League Two promotion and playoffs confirmed on dramatic final day of 2021/22 season

In this article, we look at the League Two promotion and playoffs with it all confirmed on what is a dramatic final day of 2021/22 season.

Going into Saturday afternoon’s game, we knew that Exeter will be champions if they win or Forest Green fail to better their result, while Forest Green will be champions if they better Exeter’s result.

Northampton will be promoted if they win, providing Bristol Rovers don’t win by five more goals. A point will be enough if Bristol Rovers, Mansfield and Port Vale all fail to win.

Bristol Rovers will be promoted if they win and Northampton fail to win or if they win by five more goals than Northampton do. A point will be enough if Northampton lose and Mansfield and Port Vale fail to win.

Mansfield will be promoted if they win and Northampton & Bristol Rovers fail to win. A point will be enough if Northampton lose by five goals, Bristol Rovers lose and Port Vale and Swindon fail to win.

Port Vale will be promoted if they win and Northampton, Bristol Rovers and Mansfield all fail to win.

Swindon will be promoted if they win, Northampton and Bristol Rovers lose and Mansfield and Port Vale fail to win.

And in the play-off picture…

Mansfield will be in the play-offs if they avoid defeat.

Port Vale will be in the play-offs if they win.

Swindon will be in the play-offs if they win.

Sutton will be in the play-offs if they win, Mansfield or Port Vale lose or Swindon fail to win.

Tranmere will be in the play-offs if they win, Swindon lose and Sutton fail to win.

GOAL: Walsall 0-1 Swindon Town

Harry McKirdy (3 mins)

What a season Harry McKirdy has been having!

He gets his Swindon team off to the perfect start only three minutes in, striking the ball into the top corner for his 21st goal of the season.

GOAL: Barrow 0-1 Northampton

Sam Hoskins (5 mins)

The Cobblers get the early breakthrough!

Sam Hoskins curls home from 20 yards out and if they can hold on to this they are UP!

GOAL: Harrogate 0-1 Sutton

Craig Eastmond (8 mins)

Sutton skipper Craig Eastmond gives his charges the lead.

Omar Bugiel’s effort hits the bar and then the post and Eastmond makes sure it gets in the net by poking it in on the line.

Sutton must win today and hope other results go their way to claim a play-off spot.

GOAL: Barrow 0-2 Northampton

Fraser Horsfall (14 mins)

The promotion party can almost, just about start in Northampton!

Fraser Horsfall heads home from a corner and the Cobblers look set to bounce straight back to League One.

GOAL: Bristol Rovers 1-0 Scunthorpe

Oliver Lobley og (18 mins)

Newcastle loanee Elliot Anderson has been exceptional since joining Rovers in January and again he produces a clever bit of play down the left wing.

He crosses it into the box with the outside of his boot and poor Oliver Lobley somehow sends it into the net beyond his own keeper.

GOAL: Mansfield 1-0 Forest Green Rovers

Matty Longstaff (17 mins)

GOAL: Barrow 0-3 Northampton

Oh wait. It’s 3-0 now.

Sam Hoskins scores his second and Northampton’s third.

Great finish and the Cobblers are flying towards promotion.

GOAL: Bristol Rovers 2-0 Scunthorpe United

Connor Taylor (22 mins)

Anything Northampton can do…

Two goals in four minutes for Rovers as Connor Taylor doubles the lead for the hosts to keep up the chase (even if it might be futile) on Northampton.

Elliot Anderson is involved again, this time crossing into the box from a corner for Taylor to head home.

Goal difference means that Bristol Rovers are going to need to win 8-0 – as it stands – if they’re to take third ahead of the Cobblers. Don’t rule it out…

GOAL: Walsall 0-2 Swindon Town

Jack Payne (25 mins)

Ben Garner will be delighted as his Swindon team are heading to the play-offs as it stands. It really would cap a remarkable season when you consider the state the team was in not even a year ago.

This time, it’s a left-footed shot from Jack Payne that gives him his 12th goal of the season and his team’s second of the afternoon.

GOAL: Exeter City 0-1 Port Vale

James Wilson (36 mins)

BIG goal for Port Vale!

GOAL: Leyton Orient 0-1 Tranmere

Kane Hemmings (37 mins)

The away side have the breakthrough but it’s almost certainly not going to be enough.

Kane Hemmings finishes after a nice move by Rovers.

GOAL: Barrow 1-3 Northampton

Josh Kay (44 mins)

Could they? Probably not, no.

Barrow get a goal back through Josh Kay’s finish from John Rooney’s corner.

Northampton still going up as it stands.

HALF TIME SCORES:

HT Barrow 1-3 Northampton Town
HT Bradford City 1-0 Carlisle United
HT Bristol Rovers 2-0 Scunthorpe United
HT Exeter City 0-1 Port Vale
HT Harrogate Town 0-1 Sutton United
HT Hartlepool United 0-1 Colchester United
HT Leyton Orient 0-1 Tranmere Rovers
HT Mansfield Town 1-0 Forest Green Rovers
HT Newport County 0-1 Rochdale
HT Oldham Athletic 2-2 Crawley Town
HT Stevenage 2-1 Salford City
HT Walsall 0-3 Swindon Town

League Two half-time headlines

– Exeter set to win the title despite trailing 1-0 at home to Port Vale as Mansfield lead against second-placed Forest Green.

– Northampton on to finish third as they lead Barrow 3-1, while fourth-placed Bristol Rovers are two goals to the good against relegated Scunthorpe.

– Swindon easing into the play-offs with a 3-0 half-time lead at Walsall.

