Relegated Middlesbrough's final Premier League home game of the season has ended in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Southampton.
Jay Rodriguez gave Saints the lead late in the first half with a neat half-volley before Nathan Redmond struck just before the hour, but the visitors missed the chance to put a third past the relegated Teessiders when Shane Long fired over from the spot.
Boro grabbed a lifeline when Patrick Bamford struck his first goal since April 2015, but Steve Agnew's Championship-bound charges could not push on as Claude Puel's side claimed three valuable points in their race for a top-ten finish.
Read how the action at the Riverside Stadium unfolded with Sports Mole's play-by-play updates below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of today's Premier League meeting between Middlesbrough and Southampton.
Boro have not enjoyed a happy return to the top flight this season, with their relegation back to the Championship confirmed on Monday night after losing to champions Chelsea. In their penultimate game in the Premier League, they will be hoping to sign off on a winning note at home.
Saints, meanwhile, are safely nestled in mid-table and, with three fixtures left including today's trip to the Riverside Stadium, they will want the points to remain in the hunt for a top-ten finish and maintain momentum going into the 2017-18 campaign.
Southampton lost 2-0 to Arsenal earlier this week and are without a win since April 8, so even though they have passed the 40-point milestone, boss Claude Puel will want to end the winless run by claiming all three points against an opponent with nothing to play for but pride.
Without further ado, let me bring you the team news from the Riverside.
BORO STARTING XI: Guzan, Da Silva, Chambers, Gibson, Friend, de Roon, Clayton, Bamford, Forshaw, Downing, Negredo
SOUTHAMPTON STARTING XI: Forster, Pied, Caceres, Yoshida, Bertrand, Clasie, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Rodriguez, Long, Boufal
BORO SUBS: Konstantopoulos, Bernardo, Leadbitter, Fischer, Barragan, Stuani, Traore
SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Davis, Austin, Ward-Prowse, Redmond, Stephens, Targett, Hassen
Just one change from Steve Agnew as Adama Traore is dropped to the bench, Patrick Bamford taking his place. Boro will be seeing out the season without the injured Victor Valdes and Gaston Ramirez, while Daniel Ayala is not deemed fit enough to make the matchday squad despite returning to training from an ankle injury.
Claude Puel, meanwhile, has shuffled his pack with a hectic finish to the season in mind, this being the first of three games to be played in eight days. The big news is that Charlie Austin - who has not been involved since December - is fit enough to take his place on the bench.
Seven changes for the Saints today as Martin Caceres makes his debut for the club and Jeremy Pied is in line for his first start. Jordy Clasie, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Sofiane Boufal, Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez are also drafted in from the off.
It will be quite a sombre occasion at the Riverside as it hits home for Boro fans that their time in the Premier League is coming to an end after just nine months, and Steve Agnew is well aware of it being an "emotional time" on Teesside, admitting responsibility for the club's relegation.
He told reporters at his pre-match press conference: "After the disappointment of the other night, it has been an emotional time and understandably so, and I am no different. I feel responsibility for what has happened. But it's not about my future, it's not about my situation, it's about Middlesbrough Football Club. It's about us understanding where we are, it's about how we finish strongly in these last couple of games and then we regroup, have a good summer and make sure that we're in the fight to bounce back to the Premier League as quickly as we possibly can."
Claude Puel, meanwhile, told reporters: "There's the possibility to finish in the first part of the table and that is very important to us. If we can have a good result against Middlesbrough, we can prepare for our last two games at home with good possibilities, good intensity."
Truth be told, if any fixture this week screams out "goalless draw", it is this one. Boro are already relegated and have scored just 26 league goals all season, while Saints have netted just once in a five-game winless run. But with pressure off and players mentally on their holidays (maybe), could caution be thrown to the wind on the way to a seven-goal thriller?
HEAD TO HEAD: Middlesbrough have won only one of their last five home Premier League fixtures against Southampton, and have not kept a clean sheet against them at the Riverside in seven league meetings since March 1999.
Saints, 1-0 winners over Boro in the reverse fixture, are looking to do a top-flight double over their opponents for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign.
Four of Middlesbrough's five Premier League wins this season have come at the Riverside Stadium, but only Crystal Palace and Sunderland have won fewer points on home turf than Boro.
Southampton have won three of their last six Premier League away games, having won just two of their previous 12 on the road this season.
Middlesbrough have failed to score in 17 Premier League games this season, their joint-most in a single campaign alongside 2008-09.
