Aitor Karanka: 'Middlesbrough's quality came through in the end'

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka has claimed that his side were good value for their victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup following an improved second-half display.

The Smoggies, winless in three prior to this afternoon's third-round tie, failed to register a single shot on target in a bland opening 45 minutes at the Riverside Stadium.

Grant Leadbitter made a breakthrough for Boro 58 minutes in, though, tucking his free kick into the bottom corner of the net, before Alvaro Negredo and Marten de Roon made certain of a place in the next round with goals of their own.

Karanka admits that a vast improvement was required from his players in the second half, putting his side's 3-0 triumph down to their superior organisation compared to Championship opponents Wednesday.

"The FA Cup is really important to us and if we had played the second half in the same way [as the first] we would have lost," BBC Sport quotes him as saying.

"It was a typical cup game. We had to play better and be more aggressive and in the second half we showed we are better than them. We won the game because we were organised, committed and when the chances arrived we scored."

Wednesday have now failed to beat top-flight opposition in any of their last 13 attempts in the FA Cup.