And here’s Simon Mail’s match report from Wembley:
What a moment for Carlisle
Carlisle are back in League One! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/dk0ukqbTLH
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 28, 2023
It’s a fantastic achievement for Paul Simpson and his players, a real turnaround for a club that was going nowhere before he arrived midway through last season with the club in the relegation zone.
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The Carlisle players climb those famous steps on their way to the trophy.
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Here’s Tomas Holy: “I guessed right! I am not a hero, these guys are the heroes,” he says gesturing to his teammates. “I just did my little part but these guys had to run for 120 minutes.”
THE BLUES ARE GOING UP! pic.twitter.com/dt7iUzpooM
— Carlisle United FC (@officialcufc) May 28, 2023
Holy’s save from Rydel proved the key in the end, and Carlisle’s composure from the spot was exceptional.
Carlisle win the shootout 5-4
PENALTIES: Carlisle 5-4 Stockport Charters rolls the ball in and Carlisle have done it!
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PENALTIES: Carlisle 4-4 Stockport Collar … goes low and keeps us going. If Carlisle score the next, though, they’re up.
PENALTIES: Carlisle 4-3 Stockport Moxon top corners it off a short run, with Hinchliffe again not close. Stockport have to score their next …
PENALTIES: Carlisle 3-3 Stockport Stretton rips his effort into the top right corner, with Holy going the right but with no chance of reaching it.
PENALTIES: Carlisle 3-2 Stockport Edmondson is equally cool to put Carlisle back ahead. Hinchliffe has gone the wrong way every time ominously …
PENALTIES: Carlisle 2-2 Stockport Hippolyte coolly rolls his penalty past Holy.
PENALTIES: Carlisle 2-1 Stockport Mellish thrashes his effort into the net.
PENALTIES: Carlisle 1-1 Stockport Rydel steps up … and Holy goes the right way to save low to his right. A decent stop but not a great penalty from the youngster.
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PENALTIES: Carlisle 1-1 Stockport Dennis for Carlisle … calmly slots left-footed, with Hinchliffe going the wrong way.
PENALTIES: Carlisle 0-1 Stockport Evans, a late substitute, takes first for Stockport … and send Holy the wrong way.
Stockport find themselves here again, having needed penalties to beat Salford in the semi-finals. There’s a roar from their fans because the referee indicates the kicks will be taken at that end.
Both these sides have given it everything out there today - but the season will be decided by a penalty shootout at Wembley.#StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/sVQMqvCbnJ
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2023
Full-time in extra time: Carlisle 1-1 Stockport
PEEEEP!! That’s it then. It goes to spot-kicks.
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ET 30 min: One added minute to play …
ET 29 min: Whelan is the latest player to go down with cramp.
ET 28 min: Edmondson forces another corner … but this time it’s claimed by Hinchliffe.
ET 27 min: Collar is dispossessed by Moxon, who has begun to show his quality in the latter stages, but Carlisle can’t take advantage on the break. That in turn allows Stockport to counter but Collar’s cross is poor. Everyone looks, frankly, knackered.
ET 26 min: Just as they did in normal time, Carlisle are ramping things up as the final whistle approaches. Gibson surges down the right … but then his flick goes out of play.
ET 24 min: A late change for Stockport – Sarcevic comes off and Evans is on.
ET 23 min: … brilliant save from Hinchliffe! Moxon whips in to the near post, Dennis gets across his man to glance on and the keeper – who was going the other way – somehow gets across to claw the ball away.
ET 22 min: Edmondson does well to force a corner for Carlisle …
ET 20 min: Charters lofts the ball into the box in a rare Carlisle foray forward. It drops to Edmondson but his shot is blocked and Senior can’t get the loose ball under his spell.
ET 18 min: Superb save from Holy! Stretton turns his man in the left channel, then cuts inside to unleash an effort from the edge of the box with his right foot. The Carlisle goalkeeper does extremely well to claw the ball away from the top corner.
ET 17 min: … Hussey delivers, Holy again punches clear.
ET 16min: Knoyle forces an early corner for County …
PEEEP!! One more time then. Stockport get the final 15 under way.
Peep! That’s half-time in extra time. Penalties the favourite right now.
ET 15+2 min: Collar goes into the book for kicking the ball away. Both teams very much bringing a “don’t lose” mentality to this.
ET 15+1 min: Just two minutes to add despite a fair bit of downtime in this half.
