The clouds enveloping the Riverside prior to Middlesbrough's curtain raiser with Blackburn Rovers should have provided an ominous warning to supporters attending the match this afternoon.

But although Boro stretched their miserable run of opening day fixtures without a win to seven years - and one in 12 years - they did not deserve to lose this highly entertaining clash against Mark Hughes' team.

The sunshine managed to breakthrough the clouds soon after the kick-off and with it Gareth Southgate's side provided the rays of delight. The only surprise was that it took his team more that 32 minutes before they opened the score - through a delightful curling Stewart Downing free-kick from 22 yards.

New signings Jerenie Aliadiere and Tuncay Sanli both looked lively when linking up with Ayegbeni Yakubu and Middlesbrough should have been more than one goal up at the break.

Yet despite dominating the opening 15 minutes of the second half the home side could not find a killer second goal and the cloud once again enveloped the Riverside Stadium thanks to two inspired substitutions from the visitors.

Roque Santa Cruz headed Rovers level in the 63rd minute from David Bentley's delicious deep cross from the left. The former Bayern Munich striker, who had only been on the pitch a little more than a minute after replacing the injured Benni McCarthy - carried off on a stretcher - climbed above Chris Riggott to nod past Mark Schwarzer from five yards. It was the visitor's first effort on target.

It was hardly what the visitor's deserved after spending the first hour of the contest on the back foot.

Middlesbrough were then hit by a double whammy miniutes later when Rovers' second substitute of the afternoon, Matt Derbyshire, fired Hughes' side ahead less than 60 seconds of him joining the play.

The 22-year-old frontman received the ball just outside the 18 yard area on the left hand side before stepping inside and curling a beauty past the despairing hand of Schwarzer.