Britt Assombalonga scored his first goals as Middlesbrough overcame currently pointless Burton Albion 2-0 at the Riverside.
Boro’s record £15m signing struck his first midway through the opening half before going onto double his tally on the hour.
The Brewers later had substitute Hope Akpan sent-off for a bad lunge on fellow replacement Lewis Baker.
Newcomer Assombalonga crucially made the breakthrough with a low finish after Rudy Gestede had demonstrated his strength inside the area.
Soon after that the diving Patrick Bamford headed Adam Forshaw’s cross wide before Gestede similarly nodded at goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.
However, Matty Palmer volleyed narrowly wide at the other end while keeper Darren Randolph also had to be alert to deny Lucas Akins after the interval.
Goalscorer Assombalonga was then offered another decent opportunity courtesy of good work by Bamford, before adding his second goal after Bywater had initially denied Gestede.
Later Bamford saw another effort ruled out for offside and Baker curled wide following the visitors being reduced to ten-men.
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Christie, Fry, Gibson, Friend, Howson, Clayton, Forshaw (Baker 61), Bamford (Traore 77), Assombalonga, Gestede (Fletcher 83)
subs (unused): Konstantopoulos, Fabio, Leadbitter, Roberts
Goals: Assombalonga (23, 60)
Burton Albion: Bywater, Naylor, Buxton, McFadzean, Dyer, Lund, Murphy (Akpan 65), Palmer, McCrory, Akins (Varney 65), Sordell (Flanagan 69)
subs (unused): Fox, Campbell, Barker, Sbarra
Ref: T. Robinson
Att: 24,522
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