Middlesbrough's hopes of promotion were dashed in a heartbreaking fashion as they missed three crucial chances to ascend to the Premier League this season. The final blow came at Wembley, where an injury-time winner from Oli McBurnie sent Hull City to the top flight, leaving Boro to reflect on what could have been. After a promising start to the season, Middlesbrough found themselves in the Championship's top two for most of the campaign but ultimately fell short in the final stages. The team began the month of May with an outside shot at automatic promotion but ended up drawing against Wrexham, which allowed Hull to leapfrog them into the play-off spots. The drama continued as Boro faced Southampton in the play-off semi-final, where they were unable to score in the first leg, leading to a tense return match. Despite taking an early lead, they were eliminated in extra time, only to be reinstated for the play-off final after Southampton's expulsion from the competition due to the Spygate scandal. However, their luck did not change, and they lost to Hull City once again. Head coach Kim Hellberg described this period as a 'rollercoaster of emotions,' emphasizing the disappointment of not capitalizing on their chances. As the summer approaches, the club must regroup and prepare for another season in the Championship, hoping to finally end their nine-year exile from the Premier League.