SCORE PREDICTION: As I said earlier, both these teams are struggling to score at the minute and all the signs point to a goalless draw, but there will also be less pressure on them, the players may not be as focused, so I reckon there will be goals. But I do think there will be little to separate these two at the final whistle - I'm saying 1-1.
The players have finished their warm-ups and go back in for a final team talk, not long until kickoff now.
And here they come again, both sets of players being led out by their captains onto the Riverside pitch.
KICKOFF: Anthony Taylor is the referee today and he gets the game underway, Boro kicking off.
Early sniff of goal for Boro as Negredo lifts a looping pass over Yoshida and into the path of Bamford, who quickly tries to pull the trigger but is closed down and dispossessed by Caceres.
More attacking intent from the hosts as Fabio cuts inside from the right before playing in Bamford, but the forward's first touch is heavy and allows Yoshida to snuff out the danger.
Downing does well to get on the outside of his man, only to deliver a poor cross that's easily cleared by the Saints back line.
Saints break after Fabio's misplaced pass lands to Rodriguez, who charges forward and links up with Long in the final third, but the latter is expertly closed down by the Boro defence.
Pied heads down the flank before whipping a low cross into the box, where it's hit out for a throw-in by Gibson, then Boufal tries to launch the ball into the area but Friend cuts out the danger.
Caceres is caught in possession and almost gives away the ball in a dangerous position inside his own half of the pitch but Romeu bails him out and finds himself clattered into by De Roon in the process.
Boufal lets the ball run through his legs, but gets it wrong and ends up conceding a throw-in. Just over 10 minutes gone and this game's not quite up and running yet.
We have a break in play as Chambers goes down off the ball clutching his leg - he limps off for treatment on the touchline.
Boro are down to 10 men but they have possession and attack down the right, although the passage of play comes to an end as Fabio is caught offside. Now Chambers is back on but he still seems to be feeling the effects of the knock.
CHANCE! Boufal curls a corner into the middle and Caceres beats his man to the cross, but he cannot guide his header on target.
Romeu is dispossessed by Clayton on the halfway line and Boro quickly break away on a counter which is worked to Negredo but Pied dives in the way and snuffs out the danger just as the Spaniard looks to strike.
CHANCE! A low cross from Long falls to Bertrand in the Boro box but he fails to connect properly and the shot goes wide.
CHANCE! A well-worked corner finds its way to Forshaw, who jinks into space and curls a cross into the box towards Friend, but his header flashes wide.
Boro push forward once again as they head towards the opposition area before Bamford tries to muscle into the box, but he accidentally handles the ball and concedes a free kick.
Half an hour played and it's not been the most exciting game so far. Both these sides have served up some pretty scrappy football and we can only hope it picks up a bit.
CHANCE! Great save from Guzan as he stretches out to palm away Long's low cross across the face of goal after good work from Rodriguez to set up his teammate on the overlap.
Clasie picks up the ball just outside the Boro area and quickly tries to unleash a shot, but he's clattered into from behind by Clayton for a free kick, which Bertrand takes but the effort is charged down by Negredo.
Caceres is once again caught out in a dangerous position inside his own half of the pitch but he recovers well to reclaim possession from De Roon.
CHANCE! Hojbjerg has a go from a long-range free kick, but it hits the top of the wall before falling to Yoshida, who heads straight at Guzan.
GOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON (JAY RODRIGUEZ)
A game that has been pretty bland until now has finally got its breakthrough goal, and it comes in impressive fashion as Davis and Long connect for the latter to curl a pinpoint cross into the box towards Rodriguez, who drills home with a half-volley.
The fourth official has indicated that there will be two minutes of added time.
Boro push forward as they desperately try to find an equaliser before half time, but Forshaw's long-range effort sails wide of target.
HALF TIME: MIDDLESBROUGH 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON
Half time and both players get off the pitch - quite quickly, it has to be said - to the sound of boos as the scoreline at the break reads Boro 0, Saints 1.
Neither side has been particularly impressive so far. Boro look devoid of energy and ideas, and Southampton are not exactly lighting up the place either, though they've done well enough to cause the hosts a few problems and deservedly lead through a well-worked goal by Jay Rodriguez.
4 - Jay Rodriguez has scored or assisted four goals in his last five league games against Middlesbrough (three goals, one assist). Foe.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 13, 2017
HALF-TIME STATS: Boro have mustered four shots, though none were on target, completed 157 passes with a passing accuracy of 82 percent, held just 41 percent possession, and won one corner.
