James Collins earns Luton a point in thrilling opener against Middlesbrough

For lovers of goalmouth action this was a charmingly helter-skelter start to the Championship season. For Graeme Jones and Jonathan Woodgate, overseeing their first matches as managers, it was in turns delightful and agonising. Neither grumbled, both proclaiming themselves happy with their teams’ ambitious play. Each will be fun to watch if they continue like this.

“What a game of football – I loved every minute of it‚” gushed Woodgate, “super proud” of his team even though they let victory slip when Britt Assombalonga ballooned a late penalty over the bar. James Collins made that miss more costly by profiting from messy Boro defending to equalise in the 85th minute.

Related: Luton Town 3-3 Middlesbrough: Championship – as it happened

“I thought we were excellent,” Woodgate continued before uttering words never likely to be heard from his predecessor, Tony Pulis. “OK, we left ourselves a bit open but that’s how we want to play. To press high and play. I want to score goals.”

The travelling fans seemed as pleased at the end as the locals. Over 10,000 people enlivened Kenilworth Road, where Luton have been close to indomitable in the last two seasons, achieving back-to-back promotions. The club has excelled to return to the second-tier given that since their last appearance at this level they have been in an out of administration and suffered relegation to the Conference, regaining league status only five years ago.

They have one of the lowest budgets in the Championship, but started with four new players here, including the goalkeeper Simon Sluga, signed for a club record £1.3m. Jones’s job is to ensure those players helped offset the loss of the James Justin and Jack Stacey, full-backs whose contributions to the team’s success last season earned them moves to Premier League clubs. Middlesbrough complicated matters by taking the lead within seven minutes here.

It was a goal of ominous simplicity, Marvin Johnson floating the ball back into the danger zone and Ashley Fletcher heading past Sluga from six yards. Luton hit back fast. Sonny Bradley, after chesting the ball down 25 yards out, swept a left-footed shot into the net via the crossbar. Luton’s season was up and running. Eight minutes later they were flying. Martin Cranie eluded Johnson to nod into the net from close range following a corner by Andrew Shinnie.

Sluga then denied Johnson with a superb save but followed it up with an embarrassing goof, allowing a shot by Assombalonga to trickle past him at the near post after Shinnie was caught trying to play out from the back.

Luton had been the more fluent but Boro took charge in the second half. Paddy McNair struck the bar and then, in the 68th minute, Lewis Wing crowned a neat move by firing into the net from over 20 yards. Assombalonga should have made it 4-2 but sent a penalty skyward before Collins claimed a point for the hosts.