Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick believes his side and Coventry will go into the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final with a 'clean slate' after they played out a 0-0 draw at the CBS Arena.
The two teams largely cancelled each other out on a warm afternoon, with the Sky Blues unable to make home advantage count as they failed to register a shot on target. The result will make 'Boro favourites on Wednesday to reach the final at Wembley, having only lost once in the league at the Riverside Stadium since Carrick's appointment in October.
Carrick said: "We tried to come here and win the game, of course we did, but in the back of our minds we know it's one big game. It's two legs but it's effectively one big game, so you can get caught chasing in a one-off game today [because] in the moment you forget what’s next, but I thought we managed that pretty well.
"It's a clean slate for both teams, really, and we look forward to the next one. We know we've got good players at the top end of the pitch who are capable of scoring.
"Coventry defend very well and get good numbers behind the ball and close the space down very well, and they have done over two games now. It's not going to be easy, of course it’s not, but at the same time we’ve got to have belief and trust and faith."
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The best chance of the game came Middlesbrough's way after 13 minutes when Chuba Akpom's dink was deflected onto the bar by Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson. Isaiah Jones, who had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside, was also denied by Wilson in the first half before stalemate ensued after the break.
On Sunday evening at Valley Parade, Mark Hughes' Bradford edged Carlisle in their League Two semi-final first leg. Jamie Walker's cooly-taken goal in the first half gives the Bantams a slender advantage ahead of heading up to Cumbria on Saturday, but Paul Simpson's side rallied well and will feel as if they should've come away with more.
Carlisle substitute Ryan Edmondson missed a golden opportunity to equalise with 15 minutes to go when he headed over a sumptuous Jack Armer cross. In front of a League Two semi-final record of 20,575 spectators, Bradford defended resolutely and ensured a 1-0 win against the side they finished level on points over the regular season.
Their clash in Yorkshire followed a somewhat surprise 1-0 victory for Salford over Stockport in Saturday night's clash at the Peninsula Stadium. Matt Smith's header proved to be the difference, meaning that Gary Neville and co were chuffed at half-time.
