Exeter City 2-1 Barrow: Grecians promoted from League Two after Matt Jay winner

Matt Jay (right) celebrated his 14th goal of the season - and arguably the most important of his career

Matt Jay's late winner saw Exeter City secure promotion from League Two as they came from a goal down to beat Barrow 2-1 in a nervy affair at St James Park.

The hosts fell behind to a bizarre Cameron Dawson own goal after Remeao Hutton's long throw-in from the left appeared to go straight in.

Kieran Phillips hit the bar for Exeter 15 minutes later before the on-loan Huddersfield Town striker superbly broke to get the equaliser.

Exeter struggled to create any chances after the break until homegrown skipper Jay coolly finished at the far post from Josh Key's cross from the right.

The win sees Exeter return to League One after a decade in the fourth tier.

Exeter keeper Cameron Dawson was judged to have got a touch on Remeao Hutton's throw-in for Barrow's opener

Having started the better the hosts fell behind after Hutton's throw appeared to go straight into the net.

But the referee, after a moment of deliberation and a glance at his assistant, gave the goal having judged that it had taken a touch off Exeter goalkeeper Dawson having hit the post.

Exeter regrouped quickly as Tim Dieng, Jack Sparkes and Jay all had efforts as they had the better of the possession against a Barrow side assured of a third season in the EFL.

Phillips should have put City level when he crashed an effort off the top of the bar from eight yards out after some superb build-up play by Jevani Brown.

But he did find the net when Cheick Diabate's headed clearance from a free-kick fell to his feet midway in his own half and the 22-year-old raced through before his right-footed effort deflected off Patrick Brough and beat a wrong-footed Paul Farman at his near post.

A nervy second half saw Exeter almost go behind when Hutton beat the offside trap, but his low shot was saved by the legs of Dawson just after the hour mark.

But Exeter weathered the storm and Jay - a product of the club's much-vaunted academy who has risen to become skipper - superbly controlled Key's cross before blasting in to send almost 8,000 people in St James Park into raptures.

Sam Nombe almost got a third as his shot was blocked after breaking through in the final minute, before Exeter's fans invaded the pitch on the final whistle as they won promotion on home turf for the first time since 1990.

Exeter end six-year spell of near misses

Exeter's sixth promotion in their 121-year history came after six years of heartbreaking near-misses.

The Grecians were beaten play-off finalists in 2017 when they lost to Blackpool and again a year later when Coventry City defeated them at Wembley.

Matt Taylor's first season in charge ended with City one point outside the play-off places in 2019 before a humbling 4-0 loss to Northampton in a Covid-19 affected play-off final a year later.

Last season the Grecians were three points short but this term - including a club-record 20-game unbeaten run - they have impressed and will deservedly take their place in the third tier for the first time in a decade.

Exeter manager Matt Taylor told BBC Sport:

"It was strange because it felt like it was one of those nights where it wasn't going to be our night and we might not get that goal.

"When it did come I didn't feel nervous at all, I felt we were in control, we knew what we needed to do, they didn't really have any chances after their goal.

"It was a game of very few chances, their goal was a freak goal and our goal was a big deflection as well.

"We've just got to enjoy these moments because this club and some of these players have been through some difficult moments, and to come through it in the way they have and to get promoted with two games left in the automatic positions is a reflection on that group of players.

Exeter goalscorer and captain Matt Jay told BBC Sport:

"I'm absolutely delighted, over the moon, words can't really describe it to be honest.

"This group has been extra special this year, it's a fantastic group, brilliant recruitment and we've really felt together and you could see how much it meant to us at the end.

"The club have been wanting to go up for many, many years, and to finally do that on a special night in front of more than 7,800 fans is a brilliant turnout.

"It was probably a fairly average game, but luckily we got the better of it."