The 2017 League One play-offs got off to a relatively low key start, with Millwall and Scunthorpe United playing out a 0-0 draw and Bradford City marginally gaining an advantage over Fleetwood Town with a 1-0 victory.
Not quite the drama that is so often promised with these encounters, but it’s only half-time, after all. There are sure to be many more twists, turns, tears and celebrations to come.
My countdown of the 30 greatest play-off matches continues with 25-21 below. You can read which I think also made the top 30 here.
25. SWINDON'S SAD STOREY
2013 League One play-off semi-final, second leg: Brentford 3-3 Swindon Town (4-4 on aggregate) (5-4 on penalties)
Following Kevin O'Connor's dramatic 94th minute equaliser at the County Ground two days earlier, both sides headed into the return leg at Griffin Park with the tie finely poised. Brentford had won both league meetings that season, 1-0 and 2-1 respectively, and looked on course for the play-off final when Adam Rooney diverted a corner into his own net and Clayton Donaldson doubled the lead five minutes before the interval.
Rooney atoned for his error to halve the deficit just before half-time, but Donaldson bagged his second to double the Bees' advantage once more. Joe Devera volleyed home to set up a tense finale and with time almost up, Aden Flint headed a climatic equaliser to send the game to extra-time.
With no more goals, referee Nigel Miller called time on a thrilling encounter as the tie went to penalties. After three successful spot-kicks each, up stepped 19-year-old Miles Storey who saw his penalty saved by Simon Moore. Tony Craig and Gary Roberts both converted to make it 4-4 before Adam Forshaw slammed home the winning kick and send Brentford to their first Wembley play-off since 1997.
The Bees went onto lose 2-1 to Yeovil Town in the final, but secured automatic promotion the following season as they finished second in League One.
24. SINCLAIR'S SWAN SONG
2011 Championship play-off final: Reading 2-4 Swansea City
Reading overcame Swansea's fierce rivals Cardiff City to make it to the final, while the Swans beat Nottingham Forest to reach Wembley. The Royals, aiming to secure promotion to the Premier League following their relegation in 2008, lost both games 1-0 to Swansea during the season, but were looking to secure their first victory over the South Wales side since September 2008 - a 4-0 drubbing at the Madejski Stadium.
Amongst the goalscorers that day was Noel Hunt, one of only three survivors of that starting line-up. But in front of 86,581 fans at a packed Wembley Stadium, it was the Swans who ran riot as Scott Sinclair scored twice in as many first half minutes to put Brendan Rodgers' side in cruise control. Stephen Dobbie added a third five minutes before the interval to send the Welsh faithful into raptures as they dreamt of a place in the top flight for the first time since 1983.
PLAY-OFFS AT 30
Celebrating 30 years of unbridled joy and inconsolable agony, a countdown of the greatest play-off matches: 25-21
Article posted: 5 May 2017
PLAY-OFFS AT 30
League One: Bradford City, Fleetwood Town, Millwall and Scunthorpe United all set to battle it out
3 May 2017
PLAY-OFFS AT 30
Celebrating 30 years of unbridled joy and inconsolable agony, a countdown of the greatest play-off matches: 30-26
4 May 2017
Bees fans celebrate
on the pitch
Nathan Byrne receives
his marching orders
Clayton Donaldson
nets for Brentford
Scott Sinclair
bags a penalty
Matt Mills gives
the Royals hope
The former Chelsea winger
fires the Swans to promotion
Joe Allen's own goal four minutes after the restart gave Reading a glimmer of hope and Matt Mills headed home a corner as the most unlikely of comebacks appeared to be on the cards. But when Andy Griffin upended Fabio Borini, referee Phil Dowd had no choice but to point to the spot and Sinclair duly converted to complete his hat-trick ten minutes from time.
Swansea became the first Welsh side to reach the Premier League, while the Royals had to wait another year to secure promotion to the Promised Land as they were crowned champions in 2012.
23. CHAIRBOYS PREVAIL IN GOAL FRENZY
1994 Division Three play-off final: Preston North End 2-4 Wycombe Wanderers
These two sides met on the final day of the season and played out a 1-1 draw at Adams Park. Wycombe had completed a league and cup double the previous campaign as they secured the Conference title and FA Trophy with a 4-1 win over Runcorn. Preston, meanwhile, were aiming for an immediate return to the third tier of English football following their relegation in the 1992/93 season.
To reach Wembley, the Chairboys overcame Carlisle United 4-1 on aggregate while North End needed extra-time to overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit against Torquay United - eventually winning 4-3 on aggregate courtesy of Paul Raynor's goal four minutes from time.
