That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with Sam Dalling’s report from Wembley, where Morecambe made history by reaching League One for the first time. Commiserations to Newport, who were pretty hard done by in a play-off final for the second time in three years. Goodnight!
Derek Adams giving it the big one to the Newport coaches/in the rough vicinity of Kevin Ellison: the sort of undignified scenes we all like to see.
— Nick Miller (@NickMiller79) May 31, 2021
And here’s an extremely hoarse Derek Adams
“Magnificent. It was a difficult game today, there wasn’t a lot of good play in the match, but we’ve come a long way this season and we deserve to be in League One next season. We changed formation a few times in the game to try and get the better of Newport. We switched from 3-4-1-2 to 4-2-3-1 at the start of extra time because we needed to get on the ball and play.
“Carlos took the penalty really well and I’m just delighted for all the supporters who are here. They’ve travelled so far to get here today. They’ve been at the bottom of the EFL for so long, but now they’re in League One.
“We got a good group of players in at the start of the season and we thought we could get promotion. It’s a fabulous day for the whole of Lancashire. I was never nervous about the game. And today, I’m sorry, it was in the stars. It was our day.
“[Are you taking the Bradford job? Where does your future lie?] My future lies in celebrating tonight. Morecambe Football Club are in League One, and they haven’t been there before. Listen, there are no done deals, and that’s me being perfectly honest.”
The player of the match is... Yann Songo’o
“It’s unbelievable what we’ve done for the town and the club. Sometimes in football it’s about the team, not the badge, and the manager has created an unbelievable squad. Everyone has chipped in and I’m so proud of every single one of them.
“The manager came in and said he wanted to change the mentality of the club, that reaching the play-offs was a minimum requirement. He said if we listened to him, worked hard and stayed in shape, we would get there. We desrved automatic promotion but it wasn’t meant to be, and to go up on a day like this is unbelievable.”
A word on Yann Songo’o, who had a magnificent game in two positions - centre back for most of the first 90 minutes, then in midfield for extra time.
And now Sam Lavelle has a far more important job: to lift the play-off trophy and confirm that Morecambe are a League One club!
Here’s the Morecambe captain Sam Lavelle
“I’m trying to think of the words to describe that, honestly. The relief… is unbelievable. Wow. Our town’s so small, the club’s so small, and League One is unheard of for Morecambe.
“We’ve had a tough year, losing people on the way like Christian Mbulu. So to see my family and friends up there, and all the crowd… I can’t describe it mate, honestly. A clean sheet at Wembley, I couldn’t ask for more really. It’s one of the best days of my life.”
“Morecambe and Sunderland at the same level...” says Brad Wilson. “Gotta love it. Well done Shrimpers!”
The goalscorer Carlos Mendes Gomes speaks
“I feel like I’ve worked all my life for moments like this. It’s unbelievable - I know how much it means to Morecambe. It’s my first professional club and they’ve treated me like part of the family since I arrived.
“If I was writing my own story I probably would have done it this way, scoring in front of the Morecambe fans. I just tried to stay as calm as possible and put the penalty in. [At this point Cole Stockton walks over, kisses Mendes Gomes on the head and shouts, ‘He’s a little magician!’]
“My family have supported me my whole career [he was in the Atletico Madrid youth system six years ago]. It hasn’t always been easy but now I’ve found another family at Morecambe. It’s just amazing to actually do well for them.”
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The Morecambe players and staff started celebrating prematurely when the whistle was blown for an offside decision. But 20 seconds later it happened for real, sparking celebrations of rare joy at Wembley. This is a staggering achievement for a team who finished 22nd last season, and who didn’t spend a penny in the summer.
In truth, the scoreline is really harsh on Newport - they dominated the game, should have had a penalty early on and then lost to a dodgy penalty. They also missed the best chance of the game when the captain Joss Labadie cleared the bar from five yards. Football is a cruel game, and a beautiful one.
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MORECAMBE ARE A LEAGUE ONE CLUB!
Full time: Morecambe 1-0 Newport History is made! Morecambe have been promoted to the third tier for the first time!
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120+3 min The corner is headed away, lobbed back in and then booted clear.
120+2 min Corner to Newport. This is their last chance...
