NOT SINCE 2014 had an opening day victory been celebrated on Teesside and not since Brian Clough had a Boro player scored in seven consecutive league games.

Both of those stretches came to an end at the Riverside on Saturday afternoon as Boro and their star striker started this season as they finished last.

It took Emmanuel Latte Lath just 25 minutes to get off the mark, slamming home from the spot after the brilliant Isaiah Jones had been fouled.

The only disappointment for Michael Carrick is that the winning margin wasn’t greater, for Swansea were poor and offered little – but what does that matter? The head coach will be delighted with a clean sheet, achieved thanks to two brilliant goal-saving blocks in the last minute from Luke Ayling and Rav van den Berg.

Key for Boro was a winning start, something they hadn’t managed since Aitor Karanka’s side beat Birmingham City on the opening day of the 2014/15 season. That was the start of a promotion push that ultimately ended in heartbreak with Wembley defeat. The aim on Teesside this season is to go one better.

Boro’s team boasted two new signings in Luke Ayling and Aidan Morris and depth, with the likes of Delano Burgzorg, Jonny Howson, Josh Coburn and new recruit Micah Hamilton on the bench.

Just 24 hours after the arrival of Hamilton from Manchester City, Jones – who may well feel most threatened by the capture of the 20-year-old – wasted no time in showing his worth. Jones looked sharp and at it from the off, almost putting Boro ahead inside 10 minutes when he beat Swansea keeper Lawrence Vigouroux to a sublime Seny Dieng kicked clearance and lobbing narrowly wide from midway inside the opposition half.

Soon after, Swansea left-back Josh Tymon’s hesitation was punished by Jones, who nabbed the ball and scorched towards the box before seeing his cut-back scrambled clear. When Jones set off on another run into the Swansea box on 25 minutes, the only way to stop him was to foul him – Azeem Abdulai the guilty party, Latte Lath making no mistake from the spot.

And the home side’s advantage could have been greater at the break: Finn Azaz had failed to make the most of one promising opening and Riley McGree had a shot charged down by Matt Grimes after a Latte Lath cut-back. Jones was at it again on the stroke of half-time, switching this way and that inside the box before seeing a close-range shot deflected just over.

READ MORE:

Swansea didn’t manage a single shot in the first half but there was one scare late in the opening period when Morris played Boro into trouble with a blind pass. He was rescued by Dieng, who bravely dived at the feet of Abdulai.

Abdulai was replaced by Brazilian flanker Ronald at half-time as Swansea boss Luke Williams looked for a way back into the game, but it was Boro who looked the more likely to score the game’s second goal early in the second half. Morris started and almost finished a move when an attempted cross was deflected onto the post, and Latte Lath headed just wide from McGree’s corner.

Swansea’s best opportunity in the second half came from a free-kick right on the edge of the box which Eom Ji-Sung curled just wide just after the 70-minute mark. Moments later, Boro twice went close to wrapping up the points, Azaz first denied by Vigouroux before Latte Lath’s well struck volley hit his teammate Matt Clarke and bounced agonisingly wide.

There was a last minute scare when Ayling and Van den Berg brilliantly blocked close-range strikes from Ronald and Cullen, before Jones had a glorious chance to score a deserved goal when he was set away on the counter but his effort was cleared off the line.