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Middlesbrough came from 2-0 down to grab a gutsy point at Millwall with stoppage time equaliser.

There will be much about the performance that Tony Pulis won't have been happy about but the fact that his side showed so much spirit will have delighted him.

Boro were second best for the first two-thirds of their opening league fixture of the season, which was played in blistering summer sunshine.

The weather didn't stop, however, Millwall from taking the game to their highly-fancied opponents and it was no surprise when they raced into a two goal lead.

In Boro's defence, they were missing several key players, but Pulis will be concerned that the team he did field was unable to lay a serious punch on the hosts until the 87th minute, by which time it looked a case of too little, too late. Boro had other ideas however.

Here's the story of the match.

Absent friends

The debate about Tony Pulis's starting XI at the New Den focused as much on who wasn't in the team rather than those who were.

The will he, won't he travel rumours surrounding Ben Gibson were finally confirmed when the squad arrived in Bermondsey without him.

Given the club are believed to have accepted an offer for the defender from Burnley, that didn't come as a huge surprise.

Adama Traore also stayed at home, though that was due to his dislocated shoulder. Pulis confirmed the Spaniard was able to return to the training ground but his injury hadn't healed to point where he could resume a full contact contest with Millwall.

Meanwhile, the opening fixture came too soon for Dani Ayala, who has yet to kick a ball in anger this summer due to an ankle injury, and Rudy Gestede, who also has an ankle problem following an awkward landing at Accrington Stanley. New signing Paddy McNair missed out due to a groin injury.

A trusted formation

The manager may have been lacking key men but his team still possessed several expensive acquisitions in his preferred 4-5-1 system.

Darren Randolph, as expected, started in goal with Dimi Konstantopoulos deputising rather than new signing Andy Lonergan.

At the back, Ryan Shotton started on the right, George Friend on the left and Dael Fry partnered Aden Flint, who was making his league debut for Boro, in the centre of defence.

Missing the injured McNair and Traore in midfield, Pulis turned to Martin Braithwaite and Grant Leadbitter.

The Dane was asked to play wide on the left with Stewart Downing switching to the right flank.

In the middle, Grant Leadbitter operated in front of the back four with Adam Clayton playing slightly further forward to his right and Jonny Howson to his left.

Men against men

On paper, Neil Harris's Millwall against Tony Pulis's Boro wasn't going to one for the football purists, but it promised to be a thoroughly compelling battle between two super-committed units.

And that's how the opening exchanges panned out.

There wasn't a great deal of quality on show but Millwall's energy and direct running threatened to overpower Boro, who were more deliberate about their approach play.

The visitors did win a free-kick midway inside the Lions' half in the third minute, but Martin Braithwaite received loud condemnation from the home supporters when he sliced a misdirected delivery high into the Cold Blow Lane Stand.

Millwall caused problems at the back for Boro in the seventh minute when George Saville floated a teasing ball to the far post from the right side of the penalty area but before Aiden O'Brien could convert the chance, Ryan Shotton made a timely interception.

Jordan Archer finally had some work to do in the 11th minute when Britt Assombalonga tried his luck from distance but his tame shot was easily smothered by the keeper.

Millwall score

The opening goal came in the 12th minute.

The home side attacked Boro down the right and Lee Gregory was the catalyst, wriggling his was into the box before squaring an inch-perfect pass to the unmarked Aiden O'Brien, who ended his well-timed run by blasting the ball into the net from 12 yards out.

Middlesbrough's defending didn't noticeably improve in the immediate aftermath of that goal.

In the 19 minute, Shaun Williams delivered a fine left-wing corner to the back of the six-yard box where Jake Cooper rose above his marker but directed his header wide of the post.

Then, in a virtual action replay six minutes later, Cooper headed a similar Williams corner downwards, allowing Boro to block the ball.

Millwall managed to score a second in the 37th minute, but Boro were the architects of their own downfall.

