Thanks for reading this minute-by-minute. I’ll leave you with Louise Taylor’s full-time report from the Riverside:

“It doesn’t feel right, it just doesn’t feel right,” says a still peeved Kim Hellberg on ‘spygate’. “I feel a bit sorry for Southampton’s fans and players because they haven’t done anything wrong. But it’s not OK in general.”

Like pre-match, Tonda Eckert dodges the questions about the alleged spying at Middlesbrough’s training ground this week.

“Nothing for me to worry about,” he says when asked about the Southampton’s next steps after being charged by the EFL with misconduct, insisting that the focus is on Tuesday’s second leg.

Here’s the playoff schedule for the coming days and weeks (all times BST):

• Monday 8pm: Millwall (0) v Hull (0)

• Tuesday 8pm: Southampton (0) v Middlesbrough (0)

• Saturday 23rd: Playoff final, Wembley

Kim Hellberg goes through the motions of joining in with the Boro fans’ chants at full time but looks like he’s got plenty going through his mind. His team had 17 shots in the first half to Southampton’s none but looked vulnerable when put under pressure in the latter stages.

Tonda Eckert looks pleased as he applauds the travelling Southampton supporters, some of who respond by forming binoculars with their hands. They executed their gameplan well, even if Middlesbrough had plenty of chances in the first half – hitting the post through Tommy Conway. Saints were more ambitious after the break and hit the bar late on through Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

90+4 min: Manning’s cross is poor.

90+3 min: Jander wins a free-kick in crossing range for Southampton. Manning will deliver again … just as he did when Harwood-Bellis hit the bar a few minutes before.

90+2 min: Targett finds some space in the box but sends a left-footed cross behind for a goal-kick.

90+1 min: Morris sends a cross into the Southampton box but Peretz comes out to gather the loose ball.

90 min: Three minutes are added at the Riverside.

89 min: Many Middlesbrough fans can’t watch as Southampton put more pressure on their side and look to take a slender lead back south.

87 min: Massive chance for Saints! Charles sets up a counterattack with some smart feet and feeds the ball down the line for Stewart. He picks his head up and finds substitute Edozie running through the middle. The shot, when it comes, is just wide of the far post!

84 min: Azaz and Bree combine and Matsuki floats a cross to the back post but Stewart is on his heels and Middlesbrough scramble it away. Boro win a cheap free-kick that Manning or Scienza will deliver into the box.

82 min: Southampton are happy to ping the ball among themselves at the back. They’re the more confident side now – there’s some nail-biting going on in the home end.

80 min: Browne goes down in the Southampton box as Charles bumps into him. There’s contact but Browne makes the most of it. Targett’s corner is headed clear by Stewart, who hasn’t seen much action going forward since coming on.

78 min: More Middlesbrough changes – Sarmiento for Whittaker and Castledine for Strelec.

76 min: It’s all a bit quiet and nervy around the Riverside after another spell of Southampton pressure. It’s been a different game in the second half but Boro still look dangerous on the counter.

The referee bumps into a Boro player during one of those counters …

74 min: Southampton win a corner off Targett which Scienza drifts in. It’s cleared but the second cross is better, with Targett there again to help the ball out for a throw-in.

72 min: Manning is the latest to overhit a cross in this game. Azaz collects for Boro, chops inside and his cross is easily plucked out the sky by Brynn.

Manning tries to feed the ball through for Scienza in the box but Morris comes across to prod it away from danger.

70 min: Changes for both teams – Browne replaces McGree for Middlesbrough while Charles and Matsuki replace Downes and Fellows for Southampton.

Charles immediately has an attempt at goal, striking a half-volley over from the edge of the box.

68 min: Scienza uses the overlapping Manning as a decoy, cuts inside again and his shot is blocked again. Manning would’ve been in a great position to cut the ball back from the byline.

66 min: Fellows completely miscues a clearance and the ball comes through to Conway on the edge of the Saints box. Conway tries a one-two with Brittain but the return ball is wayward. Azaz sees the ball out for a goal-kick.

64 min: Fellows is next to test Middlesbrough’s defence with a ball into the box from the left but Brittain is able to clear.

62 min: Scienza flits a ball into the box after cutting inside but it’s hoofed clear by Middlesbrough. Scienza comes again, darts inside and curls a shot over.

60 min: Larin’s afternoon is over, with Ross Stewart coming on in his place. He’s had virtually nothing to feed off except that cross at the start of the second half.

59 min: Scienza can have a rare run into the Middlesbrough half, cutting a ball back to the edge of the box but Ayling drops a shoulder and brings it away. Downes brings down Whittaker on the break and gets a booking.

57 min: Brittain delivers a dangerous ball into the box for Boro and Strelec gets a flick on it. The home crowd cry out for handball as the ball comes off a Southampton defender on its way through. It came off Harwood-Bellis’s thigh.

55 min: Morris gets a sore one off Larin as he drives into Boro’s final third. The Saints striker treads on his ankles and bundles him over and rightly gets a yellow card.

53 min: Middlesbrough react well as Targett’s cut-back is prodded out for a corner. It goes short, Targett delivers into the box and McGree’s flick-on bobbles out for a goal-kick without a finishing touch at the back post.

51 min: Larin should score! Southampton looked to have sprung a trap here. Fellows produces a stepover out wide and a cross to the back post, where Larin is unchallenged and heads into the side-netting.

49 min: Manning flashes a low cross across the six-yard box and Ayling toes it back towards his goalkeeper. Southampton have looked more of a threat already than the whole of the first 45 minutes.

47 min: Manning takes his time over a throw in the Boro half.

