McBurnie’s late winner sends Hull City back to the Premier League | OneFootball

Hull City are heading back to the Premier League after Oli McBurnie produced a last-gasp winner to seal a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in a dramatic Championship play-off final at Wembley.

In a match played in stifling heat, chances were at a premium, with both sides largely cancelling each other out for long spells.

It looked as though extra time was inevitable until deep into stoppage time when Boro keeper Sol Brynn failed to deal with Yu Hirakawa’s cross, spilling it into the danger area. McBurnie reacted quickest, slotting home from close range in the 95th minute to spark jubilant scenes among Hull supporters.

The final came amid major controversy after Southampton were removed from the play-offs following the “Spygate” scandal, despite initially beating Middlesbrough in the semi-finals. Boro were reinstated by the EFL after the ruling, throwing the build-up into chaos and leaving Hull with little time to prepare for a reshuffled final.

The win brings Hull’s nine-year wait for top-flight football to an end, a remarkable turnaround for a club that survived relegation to League One on goal difference just a season earlier. Coventry City and Ipswich Town also secured promotion via automatic spots earlier in the campaign.

McBurnie’s decisive strike capped off a tense, hard-fought encounter and confirmed a return to the Premier League, with promotion also set to deliver a major financial boost worth well over £100 million.

Incidents: The story of the match

Hull City Official Line-ups:

Ivor Pandur, Lewie Coyle, John Egan, Semi Ajayi, Charlie Hughes, Ryan Giles, Regan Slater, Matt Crooks, Mohamed Belloumi, Oliver McBurnie, Liam Millar

Middlesbrough Official Line-ups:

Sol Brynn, Luke Ayling, Callum Brittain, Dael Fry, Adilson Malanda, Matt Targett, Alan Browne, Riley McGree, Aidan Morris, Morgan Whittaker, Dávid Strelec

1':

The match begins

Oliver McBurnie scores to make it 1-0.

90 +5':

GOAL Hull City: Oliver McBurnie (Hull City) scores!

Oliver McBurnie scores goal number 1 in the competition (3 matches)

998':

The referee whistles for the end of the match