Emmanuel Latte Lath's late goal capped off an entertaining fixture at Home Park
Middlesbrough came back from a goal down three times to earn a dramatic 3-3 draw at struggling Plymouth Argyle.
The Pilgrims looked far from a relegation-threatened side as they dominated the first period and took a deserved lead when Lewis Gibson headed in from close range and had chances to score more.
Boro levelled soon after the restart thanks to Jonny Howson's deflected strike before Hayden Hackney missed a great chance to put then 2-1 up.
Darko Gyabi got his first-ever senior goal as he blasted in Mustapha Bundu's cross as it looked as though Argyle would end a six-game winless run.
But Hackey made amends for his earlier miss when he stabbed in after his initial shot was saved, only for Bundu to make it 3-2 as he converted a cross from the left.
Just as it looked as though Argyle would get a first win for six-and-a-half weeks substitute Emmanuel Latte Lath fired in unmarked from close range after a corner was headed back across goal.
The draw was made worse for the Pilgrims after wins for relegation rivals Portsmouth and Hull City earlier in the day.
Wayne Rooney's side are now bottom of the Championship on goal difference, one point from safety, while Boro remain in sixth place.
Lewis Gibson scored for the first time since ing Plymouth Argyle from Everton in the summer of 2023
Argyle, who were already without forwards Muhamed Tijani, Morgan Whittaker and Ibrahim Cissoko through injury, were dealt a further blow which Michael Obafemi was forced off after nine minutes with what appeared to be a knee injury.
Youngster Freddie Issaka replaced him and had a weak penalty appeal turned down 10 minutes later as the game got off to a cagey start, before Argyle began to assert their control.
The hosts got great joy down their right as Gyabi saw a shot bounce over the Boro bar after a Bundu cross, while Ryan Hardie stabbed a near post effort into the side netting from Bali Mumba's ball in.
Argyle had a much stronger penalty appeal turned down 10 minutes from the break as Bundu wriggled towards goal before coming together with George Edmundson.
But the deadlock was finally broken when Brendan Galloway crossed from the left after an Argyle corner was not fully cleared and Gibson nodded home to send Home Park into raptures.
It could have been 2-0 in first-half stoppage time, but Sol Brynn did well to stop Bundu's close-range effort after Hardie had capitalised on an Edmundson slip.
Gyabi went close with an acrobatic effort 28 seconds after the restart but it was Boro who got back into it - Argyle failed to defend a cross and the ball fell to Howson 15 yards out. His right-footed shot was deflected through Hardie's legs to leave home keeper Dan Grimshaw stranded.
Mustapha Bundu's goal saw Argyle go into the lead for the third time
Argyle then saw Hardie carried off 13 minutes into the second half with a knee injury after racing back to make a last-ditch tackle on Ben Doak as Rooney's attacking fitness worries deepened even further.
Hackney missed an excellent chance to put Boro ahead after 64 minutes as he side-footed Tommy Conway's wide as Middlesbrough began to take control.
But four more goals were to come in the final 20 minutes - as Gyabi converted Bundu's pacey cross from the right byeline to make it 2-1.
Five minutes later Hackney levelled - after being released by some intricate play his initial powerful low strike was saved by Grimshaw, but went straight back to the attacker to finish.
Home Park erupted four minutes later when Bundu thought he had won it - substitute Nathanael Ogbeta's cross from the left went in off the Sierra Leone forward's knee.
But Latte Lath had the final say as he was found unmarked at the back post to fire in the final equaliser - although Boro defender Rav van den Berg almost scored a stoppage time own goal as he blocked Mumba's cross and it flashed past the near post.
Plymouth Argyle head coach Wayne Rooney told BBC Radio Devon:
"It's frustrating. Reflecting on the game I thought first half we were excellent, both in possession and out of possession.
"I thought we got the press right, nullified the way Middlesbrough wanted to play - they're a very good attacking team and very good at taking the ball and playing through the lines.
"We were unlucky to go into the break only 1-0 up, and then second half we concede early, Middlesbrough then started getting control of the game a bit.
"But we were still creating good chances and good opportunities to score, so I think based on chances alone we probably deserved to win the game.
"I'm a little bit disappointed we didn't do better for two of the three goals, I think we were a bit naive in that we had opportunities to clear the ball and we didn't clear it well enough or far enough."
Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"I was pleased with the boys' character and commitment and belief to keep pegging it back second half like we did.
"I thought we were the better team second half, but first half we weren't at our best.
"You can't concede that many opportunities and goals and expect to win games every week.
"[With] the attacking play and opportunities we maybe could have scored more, but we just gave ourselves too much to do really."