120+1 min Three added minutes. Mendes Gomes can’t watch.
120 min Demetriou’s long throw is headed down towards Ellison, who can’t sort his feet out in the six-yard box and falls over the ball! It wasn’t an easy chance, as he was running away from goal, but even so.
Yes? No?
🦐💥 | Morecambe have the BREAKTHROUGH!!!
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) May 31, 2021
The Wembley roof almost comes off as Mendes Gomes scores from the spot, but should it have been a penalty?!
📺 Morecambe against Newport is live on Sky Sports Football!pic.twitter.com/Mt3C7y3ltL
117 min Newport have lost their heads since going behind. It’s easy to criticise them for that, but I’m not sure most of us would be any better in the circumstances. They feel they have been robbed in the play-off final for the second time in three years.
116 min Folk always talk about the agony and the ecstasy of the playoffs, and this has been a textbook example. In the 104th minute, the Newport captain Joss Labadie missed a sitter. Three minutes later, Carlos Mendes Gomes put Morecambe ahead.
115 min Ellison appeals for a penalty when his cross deflects behind off Mellor. There was nothing in that. The corner is lofted deep and headed wide under pressure by Bennett.
114 min The goalscorer Carlos Mendes Gomes is replaced by Alex Kenyon.
113 min “My first instinct was penalty so I can see why the ref has given it, and he only has one look at it,” says Sam Campbell. “But it was a foul outside the box.”
Agreed. I can see why he gave it, though I also think the hasty introduction of VAR has led to a complete loss of nerve and judgement among referees, and even armchair referees.
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112 min Since the goal there has been an understandable desperation to both teams’ play. O’Sullivan, the hero/villain of the piece, is booked for flattening a Newport player with a body check.
111 min Newport make their final substitution. Ryan Haynes, who gave away the penalty, is replaced by Priestley Farquharson.
110 min Mendes Gomes was booked for taking off his shirt after scoring.
109 min There is a case for a penalty for that challenge by Haynes, but I think it would have been overturned if VAR was being used. Newport cursed the lack of VAR two years ago, and it’s happening again.
Morecambe are 13 minutes away from making history! Carlos Mendes Gomes, their player of the season, sent King the wrong way and swept the penalty to his left. Newport are fuming, with good reason; I really don’t think that should have been a penalty.
Updated
GOAL! Morecambe 1-0 Newport (Mendes Gomes 107 pen)
Mendes Gomes scores!
Updated
PENALTY TO MORECAMBE! Lyons plays a reverse pass to O’Sullivan, who goes down under challenge from Haynes. I’m not sure it was a foul, and it might have been outside the box as well.
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106 min Peep peep! Newport begin the last 15 minutes of the season.
Another change for Morecambe. Kelvin Mellor is on for Liam Gibson.
Half time in extra time: Morecambe 0-0 Newport
That miss will haunt Joss Labadie if Newport aren’t promoted. It was an instinctive touch, and he might have been put off by Ellison in front of him. But he should still have scored.
Updated
104 min: What a chance for Newport! Maynard gets round the back - it’s the only way to beat them - on the right side of the area and hammers a cross towards the near post. It’s missed by the stretching Ellison and flicked over the bar from five yards by Labadie. That was the best chance of the match by a distance.
103 min Kevin Ellisonwatch: he’s been quiet. Morecambe fans may feel he’s been too darn quiet.
Updated
102 min O’Sullivan runs at Haynes down the right and is fouled just outside the area. The assistant referee disagrees and gives a goalkick to Newport.
100 min The fear of defeat is overpowering the hope of victory. Morecambe have a hint of a chance when Songo’o finds Mendes Gomes 20 yards from goal, but he runs into trouble.
98 min I wonder what Goldie Lookin Chain, Newport’s finest, are up to right now.
96 min The Newport captain Labadie is booked for a late tackle on Songo’o.
Updated
95 min Morecambe, who had so little of the ball in the second half, are playing with greater intent in extra time. These things are relative, though, and penalties is still the likeliest outcome.
93 min Morecambe have reverted to 4-2-3-1, with Yann Songo’o moving back into midfield.
92 min A fast cross from Cooney flashes well wide off the head of Stockton, 12 yards from goal. It was a half chance at best.
