Burnley went into today's game against Middlesbrough knowing that come 5pm their promotion to the Premier League could be confirmed.
They needed to beat Boro and hope that Huddersfield got something against Derby, but unfortunately the complete opposite happened.
Read how the action unfolded at Turf Moor in our minute-by-minute updates below, with Boro somehow surviving Burnley's barrage and collecting three points.
Afternoon all! Our feature 3pm kickoff in the Championship is in Lancashire as Burnley welcome Boro. Will today be the day that Burnley clinch promotion to the top flight. They need to win and hope that Derby can't pick up three points against Huddersfield.
BURNLEY XI: Heaton; Tripper, Shackell, Duff, Mee; Kightly, Marney, Jones, Arfield; Barnes, Ings
BURNLEY SUBS: Cisak, Edgar, Wallace, Treacy, Baird, Stanislas, Long
BORO XI: Konstantopoulos; Ayala, Woodgate, Chalobah, Butterfield; Whitehead, Leadbitter, Ledesma; Adomah, Tomlin; Graham
BORO SUBS: Steele, Varga, Williams, Main, Morris, Atkinson, Jackson
A quick note about kickoff: All league and cup games in England today are kickoff seven minutes later than usual in remembrance of the Hillsborough disaster, so we'll be getting underway in 20 minutes' time at 3.07pm.
The good news for Burnley today is the return of star right-back Kieran Trippier. The Championship's leading assister is back after injury so Chris Baird drops to the bench. That's the only change from Sean Dyche, who names his strongest-possible side.
Boro, meanwhile, are absolutely crippled at the back after both of their centre-backs were sent off against Birmingham in midweek. That means that Nathaniel Chalobah is playing centre-back and it looks like Jacob Butterfield might be at left-back.
Burnley have been pushing the #believe hashtag on Twitter this week. Will promotion be clinched today?
Matchday pic.twitter.com/Vx6xs1YISY — Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) April 12, 2014
When these two last met on Boxing Day, Boro came out on top by a single Emmanuel Ledesma goal to nil. Can the Argentinian have an effect again today? He starts for the visitors.
PREDICTION TIME! Just five minutest until kickoff in Lancashire. You have to fancy Burnley today given what they are playing for and I fancy them to come out on top by three goals to one.
The two teams are out of the tunnel and we're now ready to observe the minute's silence in remembrance of those who lost their lives at Hillsborough 25 years ago.
KICKOFF! And off we go at Turf Moor. Burnley are in their traditional claret shirts and white shorts while Boro don their blue away kit.
Burnley fans will be hastily checking their phones for updates on the Derby-Huddersfield game and I'll be bringing you updates on that game as well. This Burnley fan has gone half and half to show his allegiance today!
@BurnleyOfficial I am ready for a Burnley win and Huddersfield win pic.twitter.com/ECpFsntd6W
— Sammy P (@samparker8188) April 12, 2014
On the pitch, it's been a fairly low-key start to proceedings. Neither side has had a shot yet.
Still no shots to speak of at Turf Moor. Hardly been anything of note to speak of early on.
UPDATE! Burnley's fans will be going wild in a minute as Huddersfield have just taken the lead at Derby! Remember, anything but victory for Derby and a Burnley win will see the Clarets promoted.
Half-chance at the back post for Burnley's England Under-21 striker Ings, who goes for the spectacular left-foot volley and slices it well wide.
Decent footwork from Tomlin on the edge of the box before his left-foot shot is deflected wide. The resulting corner harmlessly sails over everyone in the box.
OFF THE BAR! Burnley won't come closer than this without scoring. Kightly's header at the back post loops over Konstantopoulos and comes back off the face of the crossbar before Barnes can't contort enough to head the rebound in.
After that shot-less start to the match, Burnley have now had six efforts at goal but are yet to hit the target. Boro's one, from Tomlin, was blocked.
CHANCE! Close again for Burnley as Marney gets into the box and manages to dig out a low cross before being taken out. It looks like Ings is about to tap home but then Chalobah makes a superb last-ditch tackle.
UPDATE! Bad news for Bunrley as Derby equalise at the iPro Stadium. Johnny Russell with the goal for the Rams.
CHANCE! First real opening for the visitors as Graham volleys over from close range.
SHOT! Ings with a snapshot from 20 yards that alarms Konstantopoulos but can't beat the Greek stopper.
That's the first shot on target of the game.
CLOSE! Boro have suddenly started to dominate and go close through Graham, whose shot is tipped wide by Heaton.
It's all Boro at the moment as Butterfield's rasping 25-yard drive is acrobatically saved by Heaton.
