MIDDLESBROUGH suffered an opening-day disappointment as they crashed to a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Millwall.

Boro’s need for further attacking reinforcements was glaringly apparent as they struggled to create clear-cut chances, with neither Morgan Rogers nor Matt Crooks looking especially well-suited to the roles they were asked to play.

Millwall created the better chances all afternoon, and eventually made a breakthrough with 11 minutes left as Romain Esse swept home following a low cross from his fellow substitute Aidomo Emakhu.

Boro were unable to seriously threaten Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic, with Chuba Akpom an unused substitute after missing the whole of pre-season through injury.

Akpom’s return to action cannot come quickly enough, along with the acquisition of at least one new centre-forward to lead the line.

Millwall were the better side for most of the game, with Zion Flemming immediately striking up a decent understanding with his fellow forward, Kevin Nisbet, who joined this summer from Hibernian.

Flemming fired a side-footed effort just wide of the left-hand post in the fourth minute after a neat lay-off from Casper de Norre, and went close again seven minutes later when a short-corner routine involving Joe Bryan ended in him flashing a low drive across the face of goal.

Former Middlesbrough forward Duncan Watmore threatened for the visitors midway through the first half with a shot that was blocked by Paddy McNair, and was in the thick of the action again nine minutes before the interval as he broke towards the 18-yard box before firing in a shot that looped over the crossbar via a deflection off Dael Fry.

Middlesbrough’s first-half attacking was generally ineffectual, with Millwall’s five-man midfield denying the home side’s players time or space on the ball. Boro did have the ball in the net in the 39th minute, but it had crossed the byline for a goal kick before Crooks pulled it back for Hayden Hackney to stab home.

Crooks threatened at the start of the second half, stroking a first-time shot over the bar after Rogers laid McNair’s cross into his path, but Millwall should really have taken the lead a couple of minutes later when Bryan failed to find the target after Flemming slid over an inviting cross from the right.

With Millwall continuing to carve out the better chances, Boro were indebted to their new goalkeeper, Seny Dieng, for keeping the scoresheet blank on the hour mark. Watmore released Nisbet through the middle, but Dieng was quick off his line to save the Scottish striker’s shot.

There was nothing Dieng could do when two of Millwall’s substitutes combined to break the deadlock with 11 minutes remaining though.

Emakhu skipped away from McNair to break down the left touchline, and after he slid a low cross into the 18-yard box, Esse curled a superb first-time finish into the top corner.