Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk has stated that Wednesday's 2-0 win over Birmingham City was the result they were "looking for", stating that it was a "good response" to Sunday's 2-0 defeat on his return to Leeds United.
Response we were looking for
It has been a good star to Monk era at the Riverside Stadium having moved from Leeds in the summer, with the former Swansea City man guiding the side to upper reaches of Championship table and becoming serious contenders for a play-off position come May.
Monk's ego will have been bruised at the weekend when he subjected to a defeat on his return to Elland Road, but will have seen the arrival of Steve Cotterill's struggling side to Teesside as a perfect chance to return to winning ways.
It certainly wasn't a contest that will be remembered but two first-half goals from Britt Assombalonga secured the three points, and post-match Monk stated that it was the response he was looking for from his side.
"It was a good response to Sunday [and defeat at Leeds]," Monk stated in his post-match press conference. "We wanted to show that, especially at home."
"There were some really good bits to our play," the manager proclaimed. "We scored some good goals and had good opportunities for more."
"Overall it was the response we were looking for, the result we were looking for," Monk added. "And with a clean sheet as well we have to be happy with that."
It's great that our striker is scoring goals
The one thing that Boro were certainly lacking on their return to and then relegation from the Premier League was goals, the looked to rectify with the club-record signing of Assombalonga from Nottingham Forest and looks to be paying off thus far.
The Congolese striker scored his 10th and 11th goals of the campaign thus far, with the 24-year-old just five goals away from breaking Fabrizio Ravanelli's season tally for a foreign player in the Riverside era.
Cotterill stated that the striker was the "difference" between the two sides on the night, and Monk was full of praise for the striker post-match.
“It’s up for others to decide if Britt is the best striker in this division," he said about his star striker. "But he was a real handful and we were good value for the win.”
"But I’m very pleased with Britt," the 38-year-old stated. "It’s great that your striker is scoring goals."
"There is more work to do, that is clear," Monk concluded. "But picking up results helps with confidence and momentum."