ONE of the greatest Boro teams of all time produced a stunning display to skin the Tangerines in front of 17,166 fans at Ayresome Park.

Cliff "The Poacher" Chadwick notched two goals and the prolific Micky Fenton claimed a hat-trick, but it was the great Wilf Mannion who claimed the real honours with four goals.

Boro raced into a 5-0 half-time lead, completely overwhelming their Lancashire opponents.

"Standing out in this Borough victory, whirlwind-like, and leaving us almost breathless, was "four goals" Wilfred Mannion," wrote the Evening Gazette.

"More than once I have expressed the wish that Mannion would shoot harder and more frequently, a hope entertained too by his most ardent admirers.

"The boy has proved his value - and class - in the open. It was emphasised in unmistakable fashion in this game. And he proved that he CAN shoot."

Boro's rose to sixth place in the Division One table and finished the season fourth.

Many fans believe they would have matured into genuine championship contenders in the forthcoming seasons.

But Hitler had other ideas.

Boro: Cumming, Stuart, Laking, McKenzie, Baxter, Forrest, Milne, Mannion, Fenton, Yorston, Chadwick.