2003 Football League Third Division play-off final

November 2017 May 2021 2003 Football LeagueThird Division play-off final Millennium Stadium (aerial view).jpg 260 The final took place at the Millennium Stadium. AFC Bournemouth 5 Lincoln City 2 2003 05 24 y Millennium Stadium Cardiff, Wales Alan Kaye 32,148 2002 2004 The 2003 Football League Third Division play-off final was an association football match which was played on 24 May 2003 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, between Bournemouth and Lincoln City to determine the fourth and final team to gain promotion from the Football League Third Division to the Second Division. The top three teams of the 2002–03 Third Division season, Rushden & Diamonds, Hartlepool United and Wrexham, gained automatic promotion to the Second Division, while those placed from fourth to seventh place in the table took part in play-offs. The winners of the semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2003–04 season in the Second Division. Bournemouth and Lincoln City defeated Bury and Scunthorpe United, respectively, in the semi-finals. The final kicked off around 3p.m. in front of a crowd of 32,148 and was refereed by Alan Kaye. In the 29th minute, Bournemouth took the lead through Steve Fletcher with a volley past Alan Marriott, the Lincoln goalkeeper. Ben Futcher equalised six minutes later from close range from a corner but one minute into first-half stoppage time, Carl Fletcher scored with a header to make it 2–1 to Bournemouth. Eleven minutes into the second half, Bournemouth scored after a counter-attack when Stephen Purches volleyed in a cross from Wade Elliott. Four minutes later Garreth O'Connor made it 4–1. In the 75th minute, Lincoln scored through Mark Bailey but just over a minute later, Fletcher scored his second, a header from O'Connor's free kick, to make the score 5–2 to Bournemouth, the final score. Bournemouth ended their following season in ninth position in the Second Division, three places and seven points below the play-offs. Lincoln City's finished in seventh place in the Third Division in their next season but were knocked out of the play-offs in the semi-final, losing 4–3 on aggregate to Huddersfield Town. Route to the final 2002–03 Football League#Third Division main WDL Q right auto Football League Third Division final table, leading positions R&D Rushden & Diamonds HAR Hartlepool United WRE Wrexham BOU Bournemouth SCU Scunthorpe United LIN Lincoln City BRY Bury 24 15 7 73 47 24 13 9 71 43 23 15 8 84 50 20 14 12 60 48 19 15 12 68 49 18 16 12 46 37 18 16 12 57 56 complete https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/2003/ 11v11 AFS Enterprises 30 April 2021 League Division 3 end of season table for 2002–03 season 30 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210430203955/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/2003/ live Bournemouth finished the regular 2002–03 season in fourth place in the Football League Third Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system, two positions and four points ahead of Lincoln City. Both therefore missed out on the three automatic places for promotion to the Second Division and instead took part in the play-offs to determine the fourth promoted team. Bournemouth ten points behind Wrexham (who were promoted in third place), eleven behind Hartlepool United (who were promoted in second) and thirteen behind league winners Rushden & Diamonds. Lincoln City's opponents for their play-off semi-final were Scunthorpe United with the first match of the two-legged tie taking place at Sincil Bank in Lincoln on 10 May 2003. Simon Weaver put Lincoln ahead in the 15th minute with a header from close range and Paul Mayo doubled the lead three minutes later with a volley. Alejandro Calvo García reduced the deficit in the 26th minute when he scored from Peter Beagrie's free kick and the half ended 2–1. Paul Smith extended Lincoln's lead ten minutes after the interval from close range but Calvo García scored his second midway through the half to make it 3–2 to Lincoln. Nathan Stanton then struck from inside Lincoln's penalty area to level the match with his first goal for his club but two late goals from substitute Simon Yeo made the final score 5–3 to Lincoln. https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/3014119.stm BBC Sport 6 May 2021 Lincoln on top after thriller 10 May 2003 27 October 2003 https://web.archive.org/web/20031027161033/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/3014119.stm live The second leg was held four days later at Glanford Park in Scunthorpe. The home side dominated the first half but it ended goalless. Once again Yeo came on as a second-half substitute for Lincoln and scored with two minutes to give his side a 1–0 win and a 6–3 