Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill was disappointed to see his side lose 2-1 at home to Middlesbrough and miss out on the chance to climb above Manchester United into a Champions League spot.

O'Neill said: "When there are five minutes to go, if you can't win then you have to make sure you don't lose and the goal we gave away was so poor from our viewpoint.

"It is hard to imagine a softer goal and it was a big lapse in concentration.

"The first goal was also preventable. We had the situation covered and should have dealt with it better."

However, O'Neill is refusing to blame his side's recent hectic schedule for a second successive league defeat.

He said: "Three games in six days is hard but the top teams have managed to cope with it. They play Champions League matches in midweek and get themselves ready for weekend games.

"I didn't think it was tiredness that beat us. For me, because of the manner of the goals we conceded, this is our most disappointing result of the season."