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Downing still targets top-seven
Middlesbrough, 12:24, October 31, 2008 ,
Stewart Downing is still confident Middlesbrough can secure a top-seven finish this season after the 2-0 win against Manchester City.
The 24-year-old England international winger is delighted with the way Boro have come back after a recent 5-0 thrashing against Chelsea by taking four points from the past two games at Blackburn on Saturday and at home to City on Wednesday. And with Gianfranco Zola's injury and suspension hit Hammers at the Riverside on Saturday, Downing does not want the players to waste a great opportunity to push further on from their current ninth position.
Downing, who revealed in the summer he expected Gareth Southgate's side to finish in the top seven this term, told the Gazette: "I think we've been in this position a thousand times and we've lost control of it.
"Like I've said before, my aim at the start of the season was to finish in the top seven. I believe we can do that.
"It's a big game tomorrow, though, and we have to take advantage because if you lose in this league you go down a lot of places and if you win you can climb a lot of places.
"Winning and losing in this league is touch and go. West Ham will be thinking it's time we got a win. We lost heavily a couple of weeks ago but managed to build again.
"It's going to be a heck of a game, I'm sure they'll come at us but I don't think we'll sit back because we need to win.
"We've just got to be patient, keep doing the things we've been doing and we'll get a result."