Daniel Ayala scored a 91st-minute winner as Middlesbrough beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium on Friday evening.
The centre-back, featuring for the first time this season, blasted the ball past Sam Johnstone in the first minute of added time.
Boro had the better of the chances across the 90 minutes, but Albion came closest to scoring prior to the late twist as Aden Flint's miscued clearance came back off the crossbar.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Championship clash between Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion at the Riverside Stadium. We are just a few weeks into the season and already we have a huge match on our hands at the top end of the division, as two sides many people backed to go up automatically this term face off in the North-East.
Boro have won their last three matches after drawing against Millwall on the opening weekend - what a huge point that could turn out to be, having found themselves two goals down late on - while West Brom have won back-to-back games after stuttering on the back of their relegation from the Premier League. Three points separate the sides heading into this opening fixture of the EFL weekend, with the winners able to make top spot their own.
MIDDLESBROUGH TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Randolph; Flint, Fry, Ayala; Shotton, Clayton, Howson, Friend; Downing; Braithwaite, Assombalonga
SUBS: Dimi, McNair, Leadbitter, Besic, Wing, Fletcher, Hugill
The big news as far as Middlesbrough are concerned is that Daniel Ayala is deemed fit enough to come into the side, meaning that Tony Pulis - axed by West Brom a little over a year ago - has named three recognised centre-backs in his starting lineup. That will presumably mean Ayala partnering Aden Flint and Dael Fry in a very strong looking backline, with Ryan Shotton and George Friend operating as wing-backs.
Lewis Wing, who has started three of Boro's league games this term, is the unfortunate player to make way for Ayala on the back of the 2-0 win over Bristol City last weekend. There is also a place on the bench for Muhamed Besic, who completed his temporary return to the club on Thursday following a stint on loan last term, while Jordan Hugill - another brought in on loan for the duration of the season - could also be given some minutes in the second half.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Johnstone; Adarabioyo, Hegazi, Bartley; Gibbs, Livermore, Brunt, Phillips; Barnes; Gayle, Rodriguez
SUBS: Myhill, Robson-Kanu, Morrison, Burke, Barry, Dawson, Field
I make that an unchanged starting lineup named by Darren Moore, which is not all that surprising considering Albion smashed seven past Queens Park Rangers in their last outing. Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez is a fantastic strike partnership for this level, with the duo capable of surpassing 20 goals each in the second tier, while Matt Phillips, Harvey Barnes, Jake Livermore and Chris Brunt will also feel that they should still be operating at a higher level.
Kyle Bartley was brought in during the off-season and links up with Ahmed Hegazi in the heart of defence, while Arsenal academy product Kieran Gibbs and Manchester City loanee Tosin Adarabioyo are used at full-back. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has plenty of experience at this level, too, having most recently impressed during his year at Aston Villa. Much like Boro, this is a very talented group and one that you would expect to challenge for a top-two spot.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Middlesbrough are winless in their last eight meetings with West Bromwich Albion in all competitions since a 2-0 loss in February 2006. The Baggies's last trip to the Riverside Stadium outside of the top flight came in September 209 when claiming a 5-0 win under Roberto Di Matteo. Boro, incidentally, were managed by Gareth Southgate that day.
Boro's opening-day 2-2 draw at Millwall would have felt like three points thanks to the manner of their late comeback. Since then they have not been so prolific in the latter stages of games, having failed to net beyond the 32nd minute in their last three league outings. Not that it matters - the Smoggies have since defeated Sheffield Wednesday 3-0, Birmingham City 1-0 and Bristol City 2-0.
Despite his side's impressive start to the season - they are being kept off top spot on goal difference alone, remember - Pulis has made clear that he is after more signings. Whether that will be the case now that Muhamed Besic has been added to the squad remains to be seen, but the Welshman certainly feels that the loss of Patrick Bamford, Adama Traore and Ben Gibson - among others - has left Boro substantially weaker.
West Brom have had more of a mixed start, following up a shock 2-1 loss to surprise package Bolton Wanderers on the opening day with a decent 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest a few days later. Wins over Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers - scoring 11 goals in the process and conceding four - has put them right back on track, though, and top spot is now within reach. That said, Moore will no doubt see a point as a good return from this fixture.
