STOCKPORT COUNTY 1, LEYTON ORIENT 1
(3-3 on aggregate. Leyton Orient won 4-1 on penalties)
Stockport County’s League One play-offs adventure came to an end with a second-leg defeat on penalties under the lights at a sold-out Edgeley Park against Leyton Orient.
Ethan Galbraith converted the decisive kick from 12 yards for the visitors, who will face Charlton at Wembley for the last remaining third-tier promotion spot, and what will be for Orient a chance of going back up to the Championship for the first time in 43 years.
Earlier, having begun the game on level terms with the O’s following the first leg at Brisbane Road, the Hatters conceded in the third minute of the return match to go behind on aggregate, before Tanto Olaofe’s 13th goal of the campaign in all competitions, just over a quarter of an hour from the end, sent the tie into extra time, and ultimately required matters to be settled from the penalty spot.
The Hatters took to the field for an 8pm start on a cloudless Wednesday evening, and with an initial line-up unchanged from that in East London four days earlier. The County bench included Ben Hinchliffe and Jack Diamond, who were back in the squad after, respectively, a lay-off of three months and a three-match suspension.
The O’s, who had enjoyed victories on their last two visits to SK3, made three changes to their side from the first-leg tie, got off to the best of starts, stunning County with a goal from the evening’s first attempt.
One of the visitors’ replacements, Ollie O’Neill, making his first start in four months, struck the early blow, by latching on to Galbraith’s quickly taken, long free kick that caught the Hatters napping down the right, and firing home with just a little over two minutes on the clock.
The Hatters looked to hit back during a subsequent spell of pressure that saw Ibby Touray’s shot from the edge of the box gathered up by visiting goalkeeper Josh Keeley; captain Fraser Horsfall head against the angle of the crossbar and far post, following an Ollie Norwood corner on the right; and Brad Hills meet Norwood’s cross from the same flank to head over.
Horsfall proceeded to connect with another two corners by Norwood, nodding one from the left towards Olaofe, who then cleared the bar with his header, and one from the right beyond the far post.
A corner at the other end, four minutes ahead of the break, saw Orient go closer still as top scorer Charlie Kelman headed O’Neill’s delivery from the left against the underside of the County bar, before Ethan Pye hooked the ball away to safety.
In added time, Norwood fired a free kick from just outside the box that successfully avoided the visitors’ wall but not Keeley who dived smartly to smother.
The Hatters made a double change upon the resumption, as they introduced Kyle Knoyle and Ryan Rydel, although the first opportunity of the new half fell to Orient, with Kelman lifting a shot that Corey Addai did well to tip over.
Half a dozen minutes after the interval, County were the relatively rare recipients of an indirect free-kick inside the area, after Keeley had handled a back pass from skipper Omar Beckles – only for Jayden Fevrier’s shot from the set-piece to be blocked.
With 17 minutes remaining, Norwood stung Keeley’s hands by pinging an angled shot across from the right, but the visiting ‘keeper was powerless to stop the Hatters’ next attempt, as Olaofe instinctively and deftly intercepted substitute Diamond’s low drive from the left to back-heel in the equaliser.
After four minutes of added time were announced, Owen Moxon fired a shot straight at Keeley, while both Norwood and, by way of the best chance, after shrugging off Beckles, Olaofe fired shots over, as County strove in vain to settle matters without the need for extra time.
The first period of extra time saw substitutes on both sides try their luck with Addai gathering up a shot by Randell Williams, and Odin Bailey blasting over after cutting in from the right.
Benoný Andrésson was then brought on for the final 15 minutes of play – during which Keeley kept out two goal-bound efforts by Horsfall, either side of a header that Bailey glanced narrowly shy of the left upright. Bailey then fired past the same post at the death – and, with the balance of the tie left unaltered, penalties were required.
The shoot-out at the Cheadle End saw Norwood make no mistake with his spot-kick, but Diamond’s was saved by Keeley, and Rydel’s agonisingly struck the inside of the left post without crossing the line. The first four visiting takers, meanwhile, all put theirs away with Galbraith ultimately ensuring Orient’s passage to the Final, as well as a second season back in League One for County.
Goals: Olaofe (74) for Stockport, O’Neill (3) for Leyton Orient.
Stockport County (3-4-1-2): Addai; Hills (Knoyle 46), Horsfall, Pye; Fevrier (Diamond 61), Norwood, Moxon, Touray (Rydel 46); Collar (Bailey 83); Wootton, Olaofe (Andrésson 106). Subs (unused): Hinchliffe, Bate
Man of the Match: Olaofe.
Attendance: 10,592 (1,088 away).
Report: Gareth Evans.