Report: Saints stand firm in first-leg stalemate

Boro racked up 17 shots, nine corners and 37 touches in the opposition box in a dominant opening period, as James Bree blocked a certain goal from Tommy Conway before the Scotland international struck the inside of Daniel Peretz’s left-hand post.

By contrast Saints had offered nothing as an attacking force, but improved dramatically after the interval, enjoying much more control and restricting Boro to very little.

After Cyle Larin headed wide at the start of the second period Saints finished strongly, with the outstanding Taylor Harwood-Bellis heading against the crossbar and substitute Samuel Edozie shooting a whisker wide from two big chances inside the final five minutes.

It means a repeat result from Saints’ last play-off semi-final first leg, a stalemate at West Brom two years ago that was followed up by a memorable 3-1 victory on a raucous night at St Mary’s.

Tonda Eckert made five changes to his Saints side that started the final-day win at Preston, as full-backs James Bree and Ryan Manning both returned along with Flynn Downes, who was back from a three-match ban, Larin, preferred to Ross Stewart up front, and Boro old boy Finn Azaz.

That meant the quintet of Shea Charles, Welington, Cameron Bragg, Cameron Archer and Stewart were all among the substitutes, along with the fit-again Kuryu Matsuki, but injured skipper Jack Stephens remained unavailable.

The travelling Saints fans sold out one corner of the Riverside Stadium

A fierce atmosphere greeted the Saints players as they emerged from the tunnel, and the hosts fed off the energy of a packed Riverside Stadium.

Riley McGree had three sights of goal, passing up the opportunity to shoot from the first of those before seeing two attempts blocked by captain Harwood-Bellis, while David Strelec headed over from the resulting corner.

That was all inside the first six minutes as Saints struggled to settle. Morgan Whittaker showed he could go both ways, beating Manning on the outside and delivering a dangerous right-footed cross before drifting infield and firing over with his trusty left.

Boro’s best chance to date arrived in the 17th minute when wing-back Callum Brittain burst to the byline and saw his low cross touched wide by McGree, who didn’t get enough on it at the near post.

With nothing sticking for Saints up front, the ball kept coming back. Shots, crosses and corners rained down, with Harwood-Bellis consistently getting in the way, before Luke Ayling strode out of defence and sent a 20-yard drive arrowing just wide.

Former Boro teammates Luke Ayling and Finn Azaz battle for possession

Next it was the turn of Bree to make a goal-saving block. Whittaker waltzed his way into the box once more and pulled the ball across the six-yard box for Conway, but Bree stood strong to deny a certain goal.

Conway would not have been haunted for long had he scored moments later. Saints were outnumbered when McGree slipped the ball to his left for the striker to shoot first time, but his low side-footed effort struck the inside of Peretz’s left-hand post and somehow stayed out.

There was no respite until the half-time whistle. Whittaker’s inswinging corner was scuffed goalwards by Conway, forcing a point-blank save from Peretz who then parried another long-range shot from former Saint Matt Targett.

By the time Ayling threw himself at Boro’s ninth corner and headed wide from the hosts’ 17th attempt, Saints were still yet to have a shot, a corner or even a touch inside the opposing penalty area, having enjoyed only a 26% share of the first-half possession.

The second period did begin with some more promising signs. Manning teased in a low cross that just caught Larin on his heels, but the Canadian was far more alert when Fellows crossed from the opposite flank, meeting the ball beyond the far post with a header he could direct on target from close range.

Cyle Larin heads wide from Saints' first chance of the game

When Boro began to reassert themselves, Larin and Downes went into the book before Eckert turned to his bench for the first time on the hour, as Stewart took over the leading of the line, back in the North East where he enjoyed such success with Sunderland.

Saints were certainly looking more like their usual selves. Leo Scienza jinked inside and sent a curling shot over the bar, while Manning and Fellows sent in more dangerous deliveries.

Charles and Matsuki replaced Downes and Fellows as a far more even second half entered its final 20 minutes.

In fact Saints could lay claim to being the better side and finished strongly, spurning two golden chances to take a lead back to St Mary’s.

First Harwood-Bellis met Manning’s left-wing free-kick with a thumping header against the crossbar, before Stewart sent Edozie racing through, fresh off the bench, but the winger dragged his shot inches wide of the far post.

Middlesbrough: Brynn, Brittain, Ayling, Fry (c), Malanda, Targett, McGree (Browne 69), Morris, Whittaker (Sarmiento 79), Strelec (Castledine 79), Conway.

Subs not used: Wildsmith, Gilbert, Silvera, Hansen, Ibeh, Hunt.

Southampton: Peretz, Bree, Harwood-Bellis (c), Wood, Manning, Downes (Charles 69), Jander, Fellows (Matsuki 69), Azaz, Scienza (Edozie 86), Larin (Stewart 60).

Subs not used: Long, Quarshie, Welington, Bragg, Archer.

Booked: Larin, Downes.

Attendance: 32,045.

Referee: Farai Hallam.