Antonio Conte felt we allowed Middlesbrough to grow into and eventually win our FA Cup fifth round tie at the Riverside on Tuesday evening.
Both teams had chances in the 90 minutes and extra time before Josh Coburn won it for the Championship side in the 107th minute, playing a one-two with Matt Crooks before lashing past Hugo Lloris.
Earlier, Harry Kane had a goal disallowed via a narrow offside call in the second half, but Boro also missed two gilt-edged headers from corners. Joe Lumley made key saves from Heung-Min Son, the first from a backheel at the end of the first half of extra time, the second with his legs after Coburn's goal. Lumley then somehow kept out our final chance as Eric Dier’s flick from Son’s corner was deflected on target at point-blank range by Matt Crooks in the 120th minute.
“When you play this type of game, you have to be very good from the start,” reflected Antonio at the Riverside. “We had the chances, but we didn’t take them. You know better than me that in this type of competition, this trophy, it’s not easy to play away, this time against a team in the Championship, Middlesbrough.
“We gave them the confidence to grow into the game and to try to win. It’s a pity because we had the chances to score and to kill the game.
“We have to continue to try to work, to improve and I always say, the important thing for us is to avoid up and down, up and down. There is only one way, to continue to work hard with the players, to try to learn about these defeats. I know this defeat hurts everybody, and we have to be disappointed and frustrated about the final result.”