Championship top scorer Will Lankshear struck his 10th goal of the season as Middlesbrough just about kept their heads to see off Stoke City.

After a goalless first half, Boro went ahead straight after the break through Callum Brittain, only for Stoke to instantly level through a Neto Borges own goal.

Lankshear pounced on a fumble from Potters keeper Viktor Johansson to restore his side's lead, only for Stoke substitute Robert Bozenik to level for a a second time.

But Borges then scored at the right end a minute into injury time to earn the win.

Boro's unbeaten run has reached eight games and they remain within two points of leaders Swansea City, while Mark Robins' plucky Potters drop a couple of places to sixth.

After an opening half largely dominated by Boro, who went closest when home keeper Johansson went full length to deny Amario Cozier-Duberry, Stoke began to look brighter as half-time approached.

So it was a bit of a surprise when the visitors took just three second-half minutes to go in front, with Brittain's first goal of the season.

The hosts had a couple of chances to clear their lines but, when Cozier-Duberry put the ball back in the mixer, Brittain's fine finish found the bottom corner.

Yet Stoke were back level inside two minutes when Junior Tchamadeu's shot was diverted by Borges past his own keeper Radek Vitek.

Boro then led again when Johansson went full length to keep out Cozier-Duberry's low shot, but fumbled helplessly, unable to react as the lethal Lankshear showed just why he is the Championship's top marksman by arriving first to poke the ball over the line.

Again Stoke levelled, this time with just four minutes left when Luke Ayling's hurried clearance fell straight to George Hirst, who squared to his left for Slovakian sub Bozenik to drill home his first league goal of the season from 12 yards.

But, just when it looked like Stoke had claimed a battling point they would have just about deserved, Borges had the final word to sentence the hosts to their first defeat since 29 August and end their six-game 16-point unbeaten run.

Both sides are back in Championship action this Saturday when they each play their third game in eight days.

Boro host improving Cardiff City in one of the three lunchtime slots (12:30 BST), before Stoke travel down the A52 for a Midlands derby with Derby.

Stoke City manager Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:

"We've got to be disappointed with the final outcome, but there's a lot of positives to take from it.

"Harsh lessons learned but it gave us an indication of what one of the top sides in this division looks like.

"We know they'd have destroyed us last year - but we were in the game - and there's much, much more to come from us.

"The turnaround in games has been hard. More difficult for some than others. People had run their legs out a bit."

Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees:

"It felt like this could have been a smoother ride. But we were always pushing to win the game and, without doubt, it was a fair result.

"We are starting to get better and better - and after Saturday (Boro's 1-0 win over Wolves), to do that again was impressive.

"I am very pleased with the performance and the way we can play.

"We wanted to keep a clean sheet but we were enormously strong to go on and win it like we did."