Wycombe try to
make a breakthrough
Preston players
despair
Steve Brown
celebrates
A cagey encounter at the national stadium soon burst into life with Ian Bryson's magnificent overhead kick shortly after the half hour mark to give Preston the lead, before Jamie Squires turned a wayward shot into his own net to level the scores moments later. Raynor restored the Lilywhite's lead four minutes later, but Wycombe were level just after the break as Simon Garner slammed home from close range. Dave Carroll proved to be the hero for Wanderers with two magnificent goals - the first a neat finish after a fine team move, the second a sensational individual goal.
Wycombe, led by Martin O'Neill, were denied the chance of securing a third successive promotion because of the league restructure; their sixth place finish in Division Two was, unfortunately for them, not enough to warrant a place in the play-offs. After further play-off heart ache the following season, Preston eventually sealed promotion to the third tier as champions in 1996.
22. ROVERS BECOME THE LAST FOUNDING MEMBER
1992 Second Division play-off final: Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Leicester City
Both teams had narrowly avoided relegation to the old Third Division the previous season, with Leicester finishing 22nd just two points above the drop zone while Blackburn were two points and three places better off. However, the lure of Premier League football for the following campaign as English football faced a lucrative restructure saw both sides mount a serious promotion bid.
On a dramatic final day, Rovers travelled to Plymouth Argyle who needed a win to secure their Second Division status. Victory for Blackburn would ensure a place in the play-offs ahead of Charlton Athletic, who need to win at Bristol Rovers to stand a chance of making the play-offs. David Speedie bagged a hat-trick for Blackburn and Oxford United claimed a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers to send the Pilgrims down. Charlton lost 1-0 at the Memorial Stadium as their play-off hopes ended on a whim.
Mike Newell scored
the only goal
Blackburn
celebrate promotion
Leicester applaud
their fans
There were goals galore in the semi-finals as Leicester thrashed Cambridge United 6-1 on aggregate courtesy of a 5-0 triumph at Filbert Street in the second leg, while Rovers beat Derby County 5-4 on aggregate. Kenny Dalglish's side were 2-0 down in the first leg at Ewood Park, but went onto claim a 4-2 victory.
The Foxes won both league meetings between the two sides, but it was Blackburn who came out on top in the final courtesy of Mike Newell's 27th minute penalty. Rovers became the final founding member of the Premier League and went on to be crowned champions of England three years later. Leicester were promoted via the play-offs two seasons later, after also losing in the 1993 final.
21. TRY, TRY, TRY AND TRY AGAIN
2000 Division One play-off final: Barnsley 2-4 Ipswich Town
Having come unstuck in the Division One play-offs for three consecutive seasons, Ipswich Town finally secured promotion to the Premier League at the expense of Dave Bassett's Barnsley, who had finished the campaign as the league's top scorers. To reach the final, the Tykes beat Birmingham City 5-2 on aggregate thanks in no large part to a sensational 4-0 victory at St Andrew's in the first leg. George Burley's Tractor Boys overcame Bolton Wanderers 7-5 on aggregate in a thrilling semi-final to reach their first ever play-off final at the fifth attempt.
Barnsley got off to a flier as Craig Hignett's thunderous drive cannoned back off the crossbar, only to hit the unfortunate Richard Wright on the back and bobble over the line. Tony Mowbray, making his 673rd career appearance, rose highest to head home Jim Magilton's cross to draw Ipswich level. As half-time approached, Wright brought down Hignett in the area and referee Terry Heilbron pointed to the spot, but the soon-to-be England goalkeeper atoned for his error and palmed Darren Barnard's penalty away. And so the tie swung firmly in favour of the 1981 UEFA Cup winners.
Craig Hignett belts
home the opener
Martijn Reuser celebrates
the decisive goal
Premier League bound
at the fourth attempt
Richard Naylor, on for the injured David Johnson, put Ipswich ahead shortly after the break before Marcus Stewart, signed from fellow-promotion hopefuls Huddersfield Town that season, doubled the Tractor Boy's advantage. Barnsley were awarded a second penalty with twelve minutes remaining, which Hignett duly dispatched to set up a tense finale, but Martijn Reuser, in his first season with the club, broke away in the dying stages and lashed the ball beyond Kevin Miller to clinch promotion for Ipswich.
Burley would go onto secure a fifth place finish in the Premier League the following season while Barnsley succumbed to relegation two years later, the first time they had been in the third tier of English football since 1981.