2012 Football League Two play-off final

Football match November 2017 February 2021 2012 Football League Two play-off final File:Wembley-Stadion 2013.jpg The match took place at Wembley Stadium. 2011–12 Football League Two Cheltenham Town 0 Crewe Alexandra 2 27 May 2012 Wembley Stadium London Craig Pawson 24,029 Hot 2011 2013 The 2012 Football League Two play-off final was an association football match played on 27 May 2012 at Wembley Stadium, London, between Cheltenham Town and Crewe Alexandra. The match determined the fourth and final team to gain promotion from Football League Two, English football's fourth tier, to Football League One. The top three teams of the 2011–12 Football League Two season gained automatic promotion to League One, while those placed from fourth to seventh in the table took part in play-off semi-finals; the winners of these semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2012–13 season in League One. Cheltenham Town finished in sixth place while Crewe Alexandra ended the season in seventh position. Southend United and Torquay United were the losing semi-finalists, being defeated by Crewe and Cheltenham respectively. The referee for the match was Craig Pawson which kicked off around 3p.m. in front of a crowd of 24,029. In the 15th minute, Nick Powell scored to put Crewe 1–0 ahead: Kelvin Mellor found Powell, who beat a defender by flicking the ball up before striking a volley into the Cheltenham net from around 20 yd. Jeff Goulding's long-range shot then struck the Crewe crossbar before rebounding to Ben Burgess who missed the target. In the 25th minute, Goulding struck Burgess' flick-on into the Crewe net but the goal was disallowed for offside. Byron Moore's 81st minute shot was just wide of the Cheltenham's right-hand goalpost but a minute later his shot into the bottom-corner of the net after exchanged passes with A-Jay Leitch-Smith made it 2–0. Crewe won the match and gained promotion to League One. Crewe ended their following season in thirteenth position in the League One table. Cheltenham finished in fifth place in League Two in their next season and qualified for the play-offs where they lost in the semi-finals to Northampton Town. Route to the final 2011–12 Football League Two main WDL Q right auto Football League Two final table, leading positions SWI SHR CRA STD TOR CHL CRE 29 6 11 75 32 26 10 10 66 41 23 15 8 76 54 25 8 13 77 48 23 12 11 63 50 23 8 15 66 50 20 12 14 67 59 Swindon Town Shrewsbury Town Crawley Town Southend United Torquay United Cheltenham Town Crewe Alexandra complete https://uk.soccerway.com/national/england/league-two/20112012/regular-season/r14890 Soccerway 1 February 2021 League Two – 2011/2012 – Regular season Perform Group 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212709/https://uk.soccerway.com/national/england/league-two/20112012/regular-season/r14890/ live Cheltenham Town finished the regular 2011–12 season in sixth place in Football League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, one position ahead of Crewe Alexandra. Both therefore missed out on the three automatic places for promotion to Football League One and instead took part in the play-offs to determine the fourth promoted team. Cheltenham Town finished seven points behind Crawley Town (who were promoted in third place), eleven behind Shrewsbury Town (who were promoted in second place), and sixteen behind league winners Swindon Town. Crewe Alexandra ended the season one place and five points behind Cheltenham Town. Crewe Alexandra had lost the first four games of their season and were fifteenth in the league at its mid-point before going on a thirteen-match unbeaten run to qualify for the play-offs.Foster, p. 38 In November 2011, Dario Gradi was replaced after 1,353 games as Crewe's manager by Steve Davis with the club in 18th position. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/dario-gradi-hands-crewe-reins-steve-davis-6259876.html The Independent Dario Gradi hands Crewe reins to Steve Davis Dominic Farrell 10 November 2011 3 February 2021 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212708/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/dario-gradi-hands-crewe-reins-steve-davis-6259876.html live Crewe Alexandra's opposition in the play-off semi-final was Southend United with the first match of the two-legged tie being played at Gresty Road on 12 May 2012. After a goalless first half, Adam Dugdale scored a header from a Ashley Westwood free kick early in the second half. Despite Southend having chances to score, the match ended 1–0 to Crewe. