over his behaviour during and after this week's Coppa Italia final in which he was sent off, ending a long period of speculation over his future.
Montero, who coaches Juventus' Under-19s team, will take charge for their remaining two matches, at Bologna on Monday and against Monza at home on May 26.
The 52-year-old Uruguayan won four Serie A titles playing for Juventus as a defender from 1996 to 2005 and will take his first training session on Sunday.
"Paolo is a Juventus legend, firstly on the pitch, and someone who has long been a bearer of the club's DNA on the bench," Juve said in a statement.
"Best of luck, Paolo!"
Juve are assured of Champions League qualification but could still finish between third and fifth in Serie A this season.
Southampton 3-1 West Brom (3-1 agg): Saints set up play-off final with Leeds United
Southampton saw off West Brom 3-1 at St Mary's on Friday to set up a Championship play-off final showdown with Leeds United.
Leeds thumped Norwich City 4-0 at Elland Road 24 hours earlier to book their place at Wembley, where Southampton now await on May 26.
The first leg between the Saints and West Brom finished goalless - just like the other semi-final - but the home side's quality told in the end.
Russell Martin's side dominated the first-half possession, with David Brooks going closest to scoring with a shot that hit the outside of the post.
Southampton made the breakthrough via a powerful Will Smallbone finish four minutes into the second half after Gray Diangana lost possession.
Darnell Furlong had a shot helped over by Alex McCarthy, while David Brooks - who assisted the opener - had a strong penalty appeal rejected.
Southampton remained in control, though, and Adam Armstrong scored a second with a shot through Furlong's legs and past Alex Palmer.
Armstrong's second goal arrived from the penalty spot in the 86th minute after Tom Fellows fouled Ryan Manning in the box, rendering Cedric Kipre's late header a mere consolation.
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