Meanwhile, Saints have had seven shots, with three of those on target, completed 249 passes at an accuracy of 87 percent, enjoyed 59 percent possession and also won one corner.
KICKOFF: Southampton get us back under way here, with one change made by the visitors - Nathan Redmond is on for Sofiane Boufal.
Saints first to get a sniff of goal as Rodriguez whips a cross into the middle, but Guzan is out to punch the ball clear.
CHANCE! Downing whips in a deep ball towards the back post that is headed back across goal and falls to Forshaw, whose effort is deflected just wide. The ensuing corner is straight to Forster.
Redmond almost puts Rodriguez through on goal, but the winger's through-ball into the penalty area is slightly overhit and rolls into the hands of Guzan.
Friend gets the better of Pied as he surges into the Southampton box, but he's unable to get the better of Caceres and has to settle for a corner, which comes to nothing.
CHANCE! A lofted pass is fired into the Southampton box, which Negredo nods down to Bamford, but the effort is mis-hit by the latter and sliced over the bar. Should have done better.
GOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 0-2 SOUTHAMPTON (NATHAN REDMOND)
That's goal number two for Saints, and it was far too easy for them as Rodriguez picks out Redmond's run on the flank and, with Fabio dragged out of position by Bertrand's run, the sub has all the time and space in the world to stroll into the area, cut inside, and fire into the top corner. Cue an exodus in the stands as fans begin to head for the exits.
SUBSTITUTIONS: A double change for Boro as Viktor Fischer and Grant Leadbitter are on in place of Downing and Forshaw.
PENALTY! Guzan is slow off his line and upends Long - very poor decision from the goalkeeper as a penalty is rightly awarded to Saints, and the home fans are calling for their own player to be sent off! Long to take...
PENALTY MISS! ...and he gets too much under it, sending the ball clipping against the woodwork and over the crossbar.
BOOKING: Rodriguez gets the better of Clayton as he cuts inside from the right wing, but the Boro man drags his opponent to the floor to earn himself a yellow card.
Fabio charges down the right flank before trying to pick out Fischer over on the left wing but Pied sticks out a foot to cut out the danger.
CHANCE! More havoc caused by Redmond as he cuts inside and lets rip, but this time his effort flies just a yard over the Boro bar.
Clayton picks out De Roon on the edge of the box, but the Dutchman can only hook the ball over the top on the turn.
GOAL! MIDDLESBROUGH 1-2 SOUTHAMPTON (PATRICK BAMFORD)
A lifeline for Boro as Bamford gets his first goal for two years - Fischer's cross in from the corner falls to the forward, who glances a header into the left-hand side of the net - cue wild celebrations from the 23-year-old.
SUBSTITUTION: A Saints change as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg makes way for Steven Davis.
Yoshida clatters into Leadbitter to gift Boro a free kick - no card though - which is whipped into the box, but it ends up running behind for a goal kick.
Saints now back on the attack as they win a corner, but Bertrand's cross into the box is easily dealt with before Yoshida is penalised for a push on Negredo.
BOOKING: Gibson is cautioned following a lunge on Long.
SUBSTITUTION: A notable change here as Charlie Austin makes his comeback, taking the place of Long.
BOOKING: De Roon is shown a yellow card by Taylor for a late tackle on Pied - looks more a case of persistent fouling being punished.
Four minutes of additional time have been announced at the Riverside.
CHANCE! Almost an equaliser from Boro as Chambers cleanly strikes from 20 yards out but Forster sees it all the way and palms the ball away from danger.
CHANCE! And at the other end Rodriguez collects a Davis pass, takes a quick touch on the left and shoots, but curls the ball just wide of the far post.
FULL TIME: MIDDLESBROUGH 1-2 SOUTHAMPTON
That's the full-time whistle and a match with little at stake takes a while to get into the swing of things but eventually livens up and ultimately finishes 2-1, with Southampton claiming all three points against a beleaguered Middlesbrough side.
Jay Rodriguez gave Saints the lead late in the first half with a neat half-volley before Nathan Redmond struck just before the hour, but the visitors missed the chance to add a third when Shane Long fluffed his penalty.
Patrick Bamford then struck his first goal since April 2015 in the 72nd minute, but couldn't inspire Boro to a result in their final home league game of the season.
That's all we have time for at the Riverside Stadium but don't go anywhere as Sports Mole will be on hand to bring you match results, reaction and all the latest news from today's football. Thank you for following and, until next time, goodbye!
Written by
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte
