HEARTBROKEN Middlesbrough fans applauded their valiant heroes as they fell at their final hurdle to European glory last night.

They continued to chant and applaud for their heroes as they collapsed broken-hearted on the pitch following Sevilla's emphatic 4-0 victory in the UEFA cup final.

A third fightback wasn't to be for the Teesside club who twice came from behind to pull off stunning 4-3 aggregate wins against FC Basle and Steaua Bucharest in the previous rounds.

As Sevilla players paraded the trophy Middlesbrough fans stayed in the stadium to sing the name of chairman Steve Gibson.

Captain Gareth Southgate admitted: "On the night they were the better side.

"We could have played better, we know we haven't played as well as we can on the night, but credit to them, they are a class side."

It could all have been so different if referee Pandel had spotted a seventy-fifth minute push on Viduka in the opposition box with the score at 1-0.

It was a blatant penalty, but missed by the referee and his assistants, who to be fair did not have the benefit of television replays.

From that moment Boros hopes fell apart in 12 second-half minutes as Seville added three goals to their first half-strike.

A twenty-seventh minute strike from Fabiano, a brace in the seventy-eighth and eighty-fourth minutes from Maresca as well as a late Frederic Kanoute goal were enough to take the UEFA trophy to Spain.

A heroic effort from Middlesbrough made for a thoroughly entertaining game that in fairness Sevilla dominated from midway through the first half.

But the result should not take away from Boro's tremendous achievement in reaching their first European final.

It was a fitting tribute to the clubs chairman Steve Gibson who had shown unwavering backing for manager Steve McClaren even as some fans turned against him in February.

His loyalty was rewarded as Middlesbrough completed their incredible journey from the verge of extinction to a European final in exactly 20 years.

Few of the clubs loyal fans could have envisaged tonight's monumental achievement as the receivers bolted the gates of Ayresome Park in August 1986.

For a large period of the first half Middlesbrough threatened to be over-run as Sevilla enjoyed the better of the play with Adriano firing over just minutes after Fabiano gave them the lead.

The second half started in a similar vein with Adriano curling the ball wide of the post, but Middlesbrough looked like they could yet get back into it.

Viduka hammered the ball straight at the Sevilla keeper from point blank range in the fiftieth minute and the Teessiders looked within sight of another great European night.

But Steve McClaren's final game after five years as the Middlebrough manager was to end in disappointment.