Mansfield Town have never been a particularly lucky football club, and it would be unfortunate if their impressive efforts yesterday were brushed aside in the palaver surrounding the possible transfer of Jonathan Woodgate from Middlesbrough to Spurs, or wherever the former England centre-half ends up.

This was a day for centre-halves. When a freezing wind is swirling around a pitch that takes a long stud and a hostile crowd is roaring a team of journeymen on to heights unimagined against opposition from their own level, you need the big men at the back to roll up their sleeves. Fortunately for Middlesbrough, Robert Huth and David Wheater were prepared to do that, getting stuck in with a commitment to the cause that spoke volumes for their characters.

If Woodgate is on his way, the Boro manager’s relaxed demeanour may have been an indication of his confidence in the incumbents. But how hard they were made to work. Michael Boulding, a former junior tennis player who once roomed with Tim Henman, has also promised much as a footballer during his time, without ever making the breakthrough his talent and pace suggested he might. Town’s canny old manager, Billy Dearden, has converted Boulding from a winger to a striker, and the way he played yesterday confirmed Dearden knows what he’s about.

With Stephen Dawson prompting cleverly in midfield, and support from Matt Hamshaw and Simon Brown cutting in from the flanks, Boulding worked Huth and Wheater without pause. What he didn’t have, however, was luck.

Boro had opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Lee Bell had got in Carl Muggleton’s way as the goalkeeper attempted to punch clear from a corner. The ball bounced down, and though Wheater mis-kicked, it fell nicely into the path of Dong-Gook Lee, who poked home from about five yards. It was a rare positive contribution from the Korean, whose struggles to look the part were often embarrassing.

Mansfield refused to be disheartened, and twice in a minute came within the width of the woodwork of equalising. First, a quickly taken throw-in caught Boro napping and Boulding outpaced Wheater before firing in a drive that Mark Schwarzer, the Boro goalkeeper, touched over the crossbar. From the resulting corner Boulding, having pulled away from his markers, looped a header that looked to have beaten Schwarzer before coming back off the bar, though replays suggested the Australian again got something on it.

The Premier League side should have gone into the break two goals clear when Jeremie Aliadiere, who gave Dan Martin a torrid afternoon, skinned the full-back, drew Muggleton and picked out Lee with a cross that simply had to be guided into the empty net. The Korean’s lack of technique, as his attempted header screwed yards wide, was lamentable.

The second half was a battle in every sense, the challenges flying in on both sides. Dearden pushed Brown up front alongside Boulding, and with Julio Arca having to drop to full-back to cover for the injured Emanuel Pogatetz, Middlesbrough showed signs of wobbling.

Neither side had created much in the way of clear-cut chances, though, when a late Boro break by Aliadiere ended with George Boateng crossing from the right, and Town skipper Jake Buxton turning the ball into his own net from almost on his own line. Had he not done so, Stewart Downing would have applied the finish.

“They know they’ve been in a game,” said Dearden, who had to watch in frustration - Town were on top at the time - when the game was halted for a minute or two while footballs rained down on to the pitch from behind the closed west stand, a gesture of protest against club owner Keith Haslam.

“I am proud of the lads although I am disappointed at the two goals we conceded. In the second half we pinned them in a bit but we must learn from our mistakes, especially when defending from set pieces.”

Darden is hoping at least some of the money made during the FA Cup run - Mansfield are the only non-Premier League-club to have appeared on live television twice this season – will be made available to strengthen his squad for the fight to stay in the league [Mansfield are 23rd of 24 teams in League Two]. Middlesbrough have money to spend, whether you include the £8m they will receive from the sale of Woodgate or not.

“We knew it would be a difficult test because it is tough at these grounds,” Southgate said. “I am pleased with the way we approached it and getting our first goal settled us down.

“Although it was very windy, our goalkeeper and central defenders coped with it very well. We could have played better but the main thing is that we got through. Credit to Mansfield because they were never going to give up, and they did not.”

Player ratings: Mansfield Town: Muggleton 6, Mullins 7, Buxton 7, Jelleyman 7, Martin 3, Hamshaw 7, Bell 6 (Arnold 73min), Dawson 8, D Laryea 7, Brown 7 (McAliskey 73min), Boulding 8
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer 5, Young 5, Huth 8, Wheater 7, Pogatetz 5 (Boateng 46min), Arca 6, Rochemback 4, Cattermole 6, Johnson 5 (Downing 65min), Lee 4 (Mido 71min), Aliadiere 6

Star man: Robert Huth (Middlesbrough)

Yellow cards: Middlesbrough: Huth, Cattermole Mansfield: Martin

Referee: S Tanner

Attendance: 6,258

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