Neil Warnock wants ex-Sunderland man Duncan Watmore to commit to Middlesbrough

Watmore, who signed on a free less than a month ago following his Sunderland exit in the summer, scored a brace for the second time in 10 days either side of Marcus Tavernier’s 15th-minute curler.

The former Black Cats forward, whose career has been blighted by a series of injuries, showed his predatory instincts with a goal in the 14th and 20th minute to seal the points for Middlesbrough.

The 26-year-old has clearly impressed Warnock, but the Boro manager was even more impressed with his team’s display following back-to-back defeats to Preston and Stoke.

Warnock, who knows Watmore has a short-term contract until mid-January, said: “Duncan took his goals well, his second was a typical poacher’s goal. He was in the right place.

“We have to agree financially, but I have already told him I want to keep him on; if he wants to stay. The club suits him and he suits the club. I think I can get the best out of him, to be honest.”

Warnock added: “You get what you see from us, we are going to be up and down. The average age was 25 out there, that’s the youngest I have ever had.

“I was worried beforehand because we lost Jonny Howson and the defeat in midweek. We had to get a quick start and we did that. The way to play was to get one touch in their half and go. We did really well.

“The two midfield lads did really well, and the centre-backs, immense, Dael Fry and Paddy McNair. We kept a clean sheet as well they are difficult opponents.

“The Championship is a brutal league. It is a hard league. Millwall is not one of the highest wage bills, and we have the lowest number of players in a squad in the league. You have to keep going.”

The Lions, winless in 10 games, were all over the place in the first half when a series of errors helped Middlesbrough take command and it could have been more. Millwall chief Gary Rowett said: “It was Mount Everest we had to climb after that seven minutes, pretty poor. We started lacklustre. We had an extra day’s recovery and did not make it count.”

Middlesbrough: Bettinelli, Dijksteel (Roberts 88), Fry, McNair; Bola, Morsy, Saville, Watmore (Spence 71), Tavernier (Wing 80); Johnson (Coulson 79), Akpom (Assombalonga 72). Unused substitutes: Folarin, Stojanovic, Jones.

Millwall: Bialkowski, Hutchinson, Pearce (Bodvarsson 24), Cooper; Romeo (Thompson 60), Leonard, Woods, Malone; Jed Wallace (Ferguson 80), Bennett (Smith 60), Parrott (Burey 59). Unused: Fielding, Murray Wallace, Williams, Bradshaw.

Refereee: D Bond (Lancashire).