Hull 1-0 Middlesborough: 95th-minute McBurnie strike sends Tigers back to Premier League

Hull 1-0 Middlesborough: 95th-minute McBurnie strike sends Tigers back to Premier League Ollie Whitmore , Chief football news reporter Ollie McBurnie broke Middlesborough hearts with a 95th minute winner to cap off a fairytale revival under Sergej Jakirovic and send Hull City to the Premier League for the first time in nine years. The Scottish striker came closest to opening the scoring when he headed against the crossbar in first-half stoppage time while chances for David Strelec and Dael Fry went amiss for Boro as they battled for a first victory in six matches under the arch. And he made himself the hero when he slammed in the winning goal after Sol Brynn spilled a low cross in from the left hand side, as Boro’s playoff curse extended in the most extraordinary fashion while Hull, who finished 21st last season, bagged a third consecutive Championship play-off final win.

Having been reinstated in place of Southampton as a result of the spygate saga, it was not to be for Kim Hellbeg’s team as their season came to an end in the cruelest fashion after 104 minutes, thanks to the right foot of Hull hero McBurnie. As it happened Both sides were anticipatedly slow out of the blocks in the Wembley sunshine before Alan Browne received treatment after a poorly timed tackle from Hull midfielder Matt Crooks, curtailing a very quiet opening 10 minutes. The Tigers were more than happy to dig in and withstand the early pressure from Boro, with left back Matt Target bending in a series of dangerous low crosses to no avail as their first attempt on goal from Aiden Morris rolled harmlessly wide.

Headers went array for both sides leading up to the first of two drinks breaks when David Strelec sent Browne’s cross over the bar and Hull captain Lewie Coyle saw his looping header tipped over by Sol Brynn, who refused to take any chances. Sergej Jakirovic’s side nearly found their reward for some solid defending with an ambitious curling effort from attacking midfielder Mohamed Belloumi, but it sailed not far wide of the post with half-time fast approaching. Fresh off the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup, target man McBurnie came closest to opening the scoring just before first-half stoppage time when he headed a cross from the left wing onto the crossbar.

Strelec had his side’s best moment on the end of an early kick up the field by Brynn, Morgan Whittaker touching it down effortlessly and shifting it onto the striker, yet the Slovakian fired the shot narrowly wide. Middlesborough got off to a more lively start to the second half as Whittaker lashed a first-time shot towards goal that deflected behind and towering centre-back Dael Fry headed over at the back post from a corner. But the ever-reliable Riley McGree gave possession away 30 yards from goal with a careless pass a few minutes later, as Coyle sent in the cross towards Crooks but he couldn’t punish him.