League 1 Play-Off Final 2022/23

Wembley… For the fifth time today for the League 1 play-off final between Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday! It’s a Yorkshire takeover and a Yorkshire derby to decide who takes a place in the Championship!

Thanks to the Super Stag of all people for helping me out with a ticket for today in the Barnsley end and I am off all the way down the M1 into Canon’s Park and into the car park just like last year for the Women’s Euros Final!

Into Canon’s Park station and there she is! That Wembley arch is there again! 3 stops later and here I am at Wembley Park station just like last year again! It’s a sea of Blue & White here so far and it’s only 10am!

A little look around Wembley way and now a quick trip down memory lane to the Torch just behind Wembley Park station where the Mansfield fans gathered before last season’s League 2 play-off final… Wednesday fans have it today.

Where can Barnsley fans go before the game today then? There are red shirts queuing up at Boxpark here! My fifth time here and my first time in Boxpark! Let’s go!

This is great! It looks like a place to eat as well on non football days too. Great to see a familiar face here! I knew there would be someone! Adam from my Level 2 Coaching badge course is here for the 10th time at Wembley and not the first with Barnsley! As Boxpark welcomes more Barnsley fans, the atmosphere grows!

Time rolls on and… Shaun is in the Green Man hotel! So it’s goodbye to Adam for now and over to the Green Man. Here I am and… That’s a long queue…… Looks like this could be given a miss as the security are trying to wave people away… I’m going for it anyway whilst the queue has shortened! That wasn’t so bad… But I bet finding Shaun will be in this… Full to the brim in here with a sea of Red.

Gotcha! Shaun has been found and here we are! The atmosphere in here is something to cherish! Pyros and singing galore! “He’s got a plant pot on his head! ON HIS HEAD!”

As I have driven down and with the queues at the bar pretty much full, I’m off to the ground! Goodbye to Shaun for now and off I go… But not without seeing another familiar face! A former work colleague of mine named Jory is here! I knew I’d see him at some point!

Back to Wembley way and up the steps and to the Yellow Zone. The Super Stag knew where he was putting me today! £55 to watch this League One Play-Off Final! Erm… Oh well! I’m in now, here we go again!

Out come the players for their warm ups and you can tell which of the fan bases is generating the most noise so far and unfortunately is isn’t in this end… Let’s hope it’s not a sign of things to come.

Time for the DJ to give it to the fans as Cocoon by Timerider echoes around the ground for the Barnsley fans! Not your typical football anthem but it works for the Barnsley fans but now it’s time for a bit of Hi Ho…

You can see what the Barnsley fans think of that one! Meanwhile here’s the concourse:

We’re ready to go and out come the teams! This is going to be something special I can feel it here! The National Anthem is done and it’s time to go! Who will be the pride of Yorkshire today? The Barnsley fans are up for it!

Kick Off! 7 minutes in and Wednesday play it out right, it’s crossed in, it’s headed away but only to Bannan who chests and volleys… Good block! It’s headed out for a corner, in it comes… Headed away but Wednesday get it out to Bannan again, he plays it to Palmer who plays it back in, flicked at goal… Saved! Barnsley get it away.

“EIEIEIO! Up the Football League we go! When we get promotion this is what we’ll sing! WE ARE BARNSLEY WE ARE BARNSLEY! Duffy is our king!” Brilliant from Barnsley so far!

14th minute and Barnsley play it in to the box, it’s headed down for Adam Phillips to strike… Oooooh! Over! That’s better from Barnsley!

“We’re all Wednesday aren’t we! All Wednesday aren’t we! OLE OLE!” Wednesday fans in good spirits now but what about Barnsley? “F***king hate Wednesday! F***king hate Wednesday! OLE OLE! Some response. 32 minutes now and it’s a corner for Barnsley, it’s whipped in… It’s headed away but only to Nicky Cadden to strike at the edge of the box… It’s over!

Into stoppage time now and it’s another corner for Barnsley, it’s played in again… Bobby Thomas with the header… Over! A poor first half finishes goalless… Not what I expected in all fairness.

Second half… Straight away and it’s a throw in on the right for Barnsley, it’s a long one into the middle… It’s headed up in the air… OH! Was that a foul on the Barnsley man? A clear kick to the boot there! Wednesday clear but surely VAR will look at that?

VAR will look at it and you can feel the excitement in the Barnsley end now as this is checked! Surely that has to be a Penalty… A huge roar… From the Wednesday end as it won’t be given… That’s a poor decision there for me!

