GARETH Southgate believes his side paid the ultimate price for their profligacy in front of goal.

Middlesbrough were a class above in the first half, creating 17 chances in the game, and it looked like they were on course to humiliate the visitors.

If it wasn't for some inspired goalkeeping from Ali Al-Habsi, and some poor finishing from the Boro forwards, the home side would have gone in at the interval well ahead.

However, it was Gary Megson's battlers who were the dominant force in the second period and it was no surprise when Gavin McCann fired home the winner on the hour.

"I was very pleased with how we started and we had the chances in the first 20 minutes to be in a very strong position at half-time," Southgate said.

"They started the second half much better than us. Ross (Turnbull) made a couple of very good saves - I thought he did well - and that should have been a wake-up call for us.

"But we never posed the same threat in the second half and once they scored we weren't clever in the way we played.

"We should have used the width but we were a bit panicky. We went through the middle and played into their hands.

"We stopped doing the things that had caused them problems in the first half.

"That's something we need to learn from, but the biggest thing is we didn't take our chances.

"Had we taken one of them it alters absolutely everything about the game.

"We didn't and we got punished for it."

The Boro boss was also adamant that Boro should have been awarded a penalty just before Wanderers scored when McCann clearly handled Stewart Downing's cross.

"It was a penalty, that was clear from the replays," he said. "I think it was 0-0 at the time and would have been a big influence on the game but there is nothing we can do about that."

Southgate admitted he found it hard to grasp how Boro could suffer defeat to Bolton after good displays against Manchester United and Tottenham in recent weeks.

"We never cease to let ourselves down," he added.

"As I say, if we started the game poorly that would have been a huge concern because everyone would have questioned our attitude and our approach.

"But we started well and we didn't handle the disappointment of coming in level and didn't handle going behind very well.

"They are lessons we have to learn and we need to learn them very quickly.

"We have missed an opportunity today and we have to go to Sunderland next week now and win.

"We always try to look up; we have been in far worse positions. We have given Bolton a lifeline, but it is still in our hands.

"We have got quality but we have to make sure we see it through."