91 min Morecambe made a change during the break: the fit again John O’Sullivan is on for Aaron Wildig.
91 min Peep peep! We’re off again.
“Has there ever been a worse game at Wembley?” asks Luke Conway.
Oh yes.
Updated
Full time: Morecambe 0-0 Newport
Just as in 2019, Newport’s play-off final is going to extra-time. At least they have 11 men this time.
Updated
90+5 min Demetriou throws it short to Sheehan, whose cross is headed away with authority by Lavelle.
90+5 min One last long throw from Demetriou...
90+3 min: GOOD SAVE FROM LETHEREN! Haynes’ precise free-kick bounces just in front of Letheren, who shovels it round the post as he dives to his left. It looked a fairly tame effort at first but it very nearly sneaked into the net.
90+2 min Songo’o and Taylor have an impromptu wrestle 30 yards from goal. Bobby Madley calls it in favour of Newport, which means another free-kick in a promising position.
90+1 min Five added minutes.
90 min They don’t: Sheehan blooters it onto the running track. Is there a running track? You get the point.
89 min Maynard cleverly draws a foul by backing into Diagouraga 30 yards from goal. If Newport score from this, Morecambe will argue forever that the free-kick should have gone the other way.
Updated
87 min Wildig is rightly penalised for handball just before he slams a rising drive against the bar.
86 min Here comes the big man: 42-year-old Kevin Ellison, who spent nine years at Morecambe, replaces Lewis Collins. I’m pretty sure Collins was born after Ellison made his Premier League debut.
85 min Collins’ dangerous cross is headed away by the increasingly outstanding Songo’o.
84 min Kevin Ellison is getting ready to come on. Who has written his script today?
83 min Wildig’s clipped, outswinging corner is headed wide at the near post by Lavelle, 10 yards out. The Newport defender, don’t ask me who it was because it’s not going to happen, did really well to ensure he couldn’t get a clean header at goal.
82 min Labadie is penalised for what looked a decent tackle on Cooney. Songo’o fires the free-kick into Mendes Gomes, whose sharp cross on the turn is booted behind for a corner.
81 min A couple of corners in quick succession for Newport. The second, taken by Haynes on the right, leads to a bit of a scramble in the area before Stockton knees it clear.
79 min Newport make their third substitution: Nicky Maynard is on for Padraig Amond.
78 min: Good save from Letheren! It’s all Newport now. After a couple of long-range shots are blocked, Shephard has another try with a left-footed drive from 25 yards. Letheren gets down smartly to his right to push it round the post. That’s his best save of the match.
Updated
75 min A Morecambe change. Liam McAlinden, who has had a quiet game, is replaced by Brad Lyons.
74 min Haynes’ cross is headed out by Songo’o, who has had a fine game, and Morecambe break. Mendes Gomes plays the ball up to Stockton, who is shoved over on the halfway line by Bennett. That might have been a booking.
73 min Sheehan’s imaginative through pass is slightly too heavy for Labadie, and the ball runs out for a goalkick.
71 min Lewis Collins has looked dangerous since moving to the right wing when Taylor came on for Newport. Morecambe are starting to look a little weary.
69 min “I’m cheering on the Shrimps from Perth, Australia,” says Lindsay Dick. “I’ve had a soft spot for them for years, mistly for the fact that a shrimp is a hilarious team symbol. Some promising signs so far but playing on the counter is always nerve-racking. The long throws on both sides are a delight.”
68 min It’s time for another drinks break.
66 min A defensive clearance comes to Cooney, 30 yards out. He pushes the ball forward and hits a fierce, wobbling shot that bounces up awkwardly in front of King, who changes direction to push it away. That was Morecambe’s first shot on target and only the fourth of the match.
64 min Demetriou’s long throw is headed up in the air by the substitute Taylor. It drops towards Lewis Collins, whose optimistic overhead kick loops onto the roof of the net.
Updated
62 min Two substitutions for Newport: Anthony Hartigan and Ryan Taylor replace Aaron Lewis and Matthew Dolan.
61 min Lewis and Bennett play nice short passes in a tight space on the edge of the area, forcing Mendes Gomes to get in front of Amond and concede a corner. Newport look the likelier scorers, though there isn’t a huge amount in it.
