Stead, a £1.25m signing from Huddersfield, made light of the gap between Third Division and the Barclaycard Premiership with the winning goal and a performance of some bravura.

Stead, 20, and 19-year-old strike-partner Paul Gallagher chased lost causes all afternoon and made it an uncomfortable day for their opposing defenders, simple things that the much-renowned Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke – both dropped for the match – have failed to do all season.

Stead’s goal came in the 39th minute, created by Gallagher’s skill, and he almost repeated the feat twice more.

Middlesbrough were frustrated and disappointing, and certainly the warm feelings left over from securing a Carling Cup final appearance disappeared in the biting chill of the Riverside.

Less than three minutes into the match Gaizka Mendieta could – and should - have put the home side ahead.

Massimo Maccarone’s uncomplicated ball over the top caught Blackburn’s defence flatfooted and Mendieta was in the clear, only to pull his shot wide of Brad Friedel and the near-post.

Blackburn were clearly intent on defence first and foremost, but Stead had a couple of decent early touches which suggested he had something to offer to complement Gallagher’s strengths.

Gallagher’s unexpected backheel by the corner flag completely fooled Danny Mills, allowing Brett Emerton to fire in a low cross which Gareth Southgate just managed to clear before Stead arrived.

For much of the first half, though, chances were scarce.

Bolo Zenden whizzed a left-foot drive past the post, Mendieta curled a shot tamely into Friedel’s hands from a very presentable position.

But it was a complete surprise when Blackburn scored from their first genuine effort on goal.

Gallagher was the catalyst, with a delightful lift-over deceiving Chris Riggott to set himself on path to goal, only for Mills to slide in with a tackle.

Mills had done well, but his intervention served only to send the ball to Stead’s feet for the striker to open his body and finish unerringly with a low right-foot shot into the corner.

Stead then curled a shot wide after stepping inside a tackle before Boro were indebted to Mark Schwarzer for coming to the rescue after Gallagher’s tackle on Riggott almost set his partner in on goal again.

McClaren took action at half-time to shake up his side, hauling off the anonymous Maccarone and Stuart Parnaby, and sending on Stewart Downing – a player Blackburn had tried to buy last month – and Joseph-Desire Job.

Stead’s goal had obviously done his confidence no harm and he was trying his luck again soon after the re-start, but his curler was off-target.

Middlesbrough’s looked to have injected more urgency into their play and Juninho was unlucky to see his drive cannon off Markus Babbel, though he only had himself to blame in the 50th minute with a volley over the bar.

Mendieta curled a 25-yard free-kick over before Friedel came to the fore in the last 20 minutes as then home side hunted for an equaliser.

The big American pulled off a stunning reaction save to deny Juninho and divert the shot over the bar.

Friedel then kept Rovers in the lead once more with another point-blank block to deny Southgate with Craig Short clearing the rebound off the line.

Finally, he stood up to parry a piledriver from Zenden and Blackburn survived a final siege of their goal to take the points.