HARRY REDKNAPP was pleased with his players, although he admitted they had thrown away a precious victory.
The new Saints boss said he couldn't fault the response of the players to his arrival last week, but was desperately disappointed as two late goals allowed Middlesbrough to snatch a point.
"To get two in front was a winning position that we shouldn't have thrown away," said Redknapp.
"I told them I was pleased at half-time. They started a bit edgy, but once we settled down we did OK.
"It is like a defeat when you throw away a lead with two minutes to go, but I couldn't have asked for any more effort.
"They gave everything, they worked hard, but just needed a break."
Saints looked nervous in the final minutes and Redknapp was disappointed with both Middlesbrough goals.
"You look at the clock, three minutes to go and I just felt we had to defend the corner," he said.
"The ball came in, it should have been cleared, but it skimmed off one of our players and suddenly you can sense the atmosphere change and the tension creeps in.
"Then no one closed Downing, we backed off him and he has got a great left-foot. If he hits the target, it's going to be a problem.
"That's how it has been probably for the players most of the season.
"They were 2-1 up at Arsenal with seconds to go - it has happened a few times."
Redknapp mostly opted for experience in his team with Peter Crouch preferred to young Dexter Blackstock.
Crouch, making his first Premiership start for Saints after eight appearances as a sub, forged a good partnership with captain Kevin Phillips.
Crouch is the only player at Saints who has been at a club with Redknapp at the same time - he was at Pompey when Redknapp was director of football with Graham Rix as manager.
Two days after Redknapp replaced Rix in charge in March 2002, Crouch was sold on transfer deadline day to Aston Villa for £5m.
"It was difficult picking a team, I didn't know the players that well," said Redknapp.
"I chopped and changed it in a practice match and came up with a team that I thought might get a result and we nearly did.
"We decided how we were going to play on Thursday, did a bit of work with them and picked the team."
Redknapp replaced Fabrice Fernandes at half-time with Paul Telfer and explained the tactical move.
"Fernandes is a good player going forward, but I just thought Downing was a threat," he said.
"I put Telfer on to block a side for us and play a bit more solid. Downing had a bit of space in the first-half and kept picking up the ball and running.
"I felt Telfer blocked that space off and everything had gone to plan except for the goals.
"I wanted them to get it forward to Crouch and Phillips at every opportunity and they did that well. We just couldn't hang on at the end."
Redknapp also had words of praise for goalkeeper Antti Niemi and Graeme Le Saux, whose crosses set up both goals.
"Antti Niemi made a terrific save," he said. "He's a top class keeper and he's important for us. Le Saux did well wide left in front of Higginbotham and they did OK."
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