Middlesbrough: Three promotion chances spurned in three weeks

Head coach Kim Hellberg called this period a “rollercoaster of emotions” as despite doing so many things going well during the season, Boro were left with nothing tangible to show for it.

They spent 35 of the 46 matchdays in the Championship’s top two and went top in early February after a sparkling spree of six straight wins, but they were crucially undone by a late run of only two wins in 10 games.

The Swede has been a revelation since he replaced Rob Edwards in November after his predecessor’s departure for Wolves, with his team playing some great football and the 38-year-old’s humility really shining through with the Teesside public.

But Hellberg’s biggest task possibly lies ahead of him in the coming weeks in picking up the whole club to go again come August.

“It’s been two heart-breaking losses in two weeks, which makes it very, very tough,” he said.

“It’s been an emotional drain, so when the game ended today, you feel very, very empty. Disappointed, sad, flat in emotional terms.

“All the things you put into the year and into training sessions. It’s a very tough moment, a sad moment.

“I wish I could have done better through this period – that’s what I always go to. I wish I could have found better solutions when we didn’t score those goals.

“It’s my responsibility and I have to try after the break to develop myself to help the players better to score more and create more and work forward.”