Middlesbrough staged a smash and grab raid on Wigan Athletic as Jeremie Aliadiere's late strike clinched a 1-0 win at the JJB Stadium.
Gareth Southgate's side were out-played for long periods but somehow emerged with all three points thanks to Aliadiere's opportunistic goal in the last minute.
It was cruel on Wigan, who had stunned Manchester City in their last league match, but Steve Bruce's team were left to rue missed chances.
For Middlesbrough their 600th Premier League goal will only be one to remember if it heralds the start of a long winning run.
Southgate recalled centre-back Chris Riggott and brought Jonathan Grounds in after recalling him from a loan spell at Norwich City.
Wilson Palacios threatened for Wigan in the ninth minute when he burst past Grounds to reach Emile Heskey's flick before driving a low shot wide from a tight angle.
Antonio Valencia's free-kick moments later bounced through Amr Zaki, but the in-form Egyptian striker, who has six goals already this season, could only steer his shot into the side-netting.
Zaki was a constant threat and tried his luck with a long-range effort that whistled over in the 27th minute.
Middlesbrough struggled to find any momentum in the first half. Their only chance came on the half hour when David Wheater met Mido's long ball with a header that looped inches over the bar.
Zaki almost grabbed the opener in the 42nd minute when he lashed a right-foot shot from the edge of the box that Ross Turnbull tipped around a post.
Palacios blasted over the bar after Riggott's deflected clearance early in the second half before Heskey went closer with a curling strike that narrowly missed the target.
An optimistic long-range effort from Stewart Downing cleared the bar as Middlesbrough mounted a rare attack. But Wigan responded and Valencia set up Palacios, who shot straight at Turnbull.
Jason Koumas, on as a substitute for Wigan, gave the Latics more creativity and the Wales midfielder's dangerous run and shot in the 80th minute forced Turnbull to save at full stretch.
Heskey's toe-poked effort goalward was blocked at point-blank range by Turnbull before substitutes Daniel de Ridder and Henri Camara combined, with the Senegal striker brining a point-blank stop from Turnbull.
The visitors were hanging on but they snatched all three points when Downing's 89th minute flick reached Aliadiere and the former Arsenal forward squeezed his shot past Chris Kirkland.
