Ben Fisher’s match report has landed, so it’s time to wrap up the blog. Thanks for your company and emails. Commiserations to Lincoln and huge congratulations to all who love Blackpool FC. The rebirth is complete!
Blackpool’s players walk up to receive their medals, most of them sporting big dumb grins. The captain Chris Maxwell is last - he walks theatrically towards the play-off trophy and then lifts it as high as possible: BLACKPOOL ARE BACK IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP!
An incredible contribution at #LFC and now promotion in your first full season in management! Congratulations to you and your team on reaching the Championship, Neil Critchley 👏
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 30, 2021
The Blackpool fans are going berserk. Michael Appleton warmly congratulates Neil Critchley, who has done a glorious job since joining from Liverpool. Blackpool thoroughly deserved their victory. They got off to a shambolic start when Ollie Turton scored an own goal after 47 seconds. It took them 10 minutes to clear their heads, but from that moment on they played with calm certainty. Kenny Dougall scored two superb goals and Jerry Yates had a magnificent game up front. Lincoln didn’t have a shot on target, which is an odd thing to say in a match that finished 2-1; it also reflects Blackpool’s defensive excellence.
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Full time: Blackpool 2-1 Lincoln City
Blackpool return to the Championship for the first time since 2015! The primal roar at the final whistle is euphoric confirmation of the club’s rebirth under the owner Simon Sadler and the manager Neil Critchley. The unlikely hero was the Australian midfielder Kenny Dougall, who rifled two superb goals, one with each foot, from just outside the area.
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90+3 min: Great chance for Lincoln! Scully’s free-kick is blocked at the near post and cleared. Bridcutt launches it back towards the edge of the area, where a defensive header falls nicely for Poole. He controls the ball smartly but then sweeps a shot over the bar from 18 yards. That was a big chance.
90+2 min The corner is cleared but then Dougall fouls McGrandles 30 yards from goal on the right. He is booked. Palmer stays forward for the free-kick.
90+2 min A corner to Lincoln. The keeper Palmer comes forward...
90 min There will be four minutes of added time.
89 min Blackpool make the opposite change: the centre-back Jordan Thorniley replaces the outstanding Jerry Yates.
88 min Lincoln bring on the centre-back Lewis Montsma to play up front. Joe Walsh goes off.
88 min Scully finds Rogers in a bit of space 25 yards from goal. He turns and whips a curling shot towards the far corner, but it’s well off target.
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87 min 49 games, 735 hours apiece: the whole season comes down to the next few minutes.
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86 min Scully’s teasing cross hits a Blackpool defender on or near the arm at the far post. The ball bounces up and is punched away desperately by Maxwell, with the ball ricocheting to safety.
85 min Johnson teases a slow cross towards Morton, who gets between Turton and Ballard but heads over from six yards. It wasn’t the easiest chance - slightly too high, no pace on the ball - but it was the best opportunity Lincoln have had for a while.
84 min Husband is booked for pulling back Morton near the halfway line.
81 min Lincoln haven’t had a shot on target in the entire match.
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80 min A half chance for Morton, who miscontrols Bridcutt’s long pass on the edge of the area. It wasn’t the easiest ball to take, especially as he was under pressure from Ballard, but had he done so he would have been through on goal.
80 min A change for Lincoln as well. Anthony Scully on, Jorge Grant off.
79 min There’s a break in play while Ballard receives treatment for cramp. Blackpool make a couple of substitutions: the fit again CJ Hamilton replaces Embleton, and Grant Ward comes on for the limping Keshi Anderson.
78 min The last man Bridcutt, on a yellow card, makes a terrific sliding challenge on Anderson.
76 min In an identical position at the other end, Bridcutt is penalised for shoving Madine this far outside the area. I’m not sure it was a foul, in truth. Garbutt hangs the free-kick up towards Madine, who loops a header onto the roof of the net.
75 min Replays show that Garbutt didn’t get the ball when he tackled Johnson in the 67th minute. I think the contact was just outside ethe area, though it was extremely close.
75 min Good pressure from Lincoln, with the teenager Morgan Rogers starting to look dangerous on the left wing. He wins a corner and then a couple of throw-ins near the corner flag.
72 min: Poole clears off the line! Dougall, surrounded by Lincoln players, stabbed a short pass towards Madine just inside the penalty area. He let it run cleverly to Yates, who dinked the ball over the outrushing Palmer. I think it was going wide, but Poole made sure by booting it clear.