ET 15 min: Patrick wins a free-kick on halfway as Carlisle look to relieve the pressure.
ET 13 min: … Holy punches clear.
ET 12 min: Whelan makes a superb block as Croasdale volleys at goal. Stockport corner …
ET 10 min: Clump, foul, launch, foul … it’s got very scrappy. Penalties look a distinct possibility at the moment.
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ET 9 min: Perhaps understandably given the heat, a lot of the pace has come out of the game. The ball is travelling loooong distances. Too long from Moxon’s free-kick, which drifts through to Hinchliffe.
ET 7 min: Stockport launch a free-kick forward but after a bit of head tennis the flag goes up and Carlisle get the chance to clear their lines.
ET 5 min: Collar’s shoulder bore the impact but he looks to be fine to continue.
ET 4 min: Collar goes down clutching his head so we have another break in play. It’s been a bit stop-start since the break.
ET 2 min: Hippolyte, who has been lively since coming on, sees a shot blocked by Mellish on the edge of the box.
Peep! Off we go again! Carlisle, having made a glut of attacking subs, don’t really have much choice but to look to attack. Stockport, though, probably finished the 90 slightly stronger, taking advantage of the spaces at the back …
Full-time: Carlisle 1-1 Stockport
Peep! PEEEEEP!! As the clock ticks into the 101st minute, the referee blows his whistle. Extra-time it is.
90+9 min: One more attack perhaps? Gibson chips the ball towards Edmondson but Stockport hammer clear.
90+7 min: A mad scramble in the Carlisle box as Collar’s cross is nodded goalwards by Croasdale. The ball hits the top of Huntington’s arm …and drops on the edge of the six yard box. Cue a cartoon cloud with arms and legs sticking out of it, eventually ended by the referee’s whistle and a Carlisle free-kick.
90+5 min: Hippolyte shrugs off a defender and gets some space on the left of the area …he should really do better than thud his cross straight into Holy’s breadbasket.
90+4 min: Tick-tock, tick-tock …
90+3 min: Hippolyte launches another optimistic effort into the Stockport fans behind the goal.
90+2 min: Charters goes into the book for bringing down Stretton on the break. And breathe.
90+1 min: Nine minutes of added time coming up!
90 min: Patrick looks for Moxon on the edge of the box but Stockport scramble it clear. Only one winner at the moment …
89 min: Mellish tumbles in the box but nothing doing from the officials.
87 min: Carlisle have Stockport penned in now. Where has this team been for the last 80 minutes?
86 min: Superb tackle from Knoyle as Patrick threatens once more. Stockport are reeling now.
85 min: Byrne replaces Camps for Stockport.
GOAL! Carlisle 1-1 Stockport (Patrick 84)
It’s level! Stockport escaped a moment ago but not this time. Senior’s low cross is cleared to Patrick on the edge of the box and he slots home coolly to send the fans behind the goal wild.
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83 min: Oh my word! Somehow Carlisle have failed to equalise. Edmondson rounded Hussey, pulled the ball back, the shot came in and it hit the Stockport defender on the line. VAR taking a look …but no handball! What a moment.
82 min: More changes: top scorer Kristian Dennis for Armer for Carlisle, Stretton for Olaofe for Stockport.
80 min: Time is beginning to run out for Carlisle now. They’ve not really threatened for the past 15 minutes or so.
79 min: Hippolye attempts an overhead kick from the edge of the area – makes a decent connection but his effort flies a yard or two over the bar.
77 min: More changes for Carlisle: Gordon and Guy off, Charters and Gibson on.
75 min: Croasdale hammers into Guy in midfield now. Again no free-kick awarded. All getting a bit feisty out there.
74 min: Collar can’t find a blue shirt in the box as again Stockport threaten to open Carlisle up. This is going to be a frantic final 15.
72 min: Well, VAR is happy enough. Looked a bit reckless and high to me. Whelan is back on his feet and set to carry on but he’s hobbling.
71 min: Hippolyte thunders into Whelan. No free-kick given but this could be one for VAR …
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70 min: The Hatters have also switched to a back four.
69 min: Changes for Stockport: Hippolyte and Collar on, Madden and Wright off.
66 min: Aaand that’s drinks.
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65 min: Yep it’s a back four now for Carlisle, with Mellish the target up front.
