2011 Football League Two play-off Final
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Football League Two play-off final was a football match contested by Stevenage and Torquay United
on 28 May 2011 at Old Trafford
in Manchester to decide the fourth team to be promoted
from League Two
to League One
for the 2011–12 season.
Under League Two play-off
rules, the final is contested by the two teams which secured an aggregate victory over two-legged semi-finals, with the team that finished seventh in the league table (Torquay United
) having played fourth (Shrewsbury Town
), and sixth (Stevenage) having played fifth (Accrington Stanley
).
The format of the match was 90 minutes of normal playing time, with an additional 30 minutes of extra-time
if the score was tied. A penalty shootout would determine the winner if the score remains tied at the end of extra-time. Each team was permitted to make three substitutions from seven named substitutes during the course of the match.
Stevenage won the final by a scoreline of 1–0, John Mousinho
scoring the only goal of the game on 41 minutes.
2011 final
being held at Wembley Stadium
on 28 May 2011, it appeared that the three Football League play-off finals may have to be played at a different venue for the first time since 2007 due to the double-booking of Wembley.
Manchester United
's Old Trafford
had been confirmed as a possible alternative, while Arsenal
's Emirates Stadium
and the Millennium Stadium
in Cardiff
were also said to be under consideration to host the Championship, League One
and League Two
play-off finals.
It was later confirmed that Wembley would host the Championship play-off final on 30 May, while Old Trafford
would host the League Two and League One finals on 28 and 29 May respectively.
.
----
Stevenage won 3–0 on aggregate.
title with 99 points, and the 2010–11 season
was Stevenage's fledgling season in the Football League
. Manager Graham Westley
was in his second spell as Stevenage manager, and overseeing the most successful period of the club's history. Stevenage secured a play-off place after a run of nine victories out of eleven, propelling the club up the league table and into the play-off positions. This included winning six games on the trot, a sequence only matched by Bury
during the regular season. A 3–3 draw on the last day of the season against Bury confirmed Stevenage's place in the play-offs, finishing sixth with 69 points. This meant that they faced fifth placed Accrington Stanley
over two legs in the play-off semi-finals, winning both legs and securing an aggregate 3–0 win. The club had never competed at League One
level in its history.
Torquay were aiming to return to League One
, where they last played in the 2004–05 season. Having been relegated from the Football League
in 2007, the Devon club returned two seasons later via the play-offs. Torquay went into the match having lost one of their last fourteen in all competitions, with seven clean sheets out of the last nine. Manager Paul Buckle
was appointed in June 2007; his team lost the 2008 FA Trophy Final
, but returned to Wembley one year later for play-off success against Cambridge United
.
shot from the edge of the penalty box. The first half was largely dominated by Stevenage, but Torquay United improved after the interval, with Jake Robinson
striking the crossbar with a 20-yard shot.
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
on 28 May 2011 at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
in Manchester to decide the fourth team to be promoted
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
for the 2011–12 season.
Under League Two play-off
Football League Two play-offs
The Football League Two play-offs are a series of play-off matches, contested by the teams finishing from 4th to 7th in the Football League Two table to determine the fourth promotion place to the third tier of English football, League One. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 7th playing...
rules, the final is contested by the two teams which secured an aggregate victory over two-legged semi-finals, with the team that finished seventh in the league table (Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
) having played fourth (Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
), and sixth (Stevenage) having played fifth (Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
).
The format of the match was 90 minutes of normal playing time, with an additional 30 minutes of extra-time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
if the score was tied. A penalty shootout would determine the winner if the score remains tied at the end of extra-time. Each team was permitted to make three substitutions from seven named substitutes during the course of the match.
Stevenage won the final by a scoreline of 1–0, John Mousinho
John Mousinho
John Michael Lewis Mousinho is an English footballer who plays for League One side Stevenage as a midfielder.Mousinho began his professional football career at Brentford, having previously been on the books at Chesham United and Notre Dame Fighting Irish respectively – the latter whilst studying...
scoring the only goal of the game on 41 minutes.
