Socceroo Riley McGree’s early goal was not enough for English club Middlesbrough, as Southampton brushed aside its spying charge to advance to the EFL Championship play-off final.
In a heated second leg that saw both coaches square up to each other at one point, Southampton rallied for a 2-1 victory at its home stadium at St Mary’s and seal a win on aggregate by the same score.Â
The decisive goal — scored by Shea Charles when his cross curled into the bottom corner — came with four minutes left of extra time.
The two games were played under a cloud, with the English Football League having charged Southampton with a breach of its regulations after accusations that unauthorised filming of Middlesbrough’s training took place last week.
The EFL requested that an independent disciplinary commission undertake a hearing “at the earliest opportunity,” but Southampton asked for more time to complete an internal review into the issue, meaning any punishment would likely be meted out before the play-off final with Hull on May 23.
That final is the richest one-off game in world soccer, with the winner assured a windfall of at least 200 million pounds ($374 million) in future earnings via things like prize money and broadcast revenue in the Premier League.
Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn after the full-time whistle. (AP: PA/Andrew Matthews)
Tensions between Southampton and Middlesbrough boiled over at the end of the first half when the respective coaches — Tonda Eckert and Kim Hellberg — got in each other’s faces on the touchline while being spoken to by the referee.Â
After the first leg, which finished 0-0, Hellberg said he “couldn’t believe my eyes or ears” when he heard about the spying allegations and accused Southampton of trying to “cheat”.
McGree stunned the home crowd when he fired Middlesbrough ahead after five minutes with a side-footed shot low into the corner.
Ross Stewart missed a good chance to equalise seven minutes later but the Scot made up for the miss with a header just before the break after goalkeeper Sol Brynn parried a Ryan Manning effort.
After another first-half exchange — between Middlesbrough’s Luke Ayling and Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis — the BBC and Sky Sports reported that Ayling accused Harwood-Bellis of using discriminatory language.
Southampton is seeking an immediate return to the Premier League after relegation last season. Before that, it was in the top flight from 2012-23.
Hull was last in the Premier League in 2017.
AP/Reuters
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