Michael Carrick says his Middlesbrough side were left devastated after "shooting themselves in the foot" during Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Preston North End.

Boro dominated in spells, but Paul Heckingbottom's men capitalised on their chances, opening the scoring in the first half through Stefan Thordarson, before substitute Emil Riis landed the dagger blow 12 minutes from time.

Delano Burgzorg levelled proceedings shortly after the restart for the second half - with the north east club in the ascendancy. Ben Doak and Marcus Forss both tested Freddie Woodman. However, as the host rung the changes in the dying embers, ut tipped the contest in their favour as history repeated itself at Deepdale.

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"I think today, as much as any game, was fully there for us," said Carrick. "We were good at a lot of things, for a lot of the game, we defended really well at times and defended the second ball at times.

"We took control for large parts of it then just the drop out. A couple of moments that shoot ourselves in the foot from nowhere. The boys are devastated, I'm devastated, the fans - the disappointment - it’s a horrible day to be sitting here with nothing. We were really good in the game then the second-half was fantastic, kicking towards the supporters - who were incredible, felt like they were going to suck it in.

"That feeling when Delano scored, that emotion, we thought it was going to come again then it ends up going the other way. It's a tough day for us. It was as much as we've had for a long time in terms of the momentum, the supporters, the noise and energy in the ground all for us, it was great for us to be apart of and me witnessing it on the side-lines."

The winning goal was a catalogue of errors from front to back for Boro as the Lillywhites bypassed a timid press before Riis was on hand to arrow in after a mix-up between Luke Ayling and Aidan Morris.

Carrick added: "For it to drop out because of a team moment from their goalkeeper, letting them come through the pitch and the ending, it's not nice to watch - it's not a good watch at all, it’s like; 'Where's that come from boys'? We have shot ourselves in the foot from when all we could see was a goal coming our way, and that's the lesson that we've got to learn, we've got to do something about it.

"You can single out certain individual moments, but it was a collective - from the moment the goalkeeper had it and played through us really. For the whole game we controlled them moments then it was a bit of a mess in the end but it shouldn’t have got to that point.

"We have to [stop those moments], I have to, it's my responsibility. I thought for large parts is as well of an away performance as we get. A couple of drop-offs, it's a tough one to accept. We have to accept it and we have to do better for the whole time. "