MIDDLESBROUGH 3, HULL 1

BAD timing George. Bad time to criticise. Bad time to come on with Hull already rocking.

And seriously bad timing to slip and seal Middlesbrough's victory, to plunge your Hull side into the thick of the relegation mire.

Boro old boy Boateng, 33, the man who took a pop at Riverside boss Gareth Southgate yesterday for selling experience, produced the counter argument - one that has offered a lifeline to his former club.

Southgate leapt into the arms of No 2 Colin Cooper as Marlon King punished Boateng's error right at the death to make it 3-1.

Southgate looked like a madman, the mask of cool slipping, relief bursting forth.

How ironic that Boateng opened the door. Perhaps the reception undid him. Boateng hardly put a foot wrong at Middlesbrough during his time there.

It was not forgotten and he got a tumultuous reception when thrown into the fray to try and rescue something for the visitors. And he tried, pushing the Tigers forward, tidying up at the back.

But then he went for a subtle dragback, just outside of his own penalty area, with red shirts bearing down on him. Jeremie Aliadiere forced the error and fed King, who duly ended the contest.

So Boateng did for the third goal, as Ian Ashbee, a captain with four division's worth of experience, did for the first two.

You don't get much more senior than that pair. And yet it was the youthful drive of Matthew Bates, 22, the aerial fight of David Wheater, 22, and the craft of Stewart Downing, 24, that banished the darkness that has hung over the Riverside for months.

All young, all Teessiders, all fighting for their lives to keep Middlesbrough up.

They were prompted by Tuncay, a man who from somewhere has developed an all-consuming empathy for a small corner of the north east. Once again he was everywhere, cajoling and demanding more. He also put his side ahead after just three minutes.

Boro have gone behind 16 times this season and taken three points from those possible 48.

Hull gaffer Phil Brown had urged his side - now one win in 16 - not to go behind. But they aren't listening any more. Only Nick Barmby excelled, back where he once starred.

For the opener, Ashbee gave the ball away, Afonso Alves let fly and Tuncay snapped up the rebound.

But six minutes later, Barmby crossed and Manucho, the on-loan Manchester United forward, bulleted a header past Brad Jones. And on the half-hour, Ashbee needlessly gave away a corner, Tony McMahon crossed and Matthew Bates slipped in to steer his first ever goal past Matt Duke.

Robert Huth glanced a second-half header over the bar for Boro then Downing clipped a free-kick wide.

In desperation, Hull went long, McMahon did superbly to head one cross over his own bar and Wheater surpassed that, heading clear from his goal-line.

Then George slipped up and Boro breathed a rare gasp of relief. At the end, Boro had six home-grown players on the pitch. Local pride, whether Boateng likes it or not, will do for them.

From MARTIN HARDY at the Riverside Stadium