CLOSE! And now Ledesma goes close for Boro as his shot fizzes a yard or so wide of the upright.
Half time is approaching and I think Dyche will want to get his side in soon. They've been second-best in the last 10 minutes.
HALF-TIME: BURNLEY 0-0 BORO
No goals at the break then and that was a half of two halves. Burnley started well and had chances before Boro began to dominate after the half-hour mark.
Promotion is the main thing on Burnley's minds today but as things stand they won't be going up today.
If the Clarets go in front and Huddersfield continue to frustrate Derby, then it will be today that the Dyche's side earn promotion. Huddersfield might be holding Derby at the moment, but they had a man sent off just before half time and surely won't be able to hold out.
If Derby do win, Burnley's next chance to secure promotion will be at seaside Lancashire neighbours Blackpool on Friday evening.
KICKOFF! And we're back underway at Turf Moor. No half-time changes from either Dyche or Karanka.
CHANCE! Good grief, how have Burnley not scored?! First Kightly's low cross is well defended by Chalobah before Arfield's shot on the rebound is cleared off the line by a Boro defender.
GOAL! BURNLEY 0-1 MIDDLESBROUGH (BUTTERFIELD)
A nightmare couple of minutes for Burnley as first Derby take the lead against Huddersfield before the Clarets go behind. Boro streak forward on the counter and it's Tomlin who's about to shoot and then has the ball taken off him by Buttefield with an assured finish.
Down one end, Boro flash a shot wide before Trippier gets into the box for Burnley and can only blaze his shot well over the top.
UPDATE: Derby are going to win today. They're now 3-1 up and Huddersfield are also now down to nine men.
With Burnley now losing, Derby are set to close to within eight points of the Clarets in second. Could be a nervy finish to the season.
CHANCE! Burnley have certainly had their chances today and this time it's Ings who gets up well to meet a corner but can only glance it over.
CLOSE! Another clear-cut chance for the home side as Ings gets in down the inside-right channel and can only drag his shot wide of the far post.
OFF THE LINE! Burnley are really knocking on the door here and have another shot cleared off the line as Shackell's header from a corner is hacked clear by a blue shirt on the post.
SAVE! How have Burnley not scored here?! This time it's Konstanstopoulos who gets up well high to his left to palm out Barnes's effort.
SAVE! Again it's Konstanstopoulos to the rescue as he claws out Trippier's 20-yard free kick that was heading for the top corner.
And now the Clarets players rush to the referee after it appeared that Jones was clearly hauled over in the area.
BORO SUB: First substitution of the match is made by Karanka, who takes off goalscorer Buttefield for Jozsef Varga.
Lovely feet from Adomah on the Boro right to beat three players but he then can't find either of his teammates in the area.
BOOKING! The first yellow card comes after 77 minutes as Whitehead is cautioned for a foul that gives Burnley a free kick 30 yards from goal.
SAVE! Jones curls the free kick up and over the wall but can't beat Konstanstopoulos, who arcs back to tip it over.
BURNLEY SUBS: Dyche makes a pair of changes, bringing on Ross Wallace and Junior Stanislas for Kightly and Arfield.
CHANCE! Dimitrios Konstanstopoulos, take a bow! He makes yet another save but can only push it out to Barnes, who should just square it for Ings but can only cross it in front of his strike partner.
CLOSE! I repeat, HOW HAVE BURNLEY NOT SCORED? First Ings's near-post flick goes agonisingly wide before Wallace's fizzing outside-of-the-box drive is tipped over by Konstanstopoulos - the clear winner for man of the match.
SAVE! Boro almost steal the win at the other end but Heaton is alert to palm out Chalobah's drive.
Four minutes added on at the end for Burnley to get the equaliser they certainly deserve.
It's just not going to be Burnley's day by the looks of things. How on earth have they not found the net today?
OFF! AYALA SENT OFF FOR BORO!
A crazy end to the game as Ayala gets two yellow cards in a minute, first for a foul and then for kicking the ball away.
FULL-TIME: BURNLEY 0-1 MIDDLESBROUGH
A bad day at the office for Burnley as they suffer defeat at home to Boro while Derby claim three points to close in on the Clarets in second. Considering they could have achieved promotion today, things don't look anywhere near as rosy now.
You can't criticise Burnley too much. They absolutely battered Boro, especially in the second half, and on another day would have scored four or five.
Before we bid you farewell, click here to see how the table looks after round 42 of the Championship. Just four games left for most!
Written by
Pascal Lemesre
Pascal Lemesre
