Summary
Congratulations to Preston, they were by far the better team today, despite the fact that they only had around a third of the possession. Preston were definitely the third best team in League One – they finished 10 points clear of Swindon in fourth – and they fully deserve to go up.
Beckford was superb, terrorising Swindon’s back three with his pace and strength.
“Are you staying at Preston?” he is asked after the match. “We’ll see,” he replies, with the match ball in his hand.
Not exactly the strongest of replies there from Beckford. With that in mind, how many of that Swindon’s team will depart over the summer? You’d certainly think Luongo has played his last match for the Wiltshire club.
Thanks for reading, and for your emails. Tune in for the Championship play-off final tomorrow. Bye!
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PRESTON ARE PROMOTED TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP! Full-time: Preston 4-0 Swindon
Simon Grayson has done it again, he’s broken Preston’s play-off curse. They are going up!
Congratulations to @pnefc, who have been promoted to the @SkyBetChamp! #PlayOffFinal pic.twitter.com/lMEVXhR1Ka
— Sky Bet League 1 (@SkyBetLeague1) May 24, 2015
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90+2 min: Preston’s bench are hugging each other. Big man love going on right now. Paul Gallagher is crying.
90 min: Kasim is struggling with an injury, but Swindon have made all of their substitutions. Effectively have to play with 10 men for the rest of the game. Three minutes added for injury time. Preston are nearly there!
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88 min: David Moyes is at Wembley today to cheer Preston on. He was manager there from 1998-2002 remember.
85 min: Some of the Swindon fans are leaving, and Preston’s supporters gleefully wave them off. Cheerio!
83 min: Another save from Johnstone, and it’s another cracker. Obika rises highest and gets the faintest of touches on an inswinging cross. It looks for all the world like it’s going to creep in the corner, but Johnstone somehow claws it out.
82 min: Johnstone makes his first meaningful save, beating away a swerving shot from Gladwin, who had hit it from 25 yards out. Laird comes on for Johnson, he’s had a solid match for Preston.
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80 min: The tempo has dropped. It’s a big pitch at Wembley, and both side are showing signs of fatigue.
Today's match attendance for the League 1 #PlayOffFinal is 48,236. pic.twitter.com/oHHzQr9tod
— Sky Bet League 1 (@SkyBetLeague1) May 24, 2015
77 min: Another chance for Davies! Johnson crosses to the back post, Garner heads back across goal, and Davies only needs to tap it in… no! He can’t quite stretch far enough, those hamstrings aren’t what they used to be.
75 min: Thompson cuts in from the right, jinks inside Woods but Huntington hurls himself towards the ball to take the sting off the shot. Preston’s centre-back has had a super game, and he’s got his goal.
72 min: Free-kick to Preston, kick it at Kevin Davies, he played at the old Wembley, don’t you know. They do just that, but Davies nods wide.
69 min: This tug-of-war is just getting started, it is five boys strong now. Eventually, a big tattooed man in a full Adidas tracksuit gets off his seat, wrestles the shirt of the boys and gives it to his wife. It’s unclear if man and wife had anything to do with the boys. Either way, daylight robbery!
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68 min: Beckford dances his way round three, four challenges and wins a cheap throw-in. He’s been outstanding today, and is roundly cheered by the Preston fans. It looks as though he’s got a knock though, and he goes down. Kevin Davies is coming on! Beckford goes off to a standing ovation – obviously. He gives his shirt to a young lad in the crowd and an almighty tug-of-war commences between the young boy and an adversary.
67 min: Swindon make another change. Toffolo off, Williams on. Williams has scored 22 goals in all competitions this year, but Obika was preferred today, perhaps because of his fantastic impact in the semi-final v Sheffield United.
65 min: First chance for Obika. He beats Huntington to a cross, but can’t produce enough power on the header to trouble Johnstone, who makes a Hollywood save for the cameras.
62 min: Penalty shout for Swindon. Bryne steals a march on Woods as he attempts to latch onto a diagonal ball and as the ball bounces, it strikes Woods on the arm inside the area. Woods didn’t know much about that, but his touch did prevent Byrne controlling the ball. Probably a penalty. Sub for Swindon, Gladwin off, Louis Thompson on.
59 min: Garner battles to win Preston a corner, and he celebrates in front of the Preston faithful behind the goal to the left as though he’s just scored in the World Cup final. The party has started in the stands – Mark Judd, I hope you find something nice to buy with that £86 you’ve got in your pocket.
Kasim, perhaps suffering a serious bout of head-loss, sells Toffolo short and Garner pounces on the loose ball, sending Beckford through on goal once more. In contrast to the chance he missed six minutes ago, the striker is more composed and the outcome is different, cooly sliding the ball into the far corner as Foderingham advanced. Hat-trick for Beckford, the Championship for Preston!
