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Southampton waved off the shot. spy controversy<\/span> They beat Middlesbrough in extra time in the Championship play-off on Tuesday to move within one win of a return to the Premier League.<\/p>\n In a heated second leg that saw both managers clash, Southampton won 2-1 at St Mary’s home stadium, sealing victory on the same aggregate score. The decisive goal came with four minutes left in extra time when Shay Charles’ cross curled into the bottom corner.<\/p>\n Last week, Southampton were charged with breaching rules by the English Football League after Middlesbrough were accused of having their training sessions filmed without permission, and two games were played in poor cloud conditions.<\/p>\n The EFL asked the independent disciplinary panel to hold a hearing “at the earliest opportunity”, but Southampton asked for more time<\/span> An internal investigation into the matter must be completed, meaning any disciplinary action is likely to be taken before the play-off final against Hull on May 23.<\/p>\n The final is the most expensive one-off match in world football, with the winner guaranteed a future windfall of at least 200 million pounds ($270 million) through prize money and Premier League broadcast revenue.<\/p>\n Tensions between Southampton and Middlesbrough boiled over towards the end of the first half when both coaches, Tonda Eckert and Kim Helberg, collided in the face on the touchline while being talked to by the referee. After the first leg, which ended 0-0, Helberg said he “couldn’t believe my eyes and ears” when he heard about the spying allegations and accused Southampton of trying to “cheat”.<\/p>\n After 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 derogatory language.<\/p>\n Southampton are aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League after being relegated last season. Before that, he was in the top league from 2012 to 2023.<\/p>\n Hull were bottom of the Premier League in 2017.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Steve Douglas is https:\/\/twitter.com\/sdouglas80<\/span><\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n AP Soccer: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/soccer<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n