If you are a fan of drama and excitement then the play-off final weekend is the place to be. Since they were introduced, Wembley and the Millennium Stadium have given us many classic football league play-off finals, filled with goals and drama. For fans of the teams involved it has given them games that they will never forget and their stories will be passed on through the generations. There have been many great games, here are just some of them.
Classic Football League Play-Off Finals
Swindon Town 4-3 Leicester City, 1993
The first half of this contest was relatively quiet, however Swindon player/manger Glenn Hoddle had given the Robins a 1-0 half time lead. Soon after the restart the final burst into life, Craig Maskell scored after 47 minutes with a shot that thundered in of the post. Just six minutes later defender Shaun Taylor took advantage of some poor defending and put Swindon into dreamland. At 3-0 up, there was surely no way back for Leicester City. The Foxes had other ideas.
Leicester all of a sudden woke up and four minutes after conceding their third, they pulled a goal back. Julian Joachim was quickest to react after a Steve Walsh header had struck the post. With only 30 minutes to play the unlikely comeback was on. It got better for City as on 68 minutes Walsh out-jumped the Swindon ‘keeper to narrow the margin to just one goal. The Foxes were on top and the Robins were in trouble of throwing their Premier League dream away. It soon got worse.
Just one minute later City equalised to send their fans wild. Steve Thomson broke into the Swindon box and coolly put the ball into the corner of the net to complete an amazing comeback. Three goals in 12 remarkable minutes had turned this game around. However with over 20 minutes still to play, no one thought that the action had finished yet.
Amazingly the game settled down a little but there was one more twist to come. Swindon striker Steve White was put through on goal, City ‘keeper Kevin Poole came rushing out and looked to have obstructed the striker. The referee pointed to the spot but many thought that the decision was harsh. Left-back Paul Bodin made no mistake from the spot to put Swindon back in front. It marked the end of the game’s goals and also the end of a remarkable second half of football.
Sunderland 4-4 Charlton Athletic, 1998
This is considered by many as the greatest game to be played at the old Wembley stadium. Charlton began the final the better and it was no surprise when they took the lead, Sunderland-born striker Clive Mendonca with the opening goal. Sunderland were creating chances but were struggling to play their normal game and were happy when the half-time whistle eventually blew.
Whatever Sunderland manager Peter Reid said to his players at half-time worked. The Black Cats came out for the second half a completely different side and they quickly levelled the game. Niall Quinn headed in at the near post from a Nicky Summerbee corner.
The tempo of the game was now rising with every attack. Sunderland’s Quinn and Charlton captain Mark Kinsella both went close to putting their side in front. On 58 minutes The Black Cats’ prolific striker, Kevin Phillips latched onto a ball played over the defence and lobbed the ball past the advancing Saša Illić in the Charlton goal.
With the game end to end it was no surprise when the fourth goal of the afternoon came. Danger man Clive Mendonca was played through on goal and he drove the ball past ‘keeper Lionel Pérez to level the scores. Just two minutes later and with the Addicks fans still celebrating the equaliser, Niall Quinn made the score 3-2. He expertly controlled a cross then volleyed the ball into the net to score his second of the afternoon.
Anyone thinking that the game was over were wrong. There was plenty more action left in this one. As the game wore on, Charlton were once again pressing for the equaliser and they got it with just five minutes remaining. Lionel Pérez failed to get near a corner and defender Richard Rufus headed the ball in to the net to take the into extra time.
At 3-3 the game could quickly go in either sides favour and eight minutes into extra time it swung Sunderland’s way. Quinn laid the ball off to Summerbee who drilled the ball past Illić to make it 4-3 and put the men from Wearside in front for the third time. To no one’s surprise back came Charlton and Sunderland fan Mendonca completed his hat-trick late in the first half of extra time.
The teams were now understandably tired after everything they had put into the game. But this game was not over yet. With the score remaining 4-4 the match went into a penalty shootout. The first ten penalties were successful to take the shootout into sudden death. The next three were also successfully to give Charlton a 7-6 lead.
Sunderland born Michael Gray stepped to take Sunderland’s seventh penalty. His effort was weak, however, and it was easily saved by Illić. Charlton were in the top flight and Sunderland would have to spend at least one more season in the Championship. Few could argue that this game was one of the most dramatic games ever played at Wembley.
Gillingham 2-2 Manchester City, 1999
City were desperate to get back into the second tier of English football at the first attempt. Anything else did not bare thinking about for their supporters. However, Gillingham were not there just to make up the numbers. Although this was a good game with chances for both sides, the game didn’t really become a classic until nine minutes from time.
With the game locked at 0-0, many were expecting extra time but when Carl Asaba fired the ball into the roof of the net on 81 minutes, Gillingham looked like they could be about to shatter City’s dreams. A minute later, Nicky Weaver in the City goal denied Gillingham with an excellent save, tipping the ball onto the post. The game was opening up and City nearly equalised but Paul Dickov saw his strike saved by the feet of the ‘keeper.
Gills striker Robert Taylor was then sent through on goal, and he fired the ball past Weaver to extend the lead to 2-0 and surely finish the game off. With only three minutes of normal time remaining there looked to be no way back for the men from the blue half of Manchester. But when Kevin Horlock scored in the 90th minute, it gave City hope, however small.
With five minutes of added on time being indicated, City went all out attack. With time fast running out, Dickov found space in the box and fired the ball high into the Gills net to send one half of Wembley mad with delight and a game many thought was over into extra time.
With neither side able to score in extra time, the game went to the dreaded penalty shootout. Gillingham missed two of their first three penalties and at this stage the scores were 2-1 to City. Richard Edghill scored his spot kick to make it 3-1 which meant Gillingham had to score. They missed and City were back in the Championship at the first attempt. The final part of the game is seen as one of the most exciting seen, and it is seen as a crucial part of City’s history.
The following games should also not be forgotten: –
Bolton Wanderers 4-3 Reading, 1995
But for a penalty miss, Reading could have gone 3-0 up in this game during the first half. It was the game’s turning point. Bolton fought back and scored two second half goals to take the game into extra time. Wanderers took the lead for the first time to make it 3-2 and when they scored a fourth it looked like it was game over. Reading did not give up and made it a nervy ending for Bolton when they scored with just a minute to go.
Hartlepool United 2-4 Sheffield Wednesday, 2005
Hartlepool were looking to be promoted to the second tier for the first time in their history. Wednesday were desperate to get back there once again. By the 71st minute Hartlepool’s dream was alive and well as they took a 2-1 lead but in the 81st minute the game turned in Wednesday’s favour. They were awarded a penalty and Hartlepool had defender Chris Westwood sent off. The penalty was dispatched and it took the game into extra time. Being a man down was taking its toll on Hartlepool and the Owls took full advantage, scoring twice to make the final score 2-4.
