The hosts play the ball around nicely, as they have done all game, and a speculative shot from Cyrus Christie earns Boro a corner.

Adam Clayton knocks in an out-swinger, which evades Rudy Gestede's massive leap, and the Blades clear their lines.

That's a flavour of what went on earlier in the Championship, but back to the here and now.

Boro's Patrick Bamford gets the second half started at the Riverside - what can Sheffield United do to halt the hosts?

Image source, Empics

Aston Villa lost 3-0 at Cardiff in their first away game of the new campaign, having had the fourth-worst away record in the Championship last season.

Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC WM:

"It's awful, it really, really is awful. Same old, go away from home, we don't do the basics against a big, physical team.

"And of course once we don't score where we've had an opportunity to score, then all of a sudden when we've conceded, we can't respond in the right manner.

"And I have to say, we have to look at each and every one of us and say that simply wasn't good enough.

"We haven't got millions and millions to spend, that's not the answer. We've got to find a resilience away from home or we're going to come unstuck again."

Derby lost 2-0 to Wolves in their first game at Pride Park this season, with goals from Barry Douglas and Ivan Cavaleiro giving the visitors victory.

Derby manager Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Derby:

"It was a disappointing afternoon in as much that we've had most of the ball, we've had most of the control of the game in terms of possession, but as we know it's not about having the ball it's about what you do with the thing.

"I felt at times we were forcing things and in one against one positions I can't remember a time we passed anyone to make anything happen.

"You watch the players in training and everyone wants the ball and wants to make things happen, but it's having the bravery to do that at home, and whether there's a little bit of pressure here I don't know, certainly the crowd didn't make it like that."

Image source, Empics

If you missed any of today's earlier Championship games, here are the headlines...

• Cardiff make it two wins from two, as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's doubles sees the Welsh club to a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa.
• Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich all win to maintain their 100% starts to the campaign.
• Fulham have Tomas Kalas sent off after 39 seconds but score a late equaliser to draw at Reading.
• Abel Hernandez scores a hat-trick in Hull's 4-1 victory over Burton.

Head to BBC Sport's Championship page to read reports on all of today's matches.

At risk of stating the obvious, I must say that Saturdays in the EFL are pretty relentless.

So while there's a brief moment to pause, let's take a look at the main stories from the Championship games earlier this afternoon...

Boro had a deserved advantage at the interval, with Rudy Gestede capitalising on a poor Chris Basham header to nod past Blades' keeper Jamal Blackman.

The visitors have been decent in spells, but will be glad of the opportunity to regroup with just a one goal deficit.

There's something about Patrick Bamford - in the Premier League he's cut a forlorn figure, but place him in the Championship and he's a menace.

His movement has been second to none for Boro tonight, and his attempt at a curling effort into the top corner isn't too far wide of the mark either.

My hunch is that Chris Wilder will be happy to hear the sound of the half-time whistle.

Image source, Empics

Abel Hernandez bagged a hat-trick as Hull won 4-1 at home to Burton, who had Jackson Irvine red-carded inside the first half.

Hull manager Leonid Slutsky told BBC Radio Humberside:

“Really, our supporters helped our team change the match because we had a very difficult 20 minutes in the first half. I hope the support continues in each home match and away match.

“We started very well. We scored a goal and we had a lot of chances but maybe from 20 to 35 minutes, we played not good. We lost control of the ball, control of the match, but we came back in the second half.”

Rudy Gestede is such a danger in the air.

Cyrus Christie provides the ammunition with a fine, floating cross into the box, and Gestede leaps to head against the outside of the post.

From a Sheffield United point of view, I don't know what you do to stop that kind of aerial prowess...

Although there hasn't been too much in the way of goalmouth action, this game has been very easy on the eye.

Lots of slick passing, not many long balls, but some committed challenges to go with it.

You feel the hosts have a level of control though, as we edge towards half-time.

Image source, Empics

Birmingham lost three players to injury as they beat Bristol City 2-1, while Maikel Kieftenbeld was sent off in the later stages.

Birmingham manager Harry Redknapp told BBC WM:

"That was very hard-earned against a good Bristol City team, I think they're an excellent team.

"You look at the squad, where do you go now? We've got one striker now, Clayton Donaldson, it's a crazy situation at this stage of the season to be in.

"We've got no squad, we're going to end up with kids on the bench or kids playing.

"I thought it [the sending off] was a diabolical decision, I couldn't see it at all. I thought it was a yellow card - if that's what he gets, you give a yellow and we all play on. Terrible."

The pace of Boro's passing has increased markedly, and their visitors are struggling to keep up with the movement.

What's clear is the hosts are going for the kill here - having got the first goal they want to find another before the break and take the sting out of the Blades.

That goal seems to have brought this game to life, with both sides threatening.

However, the tempo has been slowed somewhat by a head injury to Kieron Freeman, who is being led off the pitch by the Sheffield United physio.

Let's hope he can continue.

Nottingham Forest held on to beat Brentford 4-3 in manager Mark Warburton's first game back at Griffin Park since being sacked by the Bees in 2015.

Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton told BBC Radio Nottingham:

"It’s a tough place to come, undoubtedly, but the most important thing is the three points. But we have to learn from it, as well.

"Going 1-0 down, there was a great response by the players to come out at half-time with a real energy and a real zip, and to get the third goal. Then we had two, three, four golden opportunities to put the game out of sight and we didn’t capitalise on them.

"But I have no doubt Brentford are a top-10 Championship team, and have been for the past three or four years. They’ll cause a lot of teams a lot of problems this season."

Image source, Rex Features

The visitors are already starting to show one or two signs of frustration at not seeing much of the ball.

Jack O'Connell is late on Boro forward Patrick Bamford, but the hosts are being kept at arm's length.

Boro are starting to keep the ball nicely but, much like last season, there's not been any penetration... so far.

Their only effort, if you can call it that, is a long-range free-kick from Patrick Bamford, which he balloons well over the bar.

Image source, Empics

Ipswich came from behind to beat Barnsley 2-1 at Oakwell to make it two wins out of two in the Championship.

Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy told BBC Radio Suffolk:

"Fair play to Paul Heckingbottom: he’d seen us playing and thought we’d played well in those games, and he changed his system to 4-3-3 - not the 4-4-2 I was expecting.

"That caused us problems, although I thought our system caused them problems. It could have been four or five each in the first half but Bartosz Bialkowski was excellent again.

"I was always changing at half-time. I was always going to go 4-4-2 – I’m just glad we managed to get there at 1-0."

Image source, PA

I can't be the only one who's thinking... Sheffield United in purple/lilac, really?

Despite the kit colour, the Blades create the first opening - Leon Clarke in a bit of space on the edge of the Boro box, but he gets the ball stuck under his feet and his effort is easily blocked.