Monday 5 December 2016 22:57, UK
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka says his side "deserved" their 1-0 Premier League victory over Hull on Monday evening.
A strike from Gaston Ramirez was enough to seal a deserved three points for the hosts, who also had a goal ruled out for offside in the first half.
They mostly dominated the game at the Riverside Stadium - with Hull's best chances coming in the dying minutes of the match - and the Boro boss hailed the performance from his team.
"We deserved to win this game because up until we scored the first goal, we had a lot of possession, a lot of chances and we were confident on the pitch," Karanka told Sky Sports.
"After we scored the goal, we had the experience to see out the game. We dropped a little bit but I think it is a game to be really pleased with.
"I'm proud of the team because it is difficult to play in the Premier League, even against a direct opponent is difficult.
"I've always said we need to have experience and the best way to have that experience is with winning and adding points on the table.
"Now we have 15 points on the table so again, we have to keep going but it is not the same to always play next to the relegation position and we want to be in the position we are in now.
"Now the position is to keep going, to keep adding confidence and just working together."
Ramirez was awarded the man-of-the-match award after his performance was the driving force behind Middlesbrough's victory, but Karanka was keen to stress the importance of the team rather than one player.
"Everybody knows that Gaston is an important player for us but all of them are once again," he added.
"We are in this situation and we won promotion last season because we are always a team so sometimes Gaston is going to score, sometimes another player is going to score but playing in this way, the way we have over the last five or six games, we will have points."
