Championship Playoffs 2015 Results: 2nd Leg Scores and Fixture Info for Final
Middlesbrough became the first club to qualify for the Championship Play-Off Final on Friday, beating Brentford 3-0 during the second leg of their semi-final tie.
Boro beat Brentford 2-1 in the first leg and comfortably saw out the return match, taking the lead through Lee Tomlin in the first half. Kike's second-half strike all but ended the tie, and Albert Adomah's late goal was icing on the cake.
Middlesbrough will meet Norwich City at Wembley Stadium on May 25 as they ran out 4-2 winners overall in the two "Old Farm" derbies, with kick-off for the all-important final match scheduled for 3 p.m. BST.
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The full scores and remaining schedule for the play-offs:
| Friday, May 15 | Middlesbrough | 3-0 (5-1) | Brentford |
| Saturday, May 16 | Norwich City | 3-1 (4-2) | Ipswich Town |
| Monday, May 25 | Middlesbrough | v | Norwich City |
Saturday Recap
Norwich were comfortable winners in their second semi-final with Ipswich, who were reduced to 10 men early in the second half.
Norwich shared the moment with their supporters on Twitter:
Ipswich had the better of the play in a tight first half as they started with verve and energy, but failed to create clear-cut chances to trouble Norwich's goal.
The Canaries had few opportunities of their own prior to the break, but Ipswich were forced to clear a goal-bound effort from captain Russell Martin off the line.
The match was much more exciting in the second period, far more fitting of a play-off semi-final second leg.
Norwich flew out of the traps at the restart, and were rightly awarded a penalty in the 49th minute when Christophe Berra saw red for blantantly blocking a shot on the line with his hand.
Wes Hoolahan duly dispatched the spot-kick, and the game was well and truly on.
Ipswich fought valiantly with 10 men and achieved parity 10 minutes later when Tommy Smith latched onto a free-kick and rounded John Ruddy to tap home.
The Tractor Boys were not level for long though.
Norwich capitalised on some sloppy goalkeeping from Bartosz Bialkowski, whose failed attempt at clearing a Martin Olsson cross gave possession to Jonny Howson 12 yards out. Thinking quickly, Howson shifted the ball to Nathan Redmond who made no mistake from close range.
Ipswich, needing a goal, attacked bravely but their archrivals were ruthless on the counter-attack and made it 3-1 (4-2) with Redmond instrumental again, this time turning provider for Cameron Jerome who toe-poked Redmond's slide-rule pass under the the onrushing Bialkowski:
"Norwich on their way. 3-1. #jerome https://t.co/btsPdEVXfP
— Copa90 (@Copa90) May 16, 2015"
To their credit, Mick McCarthy's Tractor Boys never stopped pushing and probing for a way back into the match right up to the final whistle, but Norwich were the deserved winners on a memorable day for the club.
Friday Recap
Middlesbrough easily beat Brentford to book their ticket to Wembley on Friday, as shared by the club's official Twitter account:
Tomlin gave the hosts an early lead and Kike and Adomah widened the gap in the second half, as Brentford were powerless to stop the Boro attack barring a short spell just after half-time.
The hosts played a smart match and showed plenty of poise and maturity in dispatching Brentford, who see their fine season come to an end just one match away from the sacred grass of Wembley.
Boro were favourites entering this tie and knew all they had to do was defend a lead. The hosts were never truly threatened on Friday. Tomlin's goal in the 23rd minute settled the nerves of the crowd as well, and Bleacher Report UK felt confident enough to share this tweet:
Brentford were sloppy in possession during the first half, while Middlesbrough played the half out in a mature manner, handling the pressure of the play-offs very well.
The second half saw some improvements from Brentford, who managed to muster several chances. But against the run of play, Kike managed to make it 2-0 after some great work from Jelle Vossen.
Ladbrokes was sure the tie was over:
Staring at a three-goal deficit, the Brentford players clearly lost all fate, allowing Middlesbrough to once again take control of possession and simply play out the match. Boro wanted even more goals and were rewarded for their attacking intentions, with Adomah finding the net to send the home fans into delirium.
Tomlin nearly made it 4-0 before coming off to a standing ovation after a fantastic performance. Barnton AFC's Andy Burgess was impressed:
"Sky Sports 1 turned off. I have been entertained. @Leetomlin10 #PremierLeague
— Andy Burgess (@AndyBurgess11) May 15, 2015"
Fans and players alike counted down the final minutes, and when the official blew his whistle for the last time, the festivities started. Adomah told Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport) how proud he was of his team-mates but warned them the job isn't done yet:
"Today is down to everyone on the pitch and all the subs. Everyone defended well and attacked well.
But the job is not done yet. We need to go to Wembley and win against Ipswich or Norwich.
I don't mind who we face, because I haven't played at Wembley before. Everyone is looking forward to it.
"
Rivals Norwich City and Ipswich Town will meet on Saturday to determine who will meet Middlesbrough in the final, and the winner of that match will be promoted to the Premier League alongside Watford and AFC Bournemouth.
With the new Premier League TV deal breaking every record imaginable, per ESPN FC's Vivek Chaudhary, winning said final will truly change the fortunes of one of these clubs.
