Full-time: Barnsley 0 Middlesbrough 2

TO an outsider, Adam Clayton’s red card at Oakwell seemed needless. Middlesbrough must now deal without a key midfielder for a trip to Reading in the Championship next weekend.

But there was much more to it than bad decision making from a team-mate, according to Jelle Vossen.

While Aitor Karanka will not be too pleased to be bereft of his £1.5m summer recruit this coming Saturday, he will be privately satisfied with the reasons for it.

Karanka is a firm believer in the team. Whenever he talks about his group he often refers to the bigger picture rather than the 11 players out on the pitch: from the tea lady, to the centre-forward. He wants everyone at the club to be pulling in the same direction.

With that mindset he has worked since taking over and, particularly this season, he feels the togetherness within the camp has been instrumental in lifting Boro into contention for a top two place. Now it has earned an FA Cup fourth round spot too.

Middlesbrough never had too many problems at Barnsley, but when former Boro striker Leroy Lita looked like breaking free a couple of times in the second half, Clayton stepped in. The first was a pull back nine minutes after half-time, while the second was a slide tackle deliberately aimed at stopping Lita in his tracks 13 minutes from time.

While hardly dangerous, referee Dean Whitestone had little choice but to issue the two cautions and Clayton was off. The fact Daniel Ayala headed in a second goal shortly after certainly helped, but Clayton took a red card for the team.

Vossen, who had hit the opener three minutes after half-time, said: “It was maybe easy for the referee to give Adam the second yellow card. But it shows the mentality we have in the team.

“He had to make the foul, even though it was a light foul. Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice for a team and that’s what he did. We now have to go to Reading and get three points without him.

“But we have a very large, good squad and we are using everybody. We need everyone until the end of the season. That’s why the gaffer has to pick his team, and make the right choices.”

After Rhys Williams’ early withdrawal because of another Achilles injury, Karanka had to tinker again. Dean Whitehead, back in central midfield, switched to right-back, while Tottenham loanee Milos Veljkovic slotted into the middle.

Karanka will have Tamas Kalas available at Reading following his loan from Chelsea. Ryan Fredericks could be in contention after shrugging off injury.

Karanka has options and keeping the team happy and hungry is what he believes keeps his players determined to drive forward. His rotation policy has benefited the squad as a whole so far.

Whatever decisions he has made, more often than not they have had a positive effect. Vossen, who initially struggled to force his way into the starting line-up after his loan from Genk, is clearly enjoying himself now.

He had already looked sharp in the first half and then he pounced on a Kike through ball two minutes after the restart by firing beyond ex-Boro keeper Ross Turnbull for his fifth goal in six matches.

“I am enjoying it. I have played a lot of games in the last few weeks and scored goals,” said Vossen. “That’s the way I wanted it to be. We are giving everything for the team and that’s what I will always do.

“We are doing better at the moment. I am enjoying my football and it’s always better when you win games and score goals. The last weeks have been better than the first weeks I was here when I was not playing too much. I am scoring goals and feel a bigger part of the team. That’s better and I am looking to keep doing the same thing for the next few weeks.”

Tomas Mejias, drained of confidence at the start of the campaign, was solid in goal on his return to the side, with Dimi Konstantopoulos rested. James Husband regularly joined in with attacks down the left and sent over a number of teasing centres too.

Boro, who were denied a couple of first half goals by Turnbull, completed the win by adding a second, but only after Clayton’s red card.

Just as Barnsley sensed they might be able to claw level, Boro counter-attacked and earned a corner six minutes before full-time. Grant Leadbitter, introduced to add steel after going down to ten men, sent over the delivery, Ayala moved ahead of his marker and his header was helped in off the post by Turnbull.

Karanka said: "The main thing is to get through so the work is done. It wasn't easy because when we lost Clayton it was a different game. I'd have been happier if we'd scored our chances. We have to improve and keep concentrating. If we'd have scored earlier it would have been different, but at least the job is done.”