Middlesbrough feel they were robbed after losing 2-0 at Sunderland on Saturday.

Midfielder Gary O'Neil said: "It's a hard one to analyse, because there is not too much wrong.

"Two-nil massively flatters them [Sunderland]. They will be delighted with the three points they have got, because I would say we deserved the full three points.

"I'm not too sure what to say about it. I felt we played well, probably should have taken one or two of our chances - and then it would have been a different game.

"But the penalty miss meant they got a bit of a lift and just one little lapse of concentration, and we were behind and chasing the game.

"It came as a bolt out of the blue. We didn't really know what had hit us."

The defeat means the Teessiders are yet to take a point in three games away from the Riverside Stadium so far this season, and that is a situation O'Neil knows has to change.

He said: "It's something we desperately need to address. Right at this second, I am not too sure what the problem is.

"Maybe we just go under a little bit too easy when the going gets tough, like it did when Stewart missed the penalty.

"They seemed to get on top; they got a lift; the fans got a lift - and it became a big five minutes for them.

"That's the spell where we need to make sure we weather that and get through that still at 0-0.

"Maybe there was a little bit of naivety in still trying to go out and score. Maybe for five minutes, we just need to say 'Hold on, they are on top here, let's shut up shop'."