GARY Cahill is happy to head to the Riverside under a lot less pressure than on his last visit.

The centre-half was in the Wanderers side that travelled to Teeside in April needing victory to lift themselves out of the bottom three.

Gavin McCann’s winner was enough to take them above both Birmingham City and Reading, putting the great escape into top gear. So for Cahill, this weekend's trip will bring back some fond memories.

“It was a crucial win,” he said. “It will be great to go back there because we knew after beating Middlesbrough that everything was in our hands. It was a great feeling at the time.

“Gav scored the goal from about a yard out and it was such a boost because it basically secured us. Hopefully we can do the same this time, although there is a lot less pressure on us.”

Cahill was at the centre of last weekend’s drama against Liverpool, with his header on the stroke of half-time disallowed by persona non-gratis, Rob Styles.

However, the 22-year-old says Wanderers have put all thoughts of injustice behind them. “We have got to put all that in the past now. It’s gone,” he said.

“With the greatest respect to Middlesbrough, they have not got the quality of Liverpool – you can see that from a mile off. We were in some really good form before that game and I think we can take a lot of positives from the way we played. In fact if we play the same way as we did in the second half against Liverpool, I’d say we won’t be far away.”

Four points and five places in the table will separate the two sides at start of play with Boro defending a five-match unbeaten run. And Cahill has been impressed by the start made by Gareth Southgate’s side.

“The last few weeks they have done really well,” he said.

“I think they hit a little bit of a dodgy patch early on in the season but they have recovered now and got a really good result at Aston Villa the other week.

“It’s a little bit like ourselves. What we have got to watch out for is that last week’s defeat doesn’t turn into two or three.

“Both the games we have got coming up, at Middlesbrough and Sunderland, are difficult but I think they are both winnable. We’ll go into both games fearing nothing and looking to take three points.”

It isn’t quite do or die, but Cahill does not underestimate the importance of rediscovering the winning touch as quickly as possible.

“It isn’t quite like last time, but you cannot afford to let your foot off the gas in this league,” he said.

“We keep touching on it, but the league is so tight this season that a couple of defeats will suck you right down there.”