WHEN referee Darren England pointed to the penalty spot during Middlesbrough’s weekend game with Wigan Athletic, there was a brief moment when confusion reigned.

Grant Leadbitter, Boro’s first-choice penalty taker, was not in the squad. Britt Assombalonga, his designated deputy, was sitting on the substitutes’ bench. Martin Braithwaite edged towards the ball, with Stewart Downing close behind him, but a third player was adamant he wanted to take the spot-kick.

“I was thinking, ‘I’ll just get it and whack it in the net’,” said Downing. “But then Jordan stepped forward and I thought, ‘You know what, Jordan needs a goal’. He was playing well, and he fancied it.”

What happened next could prove a defining moment in Middlesbrough’s season. Jordan Hugill side-footed home from the spot to claim his first Championship goal since returning to his native Teesside from West Ham, and within the space of five minutes, he had doubled his tally with a slick finish that saw him control a loose ball on his chest before rifling into the roof of the net.

A player that had looked devoid of confidence in the opposition penalty area was suddenly brimming with attacking intent. Hugill has proved an adept leader of the line since moving to the Riverside on a season-long loan deal, and whereas Pulis clearly harbours doubts about Assombalonga’s work rate and willingness to sacrifice his personal ambitions for the good of the team, the Boro boss has no such concerns about his current first-choice striker.

Ultimately, though, forwards are judged on goals, and the assessment becomes even more acute at a team like Middlesbrough, who have found goals hard to come by this season despite their lofty league position.

There were mitigating factors behind Hugill’s lack of success prior to Saturday – his lack of involvement in the second half of last season with West Ham, the injury that curtailed his pre-season and left him short of match fitness at the start of the current campaign – but the bottom line was that he did not really look like the striker who scored ten goals for Preston in the first half of last season.

The hope is that, now he is up and running for his hometown team, that will change. No longer wrestling with the pressure of trying to open his account, his natural attacking instincts should begin to flow.

“I remember him playing here last season for Preston, when we were under Garry Monk, and I thought he was very, very good that day,” said Downing. “He held the ball up, he was their focal point, and he made it very difficult for us.

“When he came, I thought, ‘If we can get him up to speed and in that form, we’ve got a player’. I think the pleasing thing is he’s got a goal. That’s off his back now, so he can get on with things.

“He looked really confident after that, some of the flicks and first time lay-offs were really good. I’m pleased for him. He’s missed a lot of football. He’s gone to West Ham in January and not played. He didn’t do a lot in pre-season, and maybe his confidence took a bit of a dent because he wasn’t really in their plans.

“That can be hard for a player, but I think since he’s come here, the manager has put his arm around him and told him how good he’ll be. The really pleasing thing is he’s got a goal, and hopefully he can have a run for us now.”

Hugill’s first-half brace was just reward for Boro’s dominance before the break, and while the hosts were content to sit back and defend their lead after the interval, a trait that has been apparent in a number of their performances this season, this was another afternoon that confirmed their promotion credentials. There are supposed to be no easy games in the Championship, but Boro managed to win this one without really getting out of first gear.

Hugill’s hold-up play was a key feature of the first half, and unlike in their most recent home game with Rotherham, when Boro’s attacking play was laboured and ponderous, it was noticeable that Saturday’s ploy appeared to be to deliver early balls into the box for the striker.

Adam Clayton, Dael Fry and Stewart Downing all swung crosses into the penalty area in the opening 13 minutes, and while Hugill failed to really test Christian Walton with any of his headers, the hosts’ attacking intent was clear.

It was rewarded when Cedric Kipre felled the marauding George Friend six minutes before the break, and after casually converting his penalty, Hugill doubled Boro’s lead when Walton palmed Braithwaite’s cross into his path.

From that point on, victory was never in doubt, with the Teessiders’ formidable defensive strength again coming to the fore. Danny Batth, preferred to Daniel Ayala, impressed again alongside Aden Flint, and Fry was calm and assured in his new home at right-back.