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/17971420 Crewe Alexandra 1–0 Southend United BBC Sport 2 February 2021 12 May 2012 15 April 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200415125026/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/17971420 live The second leg of the play-off semi-final took place four days later at Roots Hall in Southend-on-Sea. A-Jay Leitch-Smith put Crewe into the lead in the first half after striking a shot past Cameron Belford. Freddy Eastwood then saw his goal disallowed after he was adjudged to have been offside. Both he and Michael Timlin then struck the Crewe goalposts with shots before Neil Harris scored from a Chris Barker cross to level the game. Max Clayton made it 2–1 to Crewe before Barker himself scored. The game ended 2–2 and Crewe progressed to the final 3–2 on aggregate. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18001648 Southend United 2–2 Crewe Alexandra (agg 2–3) BBC Sport 2 February 2021 Chris Osborne 16 May 2012 11 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201111190522/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18001648 live The second play-off semi-final saw Cheltenham Town face Torquay United and the first leg took place at Whaddon Road in Cheltenham on 13 May 2012. Jermaine McGlashan put the home side ahead in the first half with a cross-cum-shot which went in off the post. Ben Burgess then doubled his side's lead in the second half, heading past Bobby Olejnik in the Torquay goal from a McGlashan cross. Torquay's closest chance came when Ryan Jarvis struck the Cheltenham crossbar with a header, but the match ended 2–0. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/17973092 Cheltenham Town 2–0 Torquay United BBC Sport 2 February 2021 Caroline Chapman 13 May 2012 15 April 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200415125032/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/17973092 live The second semi-final leg took place at Plainmoor in Torquay four days later. After a goalless first half, McGlashan extended Cheltenham's aggregate lead with a strike in the 75th minute after a Kaid Mohamed pass. Taiwo Atieno reduced the deficit for Torquay when he headed in Eunan O'Kane's corner. Marlon Pack then extended Cheltenham's lead with a 25 yd on free kick, and his team ended 4–1 aggregate winners, progressing to Wembley for the final. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18015756 Torquay United 1–2 Cheltenham Town (agg 1–4) BBC Sport 2 February 2021 17 May 2012 15 April 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200415125042/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18015756 live Match Background Cheltenham had played in two fourth tier play-off finals before 2012, winning them both. In 2002, they faced Rushden & Diamonds in the Third Division play-off final at the Millennium Stadium, winning 3–1.Foster, p. 212 Four years later, Cheltenham secured promotion from the third tier of English football through the play-offs for a second time, beating Grimsby Town 1–0 in the final in Cardiff.Foster, p. 216 Crewe had also appeared in two play-offs finals previously, both at the old Wembley Stadium. They lost the 1993 Football League Third Division play-off final against York City in a penalty shootout, and defeated Brentford 1–0 in the 1997 Football League Second Division play-off final.Foster, pp. 203, 207 Both Cheltenham and Crewe had played in the fourth tier of English football since they were relegated in the 2008–09 season. https://www.fchd.info/CREWEALE.HTM Crewe Alexandra Football Club History Database 2 February 2021 5 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200805013323/http://www.fchd.info/CREWEALE.HTM live https://www.fchd.info/CHELTENT.HTM Cheltenham Town Football Club History Database 2 February 2021 19 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200719184926/http://www.fchd.info/CHELTENT.HTM live Crewe won both matches played between the sides during the regular season, with a 1–0 victory at Whaddon Road in October 2011 followed by a 1–0 win at Gresty Road the following April. https://www.11v11.com/teams/crewe-alexandra/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Cheltenham%20Town/ 11v11 2 February 2021 Crewe Alexandra football club: record v Cheltenham Town AFS Enterprises 28 January 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170128073559/http://www.11v11.com/teams/crewe-alexandra/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Cheltenham%20Town/ live Nick Powell was Crewe's top scorer for the season with 14 goals (all in the league), https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=652&teamTabs=stats&season_id=141 Soccerbase 2 February 2021 Crewe – 2011/12 – Player appearances Centurycomm 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212730/https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=652&teamTabs=stats&season_id=141 live while Darryl Duffy led the scoring charts for Cheltenham with 13 (11 in the league and 2 in the FA Cup). https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=579&teamTabs=stats&season_id=141 Soccerbase 2 February 2021 Cheltenham – 2011/12 – Player appearances Centurycomm 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212753/https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=579&teamTabs=stats&season_id=141 