Middlesbrough will play Hull City in Saturday’s Championship play-off final after Southampton failed in an appeal to overturn their expulsion.Middlesbrough, who had lost their semi-final tie to Southampton, were awarded a place in the final on Tuesday after the south-coast club admitted to spying on rival teams.The EFL charge came last week after a Southampton analyst, William Salt, allegedly observed Middlesbrough’s training session 48 hours before the teams met in the play-off semi-final first leg. The match finished 0-0 but Southampton won the tie 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal in the second leg at St Mary’s.The Athletic reported Southampton players would explore their options regarding legal action against the club following the outcome, which they only found out on Tuesday at the same time as everyone else. Members of the squad who had taken 40 per cent pay cuts after suffering relegation from the top flight last year were due to have that wage reinstated in the event of promotion to the Premier League.Southampton later confirmed the news of their unsuccesful appeal, calling the decision “extremely disappointing” and maintaining that the sporting sanction was “disproportionate”.