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Notts County are back in the Football League after a penalty shoot-out victory over Chesterfield at Wembley.
As ever, it was a pulsating National League final with Chesterfield taking the lead early on in the game.
Goalkeeper Sam Slocombe came out of his area and brought down Andrew Dallas to give the Spireites an early penalty. After winning the spot-kick, Dallas converted it as Notts County suffered the worst possible start.
But you don’t get to finish a season with 107 points without being resilient, although Luke Williams’ team really had to wait for an equaliser.
With 88 minutes gone, Notts County had a free-kick outside the area. It looked set for John Bostock to whip in a ball that his teammates could attack but instead, he sent a freekick low towards the inside of the post that Ross Fitzsimmons should have done better to prevent finding a way into the net.
The game was taken to extra-time where Chesterfield took the lead for a second time in the game thanks to a sensational finish from Armando Dobra.
But again Notts County fought back, scoring in the second period of extra time. A cross from the left wasn’t dealt with by the Chesterfield defence allowing the ball to bounce out to Rúben Rodrigues, who hit the ball into the ground which enabled it to loop into the goal.
So, after a long, dramatic National League season it went to penalties in front of the Notts County fans at Wembley. Luke Williams had made the gutsy call to change goalkeepers for the shoot-out with Archie Mair taking the place of Slocombe.
It was a gamble that worked, with the penalties at 1-1 a piece, Mair dived to his right to stop Darren Oldaker’s spot and did the same for Jeff King’s effort as well.
That meant that with the score 3-2 to Notts County in the shoot-out that John Bostock had the chance to win it. However, the midfielder went for a cheeky panenka that he had to see agonisingly bounce back off the bar.
Joe Quigley then scored the next Chesterfield penalty to give his side hopes that were then dashed as Cedwyn Scott – who memorably had a penalty saved by Ben Foster in the game against Wrexham – stepped up to seal it.
This time, Scott made no mistake with his goal sending Notts County back into the Football League at long last.
WE'VE DONE IT!!!!! pic.twitter.com/iV4XlZYikQ
— Notts County FC (@Official_NCFC) May 13, 2023
2-2 (3-4 pens) | ||
Andrew Dallas 6' (pen.) Armando Dobra 93' | John Bostock 88' Rúben Rodrigues 108' |