live Crewe's manager Davis believed the contest would be even: "There's no favourites. If anything they'd be, as they finished above us. But the fact that they won more games than us doesn't count for anything now." https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A290971944/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=STND&xid=3e93b5bf Gale 3 February 2021 Football: League Two: Control your nerves and we can win, says Davis Jamie Jackson 27 May 2012 The Observer 6 subscription 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212706/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA290971944&v=2.1&it=r&sid=STND&asid=3e93b5bf live The referee for the match was Craig Pawson who was assisted by Steve Bratt and John Brooks. The fourth official was Nigel Miller while David Rock was the reserve assistant referee. https://archive.today/20120802075136/http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/Appointments/0,,10794~2771673,00.html http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/Appointments/0,,10794~2771673,00.html 2 August 2012 Match Official Appointments dead English Football League 14 May 2012 9 June 2012 Crewe made one change to their line-up from the play-off semi-final second leg with Luke Murphy replacing Lee Bell having recovered from a groin injury. Cheltenham made two changes: Keith Lowe and James Spencer were dropped from the Cheltenham side and were replaced by Luke Garbutt and Jeff Goulding. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A292259833/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=STND&xid=4e6afabe Gale 3 February 2021 Crewe 2 Cheltenham 0: match report; England Under-18 international Nick Powell produced a moment of magic to set Crewe on the road to npower League Two play-off glory against Cheltenham 27 May 2012 ISSUE The Daily Telegraph subscription 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212750/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA292259833&v=2.1&it=r&sid=STND&asid=4e6afabe live Both sides adopted a 4–4–2 formation. According to The Daily Telegraph the match was played in "blistering temperatures". Summary right|thumb|alt=Byron Moore|Byron Moore (pictured in 2010) scored Crewe's second goal. The match kicked off around 3p.m. on 27 May 2012 in front of a crowd of 24,029. The first shot of the match came in the third minute from Cheltenham's Mohamed but it was wide of the Crewe goal. Seven minutes later, Powell won the ball and passed to Murphy whose shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Scott Brown in the Cheltenham goal, before Leitch-Smith struck the ball wide of the goalpost. In the 12th minute McGlashan's strike was saved by Crewe goalkeeper Steve Phillips. Three minutes later Powell scored to put Crewe 1–0 ahead: Kelvin Mellor found Powell, who beat a defender by flicking the ball up before striking a volley into the Cheltenham net from around 20 yd. Goulding's long-range shot then struck the Crewe crossbar before rebounding to Burgess who missed the target. In the 25th minute, Goulding struck Burgess' flick-on into the Crewe net but the goal was disallowed for offside. Mohamed's 27th minute shot went high over the Crewe goal before Goulding's strike was over the bar six minutes later. Powell then struck a shot from distance wide of the goal in the 36th minute before Mellor's close-range header went over Cheltenham's crossbar five minutes later. Phillips then saved from a Goulding header before the referee blew the whistle for half-time with Crewe leading 1–0. Neither side made any change to their personnel during the interval. Six minutes into the second half, Pack's 20 yd on low strike was just wide of the Crewe goal. A mistake from Dugdale saw Mohamed run through on goal in the 54th minute, but Phillips made the save. A free kick from Westwood in the 71st minute found Dugdale in the Cheltenham penalty area but his control was poor and allowed Brown to block his shot. In the 75th minute, Cheltenham made their first substitution of the match with Duffy coming on to replace Goulding. Pack's long-range strike then went of Crewe's goal before Powell was substituted for Clayton. Byron Moore's 81st minute shot was just wide of the Cheltenham's right-hand goalpost but a minute later his shot into the bottom-corner of the net after exchanged passes with Leitch-Smith made it 2–0. In the 83rd minute, Cheltenham made a double-substitution, with Russell Penn and Spencer coming on for Pack and Burgess. Soon after Carl Martin came on for Leitch-Smith before Brown made saves from both Moore and Clayton. Deep into stoppage time, Bell came on for Moore and the final whistle was blown, Crewe winning 2–0 and gaining promotion to League One. Details 27 May 2012 15:00 BST Cheltenham Town 0–2 Crewe Alexandra https://www.11v11.com/matches/cheltenham-town-v-crewe-alexandra-27-may-2012-298223/ 11v11 AFS Enterprises Cheltenham Town v Crewe