aggregate victory. https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/3021561.stm Lincoln see off Scunthorpe 14 May 2003 BBC Sport 6 May 2021 30 June 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210630104127/https://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/v5.js live In the other semi-final, Bournemouth faced Bury and the first leg was played at Gigg Lane in Bury on 10 May 2003. The home side dominated the first half but were reduced to ten men when Jamie Stuart was sent off in stoppage time for a push on Wade Elliott after the pair had been involved in an altercation after a high tackle from Elliott. Bournemouth increased the pressure in the second half but could not break the deadlock and the match ended goalless. https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/3014043.stm Stalemate at Gigg Lane BBC Sport 10 May 2003 6 May 2021 30 June 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210630104138/https://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/v5.js live The second leg took place three days later at Dean Court in Bournemouth. Garreth O'Connor opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a low strike past Glyn Garner in the Bury goal. James Hayter then doubled Bournemouth's lead with a diving header from Elliott's cross. In the 60th minute, Hayter scored his second, converting a pass from O'Connor at close range. Andy Preece, who had come on as a substitute for Bury at half-time, scored midway through the second half, lobbing the ball in after a pass from Michael Nelson, but it was to be a consolation goal as the match ended 3–1 and Bournemouth progressed to the final with the same aggregate sccore. https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/3021281.stm BBC Sport 6 May 2021 13 May 2003 Cherries see off Bury 5 June 2004 https://web.archive.org/web/20040605053905/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/3021281.stm live Match Background Both Lincoln City and Bournemouth were making their first appearance in the play-offs. https://www.fchd.info/AFC-BOUR.HTM A F C Bournemouth Football Club History Database 7 May 2021 13 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210213174219/https://www.fchd.info/AFC-BOUR.HTM live https://www.fchd.info/LINCOLNC.HTM Lincoln City Football Club History Database 7 May 2021 3 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200803084120/http://www.fchd.info/LINCOLNC.HTM live Bournemouth had been relegated to the Third Division the previous season and thus were aiming to make an immediate return to the Second Division. Lincoln City had played in the Third Division since suffering relegation from the Second Division in the 1998–99 season. During the regular season, both matches between the sides had ended in wins for the visiting teams: Bournemouth won 2–1 at Sincil Bank in October 2002 while Lincoln City secured a 1–0 victory at Dean Court the following April. https://www.11v11.com/teams/lincoln-city/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/AFC%20Bournemouth/ 11v11 AFS Enterprises 7 May 2021 Lincoln City football club: record v AFC Bournemouth 7 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210507122425/https://www.11v11.com/teams/lincoln-city/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/AFC%20Bournemouth/ live Hayter was Bournemouth's leading scorer in the regular season with 11 goals in total (8 in the league, 1 in the 2002–03 FA Cup and 2 in the Football League Trophy). https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=359&teamTabs=stats&season_id=132 Centurycomm Soccerbase 7 May 2021 Bournemouth squad details – 2002/03 – Player appearances 30 June 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210630104144/https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=359&teamTabs=stats&season_id=132 live Lincoln City's top scorer was Ben Futcher who had scored 10 goals (8 in the league, 1 in the FA Cup and 1 in the Football League Trophy). https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=1559&teamTabs=stats&season_id=132 Centurycomm Soccerbase 7 May 2021 Lincoln squad details – 2002/03 – Player appearances 7 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210507122802/https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=1559&teamTabs=stats&season_id=132 live The referee for the match, which was shown live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports, was Alan Kaye. https://theguardian.newspapers.com/clip/77214299/the-guardian/ The Guardian 7 May 2021 The play-offs 37 Newspapers.com 24 May 2003 7 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210507154720/https://theguardian.newspapers.com/clip/77214299/the-guardian/ live Summary The match kicked off around 3p.m. on 24 May 2003 at the Millennium Stadium under