Wrexham AFC 2 Middlesbrough FC 2: Boro buried early - but fans amuse themselves with 'Mauled by the Tigers' chants

On the final day of 2025-26, it was the Tractor Boys of Ipswich Town who dug the hole for Boro and laid their automatic promotion hopes to rest - and it had nothing to do with events in the first-ever league meeting in North Wales between Wrexham and the Teessiders.

The Red Dragons’ own play-off quest was consigned to the grave as well. Norwich City did not help their cause at Hull City, even if Sheffield United did them a pretty good turn at Derby County.

It was that sort of day at the Racecourse Ground, a day when plenty happened for the hosts.

While Wrexham’s race is run, Boro - as most observers suspected beforehand - will now face Southampton in lottery-land for the right to reach Wembley and the biggest one-off shot in world football.

Finishing in the top two and following the conventional route to the Premier League was the longest of shots for Kim Hellberg’s side.

To coin Hellberg’s favourite word, it would have been ‘unbelievable’ for that to happen. Statistically, there was just a 2.2 per cent chance ahead of kick-off, according to those in the know at Opta and they were clearly onto something.

The mortgage was on Ipswich. Boro soon received the last rites, and less than 10 minutes into matchday 46, it was all over, courtesy of events 215 miles away at Portman Road.

The Teessiders may have been winning, but the important bit was that Ipswich were 2-0 up, just nine minutes into their meeting with QPR - on a day when Boro needed the hosts to somehow lose.

The story was then all about Wrexham, Hull and Derby, with the Rams sitting pretty at the break, nestled in the final play-off slot.

A four-goal first-half at Wrexham whet the appetite for more. The drama was reserved for elsewhere on the resumption.

At various junctures in the opening period, Boro found themselves in third, fourth and fifth place.

They ended up in the latter spot and really should have finished one higher to secure a semi-final second leg by the Tees and not the Solent.

Although it is probably worth remembering that home advantage in the definitive instalment did them no favours in that regard in their last play-off sortie against Coventry City three years ago.

Saturday's game was a good watch as these final-day matches often are and it was quite an occasion. At the final whistle, it told the tale of both Boro and Wrexham this season in many respects.

Boro showed why they are up there with the very best footballing sides in the division.

For once, they even scored two proper 'striker's goals'. Tommy Conway bundled in after incision down the right from Morgan Whittaker and Callum Brittain and David Strelec finished instinctively from Targett's pinpoint cross from the opposite flank.

But their lack of ruthlessness after being served up some delicious second-half chances on a golden platter as Wrexham left holes to exploit on the counter-attack as they went for broke was also exposed.

Leo Castledine failed to convert twice, when it looked far easier to score, while Luke Ayling headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Boro's other Achilles heel is daft decision-making at the back.

Josh Windass' 28th-minute free-kick equaliser, which cancelled out Conway's opener was a beauty. But it came after Ayling got into a pickle and conceded a needless foul. That sort of thing can decide finely-poised play-off ties.

Wrexham's second goal originated from loose play by Targett. It was delightfully created by the indefatigable Issa Kabore and finished by Sam Smith with a textbook header.

Erring at the front and back cost Boro in games that were more fateful than Wrexham. Try Charlton, Portsmouth and, most painfully, Bristol City.

While Wrexham showcased things to admire, they also displayed why they finished just short in the standings. Windass' set-piece goal was a touch of class, yet in open play, they lacked wit and composure at times.

More especially in the final quarter when they were desperate for a goal to bring the house down and kill Hull, back in the box seat.

'Mauled by the Tigers' sang the brazen Boro contingent, who found a bit of late sport as news spread quickly from east to west.

It was a Hullensian in Windass, of all people, who spurned Wrexham's big chance when he blazed over.

Wrexham: Ward; Hyam, Scarr (Moore 73), Doyle; Kabore (Longman 73), Dobson, (Sheaf 63) James (Keillor-Dunn 83), Rathbone (Broadhead 63), Thomason; Windass, Smith. Substitutes unused: Okonkwo, Cleworth, Cacace, O’Brien.

Middlesbrough: Brynn; Ayling (Sene 87), Fry, Malanda, Brittain, Browne (McGree HT), Morris, Targett; Whittaker (Castledine 71), Strelec (Sarmiento 73), Conway. Substitutes unused: Wildsmith, Edmundson, Gilbert, Silvera.

Referee: O Langford (West Midlands).