Goals from Tommy Smith, Tamas Priskin and Jon Stead saw Town come behind to win 3-1 at Championship favourites Boro having been a goal down at half-time. Despite Scott McDonald putting the home side in front in the first half, the Blues were the better side throughout and the result hardly flattered Roy Keane’s men.

Town, who had former coach Ian McParland back on the bench alongside Roy Keane and Tony Loughlan, lined up as expected with Márton Fülöp making his debut in goal, Mark Kennedy at left-back and 18-year-old former Northgate High School pupil Luke Hyam in the holding midfield role. Aside from Fülöp, it was the same side which started last week’s friendly against West Ham. Boro included summer signings Kris Boyd, Kevin Thomson, Nicky Bailey and Stephen McManus, as well as former Town loanee Matthew Bates.

Skipper Jon Walters, perhaps playing his final match for the Blues, managed the game’s first strike in the 12th minute, but straight at Danny Coyne, Boro having already lost Willo Flood, who had been stretchered off with a knee injury.

The Blues were more than matching the home side, many people’s favourites for the Championship, and they might have gone in front in the 20th minute when Mark Kennedy’s cross from the left found Grant Leadbitter well placed on the edge of the area, but his shot was too close to Coyne when he should have done better.

As so often after a good chance at one end, Boro went straight up the other and scored. Sub Julio Arca nodded a deep cross from the right back across goal and Scott McDonald finished from close range.

The goal gave the home side a clear boost but the Blues didn’t appear particularly affected by going behind and continued more of the ball than Gordon Strachan’s men.

On the half hour Town might have got on terms when Peters crossed from the right and Priskin headed against the bar from six yards, continuing his unlucky run in front of goal.

Leadbitter saw a shot deflect wide, although referee Anthony Bates saw it as a corner, then the lively Boyd tried an ambitious effort from well out on the right but the ball flew well over Márton Fülöp’s goal.

Town striker Tamas Priskin picked up the Blues’ first yellow card of the season in the 36th minute for a late tackle on Justin Hoyte, who was linked with a loan move to Town during his time at Arsenal.

Leadbitter shot well wide in the 43rd minute with the Blues continuing to have the better of the game, but without significantly troubling Coyne. Just before the break, Norris got his name in referee Bates’s book for handball as Boro tried to break from the edge of their area.

The half-time scoreline was harsh on the Blues, who had enjoyed the better of the half against a Boro side which had failed to live up to its billing, but had taken their only clear-cut chance.

Town might have been awarded a penalty inside the first minute of the second half when Norris appeared to be upended a yard or so inside the area. Referee Bates saw the incident as having occurred on the edge and awarded a freekick, despite Town protests. Leadbitter played the set piece to his right to Edwards, who hammered a shot, which Coyne battered away.

The Blues had started the second half strongly and won a succession of early freekicks around the area and in the 55th minute, after Peters had been fouled by Arca, they made one count. Boro failed to clear the initial ball into the box and the ball fell to Tommy Smith on the 18-yard line. The central defender’s strike deflected off former Town loanee Matthew Bates and beat Coyne, the New Zealand international’s first career goal.

Within a minute, the Blues were in front. Edwards crossed from the right and an unmarked Priskin headed the ball across Coyne and into the net from six yards to claim the goal he had been so desperately looking for during pre-season.

The turnaround was very similar to Town’s last win at the Riverside in April 2001 when Alun Armstrong, who was introduced to the crowd at half-time during today’s match, netted two goals in four minutes after the break against his old club to give the Blues a 2-1 win.

After the goals, the home crowd immediately upped the volume and Mark Kennedy became the third Blues player to get his name in the book for a foul on Barry Robson.

On 56 Scott McDonald got behind the Town defence on the right and hit a shot across Fülöp but just beyond the Hungarian’s right-hand post.

Boro again came close in the 58th minute when Robson played in Arca, but the former Sunderland man blazed well over with 6ft 5in tall Fülöp bearing down on him.

Town were forced into a change in the 64th minute after Carlos Edwards had pulled up with a groin injury and Bermudian international Reggie Lambe was handed his league debut. Moments later, Norris shot wide from the edge of the area.

Wheater headed a corner wide in the 71st minute but the home side were only rarely threatening Town and the Riverside crowd were becoming restless. For the Blues, Lambe scraped a shot well wide after Peters had picked up a loose ball midway inside the Boro half.

Tamas Priskin made way for Jon Stead in the 73rd minute and the former England U21 international striker almost made his mark straight away, seizing on a wayward Lambe cross, taking the ball past a defender only for Coyne to block his shot. Norris sent the rebound well wide.

Three minutes later Stead sealed the points for the Blues when he volleyed home when completely unmarked from eight yards after a Mark Kennedy long throw on the left had been cleared to Leadbitter, who looped the ball back in to the striker. The home fans started to drift away with boos ringing around the Riverside. Walters unleashed a 30-yarder which Coyne couldn’t hold on to, then with a minute to go Jack Ainsley was given his league debut, replacing Mark Kennedy at left-back. Boos from the home fans and cheers from the 740-strong Blue Army greeted the final whistle.

There were fine performances throughout the Town side from Luke Hyam playing his first senior game to the gritty Norris and Leadbitter in front of him, through to Tamas Priskin finally getting the goal his performances have deserved, to Gareth McAuley and Tommy Smith forming a solid partnership at the back, and in Smith’s case netting the vital goal.

New keeper Fülöp had few saves to make, while Mark Kennedy got in some dangerous balls from the left and was largely untroubled defensively. Sub Jon Stead took his goal superbly and caused problems throughout his time on the field, while Reggie Lambe never looked overawed on his league bow.

Few gave the Blues much chance against the bookies’ favourites but despite being behind at the break Town fully deserved their victory. Roy Keane will be delighted with the performance, the three points and not having to wait 14 games for a first win this time around.

Town: Fülöp, Peters, Kennedy (Ainsley 89), Smith, McAuley, Hyam, Leadbitter, Norris, Walters, Edwards (Lambe 64), Priskin. Unused: Murphy, Brown, Healy, Hourihane. Att: 21,882 (740 Town).

Photo: Action Images

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