a closed roof in front of a crowd of 32,148. https://www.11v11.com/matches/afc-bournemouth-v-lincoln-city-24-may-2003-15869/ 11v11 AFS Enterprises 7 May 2021 AFC Bournemouth v Lincoln City, 24 May 2003 7 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210507114451/https://www.11v11.com/matches/afc-bournemouth-v-lincoln-city-24-may-2003-15869/ live https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/3051043.stm 24 May 2003 Bournemouth win seals promotion 7 May 2021 BBC Sport 30 May 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080530173434/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/3051043.stm live The early stages of the game were described as "uninspiring" by the BBC with neither side dominant, with Bournemouth's Elliott and Stephen Purches coming closest to scoring coming. In the 29th minute, Bournemouth took the lead through Steve Fletcher. He beat Futcher in a race to the ball from Marcus Browning and volleyed it past Alan Marriott, the Lincoln goalkeeper. Futcher scored the equaliser six minutes later when he scored from close range from a corner. One minute into first-half stoppage time, Carl Fletcher flicked a header in from an O'Connor cross to make it 2–1 to Bournemouth at half time. Neither side made any changes to their personnel during the interval and eleven minutes into the second half, Bournemouth extended their lead. Neil Moss, the Bournemouth goalkeeper, punched the ball clear which enabled his side to counter-attack and Elliott's cross was volleyed into the Lincoln goal by Purches. Four minutes later it was 4–1 after O'Connor ran onto Steve Fletcher's pass, beat Futcher and struck the ball past Marriott. In the 75th minute, Lincoln reduced the deficit when second-half substitute Chris Cornelly's cross was headed into the Bournemouth net by Mark Bailey. Just over a minute later, Fletcher scored with a header from O'Connor's free kick to make the score 5–2 to Bournemouth, which it remained to the final whistle. Details 24 May 2003 15:00 Bournemouth 5–2 Report Lincoln City S. Fletcher 29C. Fletcher 45 77Purches 56O'Connor 60 Futcher 35Bailey 75 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales 32,148 Alan Kaye _redsides FF0000 000000 FF0000 000000 000000 Bournemouth _blackshoulder _blackshoulder 000000 FFFF00 000000 FFFF00 FFFF00 Lincoln City GK 25Neil MossRB 2 Neil YoungCB 7Carl FletcherCB 20Phil GulliverLB 28 Warren CummingsCM 3 Stephen PurchesCM 4 Marcus BrowningRM 11Wade Elliott 90LM 12Garreth O'Connor 79CF 14James HayterCF 10Steve Fletcher 85Substitutes:GK 1Gareth StewartMF 8 Brian Stock 79MF 22Danny Thomas 90FW 16Derek Holmes 85FW 19Scott McDonaldManager:Sean O'Driscoll GK 1Alan MarriottRB 2Mark BaileyCB 15Simon Weaver 57CB 5 Paul MorganCB 4 Ben FutcherLB 16Stuart BimsonRM 7Paul Smith 50CM 19Richard ButcherCM 11Peter GainLM 3Paul MayoCF 9Dene Cropper 72Substitutes:DF 24Matt BloomerMF 10 Ben SedgemoreMF 21 Scott Willis 72MF 25 Chris Cornelly 57FW 12 Simon Yeo 50Manager:Keith Alexander Post-match The Bournemouth manager Sean O'Driscoll said: "I'm delighted for everybody... Both teams don't score that many goals so we have kept the best till last, but we have another gear to go up now". https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_3/2935426.stm O'Driscoll hails super Cherries 24 May 2003 7 May 2021 BBC Sport 14 August 2003 https://web.archive.org/web/20030814121508/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_3/2935426.stm live His counterpart Keith Alexander was disappointed: "I'm proud with what we have done but if we had defended like that all season we would have been relegated." Bournemouth ended their following season in ninth position in the Second Division, three places and seven points below the play-offs. https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-2/2004/ 11v11 AFS Enterprises 7 May 2021 League Division 2 end of season table for 2003–04 season 10 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210510144537/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-2/2004/ live Lincoln City's finished in seventh place in the Third Division in their next season but were knocked out of the play-offs in the semi-final, losing 4–3 on aggregate to Huddersfield Town. https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/2004/ 11v11 AFS Enterprises 7 May 2021 League Division 3 end of season table for 2003–04 season 7 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210507155659/https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-3/2004/ live References Category:2002–03 Football League Third Division Category:Football League Third Division play-off finals Category:EFL League Two play-off finals Play-off final 2003 Play-off final 2003 3 Football League Third Division play-off final Category:Football finals in Wales