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Wednesday night's slim 1-0 victory over their doomed North East rivals Sunderland gave some sorely needed buoyancy to Steve Agnew's stuttering survival bid in the Middlesbrough hot seat. The lip service paid to the media and fans might speak of battling until relegation becomes a question of cold mathematics, but the situation remains bleak. What's more important is the impetus that can be gained from some hopefully heartening displays before the end of the season.