Middlesbrough player ratings in the play-off loss to Coventry City

5Smith: Saved by Steffen after an early mistake. I booked early and struggled to settle in.

6 McNair: Gyokeres had the upper hand over McNair this time, but that was more down to the striker’s superb performance than anything wrong with the Boro defender.

6 Lenihan: Made some crucial challenges and headers. A careless overtaking maneuver at the front didn’t help either.

6 Giles: Boros best player in the first half. A good early cross deserved the finishing touches and a brilliant late tackle against Allen. But a sloppy second-half pass resulted in the Coventry goal.

5 Hackney: Brilliant on Sunday in the first leg but Coventry added an extra midfielder and he couldn’t get into the game.

5 Mowatts: Crowded in midfield. Sloppy and tedious.

6 Fors: Bright start with shot after 13 seconds. Another attempt was blocked towards the end of the first half. Boros smartest attacker.

5 Akpom: Coventry’s extra man in midfield allowed them to cover spaces where Akpom usually thrives. He was desperately trying to make a difference, but wouldn’t fall for him.

5 McGree: Tried to break through Coventry’s defense but Boro didn’t put him into play as well as they would have liked.

5 archers: Frustrating night for the striker. Got the ball in the net late and hit the bar but both flagged offside.

Substitute:

5Jones (for Forss, 66): Sloppy off the bench as Boro looked for sparks.

6 bar lasers (for Mowatt, 66): Wanted to get foot on the ball

6 Dijksteel (for Smith, 66): Tried to come forward in support of Jones while Boro looked for an equaliser.

rogue (for McNair, 88): N/A

Unused substitutes: Roberts, Crooks, Fry

Coventry: 7 Wilson, 7 McNally, 8 McFadzean (Panzo, 85), 8 Doyle; Norton-Cuffy 7 (Dabo, 79), HAMER 9, Kelly 7, Sheaf 8 (Eccles, 70), Bidwell 7, Allen 8 (Godden 80), Gyokeres 8

Unused substitutes: Moore, Wilson-Esbrand, Maguire

Man of the Match: GYOKERES. Excellently led the line for Coventry. He roused himself in the first half, scoring the goal and stretching Boro in the closing stages.