.@pnefc's Beckford joins Clive Mendonca (1998) and Scott Sinclair (2011) on list of Wembley #PlayOffFinal hat-tricks pic.twitter.com/ysXPeYVL6z
— Sky Bet League 1 (@SkyBetLeague1) May 24, 2015
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GOAL! Preston 4-0 Swindon (Beckford 57)
That’s that then.
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53 min: Kasim is booked. He came through the back of Garner next to the corner flag, and when the ref blew for the foul, gave Garner a little kick on the ground. He’s having to be calmed down by his team-mates, his emotions are getting the better of him.
50 min: Great save from Foderingham! Beckford fluffs his chance to put this game to bed, and nab himself a hat-trick in the process, after being sent clean through by Garner. Beckford had space and time to steady himself and pick his spot, but he took his shot early, and Foderingham dives well to his right to turn it behind.
47 min: Swindon free-kick and Kasim is over the ball. It’s hit far too deep, and the ball trickles out for a goal kick. Cooper holds his hands up on the touchline as if to say, ‘what was that?’
46 min: This is the biggest half-time lead that there has ever been in a play-off final at any level. Quite the task for Swindon, but you sense that it’s not quite done yet. Swindon need an early goal.
Peeep Peeeep! We’re off again.
Preston’s dressing room right now....
Half-time: Preston 3-0 Swindon
Let’s hope Cooper claps some sense into his Swindon players this half-time. They have most of the ball but, save for that Smith chance, not troubled Preston’s goal whatsoever.
45+1 min: Sky’s co-commentator, I’m not sure who it is, just ruined a lovely moment. He just described this game as “Preston’s La Decima” which is a bit of a stretch, but quite a nice idea – this is their tenth play-off appearance. Then he said “Johnstone and Johnson, they’re cleaning up aren’t they.” Urgh.
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Garner wins a flick-on from another long Preston ball – he has quite the leap on him, doesn’t he? – and Beckford runs onto it. He twists and turns on the edge of the box, throwing a Cruyff turn in there for good measure, and curls a delightful shot into the far corner with his weaker left foot, before running straight into the arms of a delirious Grayson. Swindon could have been 2-1 down if Smith had converted his chance, now they’re 3-0 down. Are Preston out of sight?
GOAL! Preston 3-0 Swindon (Beckford 44)
WHAT. A. GOAL.
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43 min: Golden chance for Smith! HOW HAS HE MISSED THAT? Bryne gets half a yard on the right and delivers a delicious cross to the back post. Smith outmuscles Wright but plants his header wide from two yards out. It was easier to score!
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42 min: Free-kick to Swindon and a chance to pack Preston’s box. This nice tiki-taka stuff isn’t working. Hoof it in! Headed away by Wright.
40 min: Can I just say, isn’t Preston’s kit lovely?
38 min: Gallagher, who received some treatment for a knock about 10 minutes ago, is not going to be able to continue. He is replaced by Browne and trudges off, littering the pitch with his sock tape in frustration. He’s not happy, but obviously not fit to continue.
36 min: Again, it’s a very dangerous delivery, with Foderingham flapping in no-man’s land but captain Clarke is ruled offside at the back post. The Swindon marking has been shocking so far though!
35 min: Beckford wins a free kick with Stephens nibbling him from behind. Not literally. He gave him a kick. Free kick to Preston. Remember what happened last time?
33 min: Gladwin skips away from Kilkenny and delivers a cross but Johnstone claims. Isn’t it nice when a goalkeeper catches the ball?
30 min: Kilkenny kits another long diagonal towards Beckford, and for a moment, Swindon look exposed again. Beckford is adjudged to have fouled Ricketts but Swindon need to be wary of that threat.
28 min: Woods chops down Bryne, coming right through the back of Swindon’s right wing-back. That’s a yellow card all day long … no! Andrew Madley just has a word. Very lenient.
26 min: Gallacher goes down in a heap and there is a break in play as he receives treatment.
“I was thinking of going to this match,” emails Mark Judd, “travel chaos permitting, then my brother-in-law, a lifelong PNE fan, informed me what it was costing him to go from Preston: £25 for the coach, £52 for the match ticket, £2.50 for ticket admin fee, £6.50 to send the ticket to his home. So that is £86 before he even buys a programme, pint and pie. Still, having just seen PNE score within the 3rd minute I guessing he doesn’t care about the cost.”
Correct.
23 min: Stephens steps out with the ball and dribbles into space. The seas part, and the defender does a nifty stepover (!!!) to beat Welsh and unleashes a shot. Deflected over. Nice run though, that boy can play.
