Wrexham were heartbreakingly denied a place in the Championship play-offs on a dramatic final day, as a 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough proved insufficient to secure a top-six spot. Hull City controversially slipped into sixth place following late heroics at the MKM Stadium, sparking fury among Wrexham supporters.
Match Overview
A win for the Dragons against Middlesbrough would have earned them an opportunity at promotion to the Premier League, but they were held to a 2-2 stalemate despite recovering from an early setback to edge ahead at one stage. Derby County were defeated by Sheffield United, eliminating them from the promotion battle, while Hull rallied from behind to overcome Norwich City.
Controversial Decisions
Significant controversy surrounded Oli McBurnie's second goal for Hull, with the Scotland international seemingly marginally offside in the build-up to the decisive strike. Sky Sports News pundit Clinton Morrison boldly claimed that McBurnie was 'two yards' beyond the last defender. Former Premier League referee Mike Dean agreed that he was offside, albeit not to the extent Morrison indicated.
Norwich also had late penalty appeals dismissed in what supporters have labelled a 'stonewall' spot kick. One supporter said: "Wrexham have just been absolutely robbed by the ref in the Hull game. Stonewall penalty not given in the last minute and then no extra added time after the ref took over a minute sorting stuff out at the corner that followed. Harsh." Another added: "Well done Hull! Officials lost that for us today. Offside goal and stonewall penalty at the end but oh well!"
Aftermath
Despite the heated controversy, McBurnie's strike was permitted to stand and no penalty was given, a decision that proved crucial in clinching Hull's place in the end-of-season play-offs. The Tigers will now face Millwall across two legs for the chance to advance to the Wembley final, where either Middlesbrough or Southampton will be waiting. Wrexham, meanwhile, must dust themselves off and go again next term.
