2024 National League play-off Final

2024 National League play-off Final

Bromley Solihull Moors 2 2
After extra time Bromley won 4–3 on penalties HT:0–1 Report
Event	2023–24 National League
Date	5 May 2024 (2024-05-05)
Venue	Wembley Stadium, London
Referee	James Durkin
Weather	17 °C (62 °F) Humidity: 56% Wind: 9 km/ h
← 2023

The 2024 National League play-off final, known as the Vanarama National League Promotion Final for sponsorship reasons, was an association football that took place on 5 May 2024 at Wembley Stadium, London, between Bromley and Solihull Moors.

The match determined the second and final team to gain promotion from the National League, the fifth tier of English football, to EFL League Two. The champions of the 2023–24 National League season gained automatic promotion to EFL League Two, while the teams placed from second to seventh took part in the play-offs; Bromley finished in third position while Solihull Moors finished in fifth position. Barnet and Altrincham were the losing semi-finalists, while FC Halifax Town had lost at the eliminator stage. Gateshead had been forced to withdraw from the play-offs due to being unable to meet the EFL's ground regulation rules.

Route to the final

Main article: 2023–24 National League

This will be the fourth meeting of the season between the two clubs. The National League match at Solihull's Damson Park ended in a 1–1 draw, while Bromley won the reverse fixture 3–0 at their Hayes Lane ground. Solihull fared better in the FA Trophy, winning 2–1 away at Bromley in the semi-final.

National League final table, leading positionsBBC

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Chesterfield	46	31	5	10	106	65	+41	98
2	Barnet	46	26	8	12	91	60	+31	86
3	Bromley	46	22	15	9	73	49	+24	81
4	Altrincham	46	22	11	13	84	59	+25	77
5	Solihull Moors	46	21	13	12	71	62	+9	76
6	Gateshead	46	22	9	15	88	64	+24	75
7	FC Halifax Town	46	19	14	13	58	50	+8	71

Quarter-finals

24 April 2024 (2024-04-24)	Solihull Moors	4–2	FC Halifax Town	Solihull
19:00 BST	Campbell  14' Stevens  19' Golden  38' (o.g.) Osborne  87'	Report	Evans  45+1' Hoti  74'	Stadium: Damson Park Attendance: 1,875 Referee: Alan Dale

Semi-finals

27 April 2024 (2024-04-27)	Barnet	0–4	Solihull Moors	Canons Park
17:30 BST		Report	Clarke  6' Stevens  26' Campbell  61' Sbarra  89'	Stadium: The Hive Stadium Attendance: 4,560 Referee: Michael Barlow

28 April 2024 (2024-04-28)	Bromley	3–1	Altrincham	Bromley
16:00 BST	Weston  51', 60' Arthurs  56'	Report	Linney  31'	Stadium: Hayes Lane Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo

Match report

Bromley beat Solihull Moors 4-3 on penalties to secure a dramatic promotion to the English Football League for the first time in the club's 132-year history.

Captain Byron Webster scored the deciding penalty to extend his 100% winning record at Wembley to four matches.

Bromley twice led through top scorer Michael Cheek, who rolled the ball into the bottom to open the scoring.

Joe Sbarra hit back shortly after half-time before Cheek won and scored a penalty to put his side back in front.

Solihull captain Jamey Osborne equalised for the Moors again to send the tie to extra-time, with Ravens substitute Alex Kirk twice hitting the woodwork as neither side could find the winner.

Moors got off to the worst possible start in the shootout with Bromley keeper Grant Smith saving from Tyrese Shade and Joss Labadie, but Nick Hayes denied Ashley Charles to keep Solihull in contention.

They scored their next three but Webster stepped up to net his side’s fourth and send Bromley up to League Two.

Manager Andy Woodman said in the lead-up to the game his goal had always been to take the club to the EFL and Sunday's promotion final was his side's golden ticket, with Solihull also playing for promotion for the first time since the club's formation - from the merger of Solihull Borough and Moor Green - in 2007.

The Ravens were backed by a large section of the 23,000-plus crowd and made a fast start to match that support, with the club's top scorer Cheek bursting through and shrugging off a challenge from Alex Whitmore before slotting beyond Hayes in the Moors goal.

Solihull boss Andy Whing was not happy at half-time and was seen speaking to referee James Durkin as he headed down the tunnel, with question marks over whether Cheek fouled the defender before scoring, but he would have been delighted with his side's response and they were level three minutes into the second half.

Grant Smith could only parry Tahvon Campbell's shot back into the box and Sbarra was quickest to react and score his fourth goal of the season.

But Bromley were presented with a chance to retake the lead within 10 minutes when Hayes brought down Cheek in the area after he had been played in by Corey Whitely.

Cheek sent the penalty straight down the middle for his 23rd goal of the game.

But Solihull would not stay down and again applied to pressure as they went in search of an equaliser.

Osborne ran at the back-pedalling defence and ignored the run of Campbell and Shade, going between the Bromley defenders and slotting a precise strike into the bottom corner beyond the diving Smith.

Kirk's header agonisingly came back off the bar after Cheek flicked the ball on for a corner in the first half of extra time.

And the 21-year-old could not believe it when he saw a late effort crash off the inside of the post, flash across the face of goal and go out behind for a goal kick.

Ultimately it would not matter for the Ravens, as Woodman's side won the shootout to lift the trophy and secure promotion.

Match

Details

5 May 2024 15:00 BST	Bromley	2–2 (a.e.t.)	Solihull Moors	Wembley Stadium Referee: James Durkin
	Cheek  41', 58' (pen.)	HT:0–1 Report	Sbarra  48' Osborne  65'
		Penalties
	Cheek Charles Olomola Arthurs Webster	4–3	Shade Labadie Campbell Boateng Benton

Bromley

Solihull Moors

01 Grant Smith 40 Myles Weston 61' 16 Kamarl Grant 17 Byron Webster (c) 02 Callum Reynolds 113' 30 Idris Odutayo 11 Louis Dennis 82' 20 Jude Arthurs 04 Ashley Charles 18 Corey Whitely 09 Michael Cheek Substitutes: 06 Sam Woods 15 Alex Kirk 61' 29 Olufela Olomola 82' 41 Lewis Thomas 42 Will Davies Manager: Andy Woodman

32 Nick Hayes 06 Kyle Morrison 101' 02 James Clarke 35 Alex Whitmore 03 Joe Newton 08 Callum Maycock 04 Jamey Osborne 95' 88' 10 Tyrese Shade 07 Joe Sbarra 111' 14 Jack Stevens 70' 29 Tahvon Campbell Substitutes: 05 Max Taylor 101' 09 Mark Beck 17 Joss Labadie 95' 18 Jon Benton 70' 33 Nana Boateng 111' Manager: Andy Whing

External links

• Match report at BBC.co.uk