Will Lankshear’s debut strike ensured Middlesbrough made a winning start to the season as they beat Wrexham 1-0 in the Carabao Cup first round. Lankshear, a £10m summer signing from Tottenham, scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute as he hooked home an excellent first-time volley. Middlesbrough almost claimed a seventh-minute opener but when Adilson Malanda prodded Sebastian Berhalter’s cross goalwards from close range, Danny Ward kept the ball out with a superb point-blank save. Boro almost doubled their lead with three minutes remaining but Morgan Whittaker’s low strike rebounded off the post. After the match the Middlesbrough manager, Kim Hellberg, expressed his delight with the instant impact Will Lankshear has made since joining the club.