Why Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick was encouraged despite his side's winless start to the league season continuing against Huddersfield Town

Boro's tough start to the season looked like continuing when Town took the lead when Dael Fry diverted Sorba Thomas' inswinging corner into his own net on 47 minutes.

It looked like being another milestone day for Neil Warnock on his first return to the Riverside since being sacked as Boro boss - on the 36th anniversary of his first ever victory as a Football League manager for Scarborough in August 1987.

But Hayden Hackney levelled with a blistering strike just after the hour mark - Boro's first league goal of the campaign.

A combination of fine keeping from Lee Nicholls and a glaring stoppage-time miss from Sam Silvera ensured that Town picked up their first point of the campaign in a 1-1 draw.

While there was frustration for Carrick at not seeing his side celebrate a precious win, Carrick said that the performance of Boro - who handed debuts to Emmanuel Latte Lath and Luaks Engel, left him enthused.

He said: "It was really encouraging to be honest. It was a really tough game. They're a good team and really make you work for a result.

"They showed that against Leicester last week. The way they play, they're really effective and tough to play against.

"I thought we did a lot of good things in the game, looked dangerous and created chances and probably, definitely, should have scored more goals.

"It's kind of the way it's going for us, we're doing some good things and getting punished for things we should maybe do better but now and again you get away with.

"Things just aren't quite dropping as nice as they might do but I'm really encouraged.

"One-nil down it can be frustrating, you can get anxious and doubt yourself, but I thought the boys were terrific and should have gone on to win the game with the chances and how well they finished the game."