49 minutes on the clock and it’s a loose ball in the Wednesday half, Adam Phillips goes sliding in recklessly on Lee Gregory… Uh-oh! That wasn’t good! It didn’t look too good from my view… He’s off! Oh no! Tough one! VAR is checking this one… VAR agrees with the Referee and it is a Red Card! Barnsley down to 10 as the Wednesday fans wave cheerio…

The Barnsley fans aren’t fazed by it too much! 53 minutes gone and Barnsley play in a long throw from the left, it’s headed out, it’s volleyed back in… It’s deflected off Liam Kitching’s head… OH IT’S OFF THE BAR! My word that was so close! Wednesday clear the danger. Oh Barnsley!

55th minute now and Wednesday come forward, it’s played to Bannan in the box on the left, he beats his man and shoots… OH! Just over! You can’t let him in like that! What a chance!

1 minute later and here come Barnsley, Nicky Cadden in the box on the left now and he shoots… Saved! Corner comes in… It’s cleared by Wednesday!

1 minute after that and this game really has sprung into life! Wednesday down the left, it’s played across, the defender gets to it and that could go anywhere… The keeper parries, Michael Smith is there for the rebound… And somehow it’s saved! Couldn’t get enough on it in the end and Barnsley are reprieved.

78th minute now and Barnsley hit it forward, James Norwood shrugs off the defender and he goes for goal in the box on the right… BRILLIANT SAVE! It’s tipped over by Cameron Dawson! Corner again and it comes in… Cleared by Wednesday. The game has slowed down again and it will go to extra time… Barnsley fans aren’t liking the thought of this…

Extra time! 91 minutes now and Wednesday have it on the left, it’s crossed in, headed at goal… It’s off the line! Wednesday straight out the blocks and the Barnsley fans feel like this could be a long half an hour here…

98th minute and Wednesday play down the right, they get into the box and play it across, Smith is THERE… SAVED! It’s loose… Barnsley somehow get it clear and HOW?! Brilliant goalkeeping by Isted!

101 gone and Wednesday hit it forward, Michael Smith holds off the defender and plays it out left, it’s set up for Bannan to shoot… WHAT A SAVE! Isted tips it wide for a corner, in it comes… Cleared by Barnsley.

1 minute later and Barnsley break forward, it’s played to James Norwood in the box on the right and he plays it across, it’s Luca CONNELL… OH HE’S MISSED IT… What a chance!! Luca Connell of all people fluffs his lines… He had the chance to really put on a show there! Half time in extra time and it’s still 0-0…

Second half, 106 minutes now and Wednesday come forward and it’s hit out to the right, it’s played to Will Vaulks on the edge of the box to strike… OH WHAT A STRIKE! Wednesday in delirium… Oh wait he’s Offside! The flag is up and the players haven’t seen it yet………… They have now! Barnsley fans enjoyed that one! Still 0-0!

116th minute and Wednesday play it into the box, it’s headed across and here’s Lee GREGORY… OH! What a block that was! Bodies on the line stuff that! The Barnsley fans still singing their hearts out for their team though!

We are into stoppage time at the end of extra time here now and Wednesday play it down the left, they get into the box and it’s crossed in, Josh Windass with the diving header… OHHHHHHH!! HE’S DONE IT!! I honestly don’t believe it… Wednesday fans go CRAAAZZZZYYYY!!! The noise generated from the Wednesday fans in that end now is biblical! As for Barnsley… It’s pin drop silence here…

Play continues… No it doesn’t! The Referee has blown for full time, it really was the last kick of the game! Oh Barnsley! There’s grown men and children in tears on the way out… The worst way to lose a match at the end of the season and to your bitter rivals… That is brutal on steroids! A massive Hi Ho from the Wednesday end as they return to the Championship! Hard luck Barnsley!

FT: Barnsley 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday AET

Ratings

• Atmosphere: 9/10 – Very loud in there at times! The Barnsley fans have certainly gone up in my estimations after that! I hope the Ponty end is like that every weekend! The Wednesday fans made a lot of noise with their numbers but not as often as the Barnsley fans in my opinion. Brilliant from both sets of fans nonetheless!
• Build-Up: 7/10 – Not bad! It’s the first time I’ve been in Boxpark and hopefully not the last! Brilliant in the ground before kick off as well.
• Expense: 7/10 – £40 for fuel, £55 for the ticket and a bit more for food & drink, worth it? Loved the day out but the game was a bit of let down all in all.
• Overall Experience: 9/10 – I witnessed a moment in play off history today! I do wish it was in the Ponty end south though… As a neutral I think the best team went up throughout the course of the season but absolutely devastating to see the dismay of the Barnsley fans after the game… It really is the worst way to lose but the best way to win! I have now lost at Wembley in the 120th minute twice! Has anyone else got that record?

32/40