Football League + National League

[DC76]

Mini-update


FEEDERS

FC United beat Witton comfortably, 3-1. Hednesford, on the other hand, needed penalties to get by AFC Fylde after the actual match ended a 3-3 draw.

[DC76]

Mini-update.


Why didn't I do these before? League and Conference playoffs underway!


CHAMPIONSHIP

Leicester beat Watford 1-0 yesterday on the strength of a goal by David Nugent. Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove are in the 55rd minute or so, although Brighton are short-handed after Adam el-Abd got sent off.


LEAGUE ONE

I'm a happy camper with how things turned out in the first round of the playoffs; Yeovil beat Sheff U 2-1 on aggregate (coming back from being down 1-0) while Brentford beat Swindon on penalties after 1-1 and 3-3 draws respectively. I suppose Swindon's penance for having Paolo di Fascisto as manager is done. They can now move on. Final between Brentford and Yeovil goes 19 May.


LEAGUE TWO

A double whammy of upsets here. Bradford City beat Burton Albion 5-4 after being down 3-2 (must have been a great tie for the fans to watch!) while Northampton played defensively smart football and won 2-0 over Cheltenham. Final is on 18 May.


CONFERENCE PREMIER

Voi perkele, I really wasn't paying much attention, was I?


Wrexham embarrassed almost-champions Kidderminster 5-2 on aggregate, beating them 2-1 and 3-1 in the respective legs. But it was Newport County surprising everyone, not conceding a goal in the playoffs and scoring four; two against Grimsby (1-0 and 1-0) and two more against Wrexham in the all-Welsh Conference Playoff final.


The Conference North and South finals go on Sunday (as does the second leg of Leicester vs. Watford) while the Northern Premier League final goes tomorrow. Second leg of Brighton vs. Palace is played on Monday.

[Chelmsford_yid]

I had a bet on Brighton to win 2-0 but it ended 0-0.

[DC76]

 


Well, I suppose it'll get sorted in the other leg, amirite?

[DC76]

http://evostikleague.pitchero.com/congratulations-hednesford-town-14436/


And Hednesford lives up to expectations, beating FC United of Manchester 2-1 and joining North Ferriby in Conference North next season. Congrats! 

[DC76]

Another mini-update:


CHAMPIONSHIP

Watford came storming back in the second leg to the tune of 3-1, winning the overall tie 3-2. And now they wait.


CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

Halifax pipped Brackley 1-0 on the strength of a second-half goal by Lee Gregory; It took a little longer for Salisbury to beat Dover - it was 1-1 after regulation. A frenetic extra frame saw Salisbury go up by two before Dover pulled one back. But they couldn't get the all-important equaliser, and thus Salisbury will join Halifax, Chester, and Welling in the Conference Premier next season.

[DC76]

Crystal Palace won, 2-0. Bummer, eh SY?


Plus we have to wait until the 27th for any closure. Gimps.

[DC76]

Well, only one more of these after today and the season's over! Man it goes by fast! 


LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

Leagues One and Two have wrapped up this weekend. In League One it was Yeovil edging Brentford 2-1, so they join Doncaster Rovers and Bournemouth in the Champs next season. I'm really stoked for Yeovil. This is the highest they've ever been, and like I said earlier, I have a bit of a soft spot for them.


As for League Two, Bradford City FC handed Northampton a 3-0 slice of humble pie to join Gillingham, Rotherham, and Port Vale in League One next season.


Championship finals next week! Who will join Cardiff and Hull in replacing QPR, Reading, and *le sigh* Wigan  ? Will it be Watford or Crystal Palace?

[Chelmsford_yid]

I'm Hoping Watford, I go to more away game's then I do Home game's. I haven't been to Watford yet. So Id like to tick it off my ground's list.

[DC76]

Not sure if I really care who wins.   It's not like Yeovil, after all.


tbh, I think the only playoffs I've really cared about this year are either the ones where someone new or unknown to me is coming up through the ranks (as with the feeder playoffs and Conference South), someone I have a soft spot for is winning (League One, Conference North), or unusual occurrences are taking place (Conference Premier's all-Welsh final for example).


Come to think of it, that only rules out League Two and Championship.

[DC76]

Crystal Palace won. 1-0 in ET.

I'll bet Marco Cassetti is going to be persona non grata in Watford for a while. He surrendered a penalty in stoppage time of extra time, and it was a legit foul.

Crystal Palace vs Watford 1-0

Apologies about the Spanish. I couldn't find any clips in English.

[Chelmsford_yid]

Kevin Phillips what a legend scores for every club he plays for.

[Glenn R]

I am not sure who I wanted to see win in this match. I haven't seen CP live for a few years so I'll go with them. It is nice to see new teams in the Premier league (or who haven't been in the league for a long, long time).

[DC76]

I thought I recognised the name; I know of him from his Sunderland and Southampton days. And yeah, SY, he has scored for every club he's played for. Quite literally.

@Voice - I know what you mean. It is good to see more than the same old same-old. Palace haven't been in the Prems for eight years. I'm also looking forward to seeing the Cardiff-Swansea rivalries. 

[Chelmsford_yid]

Kevin Phillips played under Ian for Blackpool, so that why I'm guessing he's at CP These days. Old pair of legs, but a great sub if a goal is needed. Top Bloke

DC - is there any other play offs? Or it all done now?