1953 - As well as becoming the first Australian player to score in a club game at Wembley, Kenny Dougall is the first player to score more than once in a match at Wembley for Blackpool since Stan Mortensen scored a hat-trick in the 1953 FA Cup final. Illuminated. pic.twitter.com/0zC1oSf4LK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 30, 2021
70 min “Could Dougall score Blackpool’s first Wembley hat-trick since that long-forgotten game in 1953?” says Lino Ruocco. “I jest of course, but also, has any team recovered so many times from being a goal down in the playoffs as Blackpool? Win or lose, they always show resilience, regardless of the era.”
Even when the personnel are completely different, that kind of resilience has a happy habit of perpetuating itself.
69 min A change for Blackpool: Gary Madine replaces Demetri Mitchell, which suggests a switch to 4-4-2.
67 min Garbutt slides in on Johnson to concede another corner. Brennan Johnson has been Lincoln’s best attacker by a mile. Grant’s corner is headed away at the near post.
67 min Yates waits for Garbutt to run round the outside and finds him with a lovely pass. Garbutt tries to dance past Eyoma on the byline but runs the ball out of play.
65 min This is a good spell for Lincoln, their best since the first 10 minutes. Bridcutt is booked for taking out Anderson, and then berates the referee for not giving Lincoln a free-kick moments earlier for a challenge on Johnson.
64 min If it stays like this Kenny Dougall will take the headlines, and quite right too, but Jerry Yates has had an outstanding game up front for Blackpool. His pressing led to the first goal, and his unselfishness and precision were a key part of the second.
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63 min Lincoln make their first change: Callum Morton is on for Tom Hopper.
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61 min Lincoln have gone up a couple of gears since going behind. Johnson twists Garbutt one way and then the other in the area before his cross his cleared. He had a great chance to shoot when he first received the ball from Bridcutt, but instead decided to take Garbutt on.
59 min This game has demonstrated the potential perils of scoring too early. Johnson tries to Lincoln going again with a surging run that forces Ballard to concede a corner. Moments later he goes down in the area after a slight shove from Husband. There wasn’t enough force for a penalty.
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57 min I think I’m right in saying that, before today, Kenny Dougall had scored two goals in his three seasons in English football. Both his goals were beautifully struck, one with each foot.
Mitchell’s cross from the right took a slight deflection and ran through to Yates, 12 yards out with his back to goal. He thought about a shot, realised it wasn’t on and played a slow, inviting pass to Dougall on the edge of the D. This time he went with his right foot, drilling a daisy-cutter into the bottom-left corner. That was so sweetly struck.
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GOAL! Blackpool 2-1 Lincoln (Dougall 54)
Kenny Dougall scores another superb goal!
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50 min Embleton plays a slick one-two with Turton and wins a corner. It’s curled under the bar and punched away a little desperately by Palmer. Moments later, Stewart cracks a bouncing ball over the bar from distance.
48 min Ballard is booked for a foul on Rogers.
47 min The goalscorer Dougall slides a through ball towards Yates, but Walsh comes across to intercept.
46 min Peep peep! Blackpool begin the second half.
Half time: Blackpool 1-1 Lincoln
Peep peep! It’s level at Wembley after a fascinating first half. Lincoln went ahead after 47 seconds through an own goal from Ollie Turton, but they became passive thereafter and allowed Blackpool into the game. They accepted the invitation with a fine equaliser from Kenny Dougall, though there was an unpunished handball by Elliot Embleton in the build up.
Jorge Grant, who was at fault for the Blackpool goal, had earlier hit the crossbar with a fine effort. At the other end Blackpool had a number of shots on target, though all bar Dougall’s were straight at the keeper Palmer.
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45 min Blackpool continue to press for a second goal. Neil Critchley will be thrilled with their calm, authoritative response to that abysmal start.
41 min Lincoln may need another half-time brollocking from Michael Appleton. They are hanging on a little bit now, and Palmer has to make another save when Mitchell meets Garbutt’s cross with a decent header.
40 min Embleton, who is looking increasingly dangerous, shoots straight at Palmer from 22 yards.
"Blackpool rise to the challenge!" 🍊
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 30, 2021
Lincoln appeal for handball but Dougall keeps his cool and slams home the equaliser!
Watch live on Sky Sports Football now: https://t.co/fURlRue4zg pic.twitter.com/Gs5WOyBg8O
39 min Palmer will be annoyed that he was beaten at his near post, but it was a very clean strike from Dougall with his left foot. I think Palmer saw it late as well. He did get a hand on it but couldn’t keep it out.
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37 min A Lincoln free-kick is half cleared to Edun, who sprays over from 25 yards.
