Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray has congratulated Cardiff City after the Welsh side clinched the final Championship playoff place at the expense of his team.
The Bluebirds' 2-1 win at Crystal Place made it mathematically impossible for Boro to secure a top-six finish, while Mowbray's men went down 2-1 to Watford.
He said: "I congratulate Cardiff on achieving the result they required.
"I think to lose here is a little bit harsh. When you're in a position where you've got to win you gamble from a position of being 1-1 to try and get the three points.
"We lost trying to win but it didn't really matter, Cardiff got the job done. Ultimately over the course of the season we fell just short."
Goals from Chris Iwelumo and Troy Deeney secured the points for Watford, guiding them to an 11th-place finish.
