Middlesbrough 0 Bristol City 0:

Bradley Orr is one of those footballers who wears his heart on his sleeve, and he spoke of his complete relief at having put the record straight at the Riverside.

Cowed and embarrassed by the 6-0 home defeat suffered at the hands of Cardiff a few days earlier, Orr and his City team-mates arrived in the north-east under immense pressure to put the record straight and restore lost pride.

Given the impact another setback might have had on already fragile confidence, a fixture against opponents packed with Premier League firepower and experience represented an acid test. The fact City came through it unscathed spoke volumes for their strength of character.

City displayed those qualities of doggedness and determination that are so essential when the chips are down, in the process keeping a notable clean sheet at one of the Championship's more intimidating venues to return with a hard-earned draw which could yet prove a turning point in a season which could still go either way.

"This was a massive test for everyone involved and I think we proved a point," said Orr, whose success in nullifying highly-rated winger Adam Johnson proved so crucial. "It was very important for the team, because we knew that all eyes would be on us and that we were under a lot of pressure to react in a positive way.

"Losing to Cardiff like we did was embarrassing and unacceptable, and the last few days were absolutely horrible. I know there are worse things happening in the world, but when it's your job and you care so much about what you do, the hurt goes really deep.

"I hardly slept a wink after last Tuesday. I didn't want to come out of my house and I didn't want to answer my phone. I just wanted the Middlesbrough game to come around as quickly as possible so I could react and put things right.

"I'm delighted for everyone involved, the staff, the players and the fans who made the long journey and gave us such great support."

As a spectacle, this stalemate will hardly live long in the memory. But the significance of the result and performance for City cannot be over-emphasised and Orr made no apology for the lack of entertainment. He added: "It wasn't a pretty game of football, but we showed doggedness, determination and the kind of attitude which will hopefully get people back on side.

"We wanted to show everybody how much wearing the shirt means to us and we wanted them to know that we always go out there and give it our all. We couldn't say that after the Cardiff game, because we let a lot of people down.

"More than anyone, we let the fans down. After all, they are the ones who turn up, pay their money and keep us in a job. Without the fans, there would be no football club, and the least they should be able to expect is determination, pride and a bit of bottle.

"To come to a place like Middlesbrough and keep a clean sheet is a nice feeling. We showed that we're not going to throw the towel in and that we're prepared to be men and stand up to be counted."

Boro boss Gordon Strachan may be in the process of re-shaping a squad which suffered relegation last season, but the Teesiders still possess sufficient Premier League quality to worry most Championship defences. Orr's domination of the dangerous Johnson, the subject of a £9 million bid from Manchester City, proved decisive. With their most creative force effectively shackled, Middlesbrough seldom threatened Dean Gerken's goal.

"Adam Johnson is arguably the best left winger outside of the Premier League and I was delighted to be up against him," said Orr. "If ever there was a chance for me to stand up and be counted, it was against a player of his quality. There was some good banter going on between us and I'm delighted to have come away with my reputation intact after probably getting the better of him."

Nevertheless, the best of the few clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities which materialised in a game of few chances fell to the home side and a City side which appeared nervous could easily have fallen behind had Liam Fontaine not executed a perfectly-timed tackle to deny Leroy Lita in the first minute.

Thereafter, the visitors visibly grew in confidence and new signings Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Patrick Agyemang threatened an upset, the former testing keeper Danny Coyne with a swerving drive and the latter sending a header inches over from a corner.

City fans sensed an opportunity to poach a memorable victory when Boro midfielder Barry Robson was sent off in the 57th minute after being shown a second yellow card for a foul on Nicky Maynard. But Boro reorganised and rallied successfully, and wasted a wonderful opportunity to break the deadlock when David Wheater headed over from Gary O'Neil's free-kick.