Glorious top-six chance wasted as Boro's hopes left hanging by thread

MIDDLESBROUGH wasted a huge opportunity to move into the play-off places with just two games remaining, losing 2-1 away to Sheffield Wednesday after a second-half collapse.

- By CRAIG JOHNS

Leading at the interval, they should have been more than one to the good, with Tommy Conway missing a penalty to extend on Finn Azaz's lead.

Failing to heed earlier warnings, they conceded second-half goals from Josh Windass and Anthony Musaba to throw away the points in another terrible second half.

Uninspiring once again, Michael Carrick's side wasted a good position in the game, and an unbelievable opportunity in the grand scheme too.

Both Bristol City and Coventry lost, on a day that Boro could have gone sixth. Instead, they were beaten by a side winning at home for the first time since New Year's Day.

Carrick named an unchanged Boro team from the side that beat Plymouth Argyle on Friday. There was a surprise inclusion on the bench, however, as Darragh Lenihan made his first match-day squad since September 2023 after a frustrating 18-month of injury hell, initially due to ankle surgery and then complications with his Achilles.

Needing to win to keep their play-off hopes alive, Boro could have hardly wished for a better game. Sheffield Wednesday are in turmoil. Without a home win since New Year's Day, manager Danny Rohl was highly critical of his players after Good Friday's defeat to Stoke City.

Boro rarely do things the easy way, but, just like against Plymouth Argyle on Friday, they got their noses in front early, and again through Azaz - who encouragingly appears to be hitting a purple pitch at just the right time.

It came on the counter for Boro, who were fortunate moments earlier not to fall behind.