Southampton defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 at St Mary’s to book their place in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final for the second time in three seasons.
Riley Magley gave Boro an early lead on the south coast after Saturday’s first leg ended goalless, but Ross Stewart equalized with a towering header just before half-time.
With the score still 1-1 after 90 minutes and a penalty shootout looming, with 116 minutes remaining, Shay Charles’ cross from the right side evaded everyone and bounced past Sol Bryn and into the back of the net.
Tonda Eckert’s side will face Hull at Wembley on Saturday 23 May for a place in the Premier League.
The draw was overshadowed by ‘Spygate’, in which Southampton were accused of breaching EFL regulations after a member of their staff was suspected of spying on Middlesbrough training ahead of the first leg.
Southampton have asked the EFL for more time to carry out an internal review in order to co-operate with the disciplinary committee.
Middlesbrough look to dominate…but teams level at the break
Middlesbrough dominated the first half of the first leg with 17 shots and a total xG value of 1.39, but were unable to break through. They succeeded within five minutes of the second leg.
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Riley McGree hits home early for Middlesbrough against Southampton
The home defense looked frozen for a moment when Callum Britten fed a low cross into the box and Magley slotted home the opener into the bottom left corner.
For several minutes, the Saints seemed shocked. But as they regained their composure, Ryan Manning’s exquisite cross was tipped over the left post by Stewart in the stretch, coming inches from a tying goal.
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Ross Stewart heads home to Southampton after equalizing with Middlesbrough in the second semi-final play-off leg.
Stewart made amends for his mistake in first-half stoppage time. Manning’s first shot was saved by Sol Bryn, but the ball spun to the other side of the box and the striker jumped like a salmon to score a header.
Tensions rise over allegations of discriminatory remarks
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Southampton manager Tonda Eckert and Middlesbrough manager Kim Helberg shared a heated exchange on the touchline during the play-off clash
Just before that, tensions threatened to boil over. Referee Andy Madeley beckoned Tonda Eckert and Kim Helberg on the touchline and after a brief exchange, the pair had to be separated.
Asked about the incident in the post-match press conference, Helberg said: “It’s the heat of the moment and the emotion and emotion. We love that about football. That’s one of the things we really, really love. What happens on the pitch is the emotion and emotion of an important game. Nothing too big.”
In the incident, Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis allegedly made a discriminatory comment towards Middlesbrough’s Luke Ayling, who then reported it to the referee. He then discussed it with his head coaches.
Sky Sports News understands that Madrid will report the incident to the EFL.
Harwood-Bellis and Ayling appeared to have a friendly conversation and hug towards the end of the game.
Regarding the situation, Helberg said: “That’s not my place. Things happen on the pitch. It’s not my role to explain. It’s better for the officials to do it.”
Harwood-Bellis and Ayling appeared friendly after conversation with referee
Penalty appeals take center stage in a tense second half
Both teams had screams for penalties dismissed before the crucial midway point of the second half.
Middlesbrough were furious that they were not awarded a spot-kick after Hisatoshi Matsuki appeared to have handled the ball in the box, but Saints were denied a point when Leo Cienza had the ball flicked out by Ayling.
There was another one in additional time in the second half. Dale Fry tried to swing and clear the ball, but Cyle Larin nipped in and took the ball away, colliding with a Boro defender and going over. Madley immediately dismissed the appeal.
Simeon Gollum of Sky Sports:
“There were a lot of other things that happened and it was a controversial spot, but in the second half Andy Madrid waved off a legitimate penalty scream, and I feel like it was three in total: a handball, a push and a late tackle.
“This was Madrid’s first game in the second division since February and only their third game all season.
“On Saturday, Madrid were given two yellow cards in the Premier League game against Bournemouth and Fulham, and on both occasions they were sent to the pitchside monitor and upgraded to a red card.
“There seemed to be a reluctance to make game-changing decisions without the safety net of video review. Should we use VAR in the semi-finals to bring it in line with what referees regularly experience in the Premier League?”
However, a gunfight is averted due to death.
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Shay Charles scored the winning goal in extra time as Southampton defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 and booked their place in the play-off final.
Middlesbrough started to run out of steam in the closing stages and looked to be limping ahead of the penalty shoot-out. That seemed like the best-case scenario at the time.
Still, the Saints continued to win and were finally rewarded four minutes into extra time when Charles’ cross sailed past Bullin.
Boro tried to level up in the dying embers, but his efforts were in vain.
The drama continues even after the whistle blows…
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After losing to Southampton in the play-off semi-finals, Middlesbrough manager Kim Helberg gave a passionate response to the alleged ‘Spygate’ drama surrounding the match.
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Southampton’s Tonda Eckert left a press conference early after being asked if she was a “fraud” following Saints’ “Spygate” saga over their play-off showdown with Middlesbrough.
The St. Mary’s game did not end at full time and the drama continued until the post-match press conference.
Helberg was clearly devastated and suggested that ‘Spygate’ had taken away his Premier League dreams.
“I’ve been working as a coach for 15 years to get to the Premier League. That’s been my dream for 15 years,” he later added, “It breaks my heart to think about everything I believe in. That’s the problem. I don’t care if different countries have other rules.”
“This is England, where football is the biggest thing. That’s how I feel about football. I think it’s a disgrace. It’s very sad.”
Asked if he thought Tonda Eckert knew about the “espionage” allegations, Helberg simply said, “I can’t answer that. No comment.”
Meanwhile, Eckert abruptly left the press conference again after being questioned about possible misconduct. This drama will continue.
