A FIREWORKS night cracker? Not quite. But the type of dominant and thoroughly-deserved victory that has been few and far between for Middlesbrough so far this season, and that might just have the Teessiders rocketing up the Championship table if it is reproduced on a regular basis in the next couple of months.

In need of a positive response after their weekend humbling at the hands of Coventry, Boro sparkled as they outplayed a QPR side whose limitations were clearly apparent, but who had held Championship leaders Sunderland last weekend.

First-half goals from Riley McGree and Tommy Conway were no more than Boro deserved given their control of the opening 35 minutes, with Ben Doak’s marauding runs down the right causing the QPR defence no end of problems. Then, just as the home side were threatening to get back into things, substitutes Emmanuel Latte Lath and Dan Barlaser made the game safe with two goals in the final four minutes.

QPR sparked into life briefly towards the end of the first half, and halved their deficit midway through the second half when Steve Cook’s prodded strike deflected in off Anfernee Dijksteel. Unlike on previous occasions this season, though, when Boro have crumbled at the first sign of pressure, the Teessiders held firm when they were up against it, with Seny Dieng making three crucial first-half saves.

Finally, Boro showed some steel, with Jonny Howson’s return a key factor. The skipper’s first league start of the season might have been enforced, with Hayden Hackney serving a one-match ban, but there was still something reassuring about seeing Howson restored to the defensive-midfield role he has made his own for more than half-a-decade.

The 36-year-old rarely does anything flashy, but he covers, tackles and fills the gaps that might otherwise prove problematic. Hackney and Aidan Morris are fine midfielders in their own right, but there have been times this season when Boro have seemed soft-centred and porous. They are rarely that when Howson is in the side.

Howson’s return was one of two changes to the team that started the weekend defeat to Coventry, and the other player restored to the starting line-up was the key factor in Boro’s 31st-minute opener. In fact, he was the visitors’ main attacking asset all night.

Ben Doak has made an immediate impact since signing on loan from Liverpool on deadline day at the end of August. With his technical excellence and direct dribbling ability, he will not be in the Championship for long, so much like Morgan Rogers in the first half of last season, Boro fans should make the most of him while they have him.

The packed away end at Loftus Road was certainly quick to hail his qualities last night, not least when he burst past a bamboozled QPR left-back, Hevertton Santos, to set up the opener.

Having left Santos trailing in his wake, Doak broke to the byline and pulled the ball back for McGree, who had the relatively simple task of flicking home a first-time volley from close range.

Most of Boro’s best attacking play came down their right, and four minutes after they were celebrating their opener, the Teessiders were doubling their lead.

This time it was Finn Azaz breaking away down the touchline after being released by Luke Ayling. He slid over a low cross, and having broken clear of the QPR defence, Conway slotted home from the edge of the six-yard box.

Boro were cruising, but this is not a side that makes life easy for itself. Having been completely untroubled in the opening 37 minutes, Dieng was forced to produce three excellent saves in the space of six minutes to ensure his side made it to the interval with their two-goal lead intact.

The first save was probably the pick of the trio, with Dieng tipping Zan Celar’s shot around the post after Boro conceded possession in their own half. From the corner, Nicolas Madsen was left in space, only for Dieng, who was playing against his former side, to turn his driven effort wide of the target. From the next corner, a bout of head tennis ended with Jonathan Varane nodding goalwards, only for Dieng to claw the ball around the post. Not for the first time this season, Boro were in danger of letting a comfortable position slip.

They needed a third goal to completely kill things off, and it almost arrived within four minutes of the interval as Doak set off on another charge down the right.

This time, he surged away from QPR’s replacement left-back Lucas Andersen, a half-time replacement for Santos, whose head might well have been frazzled, but while Azaz drove his pull-back goalwards, Paul Nardi got down to make a fine save.

It felt like Boro had regained their composure though, even though Carrick was forced into a defensive reshuffle early in the second half when Neto Borges was forced to hobble off injured. Dijksteel came onto the field at right-back, with Ayling switching over to replace Borges on the left.

Gradually, though, the visitors began to drop deep again, handing the initiative back to QPR and inviting pressure. A couple of half-chances came to nothing, but the home side got themselves onto the scoresheet in the 69th minute. A corner was flicked on at the front post, and Cook slid in ahead of Ayling to prod home via a deflection off Dijksteel, who was credited with an own goal.

There were a couple of edgy moments as QPR pressed for an equaliser, but Boro made things safe with three minutes left. McGree sent Latte Lath breaking clear, and after rounding the goalkeeper twice in the same movement, the substitute slammed the ball home.

A fourth goal arrived in stoppage time, with Barlaser casually stroking home a slick finish from the edge of the 18-yard box.