Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore saluted a “joint effort” from his players after their dramatic late 1-0 win over 10-man South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley sealed a return to the Championship.
Josh Windass won the tie with the last action of 120-plus exhausting minutes as he emulated his dad Dean 15 years ago by bagging a dream play-off final winner.
Moore, whose Owls team return to the second tier after two seasons in League One, said: “This is a special moment – it’s a delightful moment for everyone at the club.
“It means so much to me to have taken such a great club back into the Championship.
“This shows just what can be achieved when a club comes together.
“I’m delighted for Josh. We’ve missed him quite a lot through injuries this season, but he’s got that quality and that instinct to get into the right place to score in those situations.
“It’s not just about Josh, though, it’s been a brilliant joint effort.
“Sometimes it’s about split hairs, and this was a big game at the biggest stadium, but we’ve got over the line when so much was at stake.
“It’s the stuff dreams are made of – it’s been a titanic game and we’ve won it.
“Despite having the extra man our boys were wilting a bit in extra time, but they’ve dug deep.
“Both teams gave it everything, it was incredible stuff, but this is so big for the football club and we have to go and enjoy being back in a Championship league that is so exciting.”
Chances proved to be at a premium in the opening 45 minutes.
Barnsley went closest as both Adam Phillips and Nicky Cadden fluffed decent opportunities.
Barnsley’s cause was then hindered significantly by Phillips’ 49th minute red card following a lunge on Lee Gregory, but they more than held their own as the scores remained goalless after 90 minutes.
However, their resistance, and their hearts, were finally broken with the last action of the game, leaving boss Michael Duff to reflect with pride on what had been an energy-sapping 120 minutes for his players.
Duff said: “Football is a cruel game, and frustration is the over-riding emotion I’m feeling right now.
“My players gave absolutely everything, they did everything they could and so I’m gutted for all of them.
“We’ve come out on the wrong end of a couple of decisions today, and that just adds to the frustration.
“With 11 men we would have grown more into the game, and although there’s no guarantee we would even have gone on to win on penalties, I think that would have been a fairer way to lose.
“Credit to Sheffield Wednesday and Darren Moore. They got 96 points in the regular season, but I don’t think they were the better team today.”
Duff then expanded on the Phillips red card decision and also a potential penalty award that went begging.
“Adam’s was a mis-timed tackle and a bit foolish,” added Duff.
“But there was no intent there so it was maybe a yellow card at worst.
“I’ve had plenty of text messages since the game saying it was a harsh red card, and many of them from people I totally trust in the game.
“We’ve also not had a penalty all season, and we’ve been denied what should have been one in the biggest game of all.”
Des Buckingham feels heavy schedule caught up with Oxford
Oxford boss Des Buckingham felt the heavy schedule of three games in six days took its toll on his team as they were held 1-1 by Stevenage at the Kassam Stadium.
It means it is effectively no longer in Oxford’s hands to reach the League One play-offs because Lincoln are three points behind them with a game in hand and a superior goal difference.
Buckingham felt the decision not to award the U’s a penalty when Marcus Browne appeared to have been fouled by keeper Craig MacGillivray in the first half was crucial.
They had to come from behind as Stevenage went in front through a Sam Long own goal in the 32nd minute, Cameron Brannagan replying from the penalty spot on 58 minutes when Carl Piergianni fouled Ruben Rodrigues – though that appeared to have been outside the box.
Buckingham said: “To play three games in six days is a big ask.
“We had 26 shots but couldn’t get that second goal we needed.
“There was a clear penalty not given in the first half, and for us that’s the second game in a row that one hasn’t been given when it should have been. It was a huge moment in the game, and very frustrating.
“The referee told me he couldn’t see it, but the linesman was only 15 yards away and had a clear view.
“I’m delighted with the performance but ultimately we’ve got just the four points from these three home games, now we need to make sure we prepare right and get three in the last one at Exeter.
“When we looked to rearrange the Lincoln game we chose this week because it was a free week, then Sky told us they wanted to bring this Stevenage one forward and show it on the Friday night which meant three games in six days.
