THE two new signings were the star attractions but it was a hometown boy who was Middlesbrough’s saviour and rescued a point against Huddersfield Town.

Hayden Hackney’s unstoppable strike just after the hour mark was Boro’s first goal of the season and will no doubt be one of their best of the entire campaign. Up to that stage, Huddersfield’s keeper Lee Nicholls had been Town’s best player but he was helpless as Hackney’s blast flashed past him.

Fifteen minutes earlier, Huddersfield had taken the lead through a Dael Fry own-goal and Boro were facing the prospect of three straight defeats to start the season for the first time since 2001. But Hackney, who had only just broken into the Boro team when these sides played out a 0-0 draw at the Riverside last season, stood tall for Carrick’s side.

That Boro only picked up one point rather than all three will frustrate Carrick, for his side were much improved on their first two displays of the season. But Huddersfield didn’t simply come to spoil as was widely predicted would be the case. They were second best in the first half but had their moments and had a dominant five minute spell after their 47th minute opener.

Carrick wasted no time in handing his two new signings their first starts, with Lukas Engel in at left-back and Emmanuel Latte Lath leading the line. The striker was bright, particularly in the first half, and there was a much better balance to the Boro forward line.

On the back of the heavy defeat at Coventry last week, Carrick made five changes to his Boro team, with Rav van den Berg replacing the absent Paddy McNair at right-back, captain Jonny Howson coming in for his first start of the season and Marcus Forss starting on the right flank in place of Isaiah Jones.

Matt Crooks also dropped out of the side, with Morgan Rogers dropping deeper into the No.10 role.

Latte Lath was bright from the get-go, his first effort on Nicholls’ goal coming after just three minutes, with the Ivorian again testing the keeper after good build-up play from Forss and Rogers three minutes later. The 24-year-old had a hand in creating the best chance of the opening stages as well, dropping deep to win back possession, allowing Hackney and Rogers to work a clever one-two only for Nicholls to come to Town’s rescue with a smart save down to his left to deny the midfielder.

There was more purpose to Boro’s attacking play compared to the first two league games of the season, but it wasn’t all one-way traffic. Defender Matty Pearson saw a volley clawed away by Seny Dieng at the front post, before Brahima Diarra – Huddersfield’s best player when these sides met in the cup earlier this month – got a shot away on the swivel inside the six yard box that clipped the outside of the post.

And for all Boro were extremely bright in the opening stages of the first half, and managed as many shots on goal in the first 45 minutes as they did in the first two games combined, the Terriers got a grip and from 25 minutes onwards, it was even.

Carrick will have no doubt seen plenty to be positive about in the opening period, but his side were behind within two minutes of the restart when Sorba Thomas’s corner from the left was turned into his own net by Dael Fry after Boro didn’t deal with the set-piece at the front post.

Boro’s bad start to the second half could have quickly got even worse. The home defence was shaken and the Terriers, with their tails up, pushed for a killer second. Thomas’ deliveries were causing problems.

It took Boro 10 minutes or so to settle and the first sign of a reaction came when a Silvera shot clipped the top of the bar. Rogers almost levelled after a fine individual run only to be denied by Nicholls, who was having a superb game. There was nothing the away keeper could do to keep out Hackney’s hit on 61 minutes, though. There looked to be little danger for Huddersfield when the Redcar-born midfielder received the ball rom Silvera on the left edge of the box, but he quickly shifted it onto his right foot before hitting an unstoppable drive into the top corner.

The goalscorer very nearly turned creator immediately after the equaliser, setting Latte Lath away with a defence splitting pass. The striker had one defender for company and looked to be briefly caught in two minds, allowing Nicholls time to race off his line.

Boro had a glorious chance to win it in stoppage time but Silvera skied his effort from inside the box after good work from substitutes Riley McGree and Isaiah Jones.