TIGERS WIN TO RETURN TO THE TOP TABLE THANKS TO McBURNIE
HULL CITY (3-4-2-1) Pandur – Ajayi Egan Hughes – Coyle (90+8, McNair) Slater (90+8, Lundstram) Crooks Giles (76, Hirakawa) – Belloumi (76, Drameh) Millar (63, Gelhardt) – McBurnie Subs unused Phillips (G) Dowell Hadziahmetovic Koumas
Yellow (1) 90+8, McBurnie
Red (0)
Goals (1) 1-0 (90+5, McBurnie)
MIDDLESBROUGH (3-4-2-1) Brynn – Ayling Fry Malanda – Brittain Brown (90+7 Sarmiento) Morris Targett (90+7, Ibeh) – Whittaker McGree (76, Hansen) – Strelec (70, Hackey) Subs unused Wildsmith (G) Castledine Edmundson Gilbert Silvera
Yellow (0)
Red (0)
Goals (0)
Crowd 84,506
Referee Jarred Gillett 4th Official Michael Salisbury VAR Official Constantine Hatzidakis
Match Report
The eagerly awaited Spy-gate SKYBET Championship Play off Final saw Hull City beat Middlesbrough 1-0 in front of 84,506 fans at Wembley Stadium, Middlesbrough who replaced Southampton after they were expelled for cheating saw Hull City win late on thanks to Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time goal in 90th+5 minute which gave Hull City a dramatic victory in the Championship play-off final over reinstated Middlesbrough and took the Tigers back to the Premier League. Middlesbrough were given a place in the final after Southampton, who beat them over two legs in the semi-final, were expelled on Tuesday for the Spy-gate scandal.
Southampton say they have appealed against their removal from the Championship play-offs for spying as it is “manifestly disproportionate to every previous sanction in the history of the English game”. An EFL independent disciplinary commission on Tuesday evening expelled Southampton from the play-offs and reinstated Middlesbrough, who are now set to face Hull City in the final on Saturday. The St Mary’s club were also deducted four points in the Championship next season after admitting breaches of two EFL regulations.
Chief executive Phil Parsons apologized “to the other clubs involved, and most of all to the Southampton supporters”, who he said, “deserved better from the club”. Saints’ appeal was heard by an independent league arbitration panel later Wednesday. Parsons added that “what happened was wrong” but the club “cannot accept a sanction which bears no proportion to the offence”.
Southampton pointed to a £200,000 fine issued to Leeds United in 2019 for spying on Derby as evidence of precedent. However, when the Elland Road club were punished seven years ago, regulation 127 – which expressly forbids observing an opponent within 72 hours of a game – did not exist. It was introduced because of Leeds United’s wrongdoing. “Southampton has been denied the opportunity to compete in a game worth more than £200m and one which means so much to our staff, players and supporters,” Parsons added. “We believe the financial consequence of yesterday’s ruling makes it, by a very considerable distance, the largest penalty ever imposed on an English football club.”
Hull City came into the Championship Play off Final at Wembley Stadium off the back of two wins against Millwall (away) Play Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 2-0 last time out and Norwich City (home) 2-1, three draws against Millwall (home) Play Off Semi-Final 1st Leg 0-0, Leicester City (away) 2-2 and Birmingham City (home) 1-1 and one defeat against Charlton Athletic (away) 1-2.
Middlesbrough came into the Championship Play off Final at Wembley Stadium off the back of two wins against Watford (home) 5-1 and Sheffield Wednesday (home) 1-0, three draws against Southampton (home) Play Off Semi-Final 1st Leg 0-0, Wrexham (away) 2-2 and Ipswich Town (away) 2-2 and one defeat against Southampton (away) Play Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg 1-2 loss last time out which was cancelled out as a result of Southampton cheating with EFL rules and being expelled from the competition.
Hull City looking to reach the Premier League for the first time since 2016-17 – they’ve had won both of their Championship play-off finals, beating Bristol City in 2008 and Sheffield Wednesday in 2016.
Hull City were looking to become the first team to finish 6th and win promotion to the Premier League since Blackpool in 2009-10. The Tigers had won three of their four matches at Wembley Stadium, losing the other to Arsenal in the 2014 FA Cup final.
Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic started with a 3-4-2-1 formation with Pandur in goal, then a back three of Ajayi, John Egan and Hughes then a four man midfield with two wing backs in Coyle, Slater, Crooks, and Giles then two attacking midfielders in Belloumi and Millar with McBurnie the loan striker up front.
Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg started with a 3-4-2-1 formation with Brynn in goal, then a back three of Luke Ayling, Dael Fry and Malanda then a four man midfield with two wing backs in Brittain, Alan Brown, Morris, and Matt Targett then two attacking midfielders in Morgan Whittaker and Riley McGree with loan striker Strelec up front.
The match, which was the first play-off final of the weekend kicked off at 3.30 pm. It was a dull final, with few chances for either side in the 90 minutes until, Scottish striker Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time goal gave Hull City a dramatic victory in the Championship play-off final 1-0 in the 90th+5 minute over reinstated Middlesbrough and took the Tigers back to the Premier League. Middlesbrough was given a place in the final after Southampton, who beat them over two legs in the semi-final, were expelled on Tuesday for the Spy-gate scandal.
In sweltering conditions at Wembley, the game looked destined for extra time before goalkeeper Sol Brynn spilt Yu Hirakawa’s cross and McBurnie buried the loose ball from six yards out. It ended Hull’s nine-year wait for top-flight football – a year after they avoided relegation to League One on goal difference.
Former Bosnia international and now Hull City boss, Sergej Jakirović, who took over as head coach last summer, has taken the East Yorkshire side up in his first season in English football despite having to operate under a transfer embargo, which was imposed last year as a sanction for making late payments to other clubs.
McBurnie, meanwhile, was this week left out of Scotland’s World Cup squad despite scoring 18 goals this season before his Wembley winner. He will spend the summer at home – but as a Premier League player.
Hull City’s triumph also continued their perfect record in Championship play-off finals, each with a 1-0 scoreline.
Half Time Hull City 0 Middlesbrough 0 (3 minutes added time)
Full Time Hull City 1 Middlesbrough 0 (14 minutes added time)