“There was nothing we could do about it, but had we known they were going to do that, we would have played the Lincoln game another week.
“It’s going to be a tight finish – I wouldn’t rule out Blackpool either, and they’ve got to play Barnsley.”
Stevenage had lost manager Steve Evans in the week, with Evans heading north to become Rotherham boss.
Caretaker boss Alex Revell said: “Steve always had two clubs very much in his heart – this one and Rotherham. Believe me, making the decision was probably the hardest thing he’s had to do, he said.
“I wanted to take today and make the players ready. I really enjoyed it because they gave everything.
“I’m very proud of what the lads did tonight.
“We had a great day yesterday in terms of training and getting ready and trying to get a few bits into them.
“They came to a really tough place and worked so hard for each other.
“In spells we created some half-chances, probably not enough, but it was about showing our togetherness as a club and our spirit.
“I think we showed why we have caused teams problems this season, especially with our energy and our workrate.
“The first penalty shout against us was a penalty and should have been given so we got away with that.
“But it doesn’t mean that something that started outside the box should be a penalty. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
Oxford frustrated in play-off push as Stevenage force draw
Oxford squandered a great opportunity to strengthen their bid to reach the play-offs when they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Stevenage.
It leaves them in sixth place in Sky Bet League One, three points ahead of Lincoln, who have a game in hand and superior goal difference.
Stevenage, who lost manager Steve Evans to Rotherham this week, held out for a point despite not having a shot on target – they scored through an own goal – and being under constant pressure.
Stevenage took the lead against the run of play in the 32nd minute when defender Sam Long, pressured by Kane Hemmings behind him, turned Nick Freeman’s left-wing cross into his own net.
The U’s felt they should have had a penalty when Ruben Rodrigues threaded a pass through to Marcus Browne, who looked to be fouled by goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray in a race to reach the ball.
But referee Tom Nield ignored Oxford’s appeals for a spot-kick.
They were awarded one in the 58th minute, though, when Carl Piergianni brought down Rodrigues on the edge of the box after the Portuguese forward got goalside of him. Cameron Brannagan converted.
The home side dominated the first half, with MacGillivray saving Rodrigues’s fierce drive, Long glancing a header just wide at a corner, and Mark Harris nodding wide from a good position.
The second half saw much of the same, MacGillivray saving from Finn Stevens and from Josh Murphy when he raced through.
Stevenage nearly won it late on as Long cleared off the line and then a shot was deflected off a defender and against a post.
Raith Rovers keep unlikely title bid alive with narrow victory at Inverness
Raith Rovers rode their luck to keep alive their slender cinch Championship title hopes with a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at third-bottom Inverness.
Caley Thistle, looking for a third successive win to further boost their survival push, hit the goal frame four times and saw visiting goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski produce a host of stunning saves.
But in the end it was Lewis Vaughan’s 49th-minute strike that settled the contest as Raith, who could have seen leaders Dundee United win the league on Saturday if they had lost at Caledonian Stadium, close the gap on the pacesetters to three points.
Duncan Ferguson’s Inverness created several good chances to take the lead in a one-sided first half, with Dabrowski keeping out Cammy Harper’s 25-yard free-kick before Alex Samuel was denied by a goalline block.
The hosts came even closer in the 21st minute when Harper fired against the bar and then saw Dabrowski fling up a leg and somehow manage to block his follow-up.
Rovers had done little to prove they were the team at the top end of the able in the first half but four minutes after the restart they took the lead, top scorer Vaughan getting on the end of a flick-on to coolly guide the ball past Mark Ridgers.
That proved to be the game’s decisive moment as the Raith goal continued to lead a charmed life, Samuel seeing a curling shot come back off the far post and the brilliant Dabrowski turned over a shot from the same player.
Inverness then hit the crossbar twice in quick succession, Danny Devine and James Carragher seeing headers come back off the goal frame, before Dabrowski tipped over a stoppage-time effort as Raith somehow held on for the three points.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
