Amid spying controversy, Southampton reaches playoff final and is one win from Premier League return

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Southampton's Welington, right, and Ryan Manning celebrate at the final whistle in the EFL Championship play off semifinal soccer game between Southampton and Middlesbrough, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in, Southampton, England. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn reacts after the final whistle in the EFL Championship play off semifinal soccer game between Southampton and Middlesbrough, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in, Southampton, England. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP) — Southampton's Welington, right, and Ryan Manning celebrate at the final whistle in the EFL Championship play off semifinal soccer game between Southampton and Middlesbrough, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in, Southampton, England. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)

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5:55 PM on Tuesday, May 12

By STEVE DOUGLAS

Southampton brushed off a spying controversy to advance past Middlesbrough after extra time in the Championship playoffs on Tuesday and get to within one win of a return to the Premier League.

In a heated second leg that saw both coaches square up to each other at one point, Southampton rallied for a 2-1 victory at its home stadium at St. Mary's and seal a win on aggregate by the same score. The decisive goal — scored by Shea Charles when his cross curled into the bottom corner — came with four minutes left of extra time.

The two games were played under a cloud, with Southampton having been charged by the English Football League with a breach of its regulations following accusations that unauthorized filming of Middlesbrough’s training took place last week.

The EFL requested that an independent disciplinary commission undertake a hearing “at the earliest opportunity” but Southampton asked for more time to complete an internal review into the issue, meaning any punishment would likely be meted out before the playoff final with Hull on May 23.

That final is the richest one-off game in world soccer, with the winner assured a windfall of at least 200 million pounds ($270 million) in future earnings via things like prize money and broadcast revenue in the Premier League.

Tensions between Southampton and Middlesbrough boiled over at the end of the first half when the respective coaches — Tonda Eckert and Kim Hellberg — got in each other's faces on the touchline while being spoken to by the referee. After the first leg, which finished 0-0, Hellberg said he “couldn’t believe my eyes or ears” when he heard about the spying allegations and accused Southampton of trying to “cheat.”

Following another first-half exchange — between Middlesbrough's Luke Ayling and Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis — the BBC and Sky Sports reported that Ayling accused Harwood-Bellis of using discriminatory language.

Southampton is seeking an immediate return to the Premier League after relegation last season. Before that, it was in the top flight from 2012-23.

Hull was last in the Premier League in 2017.

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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer