Will Lankshear marked his Middlesbrough debut in style, netting the only goal of the game as Boro edged past Wrexham 1-0 in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
The 21-year-old striker, who arrived at the Riverside this summer in a £10 million deal from Tottenham Hotspur, needed just over an hour to open his account for the club, producing a moment of real quality to settle what had been a tightly contested affair.
Middlesbrough had shown early intent, coming close to breaking the deadlock inside the opening ten minutes. Adilson Malanda got on the end of a low cross from Sebastian Berhalter and poked the ball goalward from close range, only to be denied by an outstanding reflex save from Wrexham goalkeeper Danny Ward, who kept the score level with a point-blank stop.
Wrexham responded and had opportunities of their own to take the lead. Danny Imray was unable to properly connect with a cross delivered by Callum Doyle, spurning a promising chance for the visitors. Then, just before half-time, Nathan Broadhead did well to create space for Sam Smith inside the box, but the forward's low effort was straight at Sol Brynn, who parried it away with his legs to keep the scoreline blank heading into the interval.
The breakthrough eventually arrived midway through the second half, though not before Lankshear had already given a glimpse of what was to come. Shortly after the restart, the forward curled an effort just over the crossbar, a warning sign for the Wrexham defense.
In the 61st minute, Lankshear made no mistake. A flowing move saw Jeremy Sarmiento whip in a cross that was nodded into the striker's path by Leo Castledine. Lankshear reacted instantly, swiveling on the spot before connecting with a first-time volley that flew into the far corner, leaving Ward with no chance. It was a clinical and technically impressive finish, the kind that immediately endeared the new signing to the home supporters.
Middlesbrough came close to extending their advantage in the closing stages when Morgan Whittaker struck a low effort that beat Ward but crashed against the post with three minutes remaining, denying Boro a more comfortable cushion heading into the final whistle.
Despite that let-off, Middlesbrough held firm to see out the victory and secure their passage into the next round of the competition. The result represents a solid start to the cup campaign for Boro, who will take confidence from both the defensive resilience shown throughout the match and the attacking spark provided by their new forward.
For Wrexham, the defeat will be a disappointing outcome given the chances they created, particularly the missed opportunities through Imray and Smith that could have altered the complexion of the game. The visitors will now turn their attention to league commitments as they look to build momentum elsewhere.
Attention for Middlesbrough, meanwhile, will quickly shift to how Lankshear can build on his debut heroics. A £10 million investment from Tottenham always carries expectation, and an early goal of this quality will do plenty to justify the club's faith in the young striker as the season progresses.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.