Kasey McAteer’s second goal in two home games sees the Blues and Middlesbrough go in level at 1-1 at half-time, David Strelec having given the visitors the lead.

Town made four changes from the team which lost 2-0 at Portsmouth on Tuesday with Leif Davis returning at left-back after missing out in midweek after his partner gave birth to their first child.

Jack Taylor was back in midfield, Jaden Philogene wide on the left and Ivan Azon as the number nine. Cedric Kipre, Jack Clarke, Dan Neil and George Hirst dropped to the bench.

Middlesbrough were again without key midfielder and summer Town target Hayden Hackney but forward Morgan Whittaker was back on the bench and Matt Targett was fit enough to start and former Blues loanee Jeremy Sarmiento OK to be among the subs, the pair having been subbed in their 1-0 defeat to Pompey last weekend.

Boro made two changes with Alex Gilbert and Luke Ayling coming into the team for Riley McGree, who dropped out of the squad, and Sarmiento. Ex-Blues central defender George Edmundson was also on the bench.

Town created the game’s first chance in the sixth minute having seen all the ball in the opening phase. McAteer won the ball on the right, then eventually received it back and crossed low, Azon flicking just wide at the near post with his heel.

On 11, a long ball down the middle by Christian Walton led to a mix-up between Boro keeper Sol Brynn and Adilson Malanda on the edge of the area but Davis was unable to get onto it.

The Blues continued to dominate and pass the ball around with confidence with the Teessiders sloppy and losing possession in their own half regularly. On 17 Taylor scuffed wide from distance.

A minute later, Azon went closer, the Spaniard was inadvertently found in a good position on the left of the box by a speculative Dara O’Shea effort, the on-loan Como man’s shot deflecting off a defender and wide.

In the 23rd minute, the Blues put together their best move of the half, Azon sweeping the ball wide to McAteer on the right, the Irish international feeding in Darnell Furlong, who was making a lung-busting run forward inside him but the right-back’s low shot was wide of Brynn’s left post.

It had been virtually all Town but on 26 the Teessiders went in front via their first serious attack of the game.

The Blues thought they’d repelled the initial danger, but Aidan Morris played in the unmarked Alan Browne on the right of the box and the former Preston man cut across to Strelec, who turned into the net from a few feet.

But Boro’s lead lasted only five minutes. Right on the half-hour, Furlong played a ball forward for Azon making a run forwards towards the right of the box from the centre. The Spanish striker back-heeled into the path of McAteer, who smashed a low left-footed 20-yard shot past Brynn to his left and into the corner of the net.

The Portman Road crowd delightedly celebrated McAteer’s second goal for the club and second in two games.

The Teessiders’ tendency to give the ball away cheaply in their own final third almost led to a second Town goal on 33, Nunez forcing an error as Boro sought to play out from the edge of their six-yard box, the ball eventually reaching Philogene, but the winger’s shot deflected to Ayling, who chested back to Brynn.

On 36, O’Shea rose highest to head a Davis free-kick from the left after Philogene had been fouled across the face and just wide, Brynn juggling the ball out of play.

Two minutes later, Philogene turned sharply on the edge of the area before hitting a well-struck effort which Brynn did well to palm wide to his right.

Boro were next to threaten on 41, Gilbert crossing from the left and Stelec turning into Walton’s arms with the Blues unhappy that Browne had held back Matusiwa earlier in the move preventing the Dutchman from getting back.

After one additional minute, referee Jarred Gillett ended a first-half dominated by the Blues.

Town had had the better of it from the start against a scuffy Boro side, guilty of giving the ball away in their own final third all too frequently.

The Blues created but Furlong had been unable to take their best opening of the half just before the visitors took the lead against the run of play.

But Town reacted well to the setback with Furlong, Azon and McAteer carving out one of the Blues’ best team goals of the season.

Town had had one or two other opportunities from there but no really clear-cut openings.

However, if they maintain their performance after the break, they will believe further chances will come in the second half.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Greaves, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, McAteer, Nunez, Philogene, Azon. Subs: Palmer, Kipre, Johnson, Neil, Mehmeti, Walle Egeli, Clarke, Akpom, Hirst.

Middlesbrough: Brynn, Brittain, Ayling, Fry (c), Malanda, Targett, Morris, Browne, Gilbert, Conway, Strelec. Subs: Wildsmith, Edmundson, Bangura, Silvera, Hansen, Sarmiento, Whittaker, Ibeh, Sene. Referee: Jarred Gillett (Australia).

Photo: Matchday Images