Tommy Conway spoke after scoring his first goal of the season in Middlesbrough's draw against Cardiff City

Tommy Conway hopes his first of the season will be the first of many, as an emotional return to goalscoring helped Middlesbrough comeback to draw against Cardiff City.

The striker, who's been converted to a left winger by Kim Hellberg, scored his first of the season to get Boro back into the game after finding themselves 2-0 at half-time of Saturday’s clash at the Riverside.

Though he didn't really have time to process it at the time because his focus was on quickly helping Boro get another, in the aftermath he was able to truly savour the special moment, having recently laid bare his emotions for what had been a really difficult few months as injury resulted in him missing the play-off final and the World Cup.

Conway said: “I was buzzing to get on the score sheet. My first of the season. It's always nice to get off the mark. It's always in the back of your head.

"Mom and dad have already texted me saying that they're buzzing. So that's a nice message to get off them. They were watching at home because they couldn't make it today, but they would have been buzzing with that.

"Everyone knows what it means to me to play for this club, and to score that goal today to help us get back on the right track feels special.

"I'm not really thinking about it in the game. I'm just thinking about getting back so hopefully we can get another. But, on reflection, it's good to get that goal today considering what I did go through over the summer. Hopefully I can build on that, almost forget about what happened and look forward to more success in the future.”

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Scoring for the first time this season wasn't the only important feat of the game for Conway. After spending all summer working his way to fitness, the Cardiff draw was his first full game of the season too.

“That's my first 90 since the first leg of the semi-finals against Southampton,” he said. “So it’s a big step in the right direction for me fitness wise.

"I feel like after the little international break we had there, against Wolves I really felt back to my best. The gaffer looked after a few of us in the week and then I was able to start again today, go again, and score.

"Everyone knows how much I love playing for this club and playing in front of the fans, and I just want to do well and want to get to the Premier League.

"So one foot in front of the other every day and we try and get better and hopefully we'll get there at the end of the season.”

Despite the personal achievements of the match, there was still an element of frustration for him and his Boro team-mates after the draw.

But having once again come from behind to avoid defeat, Conway says there are positives to take as the players continue to show incredible mentality to avoid defeat.

He reflected: “I still feel like we created chances. Neto went close a few times. I think Amario went close too, and on another day we're 2-0 up.

"But it seems to be a story at the minute where we concede two shots and it seems to go in. The boys will be disappointed with the first one, that they didn't get a block on it, and Adi will be disappointed that he allowed him inside onto his left.

"But we're all in it together. We found ourselves 2-0 down and we all got ourselves out of it together as well. So a credit to the group.

"When you get to 2-2 you always believe you can go and get the winner. To be honest, we’re gutted that we didn't get the third one, but I feel like already this season we've come from behind and feel like when you watch us you believe that we're going to score goals, even when we're 2-0 down.

"That's a credit to everyone in there [the dressing room] and something that if it sticks with us throughout the season we're going to be successful. Hopefully we put it right next week.”