North East | Middlesbrough held but Wembley remains in sight
Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Southampton
Middlesbrough and Southampton could not be separated as a compelling Championship play-off semi-final first leg somehow ended goalless.
Author | Jay Dean
Stadium | Riverside Stadium
The home side registered 17 shots before the interval while Southampton failed to muster one, with Tommy Conway coming closest when he struck the inside of the post.
Saints improved markedly after the break and might even have snatched victory late on when captain Taylor Harwood-Bellis powered a header against the crossbar.
Following Hull City’s draw with Millwall on Friday, it is the second time in three seasons that both Championship play-off semi-final first legs have ended without a goal.
A closer analysis of what happened
Kim Hellberg's side produced a relentless opening half-hour, registering nine shots before somehow failing to score with the 10th as Tommy Conway's effort from five yards was superbly blocked by James Bree.
The Scotland forward was then slipped through by Riley McGree after Southampton carelessly surrendered possession, but although Conway rounded Daniel Peretz, his finish came back off the inside of the post.
Conway completed a frustrating hat-trick of missed opportunities when the ball dropped kindly for him after a corner, only for his close-range left-footed effort to be scuffed and clawed away by Peretz.
By the interval, Middlesbrough had enjoyed 76.1% possession, while Southampton had failed to register a single shot or even touch the ball inside the opposition penalty area.
After being overrun before the break, Southampton improved immediately in the second half and might have scored with their first opportunity when Cyle Larin headed over from Tom Fellows' inviting cross.
READ MORE | Play-off news and stories on European Super Football
A succession of substitutions disrupted the rhythm of the contest, but it was Tonda Eckert's side who ended the stronger and threatened to take an advantage back to Hampshire.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis, immense defensively throughout, crashed a header against the crossbar from Ryan Manning's free-kick, while substitute Samuel Edozie flashed narrowly wide following a swift counter-attack.
The breakthrough never arrived, but both teams will travel to the south coast believing a place in the Wembley final on 23 May remains firmly within reach.
Comments
Post a Comment