2022 EFL League Two play-off Final

2022 EFL League Two play-off final

Mansfield Town Port Vale 0 3
Report
Date	28 May 2022
Venue	Wembley Stadium, London
Player of the Match	James Wilson
Referee	Jarred Gillett
Attendance	37,303
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The 2022 EFL League Two play-off Final was an association football match which was played on 28 May 2022 at Wembley Stadium, London, to determine the fourth and final team to gain promotion from EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football, to EFL League One. The top three teams of 2021–22 EFL League Two will gain automatic promotion to League One, while the clubs placed from fourth to seventh in the table will take part in 2022 English Football League play-offs.

Route to the final

Main article: 2022 English Football League play-offs#League Two

EFL League Two final table, leading positions

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Forest Green Rovers (C, P)	46	23	15	08	75	44	+31	84
2	Exeter City (P)	46	23	15	08	65	41	+24	84
3	Bristol Rovers (P)	46	23	11	12	71	49	+22	80
4	Northampton Town	46	23	11	12	60	38	+22	80
5	Port Vale	46	22	12	12	67	46	+21	78
6	Swindon Town	46	22	11	13	77	54	+23	77
7	Mansfield Town	46	22	11	13	67	52	+15	77

Source: .
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted

Port Vale finished the regular 2021–22 season in fifth place in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, two places and one point ahead of Mansfield Town. Both, therefore, missed out on the three automatic places for promotion to EFL League One and instead took part in the play-offs to determine the fourth promoted team. Port Vale finished two points behind Bristol Rovers (who were promoted in third place) and six behind both second-placed Exeter City and league winners Forest Green Rovers. Northampton dropped to fourth position in the table on the final day of regular season despite winning 3–1 at Barrow, as Bristol Rovers defeated bottom club Scunthorpe United 7–0 to secure automatic promotion on goals scored.

Mansfield Town faced fourth-placed Northampton Town in their play-off semi-final with the first match of the two-legged tie being held at the One Call Stadium in Mansfield on 14 May 2022. Rhys Oates gave the home side an early lead when he struck the ball into the Northampton Town goal through Jonny Maxted's legs. Jordan Bowery then scored in the 31st minute from a Jamie Murphy cross to double Mansfield Town's lead. Midway through the second half, Northampton Town halved the deficit when Ali Koiki scored after a pass from Louis Appéré, and the match ended 2–1.The second leg took place four days later at Sixfields Stadium in Northampton. Steve McLaughlin gave the visiting side the lead in the 31st minute, from an Elliott Hewitt cross, to extend Mansfield Town's aggregate lead. Despite dominating possession, Northampton Town failed to score and the match ended 1–0, with Mansfield Town progressing to the play-off final 3–1 on aggregate.

In the other play-off semi-final, Port Vale faced Swindon Town and the first leg was played on 15 May 2022 at the County Ground in Swindon. Midway through the first half, Harry McKirdy gave the home side the lead, scoring with a header from a Jonny Williams corner. He doubled his side's advantage in the 68th minute: Port Vale goalkeeper Aidan Stone saved a shot from Jack Payne but the ball rebounded to McKirdy who scored. With seven minutes remaining, Port Vale scored through James Wilson who tapped the ball into the Swindon Town goal from a Jamie Proctor shot, and the match ended 2–1 to Swindon Town. The return leg took place at Vale Park four days later. Eight minutes into the match, Kian Harratt crossed the ball for Wilson to score, the level the tie 2–2 on aggregate. No further goals were scored in regular time, and the match went into extra time, during which Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke was sent off after an altercation with Dion Conroy. No additional goals were scored so the game had to be decided with a penalty shoot-out. Swindon Town goalkeeper Lewis Ward saved penalties from both David Worrall and Ryan Edmondson but McKirdy's strike went high over the crossbar. Stone then saved Josh Davison's penalty before Mal Benning scored Port Vale's sixth spot-kick to make it 6–5. Ellis Iandolo's penalty was off-target and Port Vale won the shoot-out to qualify for the final. After the final penalty miss, a crowd of supporters invaded the pitch, with Swindon Town manager Ben Garner claiming that his players had been "verbally and physically abused".

Match

Background

This was Mansfield Town's second appearance in a play-off final, having lost on penalties to Huddersfield Town in the 2004 Football League Third Division play-off Final. They have played in the fourth tier of English football since gaining promotion back to the English Football League after winning the Football Conference in the 2012–13 season. This was Mansfield Town's first visit to Wembley Stadium since losing 1–0 against Darlington in the 2011 FA Trophy Final. Port Vale have participated in play-off finals twice before, winning the two-legged 1989 Football League Third Division play-off Final against Bristol Rovers, and losing the 1993 Football League Second Division play-off Final 3–0 against West Bromwich Albion at the old Wembley stadium. They had played in League Two since being relegated from League One in the 2016–17 season. This year's play-off final marked Port Vale's first appearance at the renovated Wembley Stadium.

In the league games between the sides during the regular season, Port Vale secured a 1–1 draw away at the One Call Stadium in October 2021 before winning 3–1 at home the following March. Going into the final, Wilson was Port Vale's top scorer with 14 goals and 3 assists in 46 matches, followed by Proctor on 13 goals and 5 assists in 33 games. Oates was the leading marksman for Mansfield Town, having scored 12 goals and made 6 assists in 44 games, followed by Bowery on 9 goals and 7 assists in 46 matches.

Port Vale manager Clarke had only returned from bereavement leave 22 days before the final and upon winning the play-off semi-final stated that: "We've got one more game to go against Mansfield, which is fitting because it's where my eldest daughter came from... it's the town where I was born... it'll be an emotional day but I'm looking forward to the final."

In May 2022, the EFL announced that for the first time, the video assistant referee (VAR) system would be used at all play-off finals. The referee for the final will be Jarred Gillett who will be assisted by Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh. James Linnington will be the fourth official while Peter Bankes will act as the VAR.

Details

28 May 2022 (2022-05-28) 16:00 BST	Mansfield Town	0–3	Port Vale	Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 37,303 Referee: Jarred Gillett
	Hawkins  35'	Report	Harratt  20' Wilson  24' Benning  85'

Mansfield Town

Port Vale

Statistics

	Mansfield Town	Port Vale
Possession	58%	42%
Goals scored	0	3
Shots on target	3	6
Shots off target	4	11
Fouls committed	10	6
Corner kicks	5	3
Yellow cards	3	0
Red cards	1	0