One down, two to go.

Middlesbrough and Coventry played out a 1-1 draw at the Riverside on a dramatic final day in the Championship and will now go at it again over two legs in the play-off semi-finals.

The calm before the storm

While Championship madness played out elsewhere, it was all relatively calm at the Riverside, particularly in the second half.

Coventry were the better team in the opening period and deservedly led, hence Mark Robins' fury at the manner of the equaliser on the stroke of half-time when his side momentarily switched off and were made to pay as Boro took a quick corner.

Boro were brighter and better after the break, but much of the second period felt like two boxers measuring each other up in the early stages of a bout, unwilling to risk attempting the knock-out blow.

Mark Robins believes there's "more to come" from Boro, which will hopefully be the case. They by no means played badly at the Riverside on Monday but it felt like there was still a gear or two to shift into.

Carrick will be glad to see the back of what he admitted has been a "challenging" spell for Boro. For all the head coach has talked up the importance of the last three games before each one, knock-out football will sharpen the minds much more effectively than a bid to maintain momentum.

Dressing room delight

Middlesbrough's last campaign in the top flight didn't go to plan but it was nothing compared to what Coventry went through in the same season. The Sky Blues were relegated from League One, dropping to the fourth tier for the first time in almost 60 years.

It's that backdrop - and the many off the pitch difficulties they've endured in recent seasons - that made the full-time scenes of celebration over in the away end at the Riverside completely understandable.

As boss Mark Robins said afterwards: "The achievement just to get into the play-offs is phenomenal."

He's right. Especially when you consider the start they had this season, winless after seven games and unable to play a home game in the first month of the campaign.

No wonder the Coventry players were celebrating. The away dressing room at the Riverside backs on to the media suite and at one stage it looked like the post-match press conferences were going to have something of a soundtrack. As it was, Sweet Caroline - belted out by the players - had finished by the time Robins and Carrick came in.

While Boro were understandably not as jubilant at full-time with their play-off place having been secured for a couple of weeks, there was a show of real appreciation from the supporters as the players made their way around the pitch on their lap of honour.

Chuba Akpom's baby son scored in the goal at the North Stand to the delight of the fans behind and the striker then danced with his lad in his arms as the South Stand sang his name. Boro's players will be hoping they're dancing on the Wembley turf come the end of this month.

Expect the unexpected

How would you have reacted had someone told you at the start of this season that Akpom would be serenaded by the Riverside on the final day after winning the Championship Golden Boot award?

Or if someone had told you after Coventry's 1-0 win over Boro in October that the sides were destined to meet in the play-offs?

Or if someone had told you that on the last game of the season a new Hayden Hackney banner would be unfurled in the South Stand? Hackney, a reminder, didn't played a minute for Boro under Chris Wilder this season. He was only named in the squad twice.

We could go on.

Anyone with any experience of the Championship knows to expect the unexpected but all four teams that have made the play-offs have, in some way or another, defied the odds.

Luton lost their manager Nathan Jones, who was, it was thought, the perfect fit at Kenilworth Road, but under Rob Edwards, sacked by shambolic Watford, they've improved. Boro appeared to be going nowhere when Carrick took charge but he led them on an unlikely and brilliant charge and at one stage they looked destined for the top two. Robins has, as discussed, had plenty to contend with at Coventry. And Tony Mowbray has done a quite remarkable job at Sunderland, with a team of youngsters and a brutal injury list to deal with.

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Archer's goal and battles of the attacks

For all Boro dominated possession in the first half against Coventry, rarely did they threaten the away goal. They hadn't managed a shot on target until Cameron Archer's equaliser.

The Sky Blues will take heart from the way they contained Boro for most of that first half but now know, as many teams have found out this season, if you switch off for a split second, Carrick's side can punish you. Archer had been largely starved of service in the first half but comes alive at the slightest sniff of an opportunity in the box, as we saw for the goal. The Aston Villa loanee finished the regular season on 11 goals, which after failing to hit the net in his first five games for Boro, came in just 16 outings. He's been a game-changer of a January signing.

Archer could have a major say in the play-offs, as could Chuba Akpom, obviously. But so too could Coventry's forward threats. Gustavo Hamer was the away side's best player on Monday but after a difficult start, Boro, led by the brilliant Darragh Lenihan, did a good job of sussing him out. Paddy McNair also deserves credit for the way he dealt with Viktor Gyokeres. Considering they're playing with rather than against Akpom, facing Gyokeres is the ultimate Championship test for Boro's defenders.

Carrick's telling reaction

Such was Boro's momentum and form at one stage, it's been clear for months that a play-off place was going to be the minimum achieved this season - which says everything about the job Carrick has done.

But in the eyes of the head coach, Boro have done nothing yet.

Asked after the game where making the top six ranks alongside his many achievements in the game, he said: "It's not an achievement yet, it's what's next and all eyes are on next week. We'll judge it after that."