"It wasn't the best of games but we have got the result we needed," the Boro boss said after the game at The Riverside.
"We can now start to plan and look forward a little bit more convincingly - and there is a lot to improve on.
"We have maintained our status in this league for the best part of ten years which is an achievement, but we want to push on.
"The chairman is keen to push on and we have got to make sure we make the right decisions in the summer."