The Suit Direct Stadium couldn’t have been further removed from the Algarve, where Boro beat Portuguese opposition in the opening friendly last weekend.
The sunshine was replaced with driving rain and swirling wind on a horrible summer’s night in Hartlepool.
The conditions were never going to lend themselves to a free-flowing game, and so it transpired.
Michael Carrick had split his squad with a game at York City following less than 24 hours later, and it was a young Boro side which started the game and an even younger one that finished it.
There were a couple of early shots on goal. Marcus Forss tested Joel Dixon and Liam Roberts made a tremendous double save. Terrell Agyemang also sent a shot just wide of the mark following good work by Riley McGree.
The home side took the lead shortly before the half-hour when Emmanuel Dieseruewe converted a low cross from close range.
And it was 2-0 moments later, David Ferguson doubling the advantage with another close-range effort.
McGree almost pulled one back before the break. He embarked on a mazy run to find the opening, but Dixon was equal to the effort. The Pools goalkeeper also kept out an in-swinging free-kick from Forss.
The Boro boss made his first changes on the hour-mark when Charlie Lennon, Ajay Matthews, and Jack Stott were introduced in place of George Gitau, Sonny Finch and Jeremy Sivi.
And Matthews almost announced his introduction to senior football with what would have been an outstanding goal, but his opportunist strike hit the top of the bar.
Nathan Simpson was next to be introduced when he replaced Forss after 70 minutes.
And with just 10 minutes left on the clock, AJ Bridge and first-year scholar Fin Cartwright stepped off the bench to replace McGree and Hayden Hackney.
In the closing stages, Matthews again twice went close to opening his account and Stott had a free-kick blocked by the wall.
But Matthews wasn't to be denied and the teenager bagged a deserved goal in stoppage time with a clinical finish.
Boro: Roberts, Gitau, Fry, McNair, Bilongo, Agyemang, Hackney, Forss, Sivi, McGree, Finch.
Subs used: Stott, Bridge, Simpson, Matthews, Lennon, Cartwright, Hannah.
Subs unused: Metcalfe, Patterson-Powell, Lindo, Costello, Connor.