Steve Agnew demands Middlesbrough reaction

Middlesbrough manager Steve Agnew has demanded a reaction from his side following their 4-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth on Saturday.

Boro welcome fellow strugglers Sunderland to the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night with both sides knowing that anything other than a victory is likely to effectively condemn them to relegation from the Premier League.

Agnew is hopeful that his side's home advantage will prove to be key in the North-East clash and is "confident" that they can boost their survival hopes with a victory.

"If we have a good night and an enjoyable and vocal night, and we can walk away from the stadium saying it was a fantastic performance full of intensity, then I'm very confident we can come away with three points," he told reporters.

"The players are desperate to put on a performance for the fans and there has to be a reaction after the disappointment of Saturday."

Boro are winless in their last 16 Premier League games, leaving them nine points from safety with only five games of their season remaining.