Middlesbrough couldn’t build upon Albert Adomah’s first goal for the club as Ipswich Town recovered to take a 3-1 victory at Portman Road.
Adomah opened the scoring with an acrobatic finish on twelve minutes but David McGoldrick struck twice either side of a Luke Chambers header.
Boro handed a first start to new signing Jacob Butterfield while fellow newcomer Kei Kamara was included on the bench. And Butterfield’s corner was soon headed back by Grant Leadbitter for Adomah to hook the visitors into an early lead.
Chambers directed a 25-yard effort onto the top of the net in reply while Jason Steele was required to block from Paul Anderson.
Ipswich still levelled on 34 minutes with McGoldrick seizing on a loose ball and producing an angled finish beyond Steele
Lukas Jutkiewicz saw a couple of efforts charged down in reply while Chambers drove straight at visiting keeper Steele ahead of the break.
Boro skipper Rhys Williams covered well upon the restart and Steele then went full-length to thwart Ryan Tunnicliffe after Dean Whitehead had given away possession.
Some poor defensive work helped the home side into the lead just ahead of the hour-mark with Aaron Cresswell crossing for the unmarked Chambers to head into the net.
It could have been worse when Frazer Richardson was robbed by Cresswell and McGoldrick’s shot was deflected wide.
At the opposite end Buttefield had a 20-yard effort blocked and fellow newcomer Kamara hoisted the rebound over, while Luke Murphy and McGoldrick were each wide in reply.
Adomah could then only find the clutches of keeper Dean Gerken with a curled attempt before then heading over from a Marvin Emnes delivery.
However, Ipswich finally settled the contest in added time as McGoldrick raced inside the area and drove low and wide of the approaching Steele.
Ipswich Town: Gerken, Cresswell, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Skuse, Anderson (Edwards 68), Tunnicliffe (Tabb 84), Hyam, McGoldrick, Nouble (Murphy 46)
subs (unused): Loach, Hewitt, Wordsworth, Taylor
Goals: McGoldrick (34, 90), Chambers (57)
Middlesbrough: Steele, Richardson, R. Williams, Woodgate, Friend, Butterfield, Leadbitter, Whitehead (Kamara 63), Carayol (Emnes 63), Adomah, Jutkiewicz
subs (unused): Leutwiler, Hoyte, Gibson, Halliday, Smallwood
Goals: Adomah (12)
Ref: Linington
Att: 15,276
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