60 min A crisp low strike from Sheehan, 25 yards out, is well held to his right by Letheren.
56 min I don’t know what to say really. Both teams are huffung and puffing but very little has happened in the second half.
52 min Another quiet spell in the game. Newport have been the stronger side since half-time though, and we all know about their options on the bench.
48 min Newport have made a fast start to the second half. A long kick from the keeper King is headed infield by Amond and miscontrolled by Labadie on the edge of the area. His poor touch turns into a pass to Collins, whose deflected shot is saved by the keeper Letheren as he falls to his left.
47 min Morecambe switched to a back three during the first half, with Songo’o dropping in from midfield. I completely missed it, I won’t lie to you, but it was highlighted by the excellent Sky Sports punditry team during the break.
46 min Peep peep! Morecambe begin the second half. No changes on either side, but Kevin Ellison has been warming up with intent.
“Hi Rob,” says Richard Mason in Dublin. “I’m cheering Morecambe on today for no other reason than that in 2006 I went for a day trip with pals to Nottingham. We went to Meadow Lane to watch Notts County take on the Shrimps and ended up in the Morecambe end with our shoes on our hands singing a chorus of ‘shoes off... if you love the Shrimps’. We later went to the greyhound track in Notts and won a tidy sum. A fond memory we still talk about, and the reason I’m watching this match sans shoes. Up the Shrimps!”
Half-time listening
Half time: Morecambe 0-0 Newport
Peep peep! A cagey half ends goalless. Both teams played plenty of good football without creating too many clear chances. Liam Gibson had a shot cleared off the line for Morecambe; Newport’s best efforts came from Scot Bennett, a header and a deflected shot that both went just wide. They also had a case for a penalty when Bennett was punched in the face by the Morecambe keeper Kyle Letheren after beating him to the ball for the aforementioned header.
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45+3 min I know Newport have embraced tiki-taka, but that Bennett shot was a rare demonstration of Ramba-Zamba. Sheehan played the Gunter Netzer role, with Bennett moving forward from the back like Franz Beckenbauer.
45+2 min The resulting corner is headed over by Demetriou in front of the near post.
45+1 min: So close from Bennett! Sheehan brings the ball forward and slides a nice pass between the lines to Bennett, 35 yards from goal. He runs at a backpedalling defence and drives a shot that takes a big deflection off Songo’o, wrongfoots the keeper Letheren and drifts this far wide of the post.
45 min Three minutes of added time.
42 min: Off the line by Shephard! Lewis misses a clearance 25 yards from goal, allowing Mendes Gomes to slide the ball through to Gibson in the area. He screws it back past the outrushing King, but Shephard gets back to block. That was a vital bit of defending because, although there was another Newport player on the line, I think Gibson’s shot would have sneaked in the far corner.
41 min Lewis sees Wildig’s misplaced optimism and raises it by trying a long-range volley - a proper volley, not one of those bouncing non-volleys - from a tight angle. Goalkick to Morecambe.
40 min In the Premier League, Sheehan might have been sent off for that tackle. In League Two, nobody really batted an eyelid. It’s the little differences.
Updated
39 min Sheehan ploughs through Cooney, taking both man and ball. Play continues and Morecambe break promisingly, and then Wildig goes and spoils it all by saying something stupid like, ‘I fancy a pop from 25 yards’.
35 min There’s a break in play after 34 minutes so that both sets of players and fans can applaud the late Christian Mbulu.
34 min For all the promising approach play, there has only been one shot on target in the match, Sheehan’s dribbler in the 24th minute.
32 min The corner is headed away to Sheehan, who shoots well wide from the edge of the area.
31 min Amond runs onto a classy backheel from Collins in the inside-right channel and hits a shot that is deflected behind for a corner.
29 min King comes for a cross and, though he gets to it a fraction before Stockton, his unconvincing punch goes behind for a corner. Morecambe work it short and Lewis charges out to block.
25 min It’s so hot at Wembley that the officials have factored in a drinks break.
24 min Demetriou’s flat long throw is headed away by Knight-Percival, but only as far as Labadie, 12 yards out. His snapshot is crucially blocked and the follow up from Sheehan (I think) dribbles through to Letheren.
