Hackney show at Den is surely a great sign

HOPEFULLY we see the scenes of jubilation witnessed in the past two weekends far more often this season. What a start for Rob Edwards’ Middlesbrough!

- By CRAIG JOHNS Football writer [e-mail] @craig_johns

The new Boro head coach makes no apologies for enjoying the celebrations at full-time after a good win, and especially one as good as Boro's at Millwall on Saturday.

Always a tough place to go, and not a particularly happy hunting ground for Boro over the years, leaving with a 3-0 win after being written off by many this season feels like a statement.

It was what happened as Edwards and the majority of his players finished the celebrations and headed back for the dressing room that was the big story of Millwall, however.

Boro's victory on the day was about so much more than first goalscorer Hayden Hackney. But in the grand scheme of things, the backstory and the future, Hackney's post-match moment with Boro fans is THE story.

As the rest of his Boro teammates headed off the pitch at the Den, Hackney stayed in front of the Boro supporters soaking up the atmosphere a bit more. ‘Hayden Hackney, he’s one of our own’ sang the travelling red army. A look of joy on the Redcar star's face, and then, the Leo Percovich-esque chest pumping and patting off the badge. What an encouraging sign for Middlesbrough.

Hackney said of it after: “The supporters were brilliant, and they always are. We can hear them right through the game, and it was a nice moment at the end there. Me and Dael being local boys, and Law as well, we probably feel it that bit more. It’s always nice to give them what they want.”