With so much at stake and considering the astonishing off-field drama heading into this game, it was perhaps no surprise that the opening stages of the match were an extremely cautious affair.
Attacking threats were very hard to come by for both sides, and Aidan Morris’s 20-yard effort, which was steered a long way off target, summed up the opening quarter of an hour.
The match began to stretch out a little from this point onwards, as a David Strelec header sailed over the bar from close range, while Sol Brynn was forced into action for the first time following a headed effort by Lewie Coyle in the 24th minute.
The closest either side came to making the breakthrough before the interval was an opportunity for Hull on the stroke of half-time, from which Oli McBurnie’s header from inside the box struck the bar.
Shortly after, at the other end, Strelec dragged a shot wide from a promising position. The first half was certainly a slow burner, but the action just before the break suggested an exciting second half to come.
The significance of who grabbed the first goal appeared to hang heavy on the shoulders of every player as each second-half minute passed, heightening the tension of a match where both defences were coming out on top.
At this stage, clear-cut chances had completely dried up, and there was an air of nervousness around the entire stadium.
With less than 10 minutes of regulation time remaining, substitute Joe Gelhardt manoeuvred himself into a good position inside the box, only to fire his strike on the turn wide of the target, much to the Boro supporters’ relief.
However, just as everyone was preparing for extra time, McBurnie provided some classic play-off drama as he found himself in the right place at the right time to turn the ball into the back of the net in the 95th minute, giving Hull a timely lead.
From there, the Tigers managed the last few minutes of injury time well to secure a dramatic victory and send their supporters into euphoria.
Despite finishing seven points behind Boro, it is Hull that will return to the top tier of the English pyramid, while Middlesbrough must settle for another season in the Championship.