Boro’s pre-season continued with an entertaining performance against top Spanish outfit Real Betis.
A single goal settled matters at Chesterfield, but Michael Carrick’s side dominated much of the game by playing some terrific passing football.
Boro opened up Betis inside the first 10 minutes when Naipaul Akoukoume made a decisive clearance over his own bar when Morgan Rogers was well-placed to open the scoring.
Moments later Rogers was denied by Claudio Bravo after an excellent ball from Dan Barlaser released him on goal.
Boro were playing some great stuff and fashioned another chance when Rogers headed over after a good cross from Tommy Smith.
Hayden Hackney was next to go close when he tried his luck from distance as Boro continued to press.
There was a delay on the half-hour mark, though, when Smith received extensive treatment before being stretchered from the field to a standing ovation from the Boro support.
Rav van den Berg came on for Smith as Carrick’s side continued to play some real entertaining football against the Spanish side.
While Betis made a number of changes at half-time, Boro remained the same and Marcus Forss tried his luck with an effort which went just wide of the post.
Betis did go close from a corner and Seny Dieng pulled off a save to deny Martin Montoya before Ayoze Perez swept home and opened the scoring for the Spaniards.
Boro almost responded immediately, Rogers having a shot blocked and Forss firing wide.
And substitute Matthew Hoppe had Boro's best opportunity to equalise, but the shot he dug out dropped wide of its mark.
Boro: Dieng, Smith (Van den Berg 33), Barlaser (Payero 81), Fry, Hackney, McGree (Payero 81), Forss (I Jones 74), Rogers (Hoppe 81), Coulson (Collins 81), Lenihan, Crooks (Silvera 65)
Subs: Glover, J Jones, Agyemang.