Aden Flint attempted to head an incoming ball back to Darren Randolph but Lee Gregory read the intent and chased the ball. He failed to make a clean contact with his first effort but that wrong-footed the keeper, who otherwise looked a safe bet to make a save. Gregory then reacted quickly to round the committed Randolph, latch onto the ball and slot his shot into an empty net.

Boro fall further behind

The second goal was the cue for the Boro fans in the upper deck of the West Stand to head for a half-time pint while the Millwall supporters joyously belted out a chorus of 'Premier League, You're Having a Laugh'.

The visiting fans who had escaped to the cool of the concourse didn't miss a great deal before the interval.

An ambitious long-range shot from Jonny Hewson that flashed high over the bar was as close as Boro came to forcing Jordan Archer into making his second save of the afternoon.

Tony Pulis declined to make any changes to his team at half-time, which was surprising given the lack of pace and penetration his team had demonstrated in the opening 45 minutes.

(Image: Focus Images)

From the re-start, there followed five minutes of tedious midfield attrition with the odd outbreak of head tennis thrown in for good measure.

Then, in the 52nd minute, Millwall came within a whisker of extending their lead.

Lee Gergory received the ball near the left touchline in what looked like an off-side position but the assistant ref's flag stayed down and the striker drove for the line before sliding a pass across the face of the Boro goal but Steve Morison, sliding in at the far past, just couldn't quite reach the incoming ball.

Two subs in four minutes

Tony Pulis decided to shake things up by withdrawing two of his more experienced players and replacing them with two relative rookies.

Ten minutes after the re-start, Lewis Wing was sent on for Grant Leadbitter with George Friend taking the captain's armband.

Wing, who was playing non-league football less than 18 months ago, marked his introduction with a booking for a foul on George Saville.

In the 59th minute, Adam Clayton made way for Marcus Tavernier in a switch that came seconds after Millwall had opened Boro up down the right and Jed Wallace whipped in a superb cross that flashed a matter of millimetres in front of Aiden O'Brien's forehead.

Boro did finally create some mayhem in the Millwall box in the 63 minute when Martin Braithwaite's floated a free-kick from the left to the far post where Aden Flint knocked the ball back into the middle but Britt Assombalonga's attempted shot was blocked.

A dramatic comeback

Perhaps the heat had tired Millwall after their committed display in the first 70 minutes but whatever the reason, Boro did finally start to push the home side back into their own half.

The introduction of new blood, including third sub Ashley Fletcher, who replaced Stewart Downing in the 74th minute, gave the visitors added zip.

Boro's shape by that stage resembled a 4-3-3 with a forward line of Britt Assombalonga, Ashley Fletcher and Martin Braithwaite.

In the 75th minute, Ryan Shotton glanced a Braithwaite header wide of the target.

Then, two minute later, Fletcher managed to food the ball to Aden Flint in a promising position near the penalty spot, but the prolific defender sliced his effort high over the bar.

Middlesbrough didn't have it all their own way, though, with Steve Morison showing neat skill to turn George Friend inside the box but the veteran striker's shot deflected behind off Dael Fry.

Boro gave themselves a lifeline in the 87th minute when Marcus Tavernier pulled the ball back into the box from the byline inside the penalty area and Braithwaite gratefully did the business from close-range.

Middlesbrough pushed hard for an equaliser as the game went into extra-time but they were unable to get a shot on target until the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Lewis Wing drilled the ball into the box and the ball fell perfectly for George Friend to score from close-range.

Millwall (4-4-2): Archer; Romeo, Hutchinson, Cooper, Meredith; J Wallace, Williams, O'Brien (Skalak 85), Saville; Gregory (Elliott 80), Morison (M Wallace 89).

Subs: Amos, McLaughlin, Onyedinma, Tunnicliffe

Middlesbrough (4-5-1): Randolph; Shotton, Flint, Fry, Friend; Downing (Fletcher 74), Clayton (Tavernier 59), Leadbitter (Wing 55), Howson, Braithwaite; Assombalonga.

Subs: Konstantopoulos, Wood, Johnson, Chapman.