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A last gasp breakaway goal sealed what was a nervous 2-0 Riverside win for Boro – but they all count.
Boro dominated the first half and created chances but could not profit then looked to have done enough when Lee Tomlin slammed home a sizzler on the hour.
But then Boro got the jitters and started to creak at the back and as Huddersfield sensed a way back Nakhi Wells twice brought excellent saves from Dimi Konstantopoulos and hit the post.
But despite a nervous finish Boro broke away from defending a stoppage time corner with even the visiting keeper up and Tomlin raced clear to slot in his second.
Boro made three changes from the side that drew 0-0 at Reading. Adam Clayton returned from a ban in place of Dean Whitehead to face his former team while up front Lee Tomlin and Kike came in for Adam Reach and Jelle Vossen.
There was a confident start for Boro as they swept the ball around neatly, retaining possession and passing and probing with intent.
They almost broke through on four minutes as a move down the left found Tomlin who turned and slotted a ball into the box towards Kike but it was cut out by a stretching leg.
And on six minutes Boro almost had an opener as Clayton pushed a lose ball into the path of Kike 25 yards out and he stepped over a Hudson challenge then drilled in a low shot that beat the diving keeper but cannoned back off the far post.
Then they won a corner but when it was half scrambled clear Adomah collected and pushed it back inside for Patrick Bamford to blaze high over.
Boro went close again on 10 minutes as a perceptive through ball from Grant Leadbitter sent Bamford down the inside left channel into the box where he held off a defender but under pressure from the advancing keeper he was forced wide and his angled shot flew behind.
Huddersfield made their first tentative probe on 13 minutes as Wells chased a ball into the box but Kalas arrived with s uperb sliding tackle to put it behind then when former Boro man Jacob Butterfield swung in the corner it was easily cleared.
On 14 minutes Ben Gibson was booked for a foul on Wells near the half-way line.
Boro had a strong shout for a penalty on 17 minutes as Adomah was brought down by Lynch as he turned in the box but the ref waved play on – then the loose ball feel to Bamford and his stinging shot was charged down by Coady leaving players and fans demanding a penalty for a second time.
And a minute later Boro went close again as they won a corner on the right and when Ayala flicked on Leadbitter's ball in Bamford header grazed the outside of the post.
There was a hold-up as Vaughan went down heavily under a high challenge from Kalas and after treatment he limped off on 24 minutes to be replaced by Gobern.
Boro went close again soon after as Kike headed over from a corner awarded after some tigerish work by Bamford.
Tomlin won a free-kick 35 yards out on the half-hour and when it sailed to the far side George Friend nodded it back across the box but it was scrambled away.
Boro had a great chance on 32 minutes as a quick break took Tomlin to the edge of the box but with Adomah over-lapping on his left a lax ball was easily cut out.
And they threatened on 36 minutes as Leadbitter slotted a subtle free-kick wide of the crowd for Kike to peel off and collect then fire a low ball across the face of goal but Bamford's attempted stab goalwards was blocked.
There was a loud round of applause on 36 minutes in memory of Craig ' Spuggy' Starling who dies recently.
Boro piled on the pressure on 41 minutes as a Leadbitter free-kick was hooked away then when it was put back into the crowd by Friend it sparked a scramble and when it was half cleared by Gobern it fell to Clayton 25 yards out but his shot screamed high over.
Then just before the break Kike wriggled into the box and slotted to Bamford who got to the byline and cut the ball back and when a defender flicked it to the edge of the box Kalas thumped over.
But Huddersfield broke out deep in stoppage time as Wells chased a long ball then tricked and turned to get into the box before Kalas came sliding in to turn his shot behind.
HALF-TIME: BORO 0 HUDDERSFIELD 0
At the break Huddersfield put Peltier on for Teessider Jonathon Hogg.
Boro almost got the opener within two minutes of the restart as Friend drilled a ball down the inside left channel and Kike deftly back-heeled into the path of Tomlin who sent a shot sizzling a fraction over from 25 yards.
