Middlesbrough boss Steve Agnew has admitted that he is expecting a "really tough match" when travelling to face Bournemouth on the south coast this weekend.

Time is running out for the Smoggies to claw themselves towards Premier League safety, as they sit 19th in the table and six points from safety heading into the final stretch.

Boro, with a game in hand still to play on Hull City in 17th, have a big chance to put some points on the board when they face a Bournemouth side who themselves are still not yet safe from the dreaded drop.

Agnew is happy with the performance from his players in their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal last time out, but confesses to being bemused by their inability to score more regularly.

"It is difficult to put my finger on why it hasn't quite gone in," he told reporters. "What we can do is continue to put the balls into dangerous areas and working on various ways to score a goal. That final touch is something we'd like to see more frequently.

"I was really, really pleased with the intensity [against Arsenal]. We remain confident going into the game at Bournemouth.

"They've done terrific but they'll see this as extra home advantage to get that extra three points to get that bit more security. I have no doubt this is going to be a really tough match but we're determined to get what we need."

Boro also take on Sunderland, Manchester City, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool during the final month of the season.