BIRMINGHAM, England (AFP) - Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate intends to contact referees chief Keith Hackett to complain about Steve Bennett after the official's award of a penalty to Aston Villa meant his side had to settle for a 1-1 draw rather than a Premier League win.

Boro have already fallen foul of the Football Association's disciplinary procedures with Jeremie Aliadiere's suspension for a red card in last month's 3-2 defeat at Liverpool extended from three games to four by what the governing body said was a "frivolous" appeal

Southgate insisted he would continue to refuse to criticise officials despite his mounting frustration at his team's disciplinary record.

However, he is now set to contact Hackett about Bennett's performance as he feels the referee was wrong to award a penalty against Luke Young that saw Villa's Gareth Barry's cancel out Stewart Downing's opener to earn the home side a share of the points.

"We'll maintain the policy of not commenting on referees but I do question whether it's helping us," Southgate said after Wednesday's match at Villa Park.

"It always sounds like sour grapes if you go on and on and it won't do us any good but we've got to go through the right channels.

"It will be difficult to get through to Keith Hackett's phone at the moment with everyone else trying to get through to him but that's all we can do," the former England defender added.

"Our disciplinary record doesn't tally with the way we've played over the season but we've got to get on with it."

Boro, just five points above the relegation zone, now face the leading trio of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in their next four matches.

But Southgate insisted his team go into Saturday's match at the Emirates full of confidence.

Record signing Afonso Alves will be a doubt for the game away to the league leaders after missing the Villa draw though sickness but Aliadiere is set to return from suspension against his old club.

"I'm not sure what we'll need to stay up but we've just got to keep picking points up," said Southgate.

"We're going to have to be spot on at Arsenal and no-one will expect us to get anything there but we got a point there last year."

Villa manager Martin O'Neill admitted his side will have to make a major improvement if they are to close the seven-point gap to fifth-placed Everton.

With Tottenham having won the League Cup, only fifth spot guarantees UEFA Cup football next season.

But O'Neill said that should be a catalyst for Villa to strive for an even higher Premier League finish.

His team are currently seven points off Everton with nine games left and O'Neill said: "It should be a great incentive.

"If you know now that is exactly what you have to focus on, this is it, this is what you're going for," the former Northern Ireland midfielder added.

"There's nothing else in front of you and you know that sixth place no longer counts. You've got to go for it, it's as simple as that.

"The Middlesbrough game was an opportunity to stay with the bunch and we didn't take it.

"If we're going to go anywhere we must win. If we're going to be contesting, we have to win football matches when we're not so good.

"Some of games this season, we've been excellent and haven't won but even when we're not playing well enough we should create enough during the course of the game to eek out some chances."