Stewart Downing provided the inspiration as Middlesbrough came through a tricky fixture to claim a 2-0 win at home to MK Dons.
After a first half in which the visitors seemed content to sit deep and absorb pressure, Downing cut in from the right to bend a delightful individual effort across the goalkeeper and into the far bottom corner with 20 minutes to play.
The England international then stretched to intercept a loose ball at the back and play in David Nugent, who calmly rolled in his first goal of the season.
Boro dominate the ball but fail to take advantage
Both sides started reasonably positively in a lively opening, with George Friend flagged offside down the left as he put in the first real shot on target.
The visitors threatened mainly on the break through the pace of Nick Powell and power of on-loan Southampton forward Sam Gallagher, but Dons rarely threatened in the first period other than from a corner kick which was easily saved by Dimi Konstantopoulos.
However, they were proving frustrating opponents to break down and despite the guile of Downing and Diego Fabbrini in attack, Boro struggled to create any clear-cut chances. Captain Grant Leadbitter's rasping low drive from range was the closest either side went to breaking the deadlock in an attritional first 45 minutes.
Dons go close in second half
Despite this, neither manager made any changes at half time, though England U21 defender Ben Gibson limped off shortly after the break to be replaced by Fernando Amorebieta.
It was the Dons who applied the initial pressure in the second half, but they too laboured in the face of an organised and focused back four.
However, there was a scare for the home fans as the visitors came within inches of opening the scoring with their first real chance of the game just before the hour mark.
Jordan Spence looked to provide impetus to an uninspiring attack and drove through the heart of the home defence, skipping past two challenges and finding Simon Church who clipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper, only to see his delicate finish trickle onto the post and to the feet of a relieved Daniel Ayala.
Downing brilliance breaks the deadlock
The attack seemed to sting the hosts into life, though Leadbitter wasted a direct free kick inside the area following a backpass, scuffing a lame shot into the legs of the defensive wall.
With 20 minutes to play, however, Downing took a polished individual performance into overdrive with a stunning opening goal.
Starting on the right wing, he cut inside and forged a yard of space before striking a left-footed effort which swerved round the keeper before nestling in the bottom-left corner.
Nugent adds a late second
From that point on, the result never really seemed in doubt, and Downing played a big part in the second goal. He snapped a boot up to pluck a pass out of the air from a dithering defender and promptly slid the ball for Nugent to run clear and find the same corner as Downing with a composed finish while one-on-one with David Martin.
It should have been three almost immediately after as Fabbrini siezed on another poor pass in the defence, but as he bore down on goal Kyle McFadzean got back to block his eventual shot.
The result was MK Dons' first away defeat in six games, but their solid start to life in the second tier means they sit in 14th with seven points from their first six games.
For Boro, it is was a ninth home victory from their last eleven games at the Riverside, and it sees Aitor Karanka's men move up to third in the fledgling Championship table.