Middlesbrough and Michael Carrick suffer heartbreak as Coventry City end their play-off promotion hopes.
Middlesbrough’s wait for a return to the Premier League will now last a seventh season after they were defeated 1-0 by Coventry City in the Championship play-off semi-final at the Riverside.
Before the game, Michael Carrick mentioned a moment of magic separating two evenly matched sides, and it proved to be true. Gustavo Hamer’s fine finish just before the hour mark proved the match-winner, sending Coventry City to Wembley for the play-off final and leaving Boro heartbroken.
These two teams had drawn their previous two meetings, so few expected anything other than another tight encounter in this second leg, with the score remaining goalless after the first leg at the CBS Arena.
Middlesbrough’s wait for a return to the Premier League will now last a seventh season after they were defeated 1-0 at the Riverside by Coventry City in the Championship play-off semi-final.
Michael Carrick mentioned a moment of magic separating two evenly matched sides before the game, and it proved to be true. Gustavo Hamer’s fine finish just before the hour mark proved decisive, sending Coventry City to the play-off final and leaving Boro heartbroken.
Because these two teams had drawn their previous two meetings, few expected anything other than a tight second leg, with the score remaining goalless after the first leg at the CBS Arena.
These two teams had drawn their previous two meetings, so few expected anything other than another tight encounter in this second leg, with the score remaining goalless after the first leg at the CBS Arena.
Boro took off like a freight train, buoyed by an incredible atmosphere in a sold-out Riverside. Within a minute of the kick-off, the returning Marcus Forss – the only Boro change from the first leg – chased one down and won the ball before firing wide.
Carrick put on Matt Crooks after 88 minutes. He was so used to scoring crucial late goals that he thought he had another with his first touch when he headed one into the net, only to be flagged offside. A corner was cleared and hooked back in, but Coventry’s lines were well cleared.
However, it encouraged Boro supporters, as did the fourth officials board, which indicated eight minutes of extra time. Boro tried everything, but they just couldn’t find the drop they were looking for. Unfortunately, it was one of those nights where the bounce just didn’t go their way.
Under Carrick, the club rose from 21st in the league table to the play-offs. However, with Luton Town awaiting Coventry,
Now that Boro’s season and promotion hopes have ended for another year, it’s difficult to escape the deflated feeling of a massive missed opportunity.
