Southampton will play Hull City for a place in the Premier League after coming back from a goal down to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 in extra time of the grueling Championship play-off semi-final on Tuesday.
Shea Charles fired off the Saints on their way to Wembley with a curling left-footed shot that bounced off the inside of the post in the 116th minute after the 90 minutes ended 1-1.
Hull defeated Millwall 2-0 in the other play-off semi-final in London on Monday.
The final, dubbed the “richest match in football” because of the huge financial rewards that come with playing in the top flight, will be played on May 23.
After a goalless first leg and still deadlocked in the second, the sides went into extra time with everything to play for and St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton was bursting with excitement.
Riley McGree stunned the home crowd when he put Middlesbrough ahead after five minutes with a side-footed shot low into the corner. Ross Stewart missed a good chance to equalize seven minutes later, but the Scot made up for the miss with a header just before half-time after goalkeeper Sol Brynn parried Ryan Manning’s attempt.
Before that, tempers flared on the touchline, with Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg and Southampton player Tonda Eckert having to be physically separated when referee Andy Madley had a word.
Air sports According to the television, Boro defender Luke Ayling had previously reported Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis to Madley for using ‘discriminatory language’.
Emotions were already running high after Middlesbrough accused Southampton, relegated from the top flight in 2025, of spying on his training ahead of the first leg at the Riverside Stadium. Southampton, who finished the season fourth in the standings and Middlesbrough fifth, were charged by the English Football League on Friday as an independent disciplinary committee hearing was pending.
Published on May 13, 2026
