Middlesbrough held third-place Burnley to a goalless draw on Sunday to see them keep their spot in the top six.
But while the points were shared between the two promotion-chasing teams, Boro defender Dael Fry feels his side displayed a higher quality.
“They’re a good team, a top side in the division, but coming off the pitch, I said to the lads, ‘I think we are a better team than them’,” Fry told BBC Radio Tees.
“Over both games we had against them over the season, we defended well and we created chances.
“There’s no reason we can’t kick on now and challenge.”
Boro fans will be especially pleased to see their club come out with a clean sheet, having led Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 at half-time on Boxing Day before throwing it away as the game ended in a 3-3 draw.
The 27-year-old, who featured in the entire match against the Owls, said that result came as a “shock” but that the negative emotions served as a reminder.
“To concede three goals in the second half, we were all disappointed, and we knew against Burnley that we had to be on our mettle,” Fry added.
“There’s no reason we can’t do that every game, we just need to be more consistent.
“No matter who we play, we’ve got to be 100% committed.”
You can listen to the full post-match reaction on BBC Sounds.
