Middlesbrough manager Steve Agnew has demanded a reaction from his side following their 4-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth on Saturday.
Boro welcome fellow strugglers Sunderland to the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night with both sides knowing that anything other than a victory is likely to effectively condemn them to relegation from the Premier League.
Agnew is hopeful that his side's home advantage will prove to be key in the North-East clash and is "confident" that they can boost their survival hopes with a victory.
"If we have a good night and an enjoyable and vocal night, and we can walk away from the stadium saying it was a fantastic performance full of intensity, then I'm very confident we can come away with three points," he told reporters.
"The players are desperate to put on a performance for the fans and there has to be a reaction after the disappointment of Saturday."
Boro are winless in their last 16 Premier League games, leaving them nine points from safety with only five games of their season remaining.
Barney Corkhill
