Exeter City 0-1 Port Vale: Exeter miss out on first league title in 32 years
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James Wilson's first-half goal cost Exeter a first title since they won the old Division Four in 1990
Exeter City missed out on winning a first league title in 32 years as they lost at home to Port Vale, with Forest Green Rovers crowned League Two champions.
The Grecians, already promoted to League One, were a point clear of second-placed Forest Green going into the final day, but the defeat and Rovers' 2-2 draw at Mansfield saw them lose out on the title on goal difference.
Vale took the lead against the run of play when James Wilson calmly scored from inside the Exeter area.
Despite having 17 shots, Exeter only hit the target three times and failed to score for the first time since they drew 0-0 with Vale on 22 March.
The win sees Port Vale end the season in fifth place, two points off the automatic promotion places, and they will face Swindon Town over two legs in the play-off semi-finals.
Aidan Stone produced a superb save to keep out Matt Jay's 15th-minute header as Exeter had the better of the opening exchanges - but that proved to be as close as the Grecians would get to scoring.
Jay, Offrande Zanzala and Jake Caprice all went close for the hosts before Wilson controlled Ben Garrity's header back across goal and curled in the opener.
It was a similar story after the break as Jevani Brown, Zanzala and Caprice all failed to trouble Stone with efforts.
Wilson had a couple more chances for Vale while Jonathan Grounds curled a 90th-minute effort wide as Exeter tried everything - including sending goalkeeper Cameron Dawson up for a corner - to get what proved to be an elusive equaliser.
Despite the final day disappointment, Exeter will play in League One for the first time in 10 years next season as they ended a five-year spell of promotion near misses.
Exeter City manager Matt Taylor told BBC Radio Devon:
"I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved this season.
"Today's a result we didn't want, we wanted more than a defeat, but we didn't quite play well enough on the day.
"We had all the ball and all the possession, but never really created anything, neither did the opposition really.
"One moment of quality from them in the first half, so fine margins, but I've got to find a way of getting this group of football players smiling again.
"They can't be down for too long and maybe when they get a beer inside them, maybe when they look at the league table and put it into context with what they've achieved this season they'll start smiling again."