Middlesbrough 2-1 Luton Town: Matt Crooks' stoppage-time goal clinches victory
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Matt Crooks' late winner was his second in as many games for Middlesbrough, having scored the key goal to beat Norwich City 2-1 in the final game before the World Cup break
Matt Crooks' stoppage-time winner saw Middlesbrough beat 10-man Luton Town in the Championship.
A tepid encounter was brought to life when Jordan Clark fired in an impressive opener, but the lead lasted just five minutes as Chuba Akpom headed Boro level.
Tom Lockyer missed a great chance to put Luton in front just after half-time, before Akpom hit the angle of post and bar a few minutes later.
Luton had Amari'i Bell sent off for a second yellow card inside the final 20 minutes, and after a barrage of chances substitute Crooks volleyed home in the 92nd minute.
The win extended Middlesbrough's unbeaten run to five matches under new boss Michael Carrick as they moved up to 12th in the table, leapfrogging Luton, who drop to 13th.
It seemed as though the break for the World Cup had left both sides rusty after a quiet first half hour, before Clark brought the game to life when he beat three players in midfield before firing left-footed into the bottom corner for a fine individual goal.
Boro's response was an excellent team effort as they swept the ball from right to left, where Ryan Giles delivered a pinpoint cross for Akpom to head his eighth goal in his past 13 appearances.
Lockyer fluffed a volley three minutes after the break after he was found unmarked from a deep free-kick, and soon afterwards Isiah Jones' flick-on found Akpom, but the forward went for power rather than accuracy and hit the frame of the goal.
Town almost went ahead when Allan Campbell charged down Zach Steffen's clearance, but the Boro goalkeeper was relieved as the ball hit the side-netting.
Bell, who had been booked after 25 minutes for a foul on Jones, got a second yellow card with 18 minutes to go for another foul on the Boro wide player.
Boro substitute Duncan Watmore had a couple of shots blocked as the hosts piled forward, while Crooks blazed an effort over the bar from six yards in the 86th minute.
But in the second of five added minutes, Crooks volleyed home after Jonny Howson's free-kick into the box was headed down by Darragh Lenihan.
Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"We all like late winners. Of course you'd like to win it a little bit earlier in the game, but at the same point you've got to take the game for what it was.
"You've got to give Luton credit, I think especially first half they created some problems for us, we were a bit stuck in possession and found it difficult to get through them and break them down.
"I thought we showed in the second half, even before the sending-off, that we grew into the game and looked more like what we want to look like and finished the game off really well."
Luton Town manager Rob Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"The dressing room's flat. We're all a bit flat, because we worked so hard, especially when you go down to 10 men. Taking a point away from home would have been a good result.
"It wasn't to be. There are bits for us to learn on and reflect on and get better at.
"I'm not going to argue with the red card too much, there were a few fouls in the game.
"They were good in transition and Jones was a threat. We're asking all the lads to be physical, fairly - but it's disappointing to lose a man because it makes the job difficult then."