IT may well have only been a pre-season friendly but Rotherham United won't be in a hurry to face Middlesbrough again.

It's wise, of course, to resist the urge to draw any conclusions from summer games and by the time these sides meet again on Boxing Day, we'll know a lot more about Michael Carrick's side.

But this was a promising run-out as slick Boro gave their Championship rivals the runaround. A 2-0 defeat flattered the Millers.

The goals were scored early and late by summer signings Sammy Silvera and Alex Gilbert but in between the opener in the seventh minute and the second goal in the 87th, impressive Boro created a raft of chances.

Carrick named two entirely different teams for each half and didn't have to look hard to find positives. Boro's senior team in the first half was particularly impressive and after break young midfielder Jack Stott caught the eye.

The starting XI was strong and wasn't short of players with motivation to catch the eye - new signings and a couple of returning players whose time on Teesside looked to be over last season.

Summer arrivals Seny Dieng, Rav van den Berg, Silvera and Morgan Rodgers were all in from the off but the most eye-catching inclusion was undoubtedly Martin Payero, back in a red shirt for the first time in 15 months.

Having spent last season on loan at Boca Juniors, Payero looked to have played his last game for the club and with only 12 months left on his contract, his future remains uncertain, but Carrick was understandably keen to look at the Argentinian in a match environment for the first time.

With Chuba Akpom still absent, Payero was neat and tidy in the No.10 role for the first 45 minutes. And he wasn't the only starter whose days at Boro looked to be numbered not so long ago.

When Hayden Coulson headed for Aberdeen on loan last summer as he moved into the final 12 months of his Boro deal, a permanent exit appeared an inevitability.

But as managers change so do plans and after Coulson signed a new deal earlier this year he returned to Teesside in the summer with a surprise second chance. And he started at Rotherham with the look of a player who appeared intent on taking that chance.

It was Coulson who slipped a nicely weighted through-ball into the path of Silvera to slot home the opener after just six minutes.

Somehow, it was the only goal Boro scored in a dominant first half. They could - should - have had at least three more.

Boro played with confidence throughout the opening period.

Lenihan didn't give Jordan Hugill a sniff, Hayden Hackney bossed it in the middle of the park and Coulson and Silvera linked up well down the left.

Rodgers is more of a winger than a striker but looked at home leading the line. He was sharp, bright and Rotherham couldn't cope with his movement. He had three good first half chances.

An entirely different Boro XI appeared for the second half but the pattern of the game was unchanged. There was no Rodgers to cause Rotherham problems but Matt Crooks quickly made his presence felt. The former Miller had a lofted effort cleared off the line less than five minutes after his introduction.

Crooks missed the weekend games through illness, which explains why he was replaced on the 70-minute mark by Alex Gilbert.

By that stage, the intensity of the game had dropped, but Boro were always in complete control. Gilbert almost made an instant impact when he was played in one-on-one. Johansson beat him to it but the loose ball dropped to the feet of Riley McGree, whose chipped effort was brilliantly cleared off the line.

The second goal finally came late on when Stott dropped a shoulder to create an opening. He played in Hoppe who turned it on to Gilbert to slot home.

Middlesbrough first half: Dieng, Smith, van den Berg, Lenihan, Coulson; Barlaser, Hackney; Jones, Payero, Silvera, Rodgers

Second half: Glover, Agyemang, Fry, Hannah, Collins, Stott, Sykes, Forss, Hoppe, McGree, Crooks (Gilbert, 70)

Subs: Jones, Bilongo

Rotherham: Johansson, Blackett (Seisay, 70), Hall (Morrison, 61), Humphreys (Hull, 70), Trialist (Douglas, 70), Cafu, Rathbone (Abraham, 70), Odoffin (McCart, 70), Bramall (Bola, 70); Wiles (Hatton, 70) Hugill (McGuckin, 61)

Substitutes: Phillips, Durose, Holvey, Giwa