Championship play-offs: Boro fail to make play-off final after losing to Coventry

PA_ BorovCoventry_Riverside Credit: Will Matthews/PA Wire/PA Images
Middlesbrough players dejected after conceding their side's first goal of the game Credit: Will Matthews/PA Wire/PA Images

Boro's promotion dreams have come to an end - after they lost to Coventry in the second leg of their play-off semi-final 1-nil.

It mean's both North East teams in this year's play-offs are out of the competition for promotion to the Premier League.

Boro welcomed promotion rivals Coventry to the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday evening, with Sunday’s first leg having ended 0-0.

It was the third time the sides have played in 10 days, they'd previously drawn 1-1 at the Riverside on the last day of the regular season.

At half time, the contest remained goalless, the first goal coming from Coventry's Gustavo Hamer who scored, firing it into corner at the 57th minute.

Boro boss Michael Carrick's made a triple substitution. Alex Mowatt, Marcus Forss and Tommy Smith came off - Daniel Barlaser, Isaiah Jones and Anfernee Dijksteel on.

Middlesbrough had a chance to equalise - Cameron Archer hit the bar from a couple of yards out - but it was ruled offside.

Eight minutes of tense extra time followed, but Boro found their hopes of Premier League football slipping away.

On Tuesday 16 May, Luton Town broke Sunderland fans' hearts with their 2-0 victory, meaning the Black Cats missed out on a spot in this year's play-offs final.

Luton will now play Coventry in the final on May 27 at Wembley for a chance at promotion to the Premier League.

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