Crewe celebrate winning on penaltiesPA Media

Crewe Alexandra will play Crawley Town or MK Dons in the League Two play-off final

Ian Woodcock
BBC Sport

Crewe Alexandra overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit to beat Doncaster Rovers on penalties and secure a place in the League Two play-off final.

Goalkeeper Max Stryjek, only at the club on an emergency loan from Wycombe, was the hero as he saved penalties from Zain Westbrooke and Hakeeb Adelakun to secure a 4-3 shootout win.

Crewe, who ended the season with just one win from their final nine league games, have become just the fourth team in play-off history to come back from losing the first leg of a semi-final by two goals at home and still make the final.

Mickey Demetriou rose highest at the back post to head home Joel Tabiner's corner and James Maxwell bundled Chris Long's low cross into his own net to level the aggregate score after just 16 minutes and leave the home fans stunned.

Rovers improved as the game wore on and Richard Wood headed just wide from a Hakeeb Adelakun centre - and Crewe somehow managed to get the ball clear following a goalmouth scramble, as the hosts came close to what would have been a tie-winning goal in the 90 minutes.

Luke Molyneux saw a fierce effort turned on to the post by Stryjek in the first half of extra time but, with both teams looking exhausted, there were no more chances of note.

Doncaster looked to have the advantage when Thimothee Lo-Tutala saved Mickey Demetriou's second penalty for the away side but Stryjek saved Westbrooke's effort in the next kick and, after all the rest were scored, Adelakun was denied by the keeper.

Crewe will now play the winner of MK Dons and Crawley, who meet again on Saturday with the Red Devils 3-0 up from the first leg, at Wembley on Sunday, 19 May.

Rovers fall at the last after remarkable run

In complete contrast to how Crewe had ended the season, Doncaster had gone on a stunning club record equalling run of 10 successive wins to climb into the top seven in the final week of the campaign.

They looked to be in the box seat to reach a first play-off final since beating Leeds in the League One showpiece in 2008, after claiming a 2-0 win in Monday's first leg, but saw their lead evaporate in double-quick time on Friday.

Demetriou, who had been at fault for Rovers' second goal in the first leg, headed in his 10th goal of the season and they kept their foot down to make it 2-2 on aggregate when Aaron Rowe played Long in down the inside right channel and his low cross was bundled in for an own goal.

Rovers had not been beaten at home since a 5-1 reverse to Stockport back in January and rallied, Adelakun lashing a shot over from outside the area before the break.

Grant McCann's side had the better of things for the remainder of the match but could not find a goal and a third season in League Two now awaits them.

This is the second time the former Northern Ireland international has led the club into the play-offs and both have ended in defeat on penalties in the semi-final, after Charlton prevailed on spot-kicks in the 2019 League One semi.

Bell leads Crewe back to Wembley

Rex Features

Stryjek joined Crewe Alexandra on an emergency loan earlier this season

This is Crewe's first play-off final since 2011-12 when now boss Lee Bell came on as a late sub in a 2-0 win over Cheltenham in the League Two final.

Given the relative form of the two teams their comeback looked highly improbable pre-match - Crewe had failed to score twice in a single game in their previous 12 outings.

Their hero was equally unlikely. Pole Stryjek had started the season as Wycombe's first-choice keeper before losing his place following a red card in February.

He joined Alex on an emergency loan in April and started his spell at the club with successive 3-0 home defeats.

His parent club have already confirmed that he will not be offered a new deal for next season, so he will hope to put himself in the shop window with another match-winning display.