PATRICK BAMFORD has expressed satisfaction at Middlesbrough’s six-point haul from this week’s games against Ipswich and Derby, but warned his team-mates the wins will count for nothing if they do not round things off with another positive performance at Bournemouth this weekend.

Bamford’s coolly-taken winner secured a 1-0 win at Derby’s Ipro Stadium on Tuesday night and lifted the Teessiders back into an automatic promotion position with eight games of the season remaining.

A week that has long been billed as a potentially decisive moment in the promotion chase could hardly have started any better for Boro, but things will not get any easier as they look ahead to a trip to Bournemouth’s Goldsands Stadium on Saturday.

Eddie Howe’s side could only draw at Cardiff on Tuesday, but they have lost just three of their 19 home games this season and will be targeting Boro’s visit as an opportunity to reignite their own promotion push ahead of the forthcoming international break.

“It’s great to have come back as strongly as we have,” said Bamford, who now boasts 16 goals in all competitions this season. “The most important thing was always going to be taking six points from the two games because that’s changed the picture at the top of the table again.

“Hopefully, we’re building back our momentum at the right time, but straight after the game at Derby, everyone was sitting in the dressing room and saying we can’t just sit on these two wins and think that our job is done.

“We’ve got to go to Bournemouth now and try to win again. There’s no point getting these two good results, and playing as well as we have, if we then go and throw it all away at Bournemouth. It’s about keeping that consistency and pushing on.”

Having suffered three defeats in the space of five games against Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest, last week ended with Boro in fourth position, their lowest placing since the start of the year.

This week’s victories have steadied the ship, with the Teessiders showcasing their strength at both ends of the field. Last weekend’s win over Ipswich came courtesy of some slick attacking, with Boro scoring four goals in a game for the first time since early December.

Tuesday’s victory was more about work rate, commitment and defensive solidity, with Boro’s players successfully shackling Derby’s creative talents before Bamford struck the decisive blow on the break.

When the Teessiders are at their best, it is hard to think of a more complete side in the division, and while their upcoming opponents will no doubt have noted the quality of their last two displays, Bamford does not believe the proof of Boro’s all-round strength will have come as a surprise.

“I think most teams in the league probably feared us anyway,” he said. “We’ve had a little bit of a blip, but everyone has a blip at some point in the season and it’s about getting your consistency back as quickly as you can.

“We’re starting another little run now, but I think every team would have known about us already. Maybe they’re a little bit more fearful now, but who knows?”

Bournemouth’s defenders will certainly not be relishing facing Bamford, who has scored four goals in his last four games at a crucial stage of the campaign.

The Chelsea loanee displayed commendable composure to squeeze home Tuesday’s winner from an extremely acute angle, with his match winner providing the perfect response to the Derby supporters who had been jeering him throughout the game.

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Despite scoring eight goals for the Rams last season, Bamford was regarded as something of a Judas for choosing a season with Boro ahead of a return to the Ipro Stadium, but the booing backfired as the 21-year-old used it as an added motivation.

“The boos spurred me on a bit,” he said. “I didn’t know whether to expect the boos or not, but in the end I quite enjoyed it. I think their two centre-backs must have been told to come out and hack me, even when I didn’t have the ball, but I quite enjoyed the whole thing.”

Derby boss Steve McClaren admitted Bamford’s “one moment of quality” had proved decisive, a comment that raised further questions about his reluctance to play the England Under-21 international as a central striker for most of last season.

“Both times we’ve played against Derby, I’ve played up front, and both times I’ve scored,” said Bamford. “When I was there, I didn’t really get the opportunity to play up front so maybe that’s the difference.”