23 min Stockton’s dangerous low cross from the right just evades Wildig at the near post.
21 min Demetriou varies the Newport throw-ins by hurling the ball to Shephard 25 yards from goal. He has a touch and drills a low shot that is blocked by his teammate Labadie. I think it was going wide anyway. Labdadie was also given offside, though that wouldn’t have mattered had Shephard’s shot gone straight in.
Updated
20 min This is becoming a decent game, with lots of precise short passing from both teams. And the occasional long throw from Demetriou, but nobody’s perfect.
18 min Anyone out there?
16 min Morecambe break three-on-three from a Newport corner, only for McAlinden to let the ball run under his feet 25 yards from goal. That was a good chance. Just before that, there was another penalty appeal after a man-and-ball challenge by Knight-Percival on Demetriou. It was a good tackle, though had he made contact a split-second later it would have been a penalty.
15 min Now Morecambe appeal for a penalty when Stockton’s stopping header hits somebody on the hand. I thought it hit his teammate Mendes Gomes; either way, Bobby Madley again says play on.
122 min: Chance for Newport! Another long throw from Demetriou tempts Letheren from his line. But this time the ball swings away from him towards Bennett 10 yards from goal. He gets there first, just before Letheren, and heads just wide of the empty net. He was also punched in the face by Letheren, who was going for the ball but got there a fraction too late and crumped both fists into Bennett’s coupon. Newport’s penalty appeals are ignored and there’s no VAR today.
Updated
11 min It’s been a pretty slow start, which is probably down to the heat more than the nerves.
7 min At the other end, Demetriou’s long throw is confidently held by Letheren. That was excellent goalkeeping, decisive and accomplished.
6 min Morecambe look the more spritely team so far, especially Mendes Gomes on the left.
4 min Stockton lifts the ball over the top towards McAlinden, who is beaten to the ball on the edge of the area by King. Good sweeper-keeping.
4 min “Hi Rob,” says Matt Burtz. “It’s also a holiday here in the US and I can think of no better way to spend a Monday morning than watching this match. My literal money is on Morecambe, and personally I don’t know how anyone could root against a team that has a shrimp on their crest (except for Newport fans). And isn’t the right to play Sunderland twice next season incentive enough to win today?”
3 min That free-kick aside, it’s been a watchful start from both teams.
2 min Morecambe try a training-ground free-kick, with Mendes Gomes shooting wide on the turn from 18 yards.
1 min Peep peep! Newport kick off from left to right. They are in amber and black; Morecambe are in red.
It’s not such a thrill to hear a few boos as the players take a knee.
It’s such a thrill to see fans of both clubs dotted around Wembley. Here we go.
The players stroll into the north London sunshine. It looks sweltering, which might make for a slower tempo than usual. May the best team win!
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Wembley Way, busy with fans once again. 😍 #EFL | #EFLPlayOffs | #StepUp pic.twitter.com/pHiG3ozmey
— EFL (@EFL) May 31, 2021
One man won’t be at Wembley today, but Christian Mbulu - who died shockingly at the age of 23 a year ago - hasn’t been forgotten.
A space on the @ShrimpsOfficial bench for Christian Mbulu ❤️#EFL | #EFLPlayOffs | #StepUp pic.twitter.com/AXAfrShbrW
— Sky Bet League Two (@SkyBetLeagueTwo) May 31, 2021
And his manager Michael Flynn
“Joss [Labadie] is raring to go. He was probably ready to start the second leg against Forest Green but we wanted to be extra careful because he’s a big player for us. I’m hoping we don’t need Kevin [Ellison] today, but if he comes on and scores the winner, fair play. We’ve got to enjoy it. We’ve had a great season – the staff, the players – and now we want that last push to give those fans something to celebrate.”
The pre-match thoughts of Kevin Ellison
“It’s not about me - it’s about Newport. I want to get involved but if that doesn’t and we win, I’ll be just as happy. The last time [when he scored against Morecambe] my emotions ran wild, so I don’t know what will happen if I score today. More importantly I just want to be happy at the end of the game.”
