Summary

  • Calm Hamer finish sees Coventry beat Boro to reach final

  • Sky Blues will play Luton in Championship play-off final at Wembley on 27 May

  • First leg finished goalless at CBS Arena

  • Boro finished fourth in table, Coventry five points behind in fifth

  1. Postpublished at 33 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    FoulImage source, Rex Features

    Another foul on a Boro player, this time by Kyle McFadzean on Cameron Archer.

    Red shirts swarm around the referee wanting a yellow card brandished, but he waves the appeals away.

    Nonetheless, Middlesbrough are back on the ball, back in the Coventry half and every player in Sky Blue is back behind it.

  2. Postpublished at 20:30 British Summer Time 17 May 2023

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Matt Newsum
    BBC Sport at the Riverside Stadium

    One player who is impressing amidst the battleground of midfield for me is Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney.

    He's just what you'd expect of lad with Scottish parentage who grew up in Redcar. Tough as steel. He can play too. Every time he gets stuck in the home fans get a lift. They love to see their own do well.

    Cool, calm, but happy to stick a foot in. His battles with Liam Kelly and Ben Sheaf, two equally combative players, are an enjoyable subplot to this.

  3. Postpublished at 30 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Indeed, Alex Mowatt does attempt to dink the ball towards the crowd of bodies gathered on the edge of the box but the Sky Blues deal with it.

  4. Postpublished at 29 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Liam Kelly brings Chuba Akpom down around 30 yards from goal. I *think* this is too far out for a shot, but you never know.

    Alex Mowatt's over it for Middlesbrough...

  5. Postpublished at 27 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    But again it's dealt with, before Riley McGree - this time in a crossing position - floats his delivery harmlessly out for a Coventry throw-in.

    Middlesbrough are just upping it a bit here, though.

  6. Postpublished at 26 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    The set-piece is headed away but Middlesbrough come again, eventually culminating in a long-range strike from Riley McGree which deflects behind for another corner.

  7. Postpublished at 25 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Coventry fansImage source, PA Media

    I said it right at the start and I'll make no apologies for saying it again... these play-off games are just horrible, aren't they?

    I'm nervous and my team's not even involved.

    Jake Bidwell heads a long diagonal behind for a Boro corner.

  8. Carrick bellowing at Boro from the touchlinepublished at 20:24 British Summer Time 17 May 2023

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Rob Law
    BBC Radio Tees

    Every time Middlesbrough don't have the ball, you can see Michael Carrick - it's like a nervous tick - waving his players up the pitch.

    He is very conscious of them getting too deep.

    You can also see Carrick shouting to Cameron Archer "AGAIN, AGAIN". He wants him to keep making those runs.

    Michael CarrickImage source, Getty Images
  9. Postpublished at 23 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Akpom's back on and seems fine, which is good news for Boro.

    This is just starting to become all a bit cagey after that chaotic start, isn't it? The crowd quietening, the pace of the match slowing.

    Nervy. Very, very nervy.

  10. Postpublished at 20 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Chuba Akpom downImage source, Rex Features

    There's a bit of concern here over Middlesbrough's star man Chuba Akpom, who goes down to receive some treatment.

    He's moving fairly gingerly but should be fine to continue, by the looks of it.

  11. Boro fast start has Riverside pulses racingpublished at 20:18 British Summer Time 17 May 2023

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Neil Maddison
    Former Middlesbrough midfielder on BBC Tees

    There is no messing from Middlesbrough.

    They are getting the ball down quickly, they're trying to play quickly and stretch Coventry as a team.

    The intensity in this game, you can see it's there.

  12. Postpublished at 17 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    And now a foul on the opposite side of the pitch by Boro's Ryan Giles on Liam Kelly.

    The delivery into the box is decent but Kyle McFadzean's header goes over the bar.

  13. YELLOW CARDpublished at 16 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    They've been their own worst enemy again here, Middlesbrough.

    Zach Steffen's pass out is poor and Tommy Smith has to pull the Coventry player back as he threatened to break through.

    It's a yellow card for Smith.

  14. Postpublished at 13 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Boro v CoventryImage source, PA Media

    I don't think Mark Robins will be at all against this, his side settling into a spell of possession in their own half.

    They didn't muster a shot on target in the first leg but the priority, first and foremost, has to be to stay in the tie.

  15. Mad in the stands, tepid on the touchlinepublished at 20:11 British Summer Time 17 May 2023

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Matt Newsum
    BBC Sport at the Riverside Stadium

    ManagersImage source, PA Media

    Fantastic feel about this one. Full-on chanting from the Middlesbrough fans. When that subsides, the Coventry fans chip in. And so on, and so forth.

    Great call-and-response from the two contingents.

    On the pitch it's a whirr of energy, likewise in the stands. On the touchline? Both Michael Carrick and opposite number Mark Robins look a bit like waxworks. Cool amid the chaos.

    Watch they don't melt in this blast furnace of an atmosphere.

  16. Postpublished at 10 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    The first leg may well have been short on goalmouth action but already both forward lines have been given a sniff here.

    Chuba Akpom gets to the byline and nearly pulls the ball back into a dangerous area, but Kyle McFadzean recovers well.

  17. Coventry change centres on Boro midfield battlepublished at 20:09 British Summer Time 17 May 2023

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Steve Ogrizovic
    Ex-Coventry City goalkeeper on BBC CWR

    Middlesbrough are so good in midfield. They move the ball well.

    On Sunday we struggled to get a meaningful effort on target.

    Tonight's setup with one up front gives Coventry that extra midfield player.

  18. Postpublished at 8 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Middlesbrough hearts in mouths!

    Tommy Smith attempts to pass the ball back to Zach Steffen but Viktor Gyokeres nips in and very nearly manages to poke the ball around the Boro goalkeeper, who just about intervenes.

  19. Postpublished at 5 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Boro v CoventryImage source, Rex Features

    Middlesbrough come again moments later, again through Ryan Giles, who this time tees up Cameron Archer, but instead of shooting he tries to switch on to his left foot and a visiting defender gets it clear.

    The hosts very much on the front foot here.

  20. Postpublished at 4 mins

    Middlesbrough 0-0 Coventry (Agg: 0-0)

    Nearly a first sight at goal for Boro as Ryan Giles gets into a crossing position on the left, but his low delivery is scrambled clear.