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Kim Hellberg thanked Middlesbrough’s players and supporters for bailing him out after admitting he got his set-up wrong in the first half of their 2-1 home win over spirited Championship new boys Lincoln. Marquee signing Will Lankshear popped up with two goals in the last half hour – the second of which came in stoppage-time – to secure a dramatic victory for Boro after their newly-promoted visitors led at the break through Adam Reach’s 12th minute strike. Hellberg was relieved and delighted after conceding he was partly to blame for the way fired-up Lincoln – who arrived at the Riverside unbeaten since early December – disrupted his side in the first half. “First half, they were better than us,” said the Boro boss. “I think it was a long time ago that the away team was better than us in the first half. “They deserved to be ahead even if they didn’t create many chances. But they were good in the press, we struggled with our way of playing, we didn’t create much, so that was tough. “I think, to be fair, I was not happy with my first half. My structure in the first half was not good enough, I should have helped the players better, so I think that’s on me a little bit and how clear I could have been because it also needs even more (clarity) when you have a lot of new players. “That’s where I’m looking at myself and feeling disappointed, but I have an unbelievable squad of players and coaches that helped me and saved the day and won the game at the end. “In the second half I think it’s more about credit to the players for coming up with the passion and the crowd together with them. This place was electric in the second half and we just ran and chased the ball and got it into play all the time. “In the second half I just have to say thank you to the players because I think they did it together with the crowd, so that’s what it was about.” League One champions Lincoln – playing their first Championship match since 1961 – were left devastated as their run of 29 games undefeated in all competitions since early December was halted. It was the Imps’ first league match since their new joint head coach partnership of Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw stepped up following the departure of Michael Skubala to Bristol City in May. “It was an amazing performance, the heart, the passion the boys played with,” said Cohen. “The first half was exactly what we wanted, we had them where we wanted to have them, with constant threat on their goal when we had possession. “In the second half, we just dropped a little bit too deep, lost our punch-back and when you do that against really good teams, you might not survive as much as we did last year. That was the lesson. “We’re amazingly proud of the players. Boro probably should have gone up as one of the top two last year and have invested really heavily as well, so we know that that’ll be as tough a test as we’ll have all season away from home. “But what a performance in that first half to give us belief in terms of what we’re able to do even at the next level.”