Steve Bruce: 'End of Championship playoff semi-final was agony'

Steve Bruce has admitted that the latter stages of Aston Villa's Championship playoff semi-final triumph over Middlesbrough were "agony".

The West Midlanders secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg at the Riverside Stadium before playing out a 0-0 draw at Villa Park for a place in the final at Wembley Stadium.

However, Boro winger Stewart Downing nearly forced extra time when he sent a free kick against the bar in the 88th minute of the second leg.

In addition, Villa keeper Sam Johnstone escaped a red card late on when he was booked for handling Adama Traore's attempted chip outside the box.

"We just shaded it over the two games, with a goal from a set piece," Bruce told Sky Sports News. "But in the second half tonight there was only one team that was going to win it.

"It was agony towards the end, if I'm being honest. It means so much. Thankfully it looks as if we've got the club turned around a little bit.

"We've given ourselves a good chance. We're up against an outstanding team in Fulham [in the final]."

Villa were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2015-16 season.