Battling Boro roared to a 2-1 victory at the Riverside sweeping aside a Spurs side that manager Ramos has spent around £40million during the summer.

But it was the Boro that broke quicker and exposed Spurs' lack of a true defensive midfielder despite the Tottenham midfield oozing class going forward.

The Middlesbrough mix, on first viewing, looked much more cohesive with homegrown Stewart Downing and David Wheater - playing as an emergency right-back - two of the star performers on the day.

Downing, long linked with Spurs and included in Fabio Capello's first England squad of the season, was a constant threat from the left and at set-pieces and it was following one such corner that Boro forged ahead in the 71st minute.

A cleared ball returned to Downing on the left flank and his cross was met by an Afonso Alves flick at the near post. Spurs new boy Heurelho Gomes helped the ball onto the underside of the crossbar but Wheater, who had earlier had a header ruled out for a questionable foul, tapped home from a yard.

The second Boro goal was equally well worked four minutes from time as Gary O'Neil back-heeled the ball to the advancing debutant Didier Digard on the right, whose driven low cross was diverted into the net by fellow substitute Mido against his old club.

Southgate's men looked like UEFA Cup qualification hopefuls on the basis of this, and the Boro boss said: "There was a belief around the stadium that we could do this.

"There has been a really good feel about the club throughout pre-season and when there is that feeling you want to reward that faith with a result and a performance and I think we did that on both counts today."

Southgate, who signed full-back Justin Hoyte earlier in the day to replace the departed Luke Young, hailed the efforts of Wheater at right-back.

"He will take some shifting now," the former England defender said.

"We felt that Premier League experience would be important for us. We knew he would give us height and a threat from set-pieces.

"We also knew Tottenham didn't have an out-and-out left winger and that came into consideration. We keep saying to them that good players can play anywhere, and he's a good footballer."