23/08/2006  Middlesbrough 2 Chelsea 1
 
Substitute Mark Viduka completed a remarkable fightback as Middlesbrough condemned Chelsea to defeat at the Riverside Stadium for the second successive season.

The Australian blasted home a last-minute winner after defender Emanuel Pogatetz had pegged the visitors back 10 minutes earlier.

It looked like being plain sailing for the visitors after £30million hitman Andriy Shevchenko had put them in front with just 16 minutes gone.

But Salomon Kalou failed to make it 2-0 within two minutes and Frank Lampard hit the bar with a second-half header to leave the Teessiders in with a chance.

Aiyegbeni Yakubu, who had earlier wasted two golden opportunities, might have earned his side a penalty with 15 minutes remaining, but his strike partner supplied the decisive touch in the nick of time to give new manager Gareth Southgate a dream start in his opening home game.

Twenty years to the day that Boro were forced to play a Division Three fixture at neighbouring Hartlepool after only just avoiding financial meltdown, the latest generation ran out determined to celebrate a promising future rather than a difficult past.

And for quarter of an hour, Southgate's team looked well capable of repeating their heroics against the champions last season when they sent them back to London on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline.

Indeed, had lone striker Yakubu, a scorer on that day six months ago, made better contact with Stewart Downing's 12th-minute cross, they would have been in front, and deservedly so.

But having surrendered a two-goal advantage at Reading on opening day, Boro allowed the visitors to fight their way back into the game, and how.

Chelsea, for whom Kalou replaced Arjen Robben before kick-off after the Dutchman was injured in the warm-up, had hardly mounted a serious attack when they took the lead.

Michael Essien picked up possession wide on the left and as Wayne Bridge ran in behind full-back Andrew Davies, slid the ball into his path.

Bridge's pull-back was perfect for Shevchenko, and although the Ukrainian's strike was not the sweetest under pressure from George Boateng, it was good enough to beat the wrong-footed Mark Schwarzer.