2011 Football League Two play-off Final

The 2011 Football League Two play-off Final was a football match contested by Stevenage and Torquay United on 28 May 2011 at Old Trafford in Manchester to decide the fourth team to be promoted from League Two to League One for the 2011–12 season.

2011 Football League Two play-off Final
Old Trafford hosted the match due to the double-booking of the usual venue Wembley Stadium
Event2010–11 Football League Two
Stevenage Torquay United
1 0
Date28 May 2011
VenueOld Trafford, Manchester
RefereeDarren Deadman
Attendance11,484

Under League Two play-off rules, the final is contested by the two teams which secured an aggregate victory over two-legged semi-finals, with the team that finished seventh in the league table (Torquay United) having played fourth (Shrewsbury Town), and sixth (Stevenage) having played fifth (Accrington Stanley).

The format of the match was 90 minutes of normal playing time, with an additional 30 minutes of extra time if the score was tied. A penalty shoot-out would determine the winner if the score remains tied at the end of extra time. Each team was permitted to make three substitutions from seven named substitutes during the course of the match.

Stevenage won the final by a scoreline of 1–0, John Mousinho scoring the only goal of the game on 41 minutes.

Venue controversy

Due to the UEFA Champions League 2011 final being held at Wembley Stadium on 28 May 2011, it appeared that the three Football League play-off finals may have to be played at a different venue for the first time since 2007 due to the double-booking of Wembley.

Manchester United's Old Trafford had been confirmed as a possible alternative, while Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff were also said to be under consideration to host the Championship, League One and League Two play-off finals.[1]

It was later confirmed that Wembley would host the Championship play-off final on 30 May, while Old Trafford would host the League Two and League One finals on 28 and 29 May respectively.[2]

Route to the final

The two-legged semi-finals determined that the final would be contested by Stevenage and Torquay United.

First legs
Torquay United2–0Shrewsbury Town
Zebroski  29'
O'Kane  45+3'		 Report
Attendance: 4,130
Referee: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire)
Stevenage2–0Accrington Stanley
Long  24'
Byrom  45'		 Report
Attendance: 4,424
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)

Second legs
Shrewsbury Town0–0Torquay United
Report
Attendance: 8,452
Referee: Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire)

Torquay United won 2–0 on aggregate.

Accrington Stanley0–1Stevenage
Report Beardsley  90'
Attendance: 4,185
Referee: Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire)

Stevenage won 3–0 on aggregate.

Match

Pre-match

Stevenage were bidding for back-to-back promotions.[3] The season prior, the Hertfordshire club won the Conference Premier title with 99 points,[4] and the 2010–11 season was Stevenage's fledgling season in the Football League.[5] Manager Graham Westley was in his second spell as Stevenage manager,[6][7] and overseeing the most successful period of the club's history.[3] Stevenage secured a play-off place after a run of nine victories out of eleven, propelling the club up the league table and into the play-off positions.[8][9] This included winning six games on the trot, a sequence only matched by Bury during the regular season.[10][11] A 3–3 draw on the last day of the season against Bury confirmed Stevenage's place in the play-offs, finishing sixth with 69 points.[12][13] This meant that they faced fifth placed Accrington Stanley over two legs in the play-off semi-finals, winning both legs and securing an aggregate 3–0 win.[14][15] The club had never competed at League One level in its history.[3]

Torquay were aiming to return to League One, where they last played in the 2004–05 season. Having been relegated from the Football League in 2007,[16] the Devon club returned two seasons later via the play-offs.[17] Torquay went into the match having lost one of their last fourteen in all competitions, with seven clean sheets out of the last nine. Manager Paul Buckle was appointed in June 2007;[18] his team lost the 2008 FA Trophy Final,[19] but returned to Wembley one year later for play-off success against Cambridge United.[17]

Summary

Stevenage secured back-to-back promotions with a 1–0 win, thanks to a 41st-minute John Mousinho shot from the edge of the penalty box. The first half was largely dominated by Stevenage, but Torquay United improved after the interval, with Jake Robinson striking the crossbar with a 20-yard shot.[20]

Details
Stevenage1–0Torquay United
Mousinho  41' Report
Attendance: 11,484
Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire)
Stevenage
Torquay United
GK16Chris Day
DF3Scott Laird
DF14Mark Roberts (c)
DF24Michael Bostwick
DF25Ronnie Henry
DF4Darius Charles 85'
MF2Lawrie Wilson
MF8Stacy Long
MF13Joel Byrom 57'
MF21John Mousinho 59'
FW10Craig Reid 62'
Substitutes:
GK29Joe Welch
DF5Jon Ashton
MF7Darren Murphy 57'
MF17Peter Winn
FW12Ben May
FW20Chris Beardsley 85'
FW26Byron Harrison 90+4' 62'
Manager:
Graham Westley
GK1Scott Bevan
DF3Kevin Nicholson 83'
DF5Chris Robertson
DF7Lee Mansell (c)
DF23Guy Branston
MF8Billy Kee
MF9Jake Robinson 83'
MF10Eunan O'Kane
MF22Damon Lathrope 79'
FW15Gavin Tomlin
FW26Chris Zebroski 55'
Substitutes:
GK16Danny Potter
DF2Lathaniel Rowe-Turner 83'
DF18Joe Oastler 80' 79'
DF4Mark Ellis
MF17Saul Halpin
MF19Danny Stevens 83'
MF14Lloyd Macklin
Manager:
Paul Buckle

Match rules:

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Seven named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

Statistics
[20] Stevenage Torquay United
Goals scored10
Total shots816
Shots on target43
Ball possession54%46%
Corner kicks37
Fouls committed1410
Offsides12
Yellow cards22
Red cards00

References
  1. Ogden, Mark (16 April 2010). "Old Trafford considered as venue for 2010–11 Football League play-off finals". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  2. "2011 Football League Play-off Final and Semi-final Dates". London Events 2011.
  3. "Stevenage revel in their remarkable success". BBC Sport. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  4. "English Conference Premier 2009–2010: Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  5. "Kidderminster 0–2 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  6. "Westley to leave Borough". BBC Beds Herts and Bucks. 15 May 2006. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  7. "Westley named as Stevenage boss". BBC Sport. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  8. "Port Vale 1–3 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  9. "Burton 0–2 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  10. "Stevenage 2–1 Bradford". BBC Sport. 2 April 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  11. "English League Two 2010–2011 : Full Longest Sequences". Statto Organisation. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  12. "Stevenage 3–3 Bury". BBC Sport. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  13. "English League Two 2010–2011 : Table". Statto Organisation. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  14. "Stevenage 2–0 Accrington". BBC Sport. 15 May 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  15. "Accrington 0–1 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  16. "Torquay lose Football League spot". BBC Sport. 14 April 2007. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  17. Begley, Emlyn (17 May 2009). "Cambridge Utd 0–2 Torquay". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  18. "Buckle named as new Torquay boss". BBC Sport. 2 June 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  19. "Ebbsfleet 1–0 Torquay". BBC Sport. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  20. "Stevenage promoted to League One by beating Torquay". BBC Sport. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
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