After goals either side of half-time put Palace in control, a double from Calum Kavanagh saw Boro’s youngsters claw their way back into the contest – only for Roshaun Mathurin and Ademola Ola-Adebomi to bag braces of their own for the visitors and end what had been an unbeaten start to the season for Mark Tinkler’s Teessiders.
Tinkler made a couple of changes to the side that had won impressively at Liverpool before the international window, with Fenton John and Sam Collins coming in for Nathan Simpson and Sonny Finch. Law McCabe and Fin Cartwright were on the bench, each fresh from representing the Young Lions in the week.
While Boro shaded the possession, the sides traded blows in a lively first half.
Isaac Fletcher, who had opened the scoring against Liverpool, came close to repeating the feat when he flashed a shot across the face of Joe Whitworth’s goal.
For the visitors, Ola-Adebomi sent a dipping effort over after finding space centrally on the edge of Boro’s area, and Mathurin blasted a shot into the arms of Nathan Fisher from a similar position.
Boro’s youngsters came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock at the end of an incisive passing play from right to left, Joe Sheridan blocking Sam Collins’ goal-bound shot – with suspicions of handball as the Palace man slid in and kept the ball out.
Then Palace took the lead just before the break, Mathurin driving forward and crashing a shot against the upright, only for the ball to bounce into the path of Justin Devenny to slam home.
The contest continued to ebb and flow, but it was the Eagles who doubled their advantage shortly after the restart. Boro skipper Jack Hannah made an unfortunate and costly slip in the skiddy conditions, which allowed striker Ola-Adebomi the time to keep his cool and slot home.
