Ince and the Italian feed Boro with inspiration

Middlesbrough 2 Leeds United

Leeds United's title challenge tailed off a little further as, after twice being ahead, they too tailed off in this game and with two minutes remaining allowed valiant Middlesbrough to save a point.

Robbie Fowler made one and scored one, but after Paul Ince fluked a first equaliser Dean Windass popped up in the dying moments to turn in Benito Carbone's corner. "I thought we should have taken three points," David O'Leary, the Leeds manager, said. "We gave a stupid set play away, Windass was unmarked and people who should have been marking didn't do their job.''

But Middlesbrough required a radical half-time rebuild to bring themselves into the game. They set out to suffocate, a deep-lying, five-man blanket defence with Ince and Phil Stamp a couple of extra togs of thickness in front. It was successful for just 20 minutes and then Mark Viduka unpicked it. After initial clumsiness, his sure-footed back-heel fell to Fowler who drew the Middlesbrough keeper Mark Crossley before squaring the ball to Eirik Bakke for a tap-in.

Ahead, Leeds spent 10 minutes cruelly toying with their hosts, Viduka and Fowler trying spectaculars. Eventually in their frustration – and certainly in answer to the crowd – Middlesbrough lashed out, Gianluca Festa launching a long ball which Carbone killed instantly, but then blasted horribly high.

And so to the radical rebuild. "After our first-half performance we could have changed all 11,'' Middlesbrough's manager, Steve McClaren, said. "It looked as if we were waiting to get beaten again. The only good thing was that we were only one goal down which gave us a chance to reorganise and change a few attitudes.''

Jason Gavin was withdrawn as Middlesbrough reduced their defensive contingent to four and Alen Boksic appeared for the first time since New Year's Day – a miraculous recovery in time to play for Croatia next week. He partnered Carbone up front, the itinerant Italian making his debut for his 11th club after Friday's loan agreement with Bradford City, with Noel Whelan dropping into midfield.

Rewards were practically instantaneous and certainly fortuitous. Twenty yards out and off balance Ince shot. He fell, cursing the weakness of his effort and didn't see it catch the most evil of divots and climbed cruelly over the stooping Nigel Martyn's shoulder and into the net. "I've just seen the groundsman and given him a bottle of champagne to enjoy tonight,'' McClaren said.

Leeds' response was just as swift. Three minutes later, Olivier Dacourt brought a free-kick from Franck Queudrue. Ian Harte curled it around the five-man wall to where Fowler was poaching in front of Crossley. With his head, he deflected his eighth goal in 12 Leeds matches.

Middlesbrough, though, to their credit did not crumble. They may even have taken heart from the sick songs of their guests who chanted about a child abuse investigation 15 years ago. Twice Carbone, his influence growing, shot fiercely from long range; Boksic so nearly set up Whelan and Queudrue so nearly set up Boksic. Dominic Matteo looked rattled, Bakke got himself booked but Rio Ferdinand imperiously swatted away Middlesbrough's efforts. And when Ferdinand was beaten Martin loomed large.

In the 81st minute, Boksic's flick header took Carbone's cross away from the defenders to Whelan at the far post, and his close, sweetly struck volley was marvellously pushed away by the England keeper. But Middlesbrough were undeterred and attacked once more, Carbone delivering a corner on to Windass' head and to save a point.