Southampton hold Middlesbrough to goalless draw in play-off semi-final

Southampton returned from the Riverside Stadium with a goalless draw in the first leg of their Sky Bet Championship play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough. The result leaves the tie level heading into the second leg at St Mary's.

Middlesbrough controlled the opening period, recording 17 shots and nine corners. The hosts registered 37 touches inside the Southampton penalty area while the visitors held only 26% of the first-half possession. Tommy Conway hit the post during the half, and James Bree prevented a goal by blocking a shot from Conway. Daniel Peretz made several saves to keep the score level, including a stop from a Matt Targett long-range effort.

Southampton improved significantly after the interval. Tonda Eckert made several changes to his lineup, including the return of Flynn Downes and Ryan Manning. Cyle Larin headed wide early in the second half, but the visitors began to exert more control over the match.

As the game progressed, Southampton grew into the contest. Captain Taylor Harwood-Bellis struck the crossbar with a header from a Ryan Manning free-kick. Late in the match, substitute Samuel Edozie missed a significant opportunity when his shot went narrowly wide of the far post.

With the first leg ending in a stalemate, Southampton face a similar situation to their previous play-off semi-final, where a scoreless first leg was followed by a 3-1 win at home. The second leg will determine which side advances to the final.