Middlesbrough 1-4 Derby

Debutant striker Malcolm Christie scored twice as Middlesbrough belatedly got the New Year off to a bad start.

Cup exits and a scheduled January game with Manchester United meant Bryan Robson's Boro team had not played since the last century.

And 20-year-old former supermarket shelf-stacker Christie helped his team-mates expose the home side's rustiness, with an eighth-minute opener and Derby's third goal on the hour.

The player signed from non-league Nuneaton Borough just over a year ago cost just £50,000.

In between his strikes Deon Burton scored for the visitors, while Hamilton Ricard had a penalty saved by Mart Poom in the Derby goal.

Craig Burley sealed the visitors' win in injury time after Andy Campbell's consolation for Boro 19 minutes previously.

Boro's desperate performance led to cries of "we want Robson out" from the frustrated home fans.

The early stages were error-ridden, but Derby were soon ahead when a Seth Johnson corner was flicked on at the near post by Burton, and headed in by Christie.

Gary Pallister had to be quick to and deny the young striker a second goal after 19 minutes as Christie threatened a free run on goal.

And Boro had to rely on a central defender for their best chance of the first half when Gianluca Festa drove wide.

Deon Burton should have doubled Derby's advantage ten minutes before half time.

But he somehow managed to send the ball over from just six yards, with Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer stranded.

Daryll Powell also managed to miss the target from close range, while Schwarzer had to brilliantly deny Rory Delap two minutes before the break.

Robson needed to do something and made a double substitution at half time.

But within two minutes the visitors were two goals up, after Johnson drove goalwards and a fortunate deflection took the ball into the path of Christie.

The youngster's shot was blocked but the ball looped over to Burton who hooked it home.

There was little to worry the visitors before Christie appeared to kill the game on the hour with Derby's third, thanks to an awful Schwarzer error.

The Middlesbrough goalkeeper collected a back pass at his feet outside his area and attempted to sidefoot clear.

The ball hit Christie who gratefully moved through to tuck the ball away from an acute angle.

Two minutes later Boro missed their first chance to get back into it when Poom saved Ricard's penalty.

Campbell took his chance when he scored from close range, and the goal briefly sparked Middlesbrough into some life.

But it was to no avail and substitute Georgie Kinkladze broke clear in the final minute before laying the ball off for Burley to drive home.

Teams:

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Festa, Pallister, Vickers, Fleming, Mustoe, Ince, Juninho, Ricard, Armstrong. Subs: Gascoigne, Beresford, Maddison, Campbell, Marinelli. Derby: Poom, Schnoor, Carbonari, Elliott, Delap, Burley, Powell, Bohinen, Johnson, Christie, Burton. Subs: Hoult, Nimni, Boertien, Robinson, Kinkladze. Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City