Boro boss Steve McClaren was delighted with the way his battling side went to Villa Park and kept the Midlands club at bay.
Boro picked up an impressive 0-0 draw and former Villa stars Ugo Ehiogu and Gareth Southgate were the heros, keeping a clean sheet against their old clubs.
He said: "It was a hard-earned point. It is always tough at Villa, but even more so when they are third in the league and proving themselves to be a top-six side."
"We came to frustrate them and got a good point. Southgate and Ehiogu knew the importance of the game. We played it down but they were superb and they have been performing like that for the last few weeks. " McClaren added
Despite praising his old stars, Villa boss John Gregory had a go at Ehiogu's and Southgate's attitude towards him. "I spoke to them when they came off the pitch and told them they had played well. I got a couple of grunts in return," Gregory said.
"I never wanted them to leave and I would prefer it if they were still here." The Villa boss added.
