Middlesbrough 0, Albion 0

Momentum can be precious in the quest for success.

Middlesbrough have lost it entering the play-offs but, as Albion know to their cost, it does not necessarily count for much in the end-of-season shoot-outs.

The Seagulls entered them on a high two years in a row and departed on a low in the semi-finals both times.

Too much should not be read into the impact on Boro's chances against Brentford of their automatic promotion hopes ending with an eventful defeat at Fulham and a bore draw which prevented them holding onto third place from Chris Hughton's old club Norwich.

The slate is wiped clean, the 46 matches that have gone before become irrelevant. The third promotion place will hinge on moments of inspiration, mistakes and big referee calls in two, or three, games.

Similarly, Albion's dismal conclusion to the campaign under Hughton of five defeats, two 0-0 draws and one goal, which dropped them from a cosy 16th to an uncomfortable 20th, will not matter a jot when the Championship battle gets under way in early August.

What does matter is the momentum lost by Albion as a club over a sustained period.

They had it in abundance going into the play-offs under Gus Poyet against Crystal Palace two years ago.

They have been in decline ever since. It began gradually, thanks to the efforts of Oscar Garcia and Nathan Jones and a hardcore of senior pros.

The descent hastened dramatically this season with the high-risk appointment of Sami Hyypia and a squad eroded further of quality and character.

Supporters are tetchy on a previously unseen scale in the Amex era, despite renewing their seats in surprisingly high numbers.

Momentum can be more easily regained from short-term fluctuations in form than a long-term rot.

This is the extra challenge facing Hughton next season. He needs to change not just a team but the mood.

To manage that, to assemble a squad equipped to restore the club's fortunes, he will have to find the right blend to cope with the rigours of the division.

"It's trying to get that balance with experience but also having youthful legs," he said after a drab closing stalemate ill-suited to the biggest Football League crowd of the season.

"This league is such a tough, demanding league. We have seen Derby, who for a big chunk of the season looked the best team in this division, not making the play-offs.

"It shows how difficult this season is to sustain it for a full season. You certainly need the legs where it counts."

Hughton went for fresh legs, naming seven players aged 25 or under in his final starting line-up.

Christian Walton added to his clean sheet on his League debut at home to Wigan in November with another, attained routinely against a lacklustre Boro.

Albion's plans for Walton make sense. They will groom the England under-20s prospect to become No. 1 eventually by loaning him out to gain more experience, in much the same way as Stoke have handled England under-21s keeper Jack Butland.

Lewis Dunk, captain Gordon Greer's player of the season and mine, had a fine game.

Hughton said: "I thought he was excellent." He was also pleased with the contribution of Kazenga LuaLua, who can elate and frustrate you in equal measure.

"I thought he did well in both parts of his game," Hughton remarked.

"When he had to get back defensively he did. He also gave us an outlet but, of course, you want more at the end of it."

Add to that a solid return from Rohan Ince, a good performance from Jake Forster-Caskey in an unfamiliar right-sided role and the potential of Dale Stephens' midfield partnership with Beram Kayal and you have energetic promise for the future.

Some experience will be needed as well. On the bench 16-year-old debutant James Tilley was engulfed by players almost old enough to be his dad.

Tilley's briefest of introductions in place of Forster-Caskey, in what turned out to be a matter of seconds before the final whistle, prompted some petty criticism of Hughton on social media.

He had, after all, fast-tracked a schoolboy into the squad. Days ago it would have been beyond the dreams of Tilley to be in the travelling party, yet alone on the pitch.

The flak is indicative of the mood swing Hughton somehow has to orchestrate. There have been bountiful reasons for legitimate moans this season but pedantic mountains have sometimes been made of molehills.

The fourth 0-0 away draw of Hughton's tenure was ensured by the centre-forwards of both sides failing to capitalise on a clear chance apiece deep into the second half of a stalemate otherwise light on obvious openings.

Chris O'Grady knocked a cross from Greg Halford, who found plenty of space as an adventurous right-back, over the bar on the volley from inside the six-yard box.

Shortly afterwards the ball broke kindly for Kike inside the penalty area but the Spanish replacement for the injured Patrick Bamford lacked the conviction to beat Walton.

Keeping out the opposition has not been a problem for either team. Boro have the best defensive record in the division, Albion the best of any side outside the top six with the exception of Sheffield Wednesday.

The headache for Hughton is at the other end of the pitch. That will not be easy to solve, especially without heavy funding.

He did not feel the chill, like the rest of us, in the North-East. Hughton became accustomed to the climate at Newcastle, where he won the Championship.

For Albion to become top six contenders again, yet alone emulate Bournemouth, is going to require cute recruitment and more investment from Tony Bloom in a hectic summer.

We can only wish Hughton luck in trying to rediscover that momentum. I get the feeling he is going to need it.