West Brom are on seven points from their first four games, with their 13 goals making them the top scorers in the country at this stage. That is a far cry from their poor attacking play last autumn when Pulis was still at the helm, and the Welshman was eventually sacked after a 10-match winless run that left the Baggies sitting a point above the dropzone. Pulis insisted this week, however, that he would have kept them up had he been retained.
DID YOU KNOW? Middlesbrough have won 12 of their last 14 matches on a Friday night in all competitions, drawing and losing the other two. That solitary defeat came in their most recent outing on the fifth day of the week, however, as they suffered defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers in March en route to finishing in the playoffs.
With kickoff now less than two minutes away at the Riverside Stadium, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Tony Pulis: "I hope [Darren] makes a good manager because there is not a better person I have met in football as a human being. He is a wonderful lad. When he was my captain at Portsmouth, he was just fabulous, he gave everything. He was limited but he could lead battleships out of water, he was that good. I'm pleased he got the job and he has a good team there and the appointment of Graham Jones is a good decision that will help him."
Darren Moore: "[Tony's] experience is there for all to see, he's had a wonderful career and is still having one. He was very good for me. When I did my Pro Licence Tony presented me with the award. I'm very fond of him and still class him as a real good friend. I was delighted to have the opportunity to work with him. I owe him a lot in terms of my development as both a player and as a head coach."
KICKOFF: West Bromwich Albion get us up and running against Middlesbrough on Teesside in this opening EFL fixture of the weekend. An intriguing clash on our hands, with top spot up for grabs for the winning team.
Boro retaining possession well in the early stages of the game, slowly trying to work the ball forward. The first shot of the match arrives from a mistake deep in Albion's half, but Martin Braithwaite could not find the target from range.
CLOSE! An early chance for Middlesbrough to take the lead, as a cross into the area is met by the head of Jonny Howson. The ball appeared to be on target, only for it to hit the backside of Britt Assombalonga on its way through and end wide.
The home side have started this contest the better, sending a shot wide through Braithwaite and coming even closer through that Howson header. Up the other end, a couple of crosses into the area were dealt with easily enough by the Boro backline.
OFF THE BAR! Aden Flint is a very relieved man right now. Harvey Barnes sent a dangerous delivery in from the right and Flint swung a boot at it in an attempt to clear, but only succeeded in sending the ball against the frame of his own goal.
The ball is swung into the middle where Assombalonga, still not quite at full flow this season, is waiting to gather. Albion's backline stepped up in unison, though, and the Boro striker was caught a fair way offside.
Both sides have come close to opening the scoring inside the opening 13 minutes of this match at the riverside Stadium. It has been evenly-matched on the whole, as many predicted it would be before a ball was kicked.
A decision for the referee to make, as George Friend's flick over Adarabioyo appeared to be stopped by the Man City loanee's hand. Not saying it was a penalty, but the full-back was taking a bit of a risk by having his arm out.
SAVE! A first save for Darren Randolph to make, as Harvey Barnes cut inside from the left and got a weak effort down the middle - the simplest of stops. End-to-end stuff at the moment, which will hopefully remain the case throughout.
SAVE! Continuing the end-to-end theme, Stewart Downing was given too much room on the edge of the opposition box and let leash, sending a shot down the middle for Sam Johnstone to palm clear. So little between the two teams so far.
Chris Brunt, who boasts a fine set-piece delivery, sends a shot well wide of the opposition target. That was Albion's fourth attempt of the evening, compared to five for Boro - it is one apiece in terms of on-target efforts.
Middlesbrough are looking very solid at the moment - no real surprise that they have kept three clean sheets in a row. Albion will need to be a little more creative than they have been so far from open play; their best chance coming from a terrible Flint clearance.
It is 3-5-2 up against 3-4-1-2 at the Riverside Stadium, if you were wondering. Middlesbrough wanted a penalty a couple of minutes ago for a shirt pull inside the box, but the referee was having none of it.
SHOT! Not the worst attempt from Jonny Howson, who took the ball past a couple of Albion players and then dragged the ball wide of Sam Johnstone's goal. The game gone a bit stale over the last five or six minutes, so hopefully that kickstarts things a little.
There is a real scramble inside the Albion box as they struggle to deal with a set-piece. The visitors do not look as settled at the back as their opponents, and it is the Smoggies who are looking the more likely to make a breakthrough.
