A much-changed Town side deservedly beat an equally much-changed Middlesbrough side 3-1 at Portman Road to go through to round four of the Worthington Cup. The Blues went one-up in the second minute through Thomas Gaardsøe before Jamie Clapham and then Darren Bent increased the lead. Franck Queudrue hit a late consolation for the Teessiders.
Joe Royle decided to make six changes from the side which lost at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday. James Pullen made his debut for Town in goal while a three-man defence involved Mark Venus, Thomas Gaardsøe and Chris Makin. Hermann Hreidarsson and Fabian Wilnis played as wing-backs with a central midfield three of Jamie Clapham, Jermaine Wright and Tommy Miller. Up front Finidi George played just behind Darren Bent.
Steve McClaren fielded only Franck Queudrue and Szilard Nemeth from the side which lost at Newcastle on Monday, however there were a few more familiar names on display including Allan Johnston, Robbie Stockdale, Tony Vidmar, Carlos Marinelli and Colin Cooper.
Town were ahead within two minutes of the game starting. Jamie Clapham received the ball from Thomas Gaardsøe and took it forward centrally a few yards outside the area. He slipped the ball through to the Dane who had stolen unchecked into the area and chipped the ball over Crossley in the Boro goal as if he did that sort of thing every week.
Despite the early goal chances were few and far between in the early stages. Town had practically all the ball and young keeper James Pullen hardly saw any action at all.
Fabian Wilnis was getting forward well on the right and on 16 he had a shot charged down from a Finidi George lay-off. Town had put together an impressive move down the right which was half-cleared to Jamie Clapham who played the ball in to George.
Darren Bent's pace came into play in the 23rd minute when Wilnis played a ball over the top for him to chase. The striker was about to unleash his shot when a defender got a toe in to dispossess him.
Boro came close to a goal a minute later when Carlos Marinelli played Allan Johnston in on the right. However the Boro youngster hit his shot across the face of the goal with many Town fans expecting a flag to be raised.
Two minutes later Frenchman Franck Queuedrue had a good opportunity to put his side back on terms but blazed over from just a few yards out from Allan Johnston's pass. He was to try again from much further away before very much longer but again saw his effort fly into the North Stand crowd.
There were cheers in the 28th minute as James Pullen caught a corner with ease, something which must have given him confidence.
Finidi George latched onto a fine ball from Tommy Miller on 34 but was dispossessed by the Limahl-haired Andrew Davies as he was about to shoot, although referee Eddie Wolstenholme gave a goal-kick.
James Pullen pulled off his first serious save on 36, tipping a Wilkshire shot over the bar before catching the corner with little ceremony, much to the delight of the North Stand who seemed thoroughly impressed with his performance.
Tommy Miller hit a shot a minute or so later which was deflected wide, but in the 39th minute he was to be involved as Town went two-up. Finidi George flicked the ball into Miller's path in the middle of the pitch 20 yards from goal, and the ex-Hartlepool man played a through-ball to Jamie Clapham, who like Gaardsøe earlier on, had made a run into the box. Like the Dane he made no mistake, lashing the ball past Crossley.
Two goals was too much for the home fans to have expected but three minutes later, it was even more. Colin Cooper's loose ball was picked up by Fabian Wilnis who whipped in a right-wing cross which Darren Bent headed powerfully past the by now fed-up Crossley.
There was even time for Finidi George to make a fifty yard run before the break, however his shot was blocked as he entered the penalty area.
Half-time was as enjoyable for Town fans as it had been for some while with the virtues of the fringe players being extolled by many, particularly keeper James Pullen who had done nothing wrong, although to be fair Middlesbrough had hardly threatened him.
Town came close to a fourth as the second half started, a Fabian Wilnis cross almost falling for Darren Bent inside the six-yard box.
Boro were to have a lot of the play without creating many opportunities to score while the Town defence looked surprisingly comfortable.
Tony Vidmar found his way into the ref's book for a somewhat cynical foul on Finidi George as the Nigerian broke clear of him. Mark Venus hammered the freekick straight at Crossley.
Joe Royle decided to make his first change on 64, Richard Logan coming on for Finidi George who had had moments where he had impressed without ever dominating the game. It was Logan's first senior appearance for the Blues since January 2001 and the FA Cup tie at Morecambe.
Six minutes later Matt Richards came on for his third senior appearance for Town, coming on in place of scorer Thomas Gaardsøe and moving into his customary left-back position.
Boro's Brian Close was the next man into Eddie Wolstenholme's book, in the 77th minute, for a late tackle on Jamie Clapham.
With ten minutes left on the clock Wilkshire was put through one-on-one with Pullen but stabbed his effort wide of the post. It was Boro's best chance of the half so far despite a lot of possession.
Hermann Hreidarsson was clearly enjoying his wing-back role and on 82 he made an enormous mazy run up the field and seemed to try to find himself space for a shot. Instead he poked the ball into the path of Darren Bent whose curling shot from just outside the area beat Crossley and came back off the post just out of reach of Logan.
Ian Westlake made his second senior bow for Town with six minutes left in place of Jamie Clapham.
Boro continued to threaten, Close going very wide with a shot from distance and Dove also wide when well placed. However, Queuedrue was to finally beat Pullen when put through on the left of the penalty area by Johnston, putting the ball into the far corner of the net.
There was just time for the referee to book Mark Wilson for a wild challenge on Tommy Miller and two minutes of injury time before the final whistle went and Town were through to the next round of the Worthington Cup.
Joe Royle will have some interesting decisions to make ahead of the Sheffield United match on Saturday. Although the Boro side was very much a second string line-up, the quality of many of those who started the game is undoubted, and the Blues were by far the better side on the night.
In goal debutant Pullen did nothing wrong while Clapham seemed to revel in his more central role alongside Wright and Miller. Wilnis and Hreidarsson got forward well and the three men at the back looked more comfortable than the Blues' back-line has of late.
A fine result, three goals to cheer and a performance, which although not headline-grabbing, may perhaps have some effect on the line-up Joe Royle chooses on Saturday at Bramall Lane.