Villa started the day 14th, one place behind Boro on goal difference, but ended it in 10th after a 3-1 win at the Riverside Stadium.

The visitors trailed after goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen fumbled Fabio Rochemback's 13th-minute free-kick into his own net, but hit back in devastating fashion to claim the points.

O'Neill said: "We have been on a really decent run recently. We had a good start and we got ourselves through a tricky period.

"It has been a long, long season but it stands us in decent stead.

"I have often said despite the fact we got off to a decent start, it is premature to shout things as it was premature to write us off as well.

"Where we finish at the end of the season after 38 games is exactly where we will deserve to be."

Midfielder Craig Gardner dragged Villa back into the game on the stroke of half-time with his first senior goal just seconds after Adam Johnson had passed up a glorious opportunity to make it 2-0.

But the visitors, who had started brightly, saved the best for the second half with substitute Luke Moore drilling home from close range on 70 minutes before Stiliyan Petrov completed the job 13 minutes from time.

O'Neill said: "It was a great second half by us and we deserved to win.

"We started off brightly, had a chance and spurned it. Then we conceded a poor goal and were on the back foot.

"But we got a little break just before half-time. It was a well-worked goal and it gave us that impetus and obviously deflated Middlesbrough, and the second half belonged to us."

O'Neill's delight was mirrored by Sorensen's relief, although the manager was not too critical of his goalkeeper.

He said: "It happened. He has dealt with things like that before. Eventually, it is not a problem, we got through.

"It might have been a different story had we not."

Boro boss Gareth Southgate was hugely disappointed with a performance which left his side in 14th place, just seven points clear of the drop zone.

He said: "It was very poor. Villa were better than us all over the field and they thoroughly deserved the win.

"I do not want to say too much because I think I will say something I will regret. I want time to think about it and analyse it a bit more.

"I have got a group of lads who have been terrific for me. Their attitude has been great throughout the season and many of them have performed to the maximum of their abilities.

"But we did not do that today and in this division, we are not a good enough side to be able to get away with that. Unfortunately, we got what we deserved."

The home side played without in-form Socceroos striker Mark Viduka, who was ruled out of the match with a stomach bug. His absence disappointed home fans and his presence was missed throughout.

Boro head for Liverpool on Wednesday and then Premiership leaders Manchester United next weekend with an uncomfortable end to the season ahead of them.

Southgate said: "You are never mathematically out of it until you have those points on the board.

"But we can only affect our own matches and our own performances.

"We have two home games against Tottenham and Fulham still to come, we have got five games to go and we want to take as many points from them as we possibly can."