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36 min Lincoln had been asking for trouble, playing too passively after the first 10 minutes. I suppose it’s human nature to do that when you go ahead so early in such a vital game, but it’s not always the best policy.
35 min There’s no VAR in the play-offs. I think the goal would have been disallowed if VAR was in use, though it’s not certain. You could argue there was enough time between the accidental handball and Dougall’s goal to invalidate the offence.
Yates stole the ball off Grant in the centre circle, moved forward and found Embleton on the edge of the area. He ran into trouble and lost the ball, but then Walsh’s clearance hit him on the hand and dropped at his feet, 20 yards from goal. He squared it to Dougall, who whistled a superb low past Palmer at the near post.
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GOAL! Blackpool 1-1 Lincoln (Dougall 34)
Kenny Dougall equalises for Blackpool - and Lincoln are furious!
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32 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Lee Smith. “Perhaps a confirmed Lancastrian such as Phil Sawyer (5th minute) should remain focused on the Roses drubbing currently being handed out to the White Rose fraternity. Either that or enjoy Brennan Johnson before he heads back to Nottingham!”
Nottingham via Azerbaijan and Italy, I hope.
31 min Brennan Johnson, who has been quiet since that flying start, has started to see more of the ball in the last few minutes. I can’t wait to see him in the Championship with Forest next season.
27 min: Good save from Palmer! The ball ricochets kindly into the path of Yates on the left side of the area. His clever cutback just evades Husband and runs on to Mitchell, who sweeps a first-time shot towards goal with his left foot. It’s sweetly struck but too close to Palmer, who beats it away.
26 min At the other end, Embleton’s looping cross is headed over by the backpedalling Mitchell. It wasn’t much of a chance.
25 min: Grant hits the bar! Lincoln come so close to making it 2-0. Rogers zips infield from the left and plays a crisp pass into Grant, unmarked 20 yards from goal. He has time to turn and hit an extravagant curling shot that beats Maxwell and clatters off the top of the bar.
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23 min Blackpool have had 88 per cent of the possession in the last five minutes. Most of it has been harmless, but it’s another sign that they have cleared their heads from the shock of that first-minute own-goal.
22 min “Any comments on the booing clearly heard on TV,” says Dave Stevens. “TV commentators ignored it.”
When the players took a knee? I was typing something about it when Turton scored the own goal, and I got lost in that. But yes, it was audible. It’s hard to know what to say really.
21 min Free-kick to Blackpool, 25 yards from goal. Garbutt strikes it well but straight at Palmer.
18 min This is a good spell for Blackpool, who have pinned Lincoln back for the last five or six minutes.
16 min Ballard, in his own half, booms a long angled pass to Yates on the left side of the area. He feeds the underlapping Garbutt, whose cross is put behind for a corner by Johnson. This time Walsh heads clear.
15 min And now their first shot on target. Mitchell makes a promising run infield from the right but hits a weak effort straight at Palmer.
13 min Blackpool win their first corner, another sign they are getting into the game after that desperate. Garbutt swings it in, Hopper heads clear.
11 min Blackpool enjoy their first extended spell of possession. Eventually Husband drives a long pass towards Yates, who is just beaten to the ball by the alert keeper Alex Palmer.
9 min The resulting free-kick is curled to the near post, where Walsh heads over from six yards. That was a fairly decent chance; he couldn’t quite get over the ball.
9 min Garbutt is booked for clattering Johnson, the Welsh winger who has made a sensational start to the game.
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That is a nightmare start for Blackpool...👻🍊
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 30, 2021
Turton puts the ball in his own net after less than 50 seconds!
Watch live on Sky Sports Football now: https://t.co/n7BkuVpLRJ pic.twitter.com/h5F53ABeyI
6 min Brennan Johnson has made a superb start on the right wing. His low cross is put behind for Lincoln’s first corner. It’s curled towards the penalty spot and headed away by Husband. Never mind clearing with the head; Blackpool urgently need to clear their heads.
5 min “Afternoon, Rob,” says Phil Sawyer. “As The Only Blackpool Lad In Lincoln, I’m keeping my head down this afternoon. I’m stocked up on tangerines should a baying mob storm Sawyer Towers post-match, hungry for blood. If you never hear from me again, know that I fought to the last squirt of citric acid and stick of rock. Seasiders!”
3 min What a nightmare for Ollie Turton. His brain and body just weren’t in sync. He must have been distracted by Hopper and the keeper Maxwell missing the ball at the near post, because he was a bit slow to adjust his body position and that’s why the ball went into his own net rather than behind for a corner.
