FABRIZIO RAVANELLI fights back. With the thumbscrew tightening on Middlesbrough's foreign imports to lift the club from their perilous position at the foot of the Premiership, they delivered with a stinging vengeance.

Goals from Vladimir Kinder and Ravanelli to put Boro on course for a straightforward victory - only their third in 21 matches - but no one could have predicted such a thrilling finale.

In a devastating 15-minute spell, the Italian international played in Craig Hignett for a side-footed finish and fired a sweeping crossfield pass that left Mikkel Beck with time to pick his spot.

Added to that, he managed to manufacture a hat-trick: first taking two bites at the cherry to slot under Russell Hoult, and two minutes later running on to a superb pass by Juninho to repeat his low shot. Paul Simpson replied with a stylish free-kick in the dying seconds.

Last Saturday's awful defeat at Sheffield Wednesday had proved a defining moment for Bryan Rob son. After admitting to having "a bit of a go" at his players for their timid submission at Hillsborough, he promptly took an axe to the culprits.

In spite of the scorn heaped upon Robson's international acquisitions, it was the more homespun Steve Vickers, Neil Cox and Alan Moore who paid the price for Boro's 14th reverse of the season. Derek Whyte conveniently retired with a hamstring injury.

That left an outlet for the talismanic figure of captain Nigel Pearson to return to the starting line-up for the first time in nearly five months bolstering a notoriously lightweight defence that had managed only three Premiership clean sheets during the current campaign.

For a quarter-of-an-hour it was a notable success, although the fact that a sizeable chunk of the crowd were marooned behind a pile-up on the Al9 and the kick off was accordingly delayed may have played a small part.

It did not take long for the real proceedings to go pear shaped, when Darryl Powell took advantage of some characteristic first minute nerves to carve out a useful shot from the edge of the area.

Dean Sturridge was the next to go close. His jinking dribble created space away from his marker and if the pacey striker had chosen power ahead of finesse, County would surely have enjoyed an early lead.

Any suggestions that the gods were frowning on Teesside were smartly dispelled however. Kinder's hopeful shot from well outside the area may have been good enough to cause concern to Hoult, but a wicked deflection certainly helped. The Derby goalkeeper barely moved.