Young Huddersfield stars give hope, but old failings remain for Carlos Corberan

An excellent opening saw Isaac Mbenza give depleted Town the lead with an outstanding ninth-minute free-kick to crown a vibrant opening 25 minutes.

But Boro grew into the game and an equally impressive solo game from Duncan Watmore - who the visitors struggled to handle - drew the hosts level shortly after the half-hour mark.

Town, whose woes were compounded by the loss of Mbenza with a groin issue, on the half-hour, then fell behind moments before the interval when their capacity to give away cheap penalties continued when Lewis O’Brien, operating at left-back, fouled Darnell Fisher.

Ashley Fletcher converted the spot-kick which crept under Ryan Schofield in the decisive moment of the contest.

Town had the lions’ share of the chances in a scrappy second half and laid siege at the end after Boro were reduced to ten men after Paddy McNair was dismissed for a challenge on Juninho Bacuna.

But the Teessiders held out to end a run of four successive home losses and secure their first win in six matches to increase the fears at the bottom end of the table for Town.

Corberan said: “We started the game well and had control in the offensive half and scored the goal.

“But they went onto win a lot of second balls and played the game more in our offensive half and we did not find a way to change this dynamic.

“Watmore created a lot of problems and he moved our defenders from side to side.

“The two goals were ones we should have avoided and then we should have got something positive in the game.

“I do not think we were organised in defence from minute 15 to 45 and this is my responsibility and I could have helped the team adapt better and that is one of the reasons we lost our advantage and that is something we need to adapt to fast.

“In the last weeks, we have also created (conceded) three penalties in a row and we have to change this.

“But the reaction in the second half was what I was looking for and we won more second balls in the middle with O’Brien in the middle and Aaron Rowe on the left.”

Plus points arrived in the performances from the bench of Rowe and fellow youngster Kieran Phillips, who went desperately close to a late equaliser when his low shot rattled the post.

Corberan added: “Phillips also helped us create more problems and more chances and we created enough games to balance the game.

“He is in my thoughts as he is the only striker I have with (Fraizer) Campbell and if I wish the players with two strikers, he is the one possibility.

“I liked the reaction of the team in the second half after the first ten minutes and we had many options to score, but did not do and that is why we did not take anything positive.”