– Sutton and Tranmere 1-0 up at Harrogate and Leyton Orient respectively but both set to miss out on the play-offs.

GOAL: Bristol Rovers 3-0 Scunthorpe United

Aaron Collins (53 mins)

Well, Bristol Rovers are doing their bit to reduce that goal deficit to Northampton Town.

This time, it’s Aaron Collins with his 17th goal of the season, who looks up, picks his spot and smashes the ball beyond Owen Foster.

Tellingly Elliot Anderson is involved, again, with his third assist of the afternoon.

GOAL: Bristol Rovers 4-0 Scunthorpe United

Anthony Evans (60 mins)

They couldn’t, could they??

Anthony Evans is next to add his name to the Bristol Rovers scoresheet, sending a thumping right-footed shot into the bottom left corner.

Bristol Rovers really are throwing everything at this, just as Joey Barton said they would – the stat count says they’re up to 21 shots with half an hour still to go.

The goal difference gap to Northampton is now down to three.

GOAL: Mansfield 1-1 Forest Green Rovers

Ebou Adams (64 mins)

Massive, massive goal at Field Mill as Ebou Adams gets Forest Green back into this and, as it stands, gives them the League Two title.

Jamille Matt plays in Adams as Forest Green break on the counter attack. The goalkeeper comes out, but can’t collect the ball, and Adams gets it past him into the net.

Mansfield slide down to seventh as it stands, one point ahead of Sutton and on the same goal difference.

GOAL: Bristol Rovers 5-0 Scunthorpe United

Anthony Evans (75 mins)

Northampton better start looking over their shoulders, as Bristol Rovers are on one massive mission this afternoon.

They’re up to 5-0 through top scorer Anthony Evans, who gets his second of the afternoon with an excellent free-kick from 25 yards out.

It goes up and over the wall and straight into the top corner.

The way Rovers are playing, there could easily be more goals in this match.

GOAL: Bristol Rovers 6-0 Scunthorpe United

Aaron Collins (79 mins)

What on earth is happening in Bristol this afternoon! If the Memorial Stadium had a roof it would have lifted off by now.

Bristol Rovers are up to six – yes, SIX – goals and are only one away from catching Northampton and moving up to automatic promotion.

Harry Anderson cut the ball back into the box and Aaron Collins is ready to slot it into the net for his second.

GOAL: Harrogate 0-2 Sutton

Isaac Olaofe (78 mins)

Sutton lead 2-0 thanks to Isaac Olaofe’s goal but it wont be enough for a play-off spot.

GOAL: Mansfield 2-1 Forest Green Rovers

Jordan Bowery (78 mins)

Jordan Bowery taps in from a cross to put Mansfield back ahead – and throw the title race back open – but wait, there’s another twist…

GOAL: Mansfield 2-2 Forest Green Rovers

Josh March (80 mins)

Goodness, what an afternoon we’re having.

Seconds after Mansfield go back into the lead, substitute Josh March draws Forest Green level again immediately after coming on.

March might not have scored a more important goal all season.

GOAL: Bristol Rovers 7-0 Scunthorpe

Elliot Anderson (83 mins)

Both sets of players have currently been taken off the pitch and the match suspended as the stewards try to clear the hundreds of home fans that have jumped the barriers and ran onto the field.

This should be a time for the fans and players to see out the match and celebrate. The last time Bristol Rovers scored seven goals in a game was way back in 1964.

Northampton need a goal now!

Into the final five minutes at Holker Street…

FULL-TIME

Barrow 1-3 Northampton

Northampton will be in the play-offs, despite starting the day in third and winning.

Unless, unless Scunthorpe can pull a late goal back against Bristol Rovers when that game restarts.

They’re off the pitch there at the moment after a mass pitch invasion.

We’ve finally, finally got the players back on the pitch as the referee gets it up and running again at the Mem.

The security has been significantly bolstered around the stands but the referee has suggested that if fans return to the pitch again the game will be abandoned.

At 7-0 to @Official_BRFC some of the crowd burst over the barriers onto the pitch. Match paused. #BRFC #UpTheGas pic.twitter.com/CW4UAN23ox

— Cari Davies (@CariDaviesTV) May 7, 2022

Absolute madness for goal 7.

It’s 7-0 to #BristolRovers 😳 pic.twitter.com/2qWhsfkZIk

— BBC Radio Bristol (@bbcrb) May 7, 2022

FULL TIME SCORES

Barrow (1) 1-3 (3) Northampton Town
Bradford City (1) 2-0 (0) Carlisle United
Bristol Rovers (2) 7-0 (0) Scunthorpe United
Exeter City (0) 0-1 (1) Port Vale
Harrogate Town (0) 0-2 (1) Sutton United
Hartlepool United (0) 0-2 (1) Colchester United
Leyton Orient (0) 0-1 (1) Tranmere Rovers
Mansfield Town (1) 2-2 (0) Forest Green Rovers
Newport County (0) 0-2 (1) Rochdale
Oldham Athletic (2) 3-3 (2) Crawley Town
Stevenage (2) 4-2 (1) Salford City
Walsall (0) 0-3 (3) Swindon Town

League Two play-off schedule confirmed

Forest Green are crowned champions of League Two 🏆 🟢 pic.twitter.com/Z1Na6pMQxL

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 7, 2022

IT’S ALL OVER, AN INCREDIBLE 7-0 WIN SENDS BRISTOL ROVERS INTO LEAGUE ONE ON GOAL DIFFERENCE 😳 👏 pic.twitter.com/p8j78z9nz9

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 7, 2022