Middlesbrough’s 1-0 victory over Hull last night was a “massive win” according to their manager Aitor Karanka.
Boro climbed up to 13th in the table after Gaston Ramirez scored the only goal of the game on a chilly night at the Riverside.
The Uruguayan playmaker headed home Victor Fischer’s corner just before the hour mark and was a constant threat against his former employers, who he played for on loan two years ago.
Ramirez impresses but it's a team game
Karanka was keen to praise the whole team’s performance, after his side moved four points clear of the relegation zone.
“All of the players are important,” he said. Before stating he didn't want to talk about "just one player" because it was a "team victory".
The 43-year-old was very positive about all eleven men on the pitch and the two substitutes.
Boro dominate possession
Boro recorded 61 per cent possession against a Hull side, which didn’t register a shot on target until the 91st minute but were well- organised and difficult break down for large spells of the match.
“I am really pleased because we showed for 70, 75 minutes that we were much better than them,” said Karanka, in his post-match press-conference.
“We had possession, we had chances and we controlled the game," He added.
“We don’t have the experience that other teams have so for us every single point is very important and I think it’s a really good win because adding points will help us add experience."
First win since October eases the pressure
The win was Boro’s third of the season and their first since a home victory over Bournemouth back in October.
Ramirez was on the scoresheet that day too, however there may have been a few concerns on the Boro bench when the Uruguayan limped off three minutes from time against the Tigers. Even so, Karanka doesn't believe that the injury is serious.