Goals:

1-0: Bonatini (33, slotted a cool finish beyond Randolph after Ayala presented the chance to him with an awful pass)

Bookings: Miranda (28, foul); Clayton (58, foul); Forshaw (90, foul)

Referee: Darren Bond (Preston) – ignored a couple of big decisions when he could quite easily have given them the other way. 5

Attendance: 29,692

Entertainment: ***

Boro Wolves

Shots on 2 2

Shots off 8 3

Corners 4 4

Offsides 0 1

Fouls 14 13

WOLVES (3-4-3): Ruddy 7; Boly 7, Coady 7, Miranda 6; Doherty 6, Saiss 6, Neves 7, Douglas 6; ENOBAKHARE 7 (Edwards 77), Bonatini 7 (Dicko 57, 5), Jota 6 (Graham 83). Subs (not used): Norris, Bennett, Batth, Ronan.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-1-2-3):

6 Randolph: Could do nothing about the goal and did what he had to do at other times;

7 CHRISTIE: A very confident display down the right and he almost set an equaliser up

4 Ayala: Didn’t look at his best and will be annoyed with himself to have gifted Wolves the winner

6 Gibson: Kept plugging away but found it tough against a determined Wolves forward line

5 Friend: Had to deal with one of Wolves’ best players in Enobakhare

7 Clayton: Asked to drop deeper than he was last season and saw plenty of the ball;

5 Howson: Tried to get involved and saw the ball enough without ever really commanding things

5 De Roon: Couldn’t get a foothold on proceedings in the middle and looked frustrated;

5 Fletcher: Started brightly but soon faded and was withdrawn for Bamford in the second half

5 Braithwaite: Should have levelled things up with a glorious free header after Christie delivery

7 Assombalonga: Never stopped running in the final third, made himself a real nuisance and unlucky not to score

Subs:

Bamford (for Fletcher 57): Almost set up Assombalonga for an equaliser. 6

Forshaw (for De Roon 65): Unable to have the impact he did in the friendly when he hit a late winner

Gestede (for Howson 81)

(not used): Konstantopoulos (gk), Fabio, Fry, Leadbitter.

MAN OF THE MATCH: CYRUS Christie – looks like he could be useful in attack as well as defence on the evidence of this showing.