Boro's Peter Lonsdale scored five of their 11 goals

Middlesbrough Roller Hockey Club kicked off the Premier League season with a hard-earned 11-10 win over Manchester at the Rainbow Centre in Coulby Newham.

Two late goals from Boro's Peter Lonsdale and Owen Stewart helped snatch the three points from the visitors during a fiercely competitive match.

Boro led 6-4 at the break after Michael Ableson grabbed a hat-trick.

Manchester were strong in the second half but the late flurry from Boro saw them steal a priceless win.

An early strike from Michael Ableson handed Boro a perfect start, and soon after captain John Jones was on hand to double the lead.

Manchester pressed hard themselves and roared back, taking a 3-2 lead through Ed Armstrong, Spanish star Jaime Lobon and Aaron Scott as the first-half exploded into life.

Ableson then grabbed his hat-trick for Middlesbrough with a brace of goals, the third the product of a fine team move, and after both sides added to the scoresheet, Stewart notched two goals to make it 6-4 to the Boro at half-time.

BORO IN EUROPE Middlesbrough travel to Germany to face Walsum in the CERS Cup on Saturday, 18 October It will be their first ever fixture in the CERS Cup - and rivals Bury will also be competing The CERS Cup is roller hockey's equivalent of football's Uefa Cup

Manchester were back in the game within minutes of the restart, with Steven Manford's brace levelling the scores, before Boro's Lonsdale restored a two-goal cushion to make it 8-6 to the hosts.

The game ebbed and flowed on both sides, Manchester equalised when Lobon scored twice, before Lonsdale scored his fourth with a speculative slap shot from the halfway line to take the score to 9-8.

Manchester then cruised into a 10-9 lead with a flurry of goals, but a late rally from Middlesbrough saw them clinch the points with just 90 seconds remaining.

First John Jones found Lonsdale in the penalty area with his defender giving him too much room and opportunity to draw level.

And within seconds, Middlesbrough's Stewart grabbed the vital winner after an Ableson shot rebounded to him in the penalty area.