We have passed the half hour mark at the Riverside Stadium and it is still goalless. Boro have managed a couple of attempts on target compared to one for Albion, but it is the visitors who have come closest through Flint's miscued clearance onto his own bar.
The home side are enjoying a sustained spell of dominance now deep in Albion's half. Britt Assombalonga gets in behind but does not really have any options, so winning a corner kick was the best outcome when firing the ball into the middle.
Not seen a great deal of Albion's attacking players over the past 10 minutes, and Dwight Gayle has barely had a touch all evening. The Smoggies are starting to tighten their grip on proceedings now, with 10 minutes of the first half to go.
CHANCE! Boro are closing in on that opening goal now. Good play from Martin Braithwaite to start the move, cutting inside his man and squaring it for Jonny Howson, who in turn lays off Britt Assombalonga. The striker allowed the ball to run across his body in front of goal, though, and it was cleared for a corner.
The ball is headed over the bar by Daniel Ayala from the corner. The first quarter of the match was pretty balanced, but since then it has been all about Boro. Their inability to put the ball in the back of the net may concern Tony Pulis a little.
Harvey Barnes powers away from his man down the left, but the attempted layoff for Dwight Gayle is overhit. The Newcastle united loanee must be incredibly frustrated, though you would not put it past him to net from his first opening when it does arrive.
This has been a decent enough half of football, but we are petering towards its conclusion at the moment. Middlesbrough have been the better side, particularly when it comes to creating openings in the final third of the field.
As things stand, remember, Boro are top of the table. A point would not be the worst return from what is a tough fixture, but Pulis will be keen to take all three against his former side. Half time now just moments away...
HALF TIME: MIDDLESBROUGH 0-0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION
The best chance of the first half came right at the end, and it is one that Martin Braithwaite should have been burying. A loose ball fell nicely for the striker to hit, but he smashed it over the bar from seven yards out. Albion are lucky to still be on level terms at the midway point.
An evenly-contested start to the match saw Jonny Howson's diving header skim the back of Britt Assombalonga and end wide of the target, shortly before a miscued Aden Flint clearance came back off his own crossbar.
Creating chances from open play was proving far easier for the home side as the first half transpired, though, with Stewart Downing sending a shot down the middle for Sam Johnstone to deal with and Howson then dragging wide after taking the ball past a couple of men.
Boro, winners in 12 of their last 14 Friday night fixtures, tightened their grip on proceedings in the final stages of the first half and created two more good opportunities. Assombalonga failed to squeeze the ball in from close range following some slick play from Howson and Martin Braithwaite, and the latter blasted over an even better chance when the ball fell kindly to him seven yards out.
BENCH WATCH!
MIDDLESBROUGH SUBS: Dimi, McNair, Leadbitter, Besic, Wing, Fletcher, Hugill
WEST BROMWICH ALBION SUBS: Myhill, Robson-Kanu, Morrison, Burke, Barry, Dawson, Field
KICKOFF: We are back under way on Teesside, where neither manager has made any changes at the break. Hal Robson-Kanu was sent to warm-up and was a good shout to come on, but Darren Moore has decided to stick with the same XI that started the match.
SAVE! Daniel Ayala, back in the side tonight following his return from injury, gets to the ball in front of his man but cannot quite direct the ball either side of Sam Johnstone. That all came from a George Friend long throw into the area.
CLOSE! Britt Assombalonga with his best moment of the match, taking the ball past two men and sticking it up for Ryan Shotton at the back post. Kieran Gibbs got in the wing-back's way, doing enough to put him off - the header ended over the bar.
SAVE! Boro are seriously knocking on the door now. Ryan Shotton swings the ball in, Martin Braithwaite heads it goalwards and Sam Johnstone helped it past his post. Moments later Albion broke forward, however, and Dwight Gayle shot over the bar under pressure from Clayton.
I predicted that Gayle, despite being on the periphery, would eventually get a chance and probably bury it. Not quite - that on-loan striker should have been doing better when slipped through by Phillips, but he could not keep his cool.
YELLOW CARD! The first booking of the evening is shown to Adarabioyo for pulling back on Assombalonga, who was waiting to burst clear. The match has gone a little sloppy now, with Jake Livermore miscuing a shot over the bar when put under a little pressure.
