Southampton 2 – 1 Middlesbrough

Southampton beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at St Mary’s to reach the Sky Bet Championship play-off final for the second time in three seasons.

After a goalless first leg on Saturday, Riley McGree gave Boro an early lead on the south coast, but Ross Stewart equalized with a towering header on the stroke of half-time.

The score was locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes and penalties were open when, with 116 minutes on the clock, Shea Charles’ cross from the right eluded everyone and past Sol Brien in the back of the net.

Tonda Eckert’s men play Hull at Wembley on Saturday 23 May, with a lucrative place in the Premier League.

The tie was overshadowed by ‘Spygate’ with Southampton accused of breaching EFL rules after a member of staff was accused of spying on Middlesbrough in training ahead of the first leg.

Southampton have asked the EFL for more time to carry out an internal review as they co-operate with a disciplinary commission.

Middlesbrough make their dominance count… but the teams are level at the break

Middlesbrough were overwhelmingly dominant in the first half of the first leg, with 17 shots and a combined xG value of 1.39, but they couldn’t find the breakthrough. They did it within the first five minutes of the second leg.

Callum Brittain fed a low cross into the box, and the home defense seemed to freeze for just a split-second before McGree swept the opener into the bottom left corner.

For a few minutes, the Saints looked shell-shocked. But when they regained their composure, they came within inches of an equalizer when Ryan Manning’s superb cross went wide of Stewart’s left-hand post in the stretch.

Stewart made amends for the miss in stoppage time of the first half. Sol Bryn saved Manning’s initial effort, but the ball went to the other side of the box, where the striker leapt like a salmon to power home a header.

Tensions escalated after allegedly discriminatory comments

Just before that, tensions threatened to escalate. Referee Andy Madley pointed to Tonda Eckert and Kim Helberg on the touchline and after a brief exchange, the pair had to be separated.

Asked about the incident at the post-match press conference, Hellberg said: “It’s the heat of the moment and the feeling and the emotion. That’s what we love about football. It’s something we really love. When it happens on the pitch, that’s what happens, the feeling and the emotion in a big game. Nothing big.”

When it happened, Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Baillis was alleged to have made a discriminatory comment towards Middlesbrough’s Luke Ayling, which Ayling reported to the referee. He then discussed the matter with the head coaches.

Sky Sports News It is understood Madley will report the incident to the EFL.

Harwood-Baillis and Ayling were seen chatting amiably and embracing towards the end of the game.

Of that situation, Helberg said: “It’s not my place to say. On the field, things happen. It’s not my role to explain. It’s better for the people involved to do that.”

Penalty appeals took center stage in a tense second half

Both teams were denied a penalty shootout before the midway point of the second half where chances came at a premium.

Middlesbrough were aggrieved not to be awarded a spot-kick when Kuryu Matsuki appeared to handle the ball in the box, before denying Saints when Leo Sainja pushed the ball past Isling.

There was another in second-half stoppage time. Dele Fry went to swing to clear a ball, but Cyle Larin sprung, took the ball and left after colliding with a Boro defender. Madley immediately waved away the appeal.

Sky Sports’ Simeon Golam:

“It looks like it was a point of contention mixed in with a lot of other things, but both sides had genuine penalties blown by Andy Madley in the second half. Three in total – a handball, a push and a late tackle.

“It was Madley’s first second-tier game since February, and his third all season.

“On Saturday, Madley was shown two yellow cards in the Premier League game between Bournemouth and Fulham, both times being sent to the pitchside monitors before they were upgraded to red cards.

“There seems to be a reluctance to make match-changing decisions without the safety of video review. Should VAR be used for semi-finals to align with the regular experience of referees in the Premier League?”

But death by gunshot can be avoided

Middlesbrough were running out of steam towards the end, but were heading into a penalty shootout. It seemed like the best-case scenario at that point.

The Saints held on though, and finally got their reward with four minutes of added time to play, when Charles’ cross went past Bryn.

Boro scrambled and tried to level the dying embers, but their efforts were in vain.

After the whistle the drama continues…

It didn’t end at full-time at St Mary’s as the drama continued in the post-match press conference.

Hellberg was clearly devastated, suggesting ‘Spygate’ had stolen his Premier League dreams.

“I’ve worked as a coach for 15 years, trying to get to the Premier League. That’s been my dream for 15 years,” he added later: “It breaks my heart in terms of all the things I believe in. That’s the thing. I don’t care if different countries have different rules.

“This is England where football is the biggest thing. That’s my feeling about it. I think it’s disrespectful. It makes me very sad.”

Asked if he believed Tonda Eckert knew about the alleged ‘espionage,’ Helberg said, “I can’t answer that. No comment.”

Meanwhile, Eckert abruptly left his press conference again, when asked if he was a fraud. This play will play.