JAMIE Mackie and Alan Gow proved to be a winning combination as the Pilgrims won on Teesside for the first time since 1989.

Nine years to the day that Paul Sturrock was appointed Argyle manager for the first time, Mackie scored a 64th-minute winner at the Riverside to register a memorable victory.

Summer signing Gow was given a rare start and was at the heart of much of the Pilgrims' attacking play.

Luggy said: "Gow had a difficult game to play because it was like Sauchiehall Street in there, but he managed to get himself on the ball and see passes for Jamie to run on to.

"If you were to ask Alan what his best position was, I doubt if Alan would be able to tell you. He's a natural footballer who has great vision, a great first touch, and I'm trying to accommodate him in the team.

"He has to give me some of that defensive stuff, which is a bit alien to his style, but I thought he did the right things: he moved in the right areas, he closed down midfield.

"If we can get him as a fulcrum to going forward...if you get the ball to him, he turns on to people and starts to drive, and then Jamie Mackie becomes a very, very dangerous player. All of a sudden, he's moving off [defenders'] shoulders.

"People look at [Jamie] and think he's a slight boy and they can have a wee go at him, but he's worked so hard on his upper body that people bounce off him.

"He caused a lot of mayhem with the three centre-halves today. They will not have a harder afternoon."

Luggy felt the win was thoroughly merited.

He said: "You are not going to come to Middlesbrough and them not have chances - they have got some quality players - but, if you think about some of the saves their goalie had today, it puts into context that our boys did very, very well.

"We didn't just sit back. It wasn't one of those backs-to-the-wall scenarios.

" Jamie should have scored in the second half before he did; in the first half, the goalkeeper made a great save from Doogie [karl Duguid]."

Rick Cowdery