West Brom are starting to enjoy a spell of possession now, but a disappointed delivery into the box ends with the ball going out of play. The hour mark is fast approaching - which manager will be first to blink at the Riverside Stadium?
YELLOW CARD! Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala joins Adarabioyo in the referee's book for halting the run of Barnes. Some grappling takes place in the Albion box, this time on Kyle Bartley, but once again the referee waves away any penalty appeals.
Not been a great deal of chances over the past 10 minutes or so. Moore may be tempted to turn to Robson-Kanu, who has the ability to make something happen, in the next few minutes. Stewart Downing thumps a half-volley high into the stands.
YELLOW CARD! A third yellow card in quick succession, this time for Jay Rodriguez. Dwight Gayle was guilty of committing an infringement, but it was his strike partner who entered the referee's book for dissent - he would not let it go.
SAVE! Darren Randolph with his first serious save of the evening, producing a decent stop to keep out Jay Rodriguez's audacious effort from all of 35 yards. Good concentration from the home goalkeeper, having been a spectator for large parts.
Howson skips away from one challenge and continues his run before laying it off for Clayton. The ball arrives towards the back post where Martin Braithwaite was waiting to meet it on the volley, but Matt Phillips got back to head the ball clear.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION SUBS! Tosin Adarabioyo and Harvey Barnes have been withdrawn for the visitors with 20 minutes to go. Former Boro man James Morrison and centre-back Craig Dawson come on for the remainder of the match.
Dawson, who was pushing for a move away in the summer, should shore up Albion's backline as Adarabioyo had a couple of shaky moments. West Brom have been the better side over the past 10 minutes or so, but they have not really warranted a goal.
YELLOW CARD! The yellow card count is ticking along nicely in this second period. Ryan Shotton brings down Kyle Bartley, who was about to start a counter attack from deep. A little over 15 minutes for one of these sides to find a winning goal from somewhere.
MIDDLESBROUGH SUB! A good reception for Muhamed Besic from the bench on his first outing since returning to the club on loan. Stewart Downing, who has put in a good shift tonight, makes way. Not a great deal of action at the moment.
On the basis of what we have seen so far, neither side look as though they have that cutting edge to find a breakthrough goal. Dwight Gayle's attempted back-heeled pass towards Jay Rodriguez is all wrong, summing up his evening nicely.
Another terrible shot drifts wide of the Albion goal. This opening EFL fixture of the weekend has not quite lived up to expectations, although it has had its moments and we really should have seen a goal by now. Ten minutes to go...
A winning goal now for either side really could prove massive in the grand scheme of things. We are only three weeks into the season, but one or two points so often proves the difference between promotion and another season in the Championship.
Starting to get the impression that both managers are happy with a point at this stage. Jordan Hugill was brought on for Britt Assombalonga a moment or two ago, so Pulis and adversary Moore are left with one alteration each.
A well-worked Albion corner ends with Chris Brunt firing over the bar from the edge of the box while off balance. A very quiet end to this game, but how often do we see late twists and turns in this division. This one is not over just yet!
MIDDLESBROUGH SUB! Martin Braithwaite is taken off an Paddy McNair introduced in his place for the closing stages - an attacker for a defender. Hal Robson-Kanu is also on for Dwight Gayle, who has been disappointing tonight.
GOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION (DANIEL AYALA)
I did say we may see a late twist! In the first minute of added time, the returning Daniel Ayala swung his boot at a loose ball and found the bottom corner to surely earn Middlesbrough all three points! A cruel blow for Albion.
A great finish from Daniel Ayala, that, after Albion failed to deal with a free kick into the box. Boro were going top with a point; they are now going clear with all three. That is unless, of course, the visitors can find a leveller here.
FULL TIME: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION
The match may not have lived up to expectation - in the second half, at least - but we did at least have a dramatic twist right at the end. Middlesbrough looked as though they were happy with the point, leading to a few groans from the stands, but up popped the returning Daniel Ayala right at the death to bury the ball past Sam Johnstone and earn all three points for his side.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from the Riverside Stadium. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, and be sure to join us tomorrow afternoon for updates from across the Premier League. See you then!