64 min: … Hinchliffe punches clear and it needs Senior to make a strong challenge on Olaofe to deny Stockport on the break.
63 min: I think Carlisle may have stuck centre-back Jon Mellish up front alongside the two substitutes. His presence has helped win his side a corner here …
61 min: Carlisle ring the changes: Garner and McCalmont off, Edmondson and Patrick on.
60 min: Things have definitely opened up a bit this half. As Carlisle seek an equaliser, there’s space and opportunity for Stockport on the break.
59 min: Camps wangs an effort from distance on the break well wide.
58 min: Oh, what a chance! Hussey chips in a free-kick, Wright has the freedom of the box 10 yards out, keeper nowhere … but heads wide! That really should’ve been 2-0.
56 min: And Carlisle tear down the other end, with Moxon and McCalmont combining to find Gordon in the box. The on-loan man’s touch isn’t tight enough, though, and the chance slips away.
55 min: Olaofe finds space down the right but his pass into the box is aimless. That was a decent chance.
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55 min: Space for Camps in midfield. He feeds Rydel but the left-sided player lofts his cross long and out of play.
53 min: Better from Carlisle, who string a few passes together for perhaps the first time in the game. The cross when it comes in isn’t great but there was some reason for optimism there.
51 min: Moxon looks to twirl himself into space down the Carlisle left, but the ball slpis out of his control and out of play.
49 min: Well, safe to say the pattern hasn’t changed much since the break. It’s still scrappy as Scooby Doo’s nephew.
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47 min: Rydel whips a cross into the box as Stockport start on the front foot. Madden can’t keep his header down, however.
Peep! As the strains of Oasis’s 1994 number Fade Away, umm, fade away (what is it about the EFL and indie rock from 20-plus years ago?) off we go again.
Half-time: Carlisle 0-1 Stockport
Peep! PEEEEP!! That’s it for the first stanza. It’s been a scrappy old affair, with Stockport playing what little football has been played. They’re just about worth their lead but Carlisle had two decent openings as the half came to an end. It’s still on a knife-edge.
45+2 min: Carlisle get through again! Gordon bundles through, shimmies away from Wright … but skews his left-footed shot high and wide
45 min: Four minutes added on.
44 min: A horrible error on halfway from the otherwise excellent Horsfall allows Senior to scamper through into the Stockport half. It’s two on one but the one wins out – a fantastic block from Wright prevents Senior’s pass reaching Gordon, who would’ve been free 12 yards from goal.
42 min: Both sides look like they quite fancy half-time at this point.
40 min: … Moxon calmly tidies up and looks to get Carlisle on the attack, though Sarcevic denies him.
39 min: Rydel forces another Stockport corner …
37 min: The Hatters have their tails up. A corner is nodded away, then Camps lashes wide from distance.
36 min: Stockport have just about warranted that lead but there was a huge element of fortune. Olaofe was definitely crossing rather than shooting and Mellish was almost tackling him as he attempted it.
GOAL! Carlisle 0-1 Stockport (Melllish 34og)
There’s the opener! Olaofe gets down the right channel, takes on Mellish, and his cross hits the defender and loops agonisingly over Holy. It’s scrappy but they all count!
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32 min: The sides exchange possession in midfield. It’s all gone a bit shapeless again.
30 min: Hussey rumbles forward on the left but his measured cross into the Carlisle box is straight into Tomas Holy’s hands.
28 min: Hydration levels up. Back under way.
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26 min: The players gather on the touchline for a water break. It’s a warm old day at Wembley.
24 min: Mellish goes into the book for bringing down Olaofe as Stockport look to break.
23 min: And no sooner have a I typed that, Garner gets on the end of a free-kick and forces Hinchliffe into a smart low save.
22 min: Approaching the midpoint in the first half. Think it’s fair to say Stockport have been the better side thus far, but neither side have had much in the way of goal threat. Madden’s looped header early on the only effort of any kind on goal as yet.
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20 min: Best moment of the game from Stockport so far. Madden’s flicked pass into the box sends Knoyle scampering through, but Olaofe can’t quite get on the end of his low cross.
18 min: Hussey seven-irons another free-kick into the Carlisle box but again it’s headed clear. Does feel that set pieces are going to be crucial today.
16 min: A minute of applause ripples around the ground in the 15th minute in honour of 15-year-old Lewis Michael Kirkpatrick, who died in Carlisle this week.
15 min: … hammered out for a goal-kick by Chris Hussey. That sums up things so far unfortunately.
14 min: Stockport win a dangerous free-kick, 40-odd yards from goal out on the right …
12 min: It’s been a scrappy start in all honesty. Neither side quite getting themselves sorted as yet.
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10 min: Akil Wright cruises forward from right centre-back and is given space to zip in a cross. Olaofe can’t quite get his toe on it in the middle.
9 min: … Moxon’s corner is glanced away by a defender but United remain on the front foot.
8 min: Hussey skews a clearance out for a Carlisle corner …
7 min: John-Kymani Gordon, on loan from Crystal Palace, does nicely to hold the ball up and get Carlisle on to the front foot. But any attacking hope ends with an aimless ball forward from Whelan.
5 min: Owen Moxon overcooks a free-kick into the Stockport box as Carlisle look to settle. County seem to have switched on to the occasion the quicker.
4 min: Rydel whips a cross into the Carlisle box and a bit of head tennis ensues but the ball is eventually cleared.
2 min: Stockport have the first effort on goal, Sarcevic getting down the left channel and chipping a cross towards Paddy Madden, who loops his header on to the roof of the net.
1 min: It’s noisy in Wembley but, as ever on these occasions, the TV camera angle points directly at the sparsely populated posh seats. Looks great behind the goals, though.
Peep! Off we go then! Stockport get things under way.
The players emerge onto the sunny turf to, for some reason, the strains of the Hives’ 2000 hit Hate To Say I Told You So. …
Click-clack, click-clack … the players are in the tunnel. Notably Carlisle’s mascot towers above Simpson, a classic diminutive winger in his playing days.
Here’s Stockport manager Dave Challinor with a few pre-match thoughts on Sky Sports: “If both teams produce it’ll be a really good game. The two matches between the sides this season have been fantastic games.”
And here’s Carlisle’s Paul Simpson talking about his son Jake, County’s head of performance: “Until just now we’d not spoken since Thursday lunchtime, radio silence. I’m incredibly proud, it’s a really good day for the Simpson family.”
The atmosphere is building at Wembley. It looks like the top tier is empty so the two sets of fans – two of the biggest fanbases in League Two – will be crowded into the middle and bottom tiers.
Some great pre-match reading for you: Will Unwin on the father and son on opposing sides at Wembley today
The teams
Carlisle (probable 3-4-1-2): Holy; Whelan, Mellish, Huntington; Senior, Guy, Moxon, Armer; McCalmont; Garner, Gordon. Subs: Kelly, Gibson, Edmondson, Patrick, Dennis, Charters, Robinson.
Stockport (probable 3-5-2): Hinchliffe; Wright, Horsfall, Hussey; Knoyle, Sarcevic, Camps, Croasdale, Rydel; Madden, Olaofe. Subs: Jaros, Byrne, Evans, Collar, Stretton, Hippolye, Lewis.
Your team for today's play-off final against @StockportCounty 👇 pic.twitter.com/QkwLT3KOQw
— Carlisle United FC (@officialcufc) May 28, 2023
📋 Introducing your County line-up at Wembley...
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2023
There's two changes to last week's semi-final win over Salford, as Ryan Croasdale and Antoni Sarcevic come in for Joe Lewis and Connor Evans.#StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/LySoqzxBBp
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Preamble
Hello all and welcome to the big one – Football League Play-Off Weekend II: Secret of the League Twoooze. (Yes, yes. Yes, I know. I’m sorry.)
If Saturday’s first instalment is anything to go by then we should be in for some entertainment. There was certainly no shortage of drama in the semi-finals, where Stockport came through on penalties against Salford, and Carlisle needed extra time in their second leg to beat Bradford. The sides played out a 2-2 draw in their league meeting in April and only three points separated the sides at the end of the season.
But if there recent paths have been similar, their last decade or so could not have been much different. Stockport were last in the third tier in 20019-10, rubbing shoulders with Leeds, Southampton and Brighton among others. But after a precipitous drop they were a still Conference North side as recently as 2018-19, tangling with Blyth Spartans, Alfreton Town et al. Two promotions in four seasons have followed and they stand on the verge of a third in five.
While County have been up and down Carlisle meanwhile have been tootling along in League Two since 2014-15, with this only their second trip to the playoffs in those nine seasons.
Kick off is at 1.30pm BST.
