GIVEN how one of Gareth Southgate and Roy Keane's early clashes during their playing careers ended in controversy, it was fitting that a first meeting as managers would be an afternoon of high drama.

It was back in 1995 when Keane infamously received his first red card in a Manchester United shirt for a deliberate stamp on his counterpart from Crystal Palace during an FA Cup semi-final.

Twelve years on and there was an equally unsavoury incident at the Riverside Stadium which contributed in its own way to making this Tees-Wear derby an interesting spectacle. And neither boss, despite being a matter of yards away, had any part to play.

The incident arrived just after the hour mark of an action-packed, although not always pretty, fixture that had just about everything the 30,000 spectators wanted to see - except a winner.

Grant Leadbitter was incensed by a crunching tackle from Lee Cattermole on the touchline, after Andrew Taylor had teased the visitors with his own rendition of keep ball. And the two local products displayed the sort of passion North-East derbies have come to possess over the years.

Players held one another by the throat, while others frantically tried to break up the fracas which looked like developing into something more serious. Keane, showing further proof his wild days on the pitch are behind him, remained calm.

"I didn't quite see it," said the Irishman, as a small smile rose across his face. "You need to calm things down and the two players deserved the booking they got.

"If you had two sendings off it would have been a bigger issue than it probably was in a match like that. I had no interest in joining them.

"When managers and staff run on it can make it look worse than it is. It was two players coming together and that was it. It was important that we stepped down and stayed cool."

Despite intervening on a number of occasions when it wasn't necessary, Keane was right to suggest that referee Howard Webb controlled the situation perfectly.

Had the red cards come out instead of yellow then it could have spoilt a fixture that was testament to two managers who have clearly built up a tremendous camaraderie within both dressing rooms.

And it was the togetherness shown from Sunderland, who had been outplayed for the majority of the second half, that ended with them gaining their late reward through Liam Miller.

On as a substitute, and with Middlesbrough leading, the Black Cats had rarely threatened and looked incapable of pulling out a positive result from somewhere.

But, after David Wheater had done well to thwart Kenwyne Jones in the air, Miller chested the loose ball into his path, before delivering a stunning left-foot volley from 20 yards into Mark Schwarzer's right corner.

"Over the last year we have scored a lot of late goals," said Keane. "I can't stand here and take credit for the players. That all comes from within. That they keep trying to get something out of games is down to them.

"I see every day in training that desire to win games and that's something I love to see in people anyway. Sometimes in these games, psychologically the players will be thinking we don't want to lose this."

Miller's leveller arrived with a minute remaining and was harsh on a Middlesbrough team who could have won more convincingly.

That in itself pleased Southgate, given how he Tunçay Sanli, Julio Arca and Mido all suffered injuries at different stages of the first half.

Despite knowing his hamstring tendons were not right, Mido kept playing for as long as he could because he knew the only striker on the bench - Dong Gook Lee - had already been used.

"Mido epitomised that spirit and that was highlighted by Emanuel Pogatetz," said Southgate, who fears the knee ligament injury sustained by Arca could be serious.

"Emanuel hasn't been here for a few weeks because he's been in Austria working morning, noon and night to get fit. He was buzzing at the character and effort that everyone showed.

"You would have thought that everyone would have been down by this, but the spirit is there and that is the starting point. We are showing character and to adjust to those changes was phenomenal. Some people may think I should be down after conceding a late goal like that, but I'm not."

Southgate must have feared it was not going to be Middlesbrough's day within 75 seconds of the first whistle. Arca was robbed in the middle by Leadbitter, who fed possession out wide to Michael Chopra.

Chopra cut inside and his tame shot hit Leadbitter, who had continued a surge into the box, and the Fence Houses-born midfielder slotted beyond Schwarzer.

It was the perfect start for Sunderland but they failed to make the most of it and Arca made amends on 14 minutes.

The skilful Argentine, facing his former employers for the first time since leaving last year, started and finished a move that ended with him heading in Gary O'Neil's pinpoint centre.

From there on in Middlesbrough created all of the chances, with the exception of Miller's late equaliser, a routine back post Chopra header and a wayward Ross Wallace drive.

O'Neil, Lee and Downing all had decent opportunities before the latter put the home team in front with a breathtaking strike.

The England winger, given the ball from Boateng, took a touch before his low, right foot drive from 25 yards flew past the stranded figure of £9m goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Sunderland, however, persevered and Miller staked his claim for a starting place against Blackburn on Saturday with his exceptional equaliser.

Despite claiming a point, Keane was the first to admit there was clear evidence to suggest which of the two North-East clubs had been in the Premier League for ten years.

"Boro have one or two players who have plenty of games under their belts," said the Sunderland boss, who has seen his team claim eight points from their first seven matches in the top-flight.

"A blind man could have seen that Middlesbrough have more experience in certain situations. Gareth might say they didn't do enough, because they didn't finish the game off, but there are signs from some of their players that they have a bit more experience."

And with the honours shared by two managers still very much finding their way in the managerial game, Keane and Southgate both have good reason to be optimistic