AFTER scoring the first Championship goal of his career, Lewis Wing has been backed to become a regular name in Middlesbrough’s scoring charts after impressing his team-mates.

The talented 23-year-old is getting better and better in a Boro shirt and rightfully forced his way into Tony Pulis’ starting line-up, a decision vindicated by his star showing in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Birmingham City.

Wing scored the opening goal, his first in the league after strikes in the EFL and FA Cups, before then laying on the winner for Britt Assombalonga late on with a delightful through pass to show both sides to his game.

His performances have proven that players at Northern League level can make the step up, having only moved to Middlesbrough from Shildon in the summer of 2017.

He has since been handed fresh terms until 2022 and is clearly at home on the first team stage.

Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala has always felt like Wing had the attributes to adapt to the professional game after a few years making his way as a teenager through the non-league ranks.

Ayala said: “He can keep running all day. He has got quality, a good shot, he has been unbelievable for us. Hopefully he can keep going and keep scoring goals for us.

“You can see he has got so much confidence. I always tell him to take his opportunities and shoot because he has got an unbelievable shot. He is always getting into the box, he keeps running and offers so much to the team.

“To be honest, you could see straight away when he started with us that he has got something about him. It is great to see players coming from the lower leagues and doing so well.”

Life in the Northern League has probably served him well for the rough and tumble of the Championship, after a game at St Andrew’s when the Blues got in the faces of their counterparts.

Birmingham were strong in the tackle and gave Boro a tough time in front of a pretty hostile City crowd, but the visitors and Wing showed their mettle and that they can handle such occasions.

Ayala said: “We knew it was going to be difficult. We knew it was going to be a battle but we knew we had to win all the individual battles. We did that, we won the second balls. I enjoy a scrap like that. Maybe not every defender but definitely me!

“We knew it was going to be a proper Championship game, a lot of headers and a lot of tackles. But the whole team played well. We got three points, that was the main thing. I think we did really well with our battles. We got the second balls and we played from there.”

Despite an impressive first half display, Boro were only one goal to the good courtesy of Wing’s close-range finish eight minutes before the break.

That meant Birmingham had the chance to pull level and they did so with 11 minutes from time when Che Adams turned in a tidy finish.

At that stage the hosts looked like they would go on to win, only for substitute Assombalonga to deliver a fine winner in the 86th minute.

Ayala, with Boro climbing to within four points of the top two, said: “We didn’t come here just to draw. We came here to get the three points.

“If we are going to finish in the first two, we have to win games.”

While Pulis bemoaned two penalty decisions that referee didn’t award his team in the first half, Birmingham could easily have had one themselves nine minutes after the restart and Ayala was at the centre of it.

The Spaniard went to ground in the area and his leg made contact with Adams as he dribbled into the area. The striker fell to the floor and was handed a caution, much to the frustration of the Birmingham players and fans.

And Ayala admitted: “I thought he had given the penalty to be honest. I think we had a clear penalty as well and the ref didn’t give it. I was relieved.

“I was already on the floor and he took another touch and then he hit my leg. From my point of view it was 50-50. The ref could or could not have given it.

“I was already on the floor and I just wanted to tackle. I just wanted to block the shot.

“He touched the ball twice and I know he touched my leg but I was already on the floor so I think it was 50-50. I don’t think he dived, there was contact, but I was already on the floor.”