ALBERT ADOMAH felt he scored an acceptable goal against Leeds United on Saturday, but believes this is the first bump on what will be a long journey for Middlesbrough this season.

Boro won their first two games of the season, beating Birmingham 2-0 and winning 3-0 at Oldham in the Capital One Cup, but came unstuck at Elland Road over the weekend.

Leeds scored an 85th minute winner through Billy Sharp, after Adomah’s acrobatic shot was ruled out on 25 minutes for dangerous play by referee Stuart Attwell.

But Adomah, while disappointed, knows that the season is young and that there will be many more twists and turns to come.

“It’s a shame. I thought it was a well-taken goal, but the referee obviously thought differently, he saw a high foot and disallowed the goal,” said Adomah.

“Everyone thought it was a goal. Even the linesman. I was speaking to the linesman afterwards and he said it was down to the referee. At the end of the day it’s down to the referee.

“It’s only two games in, we’ve lost one and won one. There are 44 games left. There’s no need to be disappointed, it’s a long haul. That’s football, we’re just trying to win games.”

Adomah was one of two Middlesbrough players to represent his country in the World Cup over the summer, alongside Kenneth Omeruo, and the Ghanaian feels that international experience counts for a lot in the Championship.

“It’s always a positive when you have international players,” said Adomah. “Not just players who have played in a World Cup like myself and Kenneth, but to have players who have represented their country. It helps things, and brings a bit of experience.

“It’s great to have Kenneth back at the club, he brings a bit of experience. He was solid as a rock today. Yes, we conceded, but he brings a lot to the team.

“Every season the squad gets stronger, it improves year on year, but you need a strong squad because it’s a long season, 44 games plus cup games.”

Adomah wants Middlesbrough to emulate the likes of Norwich City, who have gained promotion to the Premier League without being runaway winners.

“The only team in the Championship that I have seen lose two games on the spin but still go up was Norwich, if we can emulate that we could be the same,” said the Lambeth-raised winger. “Of course, it’s still early days, but that’s an example of how to get out of this league.”