Venue controversy
Due to the UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
2011 final
2011 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
being held at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 28 May 2011, it appeared that the three Football League play-off finals may have to be played at a different venue for the first time since 2007 due to the double-booking of Wembley.
Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
's Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
had been confirmed as a possible alternative, while Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
's Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
and the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
were also said to be under consideration to host the Championship, League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
and League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
play-off finals.
It was later confirmed that Wembley would host the Championship play-off final on 30 May, while Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
would host the League Two and League One finals on 28 and 29 May respectively.
Route to the final
The two-legged semi-finals determined that the final would be contested by Stevenage and Torquay UnitedTorquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
.
First legs
----Second legs
Torquay United won 2–0 on aggregate.----
Stevenage won 3–0 on aggregate.
Pre-match
Stevenage were bidding for back-to-back promotions. The season prior, the Hertfordshire club won the Conference National2009–10 Football Conference
The 2009–10 Football Conference season was the sixth season with the Conference consisting of three divisions, and the thirty-first season overall. The Conference covers the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The Conference National is the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid,...
title with 99 points, and the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Stevenage F.C. season
The 2010–11 season was Stevenage F.C.s first season in the Football League, where the club competed in League Two. This article shows statistics of the club's players in the season, and also lists all matches that the club were played in the season...
was Stevenage's fledgling season in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. Manager Graham Westley
Graham Westley
Graham Neil Westley is an English former footballer and is currently manager of League One side Stevenage, where he has been in charge since 2008, his second spell at the club....
was in his second spell as Stevenage manager, and overseeing the most successful period of the club's history. Stevenage secured a play-off place after a run of nine victories out of eleven, propelling the club up the league table and into the play-off positions. This included winning six games on the trot, a sequence only matched by Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
during the regular season. A 3–3 draw on the last day of the season against Bury confirmed Stevenage's place in the play-offs, finishing sixth with 69 points. This meant that they faced fifth placed Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
over two legs in the play-off semi-finals, winning both legs and securing an aggregate 3–0 win. The club had never competed at League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
level in its history.
Torquay were aiming to return to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, where they last played in the 2004–05 season. Having been relegated from the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
in 2007, the Devon club returned two seasons later via the play-offs. Torquay went into the match having lost one of their last fourteen in all competitions, with seven clean sheets out of the last nine. Manager Paul Buckle
Paul Buckle
Paul John Buckle is an English professional footballer and football club manager. He is currently manager of League Two side Bristol Rovers.-Career:...
was appointed in June 2007; his team lost the 2008 FA Trophy Final
2008 FA Trophy Final
The 2008 FA Trophy Final was the 39th final of The Football Association's cup competition for levels 5-8 of the English football league system. It was contested by Ebbsfleet United and Torquay United on 10 May 2008 at Wembley Stadium in London....
, but returned to Wembley one year later for play-off success against Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
.
Summary
Stevenage secured back-to-back promotions with a 1–0 win, thanks to a 41st-minute John MousinhoJohn Mousinho
John Michael Lewis Mousinho is an English footballer who plays for League One side Stevenage as a midfielder.Mousinho began his professional football career at Brentford, having previously been on the books at Chesham United and Notre Dame Fighting Irish respectively – the latter whilst studying...
shot from the edge of the penalty box. The first half was largely dominated by Stevenage, but Torquay United improved after the interval, with Jake Robinson
Jake Robinson
Jake David Robinson is an English footballer who is currently playing football for English League Two club Northampton Town, having been released by League Two team Shrewsbury Town...
striking the crossbar with a 20-yard shot.
Details
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MATCH RULES
|
Statistics
| Stevenage | Torquay United | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 1 | 0 |
| Total shots | 8 | 16 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 3 |
| Ball possession | 54% | 46% |
| Corner kicks | 3 | 7 |
| Fouls committed | 14 | 10 |
| Offsides | 1 | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |