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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Will Castle

How Rochdale and York stole the Premier League’s thunder with a title decider for the ages

Rochdale the Premier League EPL National League the National League Football Football League Chelsea Ian Henderson Liam Rosenior
York lead the way in the National League but could be pipped to the sole automatic promotion place by fellow centurion Rochdale when they clash on the final day - (Getty)

There is arguably no harder feat in English football than navigating your way to the sole automatic promotion spot that earns Football League status. Huddling around a phone after the final whistle of an emphatic win over Yeovil Town, York City’s players were getting ready to celebrate this seismic triumph. They really should’ve known better.

At Sutton United, it was 97 minutes. Against Wealdstone, it was 90 minutes. Away to already-relegated Braintree Town, having conceded a 91st minute equaliser, title-chasing Rochdale once again required last-gasp heroics to keep their hopes of automatic promotion from the National League alive. That they did through top scorer Emmanuel Dieseruvwe - or as he’s colloquially known “Mani D” - as the clock struck 99 minutes.

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