Boro and Hull attempt to disregard ‘weird and crazy’ spygate noise in playoff final

Saints’ self-destruction has left Kim Hellberg and Sergej Jakirovic tantalisingly close to fulfilling their dream in Saturday’s Wembley trip

When the television cameras zoomed in for a closeup it became clear Hayden Hackney was crying.

Middlesbrough’s best player had just watched his teammates lose the second leg of the Championship playoff semi-final 2-1 in extra time at Southampton. As he left his seat behind the away dugout and wandered across the pitch, the Redcar-born midfield playmaker looked utterly heartbroken.