"We were down to just 16 fit players but they were resilient and had the desire and will to win," the Boro boss said after the 1-0 win at Pompey.
"People probably looked at us and thought we'd be rolled over at a place like Portsmouth, but I was delighted by the attitude we showed.
"We showed all the qualities we didn't show in the defeats against West Ham and Birmingham and it just shows you what you can achieve."