Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg on 'amazing' win at Hull City and praise for one 'brilliant' star

Goals from David Strelec, with just his second goal of the campaign and Alex Gilbert - who followed his strike at the MKM Stadium on New Year's Day with another goal at the venue in 2025 - fully justified the Swede's decision to hand them both starts.

Morgan Whittaker added his fourth goal in successive matches before Riley McGree, another promoted to the starting line-up, put gloss on a magnificent opening half with another to kill the game by half-time.

The victory, in Hellberg's opening away outing, consolidated second spot in the table for Boro and was the perfect way for him to ingratiate himself with joyous travelling supporters, who lapped up the fare on offer.

Hellberg, whose side visit Charlton on Tuesday, said: "I think the first half from the players in terms of how great we were and the quality meant it was an amazing half to watch.

"And then I think we did a brilliant second half in terms of killing the game off.

"As it's difficult when you go in with four goals in terms of how you're going to solve the second half.

"It's more about killing the game off and of course we could have been a little bit better in some transitions, but it was how we defended and how we worked with that part.

"We defended very very good in the second half and again. In the first half, I think we played an amazing attacking football in terms of controlling the game, being brave on the ball and striking them behind when they were leaving that space.

"They were leaving that space and H (Hayden Hackney) and Gilly (Alex Gilbert) were very good on the ball in being brave.

"Gilly is a very clever footballer and he's very quick in learning and adapting to what I want from him. He's good on the ball and brave and you could see that today. He had a brilliant 90 minutes."