IN the end, those clever folk at Opta who gave Middlesbrough a 2.2 per cent chance of finishing in the top two of the Championship ahead of the final days action were onto something.

Events a few hundred miles away from the Racecourse Ground at Ipswich Town dictated Boro’s fate as Ipswich Town spoiled Boro’s hopes inside 10 minutes.

At the Hollywood club of Wrexham, there was no Hollywood story for Kim Hellberg’s side.

Then, it was about Wrexham’s own dreams of finishing in the play-offs, with the Teessiders placement in the end-of-season lottery being the sole live matter for them as opposed to extending their season.

Middlesbrough's David Strelec scoring his sides second goal during the Sky Bet Championship match at SToK Racecourse, Wrexham. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

placeholder image — Middlesbrough's David Strelec scoring his sides second goal during the Sky Bet Championship match at SToK Racecourse, Wrexham. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

Still, Hull City had a huge vested interest in what they were doing. That Boro denied Wrexham three points was huge in their own story.

The Teessiders will face Southampton in the semi-finals of the play-offs as most probably suspected beforehand.

On a day when they were firmly up against it, Boro needed to perform their part of the bargain and require major-league assistance from elsewhere to gatecrash the top two.

There was a flash of early inspiration and hope, but in ‘typical Boro’ fashion, it soon dissipated and the narrative became all about Wrexham’s fight for sixth place with Hull and Derby County.

Wrexham's Sam Smith (right) celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Sky Bet Championship match at SToK Racecourse, Wrexham. Picture: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire.

Games at the end of the regular season can be strange ones and the first half of football was a case in point. Boro had the perfect start, but then proceeded to lose their way, as has been their wont in recent months. They rallied again and went in level at 2-2.

They scored from their two more dangerous moments, showing a clinical edge that would have probably seen them home and hosed in the automatic promotion stakes if they had shown this in most of March and April.

In the event, it is Ipswich, who had made the fewest mistakes in a compelling, but far from classic race to clinch the second automatic promotion position behind Coventry, who have possessed the wherewithal to get over the line. Two-nil up against QPR at the break, the reward was surely theirs.

Boro put out their strongest available side, with Alan Browne, Tommy Conway, Dael Fry and Matt Targett all returning to the starting line-up, while Wrexham were unchanged.

There was plenty in reserve for both sides on the bench, by way of attacking options which was understandable.

Conway, fresh from his goals from the bench last weekend, bundled home a fourth-minute opener after Morgan Whittaker spotted Callum Brittain in space after Wrexham clocked off down their left.

Moments earlier, Ipswich went in front in Suffolk and soon had another.

Boro proceeded to lose their way and with Derby winning, Wrexham needed something.

They took charge and tapped on the door before a moment of brilliance from Josh Windass after a needlessly-conceded free-kick from Luke Ayling a few minutes before the half-hour mark. The fun and games were reserved for the race for sixth and Wrexham punters were on their feet on 41 minutes when Sam Smith netted a crisp header after a fine run and cross from Issa Kabore.

Target, who erred ahead of the hosts’ second, atoned when he set up David Strelec for an immediate leveller as Wrexham dozed off for the second time in a largely otherwise trouble-free half, barring one goalmouth scramble. Strelec’s goal meant more to Derby than anyone in truth and also impacted on Hull, alongside Wrexham.

Smith tested Brynn early in the second half, a half which meant more to the Red Dragons than Boro, in truth.

Brynn was called into more serious work to parry a goalbound low drive from Ollie Rathbone as Wrexham pushed.

Boro started to find one or two holes, but not the chance they craved. Wrexham made changes, but the news from Derby revived them instantly.

A further goal for Sheffield United at the Rams bolstered the mood further, only a Hull goal to swiftly change the music. A chant of ‘It’s all gone quiet over there’ suddenly came from the Boro end.

They should have been on their feet soon following intricate play created a huge chance for substitute Leo Castledine. He was denied from close in by Danny Ward before a last-gasp block from Callum Doyle saved the day for a second time.

More nerves for the hosts saw Ayling glance wide of an inviting goal.

At the other end, Windass spurned a huge opportunity to put the hosts in dreamland before Targett made a brilliant block to deny Smith.

It ended 2-2 to the relief of East Yorkshire.

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).

Attendance: 10,716 (1,293 Middlesbrough supporters)