Southampton have secured themselves a place in the Play-Off Final following their thrilling yet extremely contentious 2-1 win over Middlesbrough during the extra time period in their semi-final fixture at St Mary’s. Following a goalless first leg, the tie was ultimately decided by a 116th-minute winner from Shea Charles, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory for the Saints.
This win was somewhat overshadowed by the “Spygate” scandal, as Southampton still have a misconduct hearing for spying on Middlesbrough’s preparations prior to the match, a subplot that added serious venom to an already fiery semi-final clash.
The Match Action
Considering everything that had been going on before the match began, there was a high level of energy inside St Mary’s. Even though they reportedly knew what Middlesbrough’s game plan was, the Saints seemed shocked when just after five minutes of play Callum Brittain charged down the right wing and delivered a pass for Riley McGree who finished with an amazing strike into the bottom corner of the net.
However, things heated up even more in the technical areas of the teams as Luke Ayling of Middlesbrough engaged in an ugly physical confrontation with Taylor Harwood-Bellis of the Saints. There were claims that some offensive comments were exchanged before the incident took place. It even spilled over into a fight between the two managers, Kim Hellberg of Middlesbrough and Tonda Eckert of the Saints.
Towards the end of the first half, the Saints got their act together. In injury time, Ryan Manning stepped up to take a free kick which Sol Brynn parried. Ross Stewart was ready for him and put the rebound past Sol Brynn to equalize the scoreline.
The second half of the match turned out to be a war of attrition. Southampton enjoyed most of the possession during the match as they managed to finish the game with 60% of possession. They looked fresher and composed compared to Middlesbrough, but they could not find their way through the tough Boro defence. Cyle Larin came closest to winning the match in regular time, but Sol Brynn pulled off an amazing save that kept the tie alive.
Extra Time Drama
With legs getting increasingly tired and the prospect of a penalty shootout looming closer, the crucial moment came completely unexpectedly. With just four minutes remaining in extra time and penalties looming, Shea Charles received the ball on the right flank and deliver a very dangerous ball into the area. Everyone present at the match was shocked to see the ball escape all the players, defenders and attackers, who found themselves in the crowded penalty area and find its way into the net past Brynn.
In desperation, Middlesbrough threw the kitchen sink at the goal in the last seconds, including even bringing their goalkeeper Sol Brynn into an attack during a corner kick, but the last effort was sent wide by Sontje Hansen.
The Aftermath
The full-time whistle ignited joyous celebrations by Tonda Eckert and his coaching crew, but the disappointment on Kim Hellberg’s face was evident to see. The Boro boss had cause for grievance not only because of how the match-winning goal came about but also due to various questionable officiating calls made during the 120-minute period.
Southampton have achieved the feat of being just one win away from a return to English football’s top division, but the spectre of misconduct hovers over their season as an EFL disciplinary tribunal deliberates the “spying” claim against the Saints. Their passage to the London showpiece thus hinges on the result of the upcoming hearing.
For the time being, though, Southampton continue towards Wembley to battle against Sergej Jakirović’s Hull City in the highly anticipated final.
