It was Boro’s final pre-season outing of the summer and the last chance for Michael Carrick’s men to get some game time before next weekend’s opener against Millwall.
Two late goals ensured honours ended even against the French second-tier side in front of over 9,000 at the Riverside.
Morgan Rogers and Hayden Coulson were denied early on by some good defending. Marcus Forss almost profited from a delightful pass from Dan Barlaser, and moments later Barlaser was denied himself by Saao Agouzoul in the Auxerre goal.
Paddy McNair, in the right-back role, delivered a great ball in which Rogers narrowly failed to get on the end of as Boro played plenty of neat stuff. And Barlaser again almost released Rogers with another incisive pass, but the boot of an Auxerre defender denied the opportunity.
Unusually for pre-season, referee Matt Donohue produced the yellow card twice in a matter of minutes as tackles became lively, Hayden Hackney the Boro man to be penalised by the official.
Moments after his booking, Hackney was penalised again, this time for a lunging tackle in the box, and Donohue pointed to the spot. Gaetan Perrin was the man who converted the penalty to put the visitors in front.
Boro were almost level within 60 seconds when Matt Crooks got away down the right to cross and Coulson brought a good save out of Agouzoul.
Sammy Silvera came off the bench at half-time in place of Coulson and Rogers almost released him through on goal.
Rogers was again involved when he shot wide of the mark after Forss had a shot blocked.
The second half saw plenty more changes – Auxerre replaced over half their team on 74 minutes – and is always the case, the thread of the game largely disappeared with the mass switching of personnel.
But with just 10 minutes left on the clock, it was one of those Auxerre changes, Ousmane Camara, who settled the game with a strike from close range.
Boro appeared to have the last word, however, when Hackney's deflected shot looped over Agouzoul and into the net.
There was more drama to follow, though, as Silvera raced down the flank, McGree had a shot saved, and Rogers was on hand to convert from close range to level the scores.
Boro: Dieng, McNair, Fry (Van den Berg 62), Lenihan, Coulson (Silvera 45), Barlaser, Hackney, Forss (I Jones 70), Crooks (Payero 70), McGree, Rogers.
Att: 9107