Blackburn Rovers secured a deserved first Championship win of the season, scoring two goals in a dramatic six-minute second-half spell as they hit back to overcome a wasteful Middlesbrough at Ewood Park.

Boro dominated the early exchanges with Jeremy Sarmiento putting the visitors ahead with a smart left-foot finish.

The home side responded, going close through Ryoya Morishita and then Kristi Montgomery before levelling after the break through Andri Gudjohnsen's close-range effort - his third goal in three games this season.

Building on that momentum, Rovers went ahead for the first time through captain Todd Cantwell and managed to cling on as the visitors found themselves unable to break down a resolute home defence.

It did not take Middlesbrough long to put their stamp on the game, Morgan Whittaker playing a pinpoint pass through to Sarmiento, who had no difficulty in finding the bottom corner to put the visitors ahead.

Blackburn then went close when Oladapo Afolayan found Morishita, only for the winger to blaze the ball over. Morishita was involved again soon after, his volley beating Radek Vitek only for Luke Ayling to make a crucial goal line clearance to preserve the Boro lead.

Boro were almost caught out again when Montgomery saw his shot well saved by Vitek on the verge of half-time.

But four minutes after the break Blackburn were level. The ball was whipped in by Harry Pickering and Gudjohnsen got ahead of his marker to head the ball home.

Middlesbrough laid siege to the Blackburn goal in response, going close through Myles Peart-Harris and then Whittaker, only to pay for their profligacy soon after when Cantwell's diving header flew past the despairing Vitek.

In the latter stages and with Blackburn defending deep, Middlesbrough were forced to shoot from distance with a pair of Aidan Morris efforts blocked by desperate Rovers defenders.

With Riley McGree firing over for Boro as time elapsed, Tony Mowbray was able to celebrate victory against his former employers, his first in the league since returning to Ewood Park.

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I'm more pleased with the result [than the performance] - they [Boro] are a wonderful football team, we knew we were going to suffer at times when we were without the ball.

"Before half-time we had three one-on-ones, amazing chances to score. We knew Middlesbrough would have the ball, the intention was to nick the ball off them in their half and break away and we did that three or four times - how we came in [at half-time] without scoring a goal is beyond me.

"We found a way, and eventually scored two good goals. We've got a long way to go, but we have a wonderful togetherness and group mentality."

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees:

"When you get one up, the game was there for us to take. We just need to improve, you have to get something out of the game when you are 1-0 up.

"In the second half we had 15 weak minutes of defending the box. It's a disappointment not to come away with anything.

"We have too many new players not fit enough with injuries and coming in late - but that's how it works. We need Aidan [Morris] on the pitch but he was not at his best today either, same with Myles [Peart-Harris] - the result was not as we wanted."