MIDDLESBROUGH head coach Kim Hellberg professed to mixed emotions after his side's automatic promotion hopes ended at Wrexham - on a day when they extended their unbeaten Championship away sequence to six matches in a 2-2 final-day draw.

Boro only had a very slim chance of gatecrashing the top two ahead of kick-off. They had to win at the Racecourse Ground and hope that Ipswich Town lost at home to QPR and Millwall fialed to beat visiting Oxford United.

Boro lead early on in north Wales, thanks to Tommy Conway's opener. But the big events in the opening 10 minutes were destined for Portman Road, where Ipswich raced into a 2-0 lead and virtually nailed down the second automatic slot in double-quick time.

Wrexham, in a three-way fight for the final play-off spot with Hull City and Derby County, turned things around to lead 2-1 courtesy of strikes from Josh Windass, who netted a fabulous free-kick and Sam Smith, but a goal on the stroke of half-time from David Strelec pegged them back.

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg gestures on the touchline during the Sky Bet Championship match at SToK Racecourse, Wrexham. Picture: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire.

placeholder image — Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg gestures on the touchline during the Sky Bet Championship match at SToK Racecourse, Wrexham. Picture: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire.

With Boro's quest for second effectively over, it was all about who finished up sixth. A dramatic second half of events ended with Hull finishing in sixth with the winner that Wrexham required to finish in the play-offs failing to transpire.

As many suspected beforehand, Boro face Southampton in the play-offs with the first leg taking place at the Riverside Stadium next weekend.

Hellberg said: "Everyone knows there was a very little chance to get in, with the mathematics in terms of that, but it was a chance so we were going into this one and believing in it.

"Then of course when that is not possible or when you go into the locker room, I think everyone knows there was a big risk and opportunity that would be the play-offs.

Middlesbrough's Leo Castledine has a shot blocked by Wrexham's Callum Doyle during the Sky Bet Championship match at SToK Racecourse, Wrexham. Picture: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire.

"I think everyone is just ready to go into that one, it's not too disappointing even if we wanted to win the game.

"So there's mixed emotions."

Hellberg took consolation with the performance of his side from a defensive perspective, but was critical of their failure to score a winner on the counter as Wrexham threw bodies forward late on, with Leo Castledine and Luke Ayling missing glaring chances in particular.

He added: "The performance was very good, this is a very tough place to come to and they put in everything they have over 95 minutes and we matched them in a very good way.

"In moments we are better, in moments they are better, but I think it's a good game of football, it goes back and forth. So it's a lot of good things and I think that's the confidence from us going into the play-offs that is good for us too and we're ready for it.

"I was disappointed we couldn't win the game, but there were a lot of good things from it.

"It was a beautiful goal, the first one. We know we needed to go in behind them when they work forward.

"We did that quite good. To be fair, I think we were quite good in the first half and created a lot of opportunities. They had some shots and had a free-kick, which was unbelievable, well done.

"Then of course, they scored the second goal. I think we could have been better with the ball in some moments.

"I was a little bit disappointed we didn't do better in the last ten minutes.

"We did good in defending, I think the last line did absolutely brilliant in defending, but we must do better on all those transition opportunities we get and we get nothing from that.

"That was a little bit of a disappointment to be fair. It was a great chance for us to win the game when we were trying to do everything to push forward."

On missing out on the top six, Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson - whose side were pipped by one of his old clubs - added: "We talked about taking the fight all the way and we couldn't have done much more.

"We didn't want the season to end, but it has. But to finish seventh at this level, is a real achievement."