21 min: Preston have a very simple gameplan, it seems. Sit deep, soak up pressure, win the ball, hit it long to Beckford, who has got the legs on Stephens and Ricketts. It’s working.
19 min: Bryne wins a corner down the right. They’ll be aiming for 6ft4in striker Michael Smith, who looks and plays not too dissimilarly like Fulham’s Matt Smith by the way. He’s like a lightning rod in that penalty area. Johnstone punches clear, nothing doing.
16 min: Swindon have had 70% possession but they haven’t been in the game at all. They’ve got such a young team out today, have they perhaps been overawed by the occasion?
14 min: Mark Cooper looks absolutely shellshocked. He is just clapping. Pointlessly clapping. It’s unclear why.
Swindon just haven’t learned their lesson from the first goal: they are able to clear a Gallagher corner, but cannot prevent the former Blackburn man crossing for a second time, and centre-back Huntington ghosts in completely unmarked to tap in from five yards out! 2-0!
GOAL! Preston 2-0 Swindon (Huntington 13)
Swindon are sinking without trace (Football Manager reference there for you).
8 min: Beckford comes deep and gives the ball away. For all his danger in the penalty boxes, his link up play often does leave a lot to be desired, which is perhaps why he didn’t cut it higher up the leagues.
Still, he did do this in the play-off semi-final...
6 min: Swindon are being in danger of overrun, and Ricketts’s first task is to track Gallagher, who is released down the left by Garner. Gallagher drives to the byline, but selfishly chooses to shoot. There were three bodies waiting for a cut back there. Swindon clear.
4 min: Thompson, who was attempting to mark Beckford, hasn’t got up. He’s really struggling here, and they’re calling for a stretcher. Replays show that Thompson’s knee buckled as he was grappling with Beckford, and then he fell awkwardly. He stretchered off, head in hands, not nice to see. We wish him well, he has only just returned from injury. The veteran defender Sam Ricketts, formerly of Hull and Bolton, comes on in his place. He’s nine years older than any other Swindon player out on the pitch!
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Gallagher swings in the free kick from the left, and frankly, it is shocking defending at the back post: Thompson gets completely the wrong side of Beckford, who is able to simply sweep a volley into the back of the net from three yards out. Foderingham no chance! Wembley erupts! The Preston lot are going, unsurprisingly, potty.
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GOAL! Preston 1-0 Swindon (Beckford 3)
What a start!
2 min: Beckford stretches his legs for the first time, and outpaces Swindon captain Nathan Thompson. Beckford is tripped, but the referee doesn’t book Thompson. He well might have, that was a dangerous Preston counter-attack. Free kick to Preston...
Peeeeep peeeep! And we’re off!
The teams are out! #COYW #PNElive pic.twitter.com/HSO49pEJUv
— pnefc (@pnefc) May 24, 2015
Today’s teams:
Preston: Johnstone, Clarke, Wright, Huntington, Woods, Kilkenny, Welsh, Johnson, Beckford, Garner, Gallagher. Subs: Laird, Humphrey, Kevin Davies, Reid, Stuckmann, Hugill, Browne.
Swindon: Foderingham, Byrne, Nathan Thompson, Stephens, Turnbull, Toffolo, Luongo, Kasim, Gladwin, Obika, Michael Smith. Subs: Williams, Louis Thompson, Hylton, Tyrell Belford, Rodgers, Branco, Ricketts.
Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire)
Preamble
Hello world! Welcome to the League One play-off final at Wembley, which is effectively a shoot-out between two teams that just love to cock it up. Preston North End and Swindon both have absolutely abysmal records in the play-offs: Preston have failed to gain promotion in all nine attempts – a Football League record – whilst Swindon don’t fare much better, losing in 2004, 2010 and 2013. A case of the nosebleeds, white-line fever, whatever you want to call it, both have exhibited outstanding levels of ineptitude in post-seasons of the past.
Swindon oh-so-nearly messed it up this time too, racing into a seemingly comfortable 5-1 aggregate lead over Sheffield United in their play-off semi-final second leg, before channelling the Swindon of play-offs past and capitulating. They scraped through 7-6 to book their place at Wembley today.
Preston can take heart from the fact that they came through their semi-final with Chesterfield with relative ease, winning 4-0 on aggregate, and they now have a manger, Simon Grayson, who is a bonafide expert of getting teams out of League One: the 45-year-old has done it with Blackpool, Leeds and Huddersfield.
And so it’s all set up: two teams slugging it out for a place in the Best League in the World™, which is the Championship for all of you that don’t know. The two seem evenly matched, with both beating each other in the league this season. Get ready for a thrilling 0-0 (34-33 on penalties) victory. Who will (again) lose their bottle? Who will hit the canvas first?
Find out at: 5.30pm BST
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