CHAMPIONSHIP : SOUTHAMPTON VS MIDDLESBROUGH – 12/05/2026 (PHOTO – SHEA CHARLES CELEBRATES)

IF THE PROSPECT OF BEING THROWN OUT OF CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFFS AFTER ALLEGEDLY SPYING ON MIDDLESBROUGH MIGHT HAVE SLOWED SOUTHAMPTON DOWN LAST NIGHT, IT DIDN’T – AS THEY PUT ON AN EXTREMELY ENERGETIC PERFORMANCE!

IT WAS MIDDLESBROUGH WHO STARTED OUT STRONG THOUGH, WITH RILEY MCGREE SCORING AN EARLY OPENER AT JUST 5 MINS. IN, PLUS HAVING A FURTHER 15 SHOTS, WITH 2 MORE ON-TARGET.

SOUTHAMPTON HAD 61% POSSESSION, AND 17 SHOTS, WITH 7 ON-TARGET, INCLUDING A CRACKER FROM ROSS STEWART AT 45 +1 MINS! SO, AFTER 90 MINS., WITH A 1 – 1 DRAW, THE MATCH WENT INTO EXTRA TIME, WITH A STUNNER FROM SHEA CHARLES AT 116 MINS. SEALING THE DEAL FOR SOUTHAMPTON, MEANING THAT THEY WILL NOW PROGRESS TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL AGAINST HULL AT WEMBLEY!

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOUTHAMPTON COULD BE THROWN OUT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFFS FINAL AND NOT ALLOWED THE CHANCE OF PROMOTION TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE, BECAUSE OF THE “SPYGATE” SAGA.  BUT LET’S HOPE NOT. 

THIS HAS NOW BECOME A ‘FOOTBALLING FABLE’

AND BROUGHT EVERYONE A LOT OF FUN,

AND, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT’S WHAT THIS BEAUTIFUL GAME IS ALL ABOUT, ISN’T IT?