Middlesbrough will face in-form Southampton in the Championship play-off semi-final.

Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert admitted he ‘doesn’t care’ about his side’s form ahead of their Championship play-off semi-final tie with Middlesbrough.

The Saints saw their hopes of landing runners-up spot and automatic promotion into the Premier League go up in smoke in midweek when they battled to a home draw with an Ipswich Town side that would go on to earn a place in the top flight on Saturday lunchtime. However, Eckert’s men were able to leapfrog Boro and end the regular season in fourth place in the table by claiming a 3-1 win at Preston North End thanks to goals from Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Cyle Larin and former Sunderland striker Ross Stewart.

That means the Saints will travel to Middlesbrough for the first leg of their play-off semi-final next Saturday lunchtime before the return leg takes place at their St Marys’ Stadium home on Tuesday week. Southampton are the form side going into the play-offs after Saturday’s win extended their unbeaten run for 19 league games - but their head coach has insisted that form and the fact they have home advantage in the second leg of their tie with Boro will mean little.

Speaking after Saturday’s draw win at Deepdale, Eckert said: “I don’t care, it doesn’t make a difference. No one cares in the end if we make it all the way and you don’t make the last step. We need to make the last step. The (players) are playing at their best that they have played all season so we are OK.

“It is very important (to keep up standards). It’s not easy to play a game like we did today, especially if you have seen our schedule. The performance was excellent in every regard possible. The boys were fantastic today. I think that we can suffer in moments and it sometimes helps in away games that you can go a little bit deeper and then break into space. I think you can rate that performance at the end of today.”

Eckert added: “For me it doesn’t make a difference (being at home in the second leg). It might be a small advantage but it doesn’t matter. It was just important to win the game today.”

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