1996 Football League Third Division play-off final
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Date | 25 May 1996 | ||||||
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Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
Man of the Match | Matty Appleby | ||||||
Referee | William Burns (North Yorkshire) | ||||||
Attendance | 43,431[1] | ||||||
The 1996 Football League Third Division play-off Final was a
It was contested by Plymouth Argyle, who finished fourth in the Third Division table, and Darlington, who finished fifth. The teams reached the final by defeating Colchester United and Hereford United respectively in the two-legged semi-finals.
Plymouth Argyle won the match 1–0 thanks to a headed goal from Ronnie Mauge to gain promotion back to the third tier of English football one season after being relegated. For the club's manager, Neil Warnock, it was his fourth success in the play-offs as a manager, having achieved it twice with Notts County and once with Huddersfield Town. His counterpart, Jim Platt, would leave full-time management at the end of that year.
Route to the final
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Preston North End | 46 | 23 | 17 | 6 | 78 | 38 | 86 |
2. | Gillingham | 46 | 22 | 17 | 7 | 49 | 20 | 83 |
3. | Bury | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 66 | 48 | 79 |
4. | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 68 | 49 | 78 |
5. | Darlington | 46 | 20 | 18 | 8 | 60 | 42 | 78 |
6. | Hereford United | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 65 | 47 | 74 |
7. | Colchester United | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 61 | 51 | 72 |
Plymouth Argyle had finished the
In the play-off semi-finals, Darlington were paired with sixth-placed Hereford United and Plymouth Argyle with seventh-place finishers Colchester United. Darlington won their first leg tie 2–1 at Edgar Street courtesy of goals from Robbie Blake and Sean Gregan.[5] They also won the second leg by the same scoreline at Feethams with Matty Appleby and Robbie Painter on the scoresheet.[6]
Plymouth Argyle lost the first leg of their semi-final tie 1–0 at Layer Road after a goal from Mark Kinsella,[7] but they responded in the second leg at Home Park. Goals from Mickey Evans, Chris Leadbitter and Paul Williams were enough to secure a 3–1 win and a 3–2 victory on aggregate.[8] The results set up a first visit to Wembley Stadium for the supporters of both clubs.[6][8]
Plymouth Argyle | Darlington | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opponent | Result | Legs | Round | Opponent | Result | Legs |
Colchester United | 3–2 | 0–1 away; 3–1 home | Semi-finals | Hereford United | 4–2 | 2–1 away; 2–1 home |
Pre-match
The two teams were competing for
Plymouth Argyle manager
Match
Summary
Darlington were the first to settle with Gary Bannister a prominent player in midfield, but Plymouth Argyle eventually found their rhythm and had the first real goalscoring opportunity after ten minutes.[1] Adrian Littlejohn found space after a one-two with Mickey Evans, but his first touch let him down and the opportunity was not taken. Darlington's main threat was coming from attacking full back Appleby and he had their best chance of the match midway through the first half. He carved out the initial chance, having carried the ball half the length of the pitch, but team-mate Steven Gaughan was unable to convert. The hasty clearance from Argyle found its way back to Appleby but he sent his shot over the crossbar with goalkeeper Cherry completely exposed.[19]
Plymouth Argyle came close to making their opponents pay for their profligacy in front of goal with Evans lifting a volley over the crossbar.[1] Darlington's captain Andy Crosby was proving to be a formidable figure at the heart of his team's defence, but Argyle fashioned another chance to open the scoring just before half-time. A flick on by Evans presented Adrian Littlejohn with the opportunity to redeem his earlier miss, but he dragged his shot wide.[20]
There were few clear-cut chances at the start of the second half, but Plymouth Argyle were winning the midfield battle with Mauge and Chris Leadbitter leading by example with a number of forceful tackles.[1] The pivotal moment arrived on 65 minutes after Martin Barlow had earned a corner-kick on the right-hand side. Leadbitter played the ball short to full back Mark Patterson, whose well-measured cross was met firmly by the unmarked Mauge to head into the back of the net.[1] Darlington tried to force their way back into the match, but were being thwarted by Plymouth Argyle captain Mick Heathcote and his defensive colleagues which left strikers Robbie Blake and Robbie Painter,[21] who both scored in the semi-finals, with little to work on.[20] As Darlington committed more players forward in search of an equaliser they left themselves exposed in defence which gave the leading side more space to launch counter-attacks. Evans and Littlejohn threatened to score the decisive second goal, but in the end Mauge's headed finish midway through the second half proved to be enough to claim the final promotion place for the team from Devon.[1] The match was by no means a classic, with serious goalscoring chances at a premium, but to the winners it did not matter.[22]
Details
Plymouth Argyle | 1–0 | Darlington |
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Mauge 65' | Report |