“I cannot believe we are not ahead,” writes Middlesbrough fan Vic Rushton. “Conway should have had a hat trick. Though Southampton can’t be this bad in the second half. The nerves and frustration will start to get unbearable the longer this goes on. We’ve seen this before.”

I really think this Southampton performance – of course meticulously prepared – is by design. Sit back and hold on for a draw. Although I agree that they’ve got to do better heading the other way. They’ve not had a shot and not even come close.

Half-time reading: The League One playoffs get under way later today, starting with Stevenage v Stockport County at 3pm. Dominic Booth has been to check on Stockport during their preparations this week …

45+2 min: Wood concedes another corner and Ayling’s flick-on at the near post is wide.

45+1 min: Whittaker’s corner is cleared by Southampton.

45 min: Whittaker’s shot flies over via a deflection as two minutes are added on at the end of the half.

44 min: Ayling tries to find McGree at the back post but the offside flag goes up. Let’s just say Southampton could do with half-time.

42 min: Peretz is called into action again as Targett drives low towards the far corner from the edge of the box, the Saints goalkeeper diving down to his left again to parry it away. Ayling tries his luck from the other side but his shot is blocked.

40 min: Morris picks Azaz’s pocket on halfway and Boro flood forward again. Targett smacks a cross across the box but no one’s at the back post to turn it in. Morris wins another corner for Boro … it’s pinball as Conway scuffs the ball goalwards and Peretz dives down to his left to preserve his clean sheet.

38 min: Ayling chucks a throw into the Southampton box but Malanda can’t flick it on to a teammate. Manning enjoys an adventure over the halfway line for Saints but a rare attack for them comes to nothing.

34 min: Peretz takes an age over a goal-kick and Southampton surrender the ball again. Targett goes long to Strelec but Wood prevents him from creating a shooting opportunity.

32 min: Another big chance! Whittaker pulls the ball back across the Southampton six-yard box. Conway takes a touch when maybe he should shoot first-time and Bree throws himself in the way of the eventual effort. It seems a matter of time before Boro find a way through.

30 min: Ayling goes close! The centre-back steps into some space in the Southampton half, slips through a challenge and shoots just wide of the far post from the right of the penalty area.

28 min: Ayling wins a free-kick off Azaz in a way that only Ayling can, with a bit of a flop. From it Boro apply some pressure on the edge of the box until Morris shoots well over the bar from distance.

26 min: Targett drifts a free-kick across the face of goal but none of his teammates can get on the end of it. Fry has to deal with a ball pumped down the middle and does so, heading back so his goalkeeper Brynn can have a touch.

24 min: As a few more Middlesbrough corners come and go, it becomes increasingly evident that Southampton have come to the Riverside looking for a clean sheet and not much more. Certainly in the first half.

22 min: Peretz flaps at the corner and just gets enough on it to prevent Malanda from getting his head on it for Boro.

20 min: Southampton find some respite in the form of a couple of throw-ins they can take their time over. Conway comes again for Middlesbrough, driving inside off the left and hitting a shot that’s blocked out for a corner by Harwood-Bellis.

18 min: Big chance for Boro! Brittain charges into the penalty area down the right and cuts the ball back for McGree but he can’t guide it on target from just outside the six-yard box.

16 min: Whittaker shifts the ball on to his left foot on the edge of the box and fires a shot over the crossbar. Larin again fails to hold the ball up against Fry. It’s all Middlesbrough.

15 min: Whittaker gets to the byline for Boro and wins a corner after Fellows skews a clearance the wrong way. Whittaker goes short, gets the ball back from Conway and the cross floats harmlessly out for a throw.

13 min: Southampton try to break again but it’s not sticking to Larin. They’ve not really had a kick in Middlesbrough’s half.

11 min: Half-hearted shouts for handball from the home supporters after Strelec tries to get on the end of Brittain’s cross and it bounces off a Southampton defender. Bit of a nervy moment for Saints but they escape.

9 min: Malanda wins the ball for Boro on the halfway line and Strelec carries it forward to the edge of the Southampton box. Ayling’s cross from deep is overhit and out for a throw.

7 min: Whittaker’s corner is an excellent outswinger and Strelec glances it over the bar. The Boro strikes shakes his head – decent chance, that.

6 min: McGree storms into some space in the final third for Boro but his pass to Conway is short and Southampton get back. McGree then wins a corner, sliding to shoot and Harwood-Bellis comes across to block.

4 min: Ayling looks for Whittaker with a ball down the channel but Peretz comes off his line to gather. Matt Targett, facing the club where he came through, sends a harmless cross into the Southampton box.

2 min: Boro venture forward down the right but Morgan Whittaker’s cross into the box bobbles safely through for a goal-kick. Boos for former Boro player Finn Azaz as he gets on the ball for the first time.

‘Ten years on, take us back where we belong’ is the banner unfurled by the Boro fans as the players emerge from the tunnel.

Who’s ready for more playoff drama? We’re about to get under way at the Riverside.

As you can imagine both sets of fans are getting stuck in to ‘spygate’. There’s around 10 minutes till kick-off.

Championship playoffs: Aaron Bower was at the MKM Stadium for last night’s other semi-final first leg between Hull and Millwall … don’t let the headline put you off.

Tonda Eckert has been speaking to Sky Sports pre-match, often failing to suppress a smile, about accusations of spying against Southampton:

I believe the club has made a statement. That’s all I can say at the moment.

I believe when you arrive in this moment of the season it’s not coaches who win games, it’s the players. It’s going to be the same today. We are focused on ourselves and we have been all week. We know that we face a very good team today. It’s going to be a big challenge.

We’ve been consistent with confidence and humility. We always play to win, that hasn’t changed. We will try to do the same today.