Middlesbrough dressing room verdict on Sunderland draw after late Nazariy Rusyn goal at the Riverside

Middlesbrough defender Rav van den Berg felt his side deserved to beat Sunderland after a late equaliser from Black Cats striker Nazariy Rusyn at the Riverside.

Boro took the lead in the 61st minute when Marcus Forss opened the scoring, yet Rusyn's strike seven minutes from time leveled the score - when goalkeeper Tom Glover should have done better with the low effort.

"I think we were the better side," van den Berg told Middlesbrough's website after the match. "They had a couple of chances in the first half but I think if you look at the second half we should have won. It is what it is, it's a point and we move on away to Bristol."

He added: "I think we did have chances in the second half. It's a shame about the goal but it happens. I'm happy with the way we played in the second half. We should have scored more but it didn't happen.

"I don't know what minute they score but if you are up and don't feel like you are getting a goal against, you are disappointed if it happens. We are kind of disappointed with the 1-1 but we have to move on."

The result kept Sunderland three points ahead of Middlesbrough, yet the Teessiders have played a game fewer. A point moved the Black Cats up to eighth in the Championship table, one point behind sixth-place Hull City, ahead of a home fixture against Plymouth this weekend.