IT was the competition that had Teesside dreaming last year but this was a nightmare for Middlesbrough.

Michael Carrick’s side needed the full-time whistle at least 20 minutes before it came on Tuesday night. By the time Geoff Eltringham brought an end to proceedings, there was relief that Stoke hadn’t scored any more than five.

As ridiculous as that might sound, when Million Manhoef brought up a handful of goals for the visitors, the Potters looked like they had at least a couple more in them.

And yet as ridiculous as it might sound, just 15 minutes earlier, Boro will have fancied their chances of staying in the competition. And had they taken their chances in the first half, they would have done.

While they trailed at half-time to Emre Tezgel’s early opener, Boro had been bright enough in the first period and – with the impressive Alex Gilbert pulling the strings – had created more than enough opportunities to at least be level. They looked the more likely of the two sides immediately after the break as well.

But the night took a disastrous turn for Boro’s second string in 12 second half minutes. Once Ryan Mmaee scored the second goal to give Stoke breathing space, Boro fell apart. The excellent Lewis Koumas added the third then Manhoef stepped off the bench and scored twice in seven minutes.

Lukas Engel had come off the bench at half-time but endured a rotten second half, with all four goals for Stoke coming down his side. New signing Neto Borges was watching from the stands. On this evidence, he’ll soon be in the side at left-back. Of the nine players who came into the Boro side, only Gilbert will feel he took his chance and gave Carrick something to think about.

It was a bruising and sobering learning experience for several Boro youngsters. Carrick talked about building momentum ahead of the game but he’ll now need to lift spirits ahead of Saturday’s trip to Cardiff.

After last season’s memorable run to the last four, Carrick stressed that he would again love to go deep in the League Cup and although he made nine changes to his side, Boro’s team looked packed with players who will have been hungry to catch the eye.

Sol Brynn was making his first Riverside appearance, Harley Hunt, George McCormick and Micah Hamilton their full debuts and Law McCabe and Sonny Finch their first starts of the season.

Dan Barlaser and Gilbert will have been desperate to show they can be key rather than fringe figures this season and Josh Coburn will have again wanted to prove his point to Carrick amid ongoing transfer links and uncertainty ahead of Friday night’s deadline.

And it could have turned out very different had chances been taken in the first half.

Coburn bullied Leeds’ defence in the first round and got in behind Stoke’s inside five minutes but dragged his shot wide when he only had goalkeeper Viktor Johansson to beat. Boro are well stocked in attack so could have a transfer decision to make on Gilbert in the coming days, but the former Brentford youngster has taken every chance that’s come his way of late and was the home side’s best.

He set Coburn away with another nicely-weighted through-ball but this time the striker was tracked by a defender and had his shot blocked.

Boro were made to pay for not taking those early chances when Stoke got themselves in front. Liverpool loanee Lewis Koumas was set away down the right and his cross evaded the defenders in red and found its way to Tezgel, who coolly slotted into the far corner. Boro looked momentarily shaken and Stoke – and Tezgel – should have had their second moments later, the teenager this time scuffing his effort wide from just a few yards out.

Boro refused to let the early opening goal knock them out of the stride. Gilbert continued to find pockets of space and trouble the visitors. Late in the opening half he found Ayling on the right, whose cross was met by Finch, forcing Johansson into a fine save. Next it was Hamilton who Gilbert teed up, only for Johansson to again save well from close range.

Finch had a glorious chance early in the second half but blazed over – and things quickly went south for Boro.

They were leaving gaps at the back, particularly down the flanks, and hopes were first dashed and then disappeared as Stoke first took control and then ran riot.

The impressive Koumas created the second goal, skipping past Clarke on the right and then finding Andrew Moran, whose cut-back was turned in by Mmae. Koumas got the goal he deserved when he met Eric Bocat’s cross from the left. Then Manhoef came off the bench and rubbed salt into the Boro wounds with two goals in quick succession. Thankfully for Boro, the Stoke scoring ended there.