Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate had described his side’s 5-0 thumping by Chelsea a week previously as a humbling experience so it would have been nice for him to have walked away from Ewood Park last night with his head held high thanks to a second successive away win. But Benni McCarthy’s stoppage-time header from a corner snatched a point for Blackburn

The fact that Afonso Alves’s 74th-minute goal, a shot smashed past Paul Robinson, came largely against the run of play will not have worried Southgate either and may even give him some source of joy when he meets up with Paul Ince, a friend and former Boro teammate, at their shared Portugal holiday hideaway.

Like Southgate, Ince made the swift transition from player to manager and despite his bright start he will also be painfully aware of the frustrations as his side were seconds away from a third goalless game.

Even before kick-off Middlesbrough were forced into a slight change of plan as, not for the first time, Mido sustained a late injury that left the Teessiders with just six substitutes for a third occasion this season.

Southgate is happy to travel light, as he believes half-a-dozen potential options for change are sufficient and with four alterations already to his starting line-up after their five-goal beating by Chelsea a week earlier, enough was evidently enough.

Ince also instigated four changes, most notably in attack, where fit-again Roque Santa Cruz returned to play just ahead of Carlos Villanueva as Blackburn looked to improve on a modest goalscoring record.

Yet it was Boro who almost took the lead after nine minutes when Blackburn’s defence stood still in anticipation of an offside flag against Tuncay Sanli that allowed Jeremie Aliadiere to steal in and meet Chris Riggott’s chipped ball forward with a volley that hit the crossbar. The assistant referee got that right but erred badly midway through the first half when he incorrectly denied Tuncay a fine goal when the striker’s wonderfully executed overhead kick was not allowed to stand after Gary O’Neil’s headed pass had caught out Blackburn’s backline.

Middlesbrough’s anguish would have heightened further if they had then gone behind almost immediately to a Santa Cruz header from Stephen Warnock’s corner, but it was well stopped by Ross Turnbull.

Blackburn are a far more potent force with Santa Cruz as their spearhead and the Paraguyan international had already shot against the inside of a post after Warnock’s fine pass had opened up Boro’s defence, while Brett Emerton and Santa Cruz, again, forced Turnbull to make saves as an opening goal never seemed far away.

It might have come four minutes into the second half from a Villanueva free kick but Santa Cruz and team-mate Andre Ooijer collided with each other as they attacked a hanging ball at the far post and another set piece almost let in Ryan Nelsen for a rare goal as Blackburn turned up the pressure.

Ince was given a difficult task in following Mark Hughes into Ewood Park but his impression is starting to be felt with Villanueva an exciting addition and Australian international Vince Grella enjoyed an encouraging home debut yesterday in the centre of midfield alongside converted full-back Warnock.

The pair of them allowed Middlesbrough’s midfield few options to build a platform for any sustained spell of attacking.

Star man: Vince Grella (Blackburn)

Referee: M Dean

Attendance: 17,606

Blackburn: Robinson 6, Simpson 7, Ooijer 6, Nelsen 6, Olsson 6, Emerton 6, Grella 8, Warnock 7, Villanueva 7, Santa Cruz 7, Derbyshire 5 (McCarthy 65min)

Middlesbrough: Turnbull 8, Wheater 6, Riggott 7, Pogatetz 7, Taylor 6, Aliadiere 5, O’Neil 7, Digard 6, Downing 5, Alves 7, Tuncay 6