Plymouth Argyle
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Darlington
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Match rules:
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Post-match
After the final whistle Plymouth Argyle's captain Mick Heathcote received the winners' trophy before parading it in front of the club's supporters on the pitch. For the club's manager, Neil Warnock,[23] it was his fourth play-off success at Wembley Stadium. He commented on his past experiences that "It can't be a hindrance, having done it before, but it doesn't make it any less tense. It makes it a very long season. I had booked a holiday starting today – I suppose I should have known better".[24]
Warnock was also full of praise for his counterpart, Jim Platt, commenting that "He should be made manager of the year for what he's done at that club". Citing Darlington's financial worries "Everyone thought they would blow up, but they didn't – they got within an ace. Unfortunately, someone has to lose".[19] Platt, a former Northern Ireland international, was equally optimistic. He said "My side is very young – nearly all of them in their early 20s. I think we will be here again next season or go up automatically – if we can keep the side together".[19]
As a result of their victory, Plymouth Argyle returned to the third tier of English football just one year after being relegated to the fourth tier for the first time in its history. They returned to the Third Division two years later before being promoted as
See also
- 1996 Football League First Division play-off final
- 1996 Football League Second Division play-off final
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Pilgrims progress" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. London. 26 May 1996. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Final 1995–96 Football League Two Table" Archived 15 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Plymouth Argyle 3–0 Hartlepool United"[permanent dead link]. Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Bury 3–0 Cardiff City"[permanent dead link]. Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Darlington stage fightback" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. London. 13 May 1996. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Hereford fall to Painter" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. London. 16 May 1996. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Kinsella lifts Colchester" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. London. 13 May 1996. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Plymouth land knockout blow" Archived 6 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. London. 16 May 1996. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Platt keeps the faith" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. London. 19 May 1996. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ "Greatest team of the 20th century" Archived 12 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. London. 17 December 1999. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Wycombe Wanderers 4–2 Preston North End"[permanent dead link]. Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Northampton Town 1–0 Swansea City" Archived 20 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Plymouth Argyle". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Platt fired up for Wembley" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. 25 May 1996. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ "Plymouth Argyle: 1995–96" Archived 25 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Greens on Screen. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Steve Cherry" Archived 25 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine Greens on Screen. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Darlington Managers" Archived 5 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Matty Appleby". Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ a b c "Jim'll fix it" Archived 25 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine. The Sunday Mirror. London. 26 May 1996. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Mauge magic". The Sunday Mirror. London. 26 May 1996. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ "Can we afford to lose 120 years of history?" Archived 17 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. The Northern Echo. Darlington. 31 January 2004. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ^ Danes, Ryan (2009). Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record. Plymouth: Breedon Books. pp. 73–74.
- ^ "Neil Warnock" Archived 25 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Greens on Screen. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Devon cream rises to the top" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. London 27 May 1996. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ Danes. Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record. pp. 340–341.
- ^ Danes. Plymouth Argyle: A Complete Record. pp. 344–345.
- ^ "Plymouth Argyle" Archived 5 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Jim Platt" Archived 16 November 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Soccerbase. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ^ "Darlington" Archived 19 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 9 March 2010.