The pre-match thoughts of Derek Adams
“We’ve got a really fit squad now, and John O’Sullivan gets himself onto the bench. He’s been out for a long while. We feel that the players in the starting XI are the ones who can win the game. [Tell us about Kevin Ellison, Derek] It’s all about us - it’s how we play and how we take the game to Newport. We need to continue what we’ve been doing this season - we’re one of the highest scorers in the division and we created more opportunities than any other team. We can defend as well, and we need to do all that today if we are to get the win that everyone at Morecambe wnts.
“Before the match I’ll tell the players to take great pride in where they’ve come from and what they’ve done this season. We’ve got the lowest wage bill in the EFL, and that tells you about our team spirit and ability. I want them to enjoy the occasion. But you only enjoy it if you win.”
The teams in probable formation
Morecambe (4-2-3-1) Letheren; Cooney, Lavelle, Knight-Percival, Gibson; Songo’o, Diagouraga; McAlinden, Wildig, Mendes Gomes; Stockton.
Substitutes: Halstead, Mellor, Davis, Kenyon, Lyons, O’Sullivan, Pringle.
Newport County (3-5-2) King; Shephard, Bennett, Demetriou; Lewis, Labadie, Sheehan, Dolan, Haynes; Amond, Collins.
Substitutes: Townsend, Farquharson, Ledley, Hartigan, Ellison, Maynard, Taylor.
Referee Bobby Madley.
It’s another gorgeous day at Wembley, with the temperature pushing 25 degrees. To make things even better, one of the Sky Sports pundits is Championship Manager 01-02 icon Michael Duff. What a pleasure to put a face to a name that gave so many lonely males so much pleasure with his remorseless consistency at right-back.
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The road to Wembley
Team news
Morecambe are unchanged from the second leg of their semi-final against Tranmere. The Newport captain Joss Labadie, who has recovered from a grisly knee injury he suffered at Southend earlier this month, replaces Anthony Hartigan in midfield. That’s their only change from the epic semi-final against Forest Green. The Newport substitutes include two men who came off the bench to score in that game: Nicky Maynard and the 42-year-old Morecambe legend Kevin Ellison, who is not a huge fan of his old boss Derek Adams.
📋 STARTING XI | Derek Adams has named his #Shrimps side to face @NewportCounty at @WembleyStadium in this afternoon's @SkyBetLeagueTwo play-off final!!! 😍⚽️🦐 #COYS pic.twitter.com/84NvNU8zSI
— Morecambe FC (@ShrimpsOfficial) May 31, 2021
🔢 | Here's how the Exiles line-up for the @SkyBetLeagueTwo play-off final against @ShrimpsOfficial.
— Newport County AFC (@NewportCounty) May 31, 2021
Michael Flynn makes one change from the semi-final second leg against @FGRFC_Official as @JossLabadie replaces @AntHartigan. #OneClubOneCounty pic.twitter.com/VLptUtlwUe
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of the League Two play-off final between Morecambe and Newport County at Wembley. This is, gulp, the 1671st and final game of another soul-stirring EFL season, and one way or another it’s going end on a high. By 5pm, at a push 6pm, one of these teams will be in the giddiest of stratospheres: League One.
Morecambe have never played in the third tier before; nor have this iteration of Newport County. They were last in the old Division Three in 1986-87, a couple of years before the club went out of business. A reformed team started in the Hellenic League, where they played the likes of Kintbury Rangers and Almondsbury Picksons, and eventually returned to the Football League in 2013 under the late, legendary Justin Edinburgh.
Since then they have been ever-present in League Two, though they came heartobliteratingly close to promotion when they lost in controversial circumstances to Tranmere two years ago. They are a different team now. Their manager Michael Flynn used the first lockdown to plan a style overhaul, and this season Newport have brought a bit of tiki-taka to south Wales.
At Morecambe, there has been a change of substance. This is only the second time since they became a Football League team in 2007 that they have finished in the top 10. In the last five years their league positions have been 21st, 18th, 22nd (when they avoided relegation to the National League on goal difference), 18th and 22nd. In his first full season, and with precisely £0 to spend on transfer fees, their Scottish manager Derek Adams has done an astonishing job.
The play-off final, particularly in the Championship, is usually framed in financial terms. Nobody gives a stuff about money today; this one’s for the glory.
Kick off 3pm.
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