Tempers threatened to boil over on 51 minutes as Ayala cleared a ball ahead from Wells and the Town man barged the defender sparking a melee on the pitch while coach Steve Agnew and the visiting boss Chris Powell also had a heated exchange.
Huddersfield won a corner on 55 minutes after some sloppy play by Friend then when it was only half cleared Butterfield sent a long range effort from wide on the right sailing just beyond the far post.
Boro hit back as Tomlin controlled well in the middle then skipped past a man and chipped neatly out to the right for Adomah to cut inside and into the box before firing an angled effort over.
But with the fans' frustrations starting to grow Boro took the lead with a screamer on the hour.
Kike killed a stray ball dead then threaded deftly into the path of LEE TOMLIN who smacked home an unstoppable 20 yard rocket shot.
Town almost got one back two minutes later as a quick break found Butterfield but Dimi Konstantopoulos went full length to push his 20 yard angled low effort behind for a corner.
Then on 66 minutes Huddersfield put a long throw into the Boro box and after a scrum it rolled out to Scannell in space 15 yards out but Friend arrived with a sliding tackle to block his shot.
Boro were back on the attack immediately as a defensive slip by Robinson let a Kike ball sail through to Adomah into the box on the right but his low shot was fumbled into the side netting at the near post by keeper Smithies.
And they looked to have broken through for a second on 72 minutes as Leadbitter chipped a free-kicjk in for Kike to chest down and turn six yards out but the offside flag went up and the Spaniard somehow sent his stabbed shot wide skidding wide.
On 73 minutes Boro put on Adam Reach for Bamford.
There were shouts for a penalty from the Huddersfield fans as a cross hit Ayala on the shin and bounced up to glance his arm but the ref waved play on.
Boro threatened on 77 minutes as Kike wriggled down the left and cut the ball into the path of Reach who stumbled but turned the ball goalwards and it was scrambled away.
Huddersfield almost got a leveller on 79 minutes as Wells beat Clayton to a ball on the right of the box then lashed in a low shot that beat the diving Konstantopoulos but bounced off the far post then was cleared by Kalas.
Straight up the other end Boro threatened as a neat Kike touch sent Tomlin into the box but his first touch was poor and cleared by the advancing keeper and thenAdomah cut inside and got into the box only to lash an angled shot a yard over.
On 81 minutes Peltier was booked for a foul on Tomlin.
On 82 minutes Huddersfield put on Lolley for Robinson.
On 83 minutes Boro put on Jelle Vossen for Kike.
On 85 minutes Friend was booked for a foul on Smith.
Boro were back on the attack on 87 minutes as a crisp move sent Adomah down the right to put in a cross that was headed clear then when he collected and tried to turn he was fouled.
From the free-kick Huddersfield broke as Wells out-sprinted Friend down the right then cut inside to drill in an angled low effort that sent
Konstantpoulos full length to push behind.
Then from the resulting corner Wells turned neatly to drill in a close range effort that brought a superb reflex save from the keeper.
On 90 minutes Tomlin was booked for a foul on Hudson.
Boro should have clinched it in stoppage time as Clayton cut out a stray ball as a Huddersfield attack broke down then sent Adomah streaming forward but his square ball was cut out.
Then Boro sealed it at the death in surreal circumstances as they dug in to defend a series of long balls into the box then Town won a corner and even the keeper came up.
When the ball was scrambled away Vossen pushed it forward for LEE TOMLIN to race clear with two defenders and the keeper in hot pursuit before he slotted it home from 25 yards.
BORO: Konstantontopolous, Kalas, Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Clayton, Leadbitter (c ), Adomah, Tomlin, Bamford (Reach 73), Kike (Vossen, 83). Subs: Meijas, Ledesma, Husband, Whitehead, Omeruo.
HUDDERSFIELD: Smithies, Robinson (Lolley, 82), Hudson ©, Lynch, Smith, Coady, Butterfield, Hogg (Peltier 46), Scannell, Vaughan (Gobern, 24), Wells. Subs: Allinson, Dixon, Billing, Majewski.
Ref: Peter Bankes (Merseyside)
Att: 18,576 (914 away fans)
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