Last-gasp winner sees Hull edge Middlesbrough in play-off final to reach Premier League

[p]With so much at stake and considering the astonishing off-field drama heading into this game, it was perhaps no surprise that the opening stages of the match were an extremely cautious affair.[/p][p]Attacking threats were very hard to come by for both sides, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/morris-aidan/pYFMERNj/"]Aidan Morris[/a]’s 20-yard effort, which was steered a long way off target, summed up the opening quarter of an hour.[/p][p]The match began to stretch out a little from this point onwards, as a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/strelec-david/EeiPGlNh/"]David Strelec[/a] header sailed over the bar from close range, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brynn-solomon/CGIQ8eCQ/"]Sol Brynn[/a] was forced into action for the first time following a headed effort by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/coyle-lewie/thluq2xq/"]Lewie Coyle[/a] in the 24th minute.[/p][embed guid="bb059487-1061-4252-8087-ebbeb26723e2" url="https://x.com/HullCity/status/2058225538758488096" social-type="twitter" /][p]The closest either side came to making the breakthrough before the interval was an opportunity for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hull-city/S66R0t75/"]Hull[/a] on the stroke of half-time, from which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcburnie-oliver/rNFSg6i4/"]Oli McBurnie[/a]’s header from inside the box struck the bar.[/p][p]Shortly after, at the other end, Strelec dragged a shot wide from a promising position. The first half was certainly a slow burner, but the action just before the break suggested an exciting second half to come.[/p][p]The significance of who grabbed the first goal appeared to hang heavy on the shoulders of every player as each second-half minute passed, heightening the tension of a match where both defences were coming out on top.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="2d57c5ab-0583-45ca-855e-e61a3217a15d" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="b03d5aac-0277-4d06-ad45-0387caf9484e" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]At this stage, clear-cut chances had completely dried up, and there was an air of nervousness around the entire stadium.[/p][p]With less than 10 minutes of regulation time remaining, substitute Joe Gelhardt manoeuvred himself into a good position inside the box, only to fire his strike on the turn wide of the target, much to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/middlesbrough/6F0lvLNC/"]Boro[/a] supporters’ relief.[/p][p][b]However, just as everyone was preparing for extra time, McBurnie provided some classic play-off drama as he found himself in the right place at the right time to turn the ball into the back of the net in the 95th minute, giving Hull a timely lead.[/b][/p][image alt="Hull City's Oliver McBurnie scores" id="bb6b5018-1b63-407e-9aea-6511587195ed" credit-line="Reuters / David Klein" guid="0e5705c8-82f8-44be-8cc5-b6d94eaa83c4" original-width="3264" original-height="2146" /][p]From there, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hull-city/S66R0t75/"]Tigers[/a] managed the last few minutes of injury time well to secure a dramatic victory and send their supporters into euphoria.[/p][p]Despite finishing seven points behind Boro, it is Hull that will return to the top tier of the English pyramid, while Middlesbrough must settle for another season in the Championship.[/p][embed guid="1287a2f8-9950-496d-9881-46c933c33ee9" url="https://x.com/premierleague/status/2058225276711018796" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/morris-aidan/pYFMERNj/"]Aidan Morris[/a] (Middlesbrough)[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/hull-S66R0t75/middlesbrough-6F0lvLNC/?mid=OIpPdTJa"]Click here for all the stats of the match[/a].[/b][/p]