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Michael Appleton said his team had to come out of the traps, and by heaven they have. Johnson charged at the left-back Garbutt and fizzed a low cross into the six-yard box. It was missed by Hopper at the near post and turned into his own net by Ollie Turton!
GOAL! Blackpool 0-1 Lincoln (Turton own goal 1)
Lincoln are ahead after 47 seconds!
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1 min Peep peep! Lincoln, in their black away strip, kick off from right to left. Blackpool are wearing tangerine.
It’s a gorgeous day at Wembley, and the 10,000 fans in attendance are making a rousing noise.
The players line up for the national anthem, and what a timeless cracker it is.
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With ten minutes to go until kick off, here’s a reminder of the teams.
Blackpool (4-2-3-1) Maxwell; Turton, Ballard, Husband, Garbutt; Dougall, Stewart; Mitchell, Embleton, Anderson; Yates.
Substitutes: Moore, Gabriel, Ekpiteta, Thornley, Ward, Hamilton, Madine.
Lincoln (4-1-4-1) Palmer; Poole, Eyoma, Walsh, Edun; Bridcutt; Johnson, McGrandles, Grant, Rogers; Hopper.
Substitutes: Long, Montsma, Sanders, Scully, Bramall, Morton, Anderson.
Referee Tony Harrington.
And here’s the Lincoln manager Michael Appleton “[On their delayed arrival] Hopefully it won’t affect us too much. These things can happen with London traffic - I think there was a big accident and one of the roads was shut. Listen, the lads will be ready by 3 o’clock.
“We’ve got to come out of the traps - we know Blackpool will start fast and we need to compete with them. The longer the game goes on and stays close, that’s when we start to back ourselves. We always tend to finish strongly. But we know Blackpool are very organised, efficient and hard to beat.”
The thoughts of Blackpool manager Neil Critchley
“I really feel for the kid [Ellis Simms]. It was basically the last kick of the training session yesterday - he took a penalty and felt something go. It’s heartbreaking. He was going to start today, so for that to be taken away in such cruel circumstances is a body blow for us and even more so for him.
“We’ve had key players out all season. We’re adaptable and flexible in our thinking, and we’re ready - we’re good to go. We’ve had a good rest since the semi-final. Other than the heat [it’s around 20 degrees], we’ll be fine!”
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Lincoln didn’t arrive at Wembley until 2.15pm, according to David Prutton on Sky Sports. I can’t speak for the Lincoln players but I would hate that. I panic if I’m not in the MBM dungeon an hour before kick-off, so I’d be all over the show if I was a player.
Blackpool had a fairly comfortable passage to Wembley, beating Oxford 6-3 on aggregate in their semi-final.
Lincoln’s progress was much more dramatic. They recovered from a desperate first half at the Stadium of Light last Saturday to eliminate Sunderland in memorable style.
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Pre-match reading
The teams are in
A blow for Blackpool: the in-form Ellis Simms, on loan from Everton, picked up a knock in training and doesn’t even make the bench.
Conor McGrandles, an influential substitute in Lincoln’s semi-final win over Sunderland, starts in place of Anthony Scully.
🔢 Today's side to take on @LincolnCity_FC, in association with @smithshire:
— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) May 30, 2021
🔸 Yates up top as Simms misses out
🔸 Mitchell and Anderson out wide
🔸 CJ HAMILTON returns for a place on the bench!
🍊 #UTMP pic.twitter.com/5isSKB0Syd
𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 📝@JoeWalsh92 and @McGrandlesConor start 👊
— Lincoln City FC (@LincolnCity_FC) May 30, 2021
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Preamble
There are umpteen things that make the play-offs so compelling, even for the neutral. They provide agony and ecstasy, to use the most popular cliché, but also drama, controversy, desperation and occasionally the highest farce. Most of all, they give us brilliant, sometimes legendary stories. And in today’s League One play-off final at Wembley, we are guaranteed a feelgood belter of a tale.
In the black corner, we have Lincoln City. If they are promoted, they will play in the second tier for the first time since 1961, and continue the spectacular rise of a club that was in the National League as recently as 2017. In the tangerine corner, we have Blackpool FC. They are recovering from 32 years of ever increasing misery under the revolting ownership of Owen Oyston. He was finally removed a cojple of years ago, and Blackpool’s storming run into the play-offs - they were 15th at the end of January - has enhanced the feeling of a club reborn.
There’s plenty of neutral goodwill towards both clubs and their impressive young coaches, Neil Critchley at Blackpool and Michael Appleton at Lincoln. The only shame is that they can’t both be promoted.
Kick off 3pm
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