nPower Championship: Middlesbrough 0 v Crystal Palace 0

PALACE chief Dougie Freedman has backed his team to start scoring after a lack some poor finishing cost his team a deserved victory at a snowy Middlesbrough.

The Eagles enjoyed the better of the play throughout the clash at the Riverside Stadium but a lack of killer instinct prevented them from cashing in on their superiority.

Jermaine Easter, Wilfried Zaha, Chris Martin and Darren Ambrose all had good opportunities to win the game for the South London side but they were unable to ram home their advantage.

Of these it was perhaps Easter who missed the most clear cut opportunity when his effort was saved by Jason Steele after the striker had been put through on goal by Martin.

For more pictures of the match, see Middlesbrough v Crystal Palace, in pictures

However, Freedman refused to blame his players for their lack of punch up front, insisting goals would start to come if his team kept working hard.

"Sometimes you don’t get what you deserve," he said. "We’ve come to a very good side and at times out played them. I’m proud of my players but we won’t only take a point from this game but a huge belief that we should be a lot higher in this league than we are.

"If we keep on playing like that and we’ll have more wins than losses. We try and look at things performance wise rather than just the result and I thought we can be pleased with most aspects of our game."

And Freedman insisted he was, despite his late miss, happy with Easter who he claimed had led the line well.

"I thought Jermaine Easter was brilliant," he added. "He allows everyone else to come and play.

"He had one or two decent opportunities today but I thought his movement was excellent to get in that position.

"The most important thing is to keep getting chances and I’m sure he’ll start scoring. He is a wonderful finisher and I thought he played very well today.

"It was a very workman-like performance and it allowed the likes of Darren Ambrose to get on the ball and play."

Nevertheless, the lack of goals is becoming something of an issue for the Eagles, and their recent lack of punch up front is partly the reason Easter is back in the side ahead of the out of form Glenn Murray.

Part of the problem of course is the system. Freedman’s 4-2-3-1 has been mightily effective in keeping things tight at the back and frustrating opponents, as the boos that jeered the home team off demonstrated, but it often prevents Palace getting enough men in dangerous positions to hurt their opposition.

This was especially true in the first half at Middlesbrough, although Martin will feel unlucky not to have found himself on the score-sheet as his stinging drive was tipped around the post by the diving Steele.

Wilfried Zaha was also denied by the Boro keeper while Easter had an effort deflected wide.

At the other end Lukas Jutkeiwicz hit a fierce shot that stung Julian Speroni’s hands before the striker dragged a shot wide of the post after a strong run at the Eagles defence.

But, while the first half was relatively even, Freedman’s men really started to take the game by the scruff of the neck after the break.

Jonathan Parr and Nathaniel Clyne both had half shouts for a penalty, with the latter winning a free-kick right on the edge of the area after he was tripped by Joe Bennett

With just over 10 minutes remaining Martin played a perfect though-ball for Easter but, despite the striker beating the offside trap, he was unable to beat Steele who pushed his shot away to safety.

It could have proved a costly miss as, just as the fourth official was announcing the added time, Jutkeiwicz powered a drive that was heading for the top corner, although Speroni was on hand to tip the ball around the post and make sure of a point for Freedman’s side.

Middlesbrough: Steele, Hoyte, Bennett, Bates, Hines, McMahon (Smallwood 89), Thomson, Williams, Haroun (Martin 8), Emnes (Main 50), Jutkiewicz

Unused subs: Ripley, McManus.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Clyne, Parr, McCarthy, Gardner, Ambrose (Scannell 81), Dikgacoi, Jedinak, Zaha, Easter, Martin

Unused subs: Price, McShane, Garvan, Murray

Referee: Mark Heywood

Attendance: 15,725