Carlisle United vs Stockport County. Sky Bet League Two.
Wembley StadiumAttendance34,004.
Carlisle United win 5-4 on penalties.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet League Two play-off final between Carlisle United and Stockport County at Wembley as the Cumbrians prevailed 5-4 in a penalty shootout to reach League One
Sunday 28 May 2023 17:19, UK
Carlisle United sealed promotion to Sky Bet League One as they beat Stockport County 5-4 on penalties at Wembley.
Jon Mellish's unfortunate own goal in the first half saw the Cumbrians trail before Omari Patrick's late equaliser meant it finished 1-1 in the League Two play-off final, sending the game into extra-time and a shootout where United eventually prevailed.
It is the first return for Carlisle to the third tier in nine years, and caps off an exceptional season under Paul Simpson - who wins his third promotion with the club having led them to back-to-back promotions as a player-manager from non-League to League One between 2004 and 2006. He only returned to the club as manager last February.
Stockport, meanwhile, fall just short of achieving their own immediate rise from the fifth tier to League One, having only come out of the National League last year. Their wait to reach that level, going back to 2010, will go into a 14th year. But it has still been a remarkable campaign for a side that were in the National League North as recently as 2019.
It wasn't a classic of a first half in scorching conditions at Wembley, and it took a stroke of real fortune for Stockport to take the lead on 34 minutes. Isaac Olaofe's attempted cross from the right took a big deflection off the foot of Mellish, looping over the unfortunate Tomas Holy in the Carlisle goal. Even at 6ft9, he had no chance of stopping it.
Just before the hour it ought to have been a second for Stockport, as Chris Hussey floated a free-kick into an unmarked Akil Wright, who had a chasm to aim at but somehow only managed to head wide. It was a miss that would prove pivotal for Stockport.
Carlisle boss Simpson rung the changes, and it was one of his substitutions who found the late equaliser, as Patrick coolly finished from just inside the box after Joel Senior's cross had ricocheted into his path.
That goal took the game to extra-time and then penalties. Carlisle took five perfect spotkicks, while Ryan Rydel's crucial miss with Stockport's second meant it was the Cumbrians who prevailed.
Carlisle manager Paul Simpson on Sky Sports Football:
"It's a special moment for everyone associated with the football club. It's absolutely magnificent. This lot have worked since June 22 for this moment and it's a brilliant feeling.
"This is my sixth time at Wembley and I've lost the other five! I knew that couldn't carry on. So, I am so happy today. I don't care if I stink of champagne and sweat, we are going to have a brilliant night tonight.
"We had to make some changes because we were behind and we may as well have lost 2-0. The changes brought energy and life, just like they have done all season. If they've not started, they've come on to make sure we've finished the game well.
"I'm so proud of them, the supporters and the staff. I would have loved to have gone up automatically and avoided this stress. But if you're going to get promotion, this is the way to do it."
Stockport manager Dave Challinor on Sky Sports Football:
"I'm disappointed but I've been here before. The range of emotions are huge in these situations. Congratulations to Carlisle. In a matter of a week we've experienced both ends of a penalty shootout.
"Football moves on quickly. Pre-season starts in three and a half weeks and we need to dust ourselves down and get ready for next year."
Courtney Sweetman-Kirk on Sky Sports Football:
"It's been absolutely phenomenal. What I've seen is the togetherness in the group, it's been huge.
"It's not the standout players but the best sum of the parts together. They do that very well. It wasn't about the [starting] 11, it was about the whole squad.
"That was to do with Simpson and his man-management skills."
Northampton manager Jon Brady on Sky Sports Football:
"It will mean so much to him. He's local and done it before with them. Within that game he made the changes after half-time and they looked a lot fresher.
"They came back from a position where you thought they weren't coming back into it. Fair credit to them, but commiserations to Stockport."
Stevenage manager Steve Evans on Sky Sports Football:
"He will have been working on two plans. One for League Two and one for League One.
"He'll have a great night tonight and then he'll be on the phone tomorrow to his recruitment guys tomorrow. Then he'll be back in about four weeks and back to work. It won't stop."
Having achieved promotion, Carlisle will play in Sky Bet League One during the 2023/24 season, while Stockport will remain in League Two for another year. Both divisions start on the weekend of August 5-6.
