Kim Hellberg got off to a winning start as Middlesbrough boss as the Championship promotion chasers struck twice late on to fight back from behind and beat in-form Derby 2-1 at the Riverside.
The Swedish boss was taking charge of his first game after leaving Hammarby to replace Rob Edwards at Boro and his side found themselves behind inside 90 seconds when Patrick Agyemang struck for the Rams.
But Boro were rewarded for their second-half pressure when Newcastle loanee Matt Targett levelled 15 minutes from time. Morgan Whittaker then struck the winner nine minutes later with his third goal in three games.
The win lifts Boro back into the automatic promotion places after Stoke lost to Hull at lunchtime. It is just a second defeat in eight games for John Eustace’s Derby, who drop to 10th.
Derby had won six of their last seven and got off to the perfect start at the Riverside. A Sol Brynn goal-kick was headed back towards the Boro goal by Dion Sanderson and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen flicked it into the path of Agyemang, who raced behind home defender Alfie Jones and calmly slotted into the bottom corner.
Boro looked vulnerable defensively and Agyemang threatened again with a burst down the left but Jones came to Boro’s rescue with a last-ditch sliding tackle.
Derby looked threatening every time they attacked and a Bobby Clark cross from the left evaded everyone and would have found the bottom corner had Brynn not got down to his left at full stretch and tipped the ball around the post.
After their nightmare opening, Boro found their feet and started to ask questions of the visitors. Alex Bangura, making his first Championship start since December 2023, was a threat down the left and his delivery found the advanced right-back Callum Brittain, who came agonisingly close to an equaliser when his strike hit the post and bar before bouncing down on the line and away to safety.
Boro were first to threaten in the second half when Hackney created a shooting opportunity for himself from the edge of the box but lifted his shot over the bar.
Derby were happy to defend their lead and rarely threatened the home side’s box after the break.
Boro’s pressure eventually paid off when Targett met Hackney’s corner from the right with a thumping header.
It was another corner from the right that led to the winner. Hackney played it short to Whittaker, who got on to his stronger left foot and curled into the bottom corner from the right edge of the box.