Alexandra, 27 May 2012 1 February 2021 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212730/https://www.11v11.com/matches/cheltenham-town-v-crewe-alexandra-27-may-2012-298223/ live Powell 15Moore 82 Wembley Stadium, London 24,029 Craig Pawson B11B1B B11B1B B11B1B B11B1B 000000 Cheltenham Town _black_shoulders _black_shoulders 000000 000000 000000 000000 000000 Crewe Alexandra Cheltenham Town: GK 1Scott BrownDF 22Sido JombatiDF 15Alan BennettDF 6Steve ElliottDF 19Luke GarbuttMF 20Jermaine McGlashanMF 7Marlon Pack 84MF 25Luke SummerfieldMF 23Kaid MohamedFW 10Jeff Goulding 75FW 29Ben Burgess 84Substitutes:DF 2Keith LoweMF 11Brian SmikleMF 16Russell Penn 84FW 9Darryl Duffy 75FW 14Jimmy Spencer 84Manager:Mark YatesCrewe Alexandra: GK 1Steve PhillipsDF 3Harry DavisDF 5David ArtellDF 6Adam DugdaleDF 17Kelvin MellorMF 11Byron Moore 90+7MF 4Ashley WestwoodMF 8Luke MurphyMF 2Matt TootleFW 10A-Jay Leitch-Smith 85FW 25Nick Powell 80Substitutes:GK 13Alan MartinDF 15Carl Martin 85MF 7Lee Bell 90+7FW 19Max Clayton 80FW 34Billy BodinManager:Steve Davis Assistant referees: Steve Bratt John Brooks Fourth official: Nigel Miller Reserve Assistant Referee: David Rock right|thumb|upright|alt=Nick Powell|Nick Powell pictured playing for Manchester United scored the opening goal for Crewe. +StatisticsEmlyn Begley Crewe are promoted https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18135731 BBC Sport 27 May 2012 9 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20131017064555/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18135731 17 October 2013 dead Cheltenham Town Crewe AlexandraGoals 0 2Disallowed goals 1 0Total shots 20 16Shots on target 5 5Ball possession 47% 53%Corner kicks 8 6Fouls committed 11 8Offsides 7 4Yellow cards 0 0Red cards 0 0 Post-match Davis, the winning manager, recalled his chairman's instruction after taking over in November 2011: "Get us out of the bottom six. Just get us safe." https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A291072517/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=STND&xid=28b2b9e1 Gale 3 February 2021 League Two play-off final: Powell serves notice of rare talent to earn Crewe play-off glory: Cheltenham T 0 Crewe Alexandra John Ashdown 28 May 2012 The Guardian 5 subscription 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212740/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA291072517&v=2.1&it=r&sid=STND&asid=28b2b9e1 live His counterpart Yates was proud of his side: "They've been brilliant... Today was just one step too far." Speaking of Powell's goal, he said: "It was a wonder strike from a prodigious talent and we couldn't do much about that one". https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A291069735/STND?u=wikipedia&sid=STND&xid=b6547116 Gale 3 February 2021 Crewe get a parting gift from Powell Jon West 28 May 2021 The Times 9 subscription 4 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210204212709/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA291069735&v=2.1&it=r&sid=STND&asid=b6547116 live Powell signed for Manchester United two weeks after the final. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18396573 BBC Sport 3 February 2021 Manchester United sign Nick Powell from Crewe Alexandra 12 June 2012 23 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201123093928/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18396573 live The defeat was Cheltenham's first in the play-offs, having won five and drawn three of their previous post-season matches. Crewe ended their following season in thirteenth position in the League One table. https://uk.soccerway.com/national/england/league-one/20122013/regular-season/r17954/ Soccerway Perform Group 2 February 2021 League One – 2012/2013 – Regular season 26 March 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190326195417/https://uk.soccerway.com/national/england/league-one/20122013/regular-season/r17954/ live Cheltenham finished in fifth place in League Two in their next season and qualified for the play-offs where they lost in the semi-finals to Northampton Town. https://uk.soccerway.com/national/england/league-two/20122013/regular-season/r17957/ Soccerway Perform Group 2 February 2021 League Two – 2012/2013 – Regular season 1 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201101011331/https://uk.soccerway.com/national/england/league-two/20122013/regular-season/r17957/ live https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22328131 5 May 2013 Brendon Mitchell 31 January 2021 Cheltenham 0–1 Northampton (agg 0–2) BBC Sport 14 July 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200714192149/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22328131 live References The Agony & The Ecstasy Richard Foster 978-1-910906-00-2 Ockley Books 2015 Category:EFL League Two play-off finals 3 Play-off Final 2012 Play-off Final 2012 Play-off Final Football League Two play-off final Football League Two play-off final