Middlesbrough 2-3 Cardiff City: First-half blitz sees Bluebirds through after spirited Boro comeback

Cardiff City produced a classic Jekyll and Hyde performance to claim their first away win of the season after edging to a 3-2 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

Callum O'Dowda, on his return to the starting XI, opened the scoring within the opening few minutes to set the tone on Teesside, before Mark Harris lashed home a well-deserved second.

Perry Ng's terrific solo effort put Cardiff in firm control on the stroke of half-time, capping off a first-half blitz that proved just about enough to hand the Bluebirds all three points.

But the standard of the second-half performance will be a big concern to Steve Morison, who could only watch on as goals from substitute Duncan Watmore and Rodrigo Muniz set up an unnecessarily nervous finale.

There were certainly positives to take from what was a near-perfect first 45 minutes, and City will know that their exploits before the interval will have surely set the standard for future performances.

Callum Robinson was handed his first start since his deadline-day move from West Bromwich Albion - the forward one of four changes from the defeat to Millwall as Morison sought to topple a Middlesbrough side previously yet to taste defeat the Riverside Stadium this season.

Ahead of kick-off, both sides came together to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II with a moment's silence and a rendition of the British national anthem, after the monarch's passing last week.

It was an event that saw last weekend's fixtures postponed, of course, but it initially seemed this was a performance well worth the wait for the small pocket of travelling Bluebirds, who saw their side ahead after just four minutes.

A classy touch from Robinson allowed the forward to work some space in the middle of