MUCH has been said about the lack of entertainment being the main reason for the dwindling crowds at the Riverside this season. Nearly 31,000 supporters made the effort for the first Tees-Wear derby, nearly 2,000 more than their previous highest against Newcastle, and they wouldn't have been disappointed.

The clash had everything: thrills, spills, drama, tensions threatening to boil over and superb goals to boot in a high octane encounter between two fierce North-East rivals.

The contest began at 100mph and it rarely dropped below that.

Local hero Grant Leadbitter set the tone in the second minute, biting around the ankles of his one-time hero Julio Arca and robbing him of the ball, before swapping passes with Michael Chopra to blast Sunderland into the lead.

Arca, the one-time Black Cats favourite, however, made amends for being caught in possession and headed Middlesbrough level just before the half hour mark. The Argentine was true to his word and did not celebrate against his old side.

It was just a shame the Boro playmaker had to leave the field just moments later following an injury, as he had illuminated the contest with is sparkling range of skills.

Gary O'Neil made his home debut for the Teessiders and he proved what a shrewd signing manager Gareth Southgate has made.

He provided the assist for Arca's headed goal and could have helped himself to a brace himself had he put his scoring boots on. But he revealed what a good engine he has, and a cultured right foot.

His inclusion was a surprise as it came to the expense of George Boateng. The Boro skipper had to settle for a place on the bench as Southgate remained true to his total football word, at home at least.

The Boro boss plumbed for an Arca and Fabio Rochemback axis in the centre of midfield and they pulled the strings most of the time.

Sunderland manager Roy Keane will be thankful for a share of the spoils, but overall he will be disappointed with his team's performance. They may have lit the blue touch paper in the second minute but they failed to build on that.

Aside from a Ross Wallace chance ten minutes after the break, supplied by the impressive Leadbitter, they offered very little until substitute Liam Miller earned the visitors a draw with a looping strike over Mark Schwartzer.

Stewart Downing scored a spectacular goal with his right foot from over 20 yards. He would have thought it was enough to win the match, and it should have been as Boro were the better side overall.

But as Jimmy Greaves so often said 'football's a funny old game'. Had he witnessed this clash he might have said 'always expect the unexpected' in derby games. He would have been right of course.