Preston North End v Middlesbrough: Boro play-off hopes end with defeat
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Middlesbrough have qualified for the play-offs just once since relegation from the Premier League in 2017
Middlesbrough's bid to reach the Championship play-offs ended in disappointment with a final-day defeat at Preston.
Boro kicked off in seventh, trailing Luton and Sheffield United by two points, and needed to beat Preston while hoping the Hatters or Blades dropped points to clinch a top-six finish.
But Alan Browne's volley, a Dael Fry own goal and an Emil Riis double sank their hopes despite Marcus Tavernier's reply, while Paddy McNair was sent off for handling Cameron Archer's goal-bound shot.
A first away defeat in six matches left Chris Wilder's side in seventh and a sixth successive season in the second tier.
Boro, bidding for a first play-off appearance since the 2017-18 season, had lost just one of their previous 12 trips to Deepdale and faced opponents with nothing at stake.
But they were overwhelmed for long spells, particularly in a dismal first half, while both of their rivals ultimately won.
Browne chested down Brad Potts' cross and volleyed into the far corner to put the Lilywhites ahead, and they almost doubled their lead when goalkeeper Luke Daniels fumbled Daniel Johnson's inswinging corner into his own net, only for the whistle to blow.
A minute later the hosts did double their lead when Riis squeezed between two Boro defenders and struck a shot that Fry diverted past Daniels, and Alistair McCann then steered a shot inches past the post as Preston threatened to overrun the visitors.
Tavernier headed in Anfernee Dijksteel's deep cross soon after the break, but hopes of a second-half revival were dampened just five minutes later when Riis' delicate chip finished off a counter-attack for his 20th goal of the campaign.
Daniel Iversen made a fine full-stretch save to deny McNair's header and then kept out a powerful strike from substitute Falorin Balogun as Boro poured forward.
But Riis made it 4-1 from the penalty spot after McNair's illegal goal-line intervention to cap a miserable afternoon for the Teesiders.
Preston boss Ryan Lowe:
"That's probably the best performance we've had all season.
"It was everything we asked for. If any game plans go to plan, that was it.
"With two wins, we've finished the season on a high and that can lead us into a tough summer, which we know is going to be tough in terms of recruitment and everything else.
"I've challenged them over the last week or so and there are one or two - I won't name names - who I've said, 'Look, come on, I need more otherwise it's a case of you'll be replaced.'
"This is people who are under contract so they're giving us it and I want that continuing for next season."
Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Tees:
"The performance wasn't good enough. We didn't do well enough in both boxes and we had a man sent off so everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong.
"They came out and dominated the game and we were never close to getting any sort of result. We were when Tav (Marcus Tavernier) got us back into the game, but then we made two or three really poor mistakes after that.
"The players have turned the season around from going nowhere. We have had a terrific cup run, some great days and I want to bring more great days back to the football club."