THERE was a playful shove from home boss Steven Schumacher, who had proclaimed himself "buzzing" with a point. Michael Carrick was rather less satisfied.

Plymouth understandably felt they did more than enough to earn a draw, but this pulsating Championship encounter should have ended with the home side getting plaudits for playing their part in a thrilling game but with no points. Carrick prizes control. Boro twice had it but were twice pegged back.

Schumacher smiled as he gave Josh Coburn a little shove when the Boro striker was speaking to the media post-match. For long stages of the summer, the Plymouth boss envisaged Coburn would be scoring for rather than against his side this season.

"I'm pleased for him but gutted he scored two against us, I did tell him not to score against us but he clearly didn't listen," laughed the home boss.

Coburn proved both bosses right at Home Park. He showed why Schumacher was so keen on signing him in the summer and why Carrick ultimately decided to keep him on Teesside. His two goals obviously got the headlines but this was a fine all-round line-leading performance. He made a right nuisance of himself and his display - and goals - was the stand-out positive for Boro.

"Josh has been ready and waiting for the goals and I was delighted for him to see them go in," said Carrick afterwards.

“I wouldn’t say he’s shown me anything I didn’t expect.

"We knew what Josh was capable of, and we know there is still loads more to come from him. He’s improved a lot since he come back in pre-season and got back fit after the injury. There is loads more to come from Josh, but it’s obviously a good day for him, scoring the two goals.

"I thought we looked dangerous going forward for most of the game. We had goals in us and created chances.

"It's nice to see them going in. We maybe could have had a couple more in terms of the chances we had. Three is normally enough to win the game."

Three should have been enough, but Boro should have scored more. They should have also been a man up with 20 minutes to play, when Darren England inexplicably only opted for a yellow card when last man Mickel Miller scythed down Isaiah Jones on the edge of the Plymouth box. That, as Carrick said, was a "massive moment", but so too was a first half counter attack also involving Jones.

Boro were a goal up at the time and in the 10 minutes that followed Coburn's opener Plymouth were ragged and Carrick's side could - should - have taken complete control. In one glorious counter attack opportunity they had men over but Jones' decision making and final ball let the home side off the hook.

Plymouth made Boro pay with a quickfire double. Ex-Sunderland winger Bali Mumba equalised before Finn Azaz curled into the top corner. As is often the case, Boro improved after the break. Hackney started pulling the strings, Sam Greenwood came to life and Matt Crooks repeatedly found pockets of space.

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“I just wanted us to be a little more aggressive really in what we were doing and committing to it a little more," said Carrick of his half-time message to the players.

"We clearly did that in the second half half with our football and possession and playing into the spaces we wanted to. We pressed that little bit more aggressively which meant we didn’t give them anywhere near as much in the game."

And that's the frustration. Having fought back to lead 3-2 thanks to Coburn's second and a deserved goal for Sam Greenwood, Boro should have seen this out. If there is a lesson to be learnt from Home Park, it's perhaps the need to be more ruthless when on top. And if teams could stop scoring Goal of the Season contenders against Boro, that would help.

Boro's incredible away following - another sell out just four days after Exeter - are unlikely to see a better game this season.

"They've seen goals and the effort and the application and the quality of play from the players," said Carrick.

The head coach felt his players deserved all three points for their efforts. Boro's fans certainly did.