Summary

  • Southend promoted to League One

  • Shrimpers keeper Bentley saved decisive penalty

  • Southend's Pigott grabs last-gasp equaliser

  • Wycombe had led after free-kick went in off Bentley

  1. Join the debate at #bbcfootballpublished at 17:26 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    As the two teams enter the field at Wembley, we're asking you for your favourite play-off final memory...

    Patrick McKenna:, external 42,000 Wednesdayites watching the Owls beat Hartlepool 4-2 in the 2005 League One final. Drew Talbot's clinching goal was magic.

    Will Hainsworth:, external Bradford destroying Northampton 3-0 two years ago... great day out in the Wembley sunshine.

    Get in touch with us on Twitter at #bbcfootball, on text on 81111, or via the BBC Sport Facebook page., external

  2. Postpublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Steve Claridge
    BBC Radio 5 live at Wembley

    "Wycombe looked gone a year ago. Quite how they managed to stay up was a surprise and a shock to everybody. It has been a very fruitful year since then for Gareth Ainsworth.

    "They were brave and they stuck with him. They saw something there. You look at it now and they are totally at the other end of the scale.

    "Missing out on the last day of the season, Southend could have easily lost focus and concentration. Phil Brown has got a good group here. They more than deserve to be in the situation that they are in.

    "Both these sides will go into this game, possibly with an element of not wanting to be here, because their seasons have shown a little more promise at times."

  3. Postpublished at 17:24 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    The teams are lining up in the tunnel at Wembley. Southend in all yellow, Wycombe in blue.

    A whole season will be defined by one result - this result. How are the nerves, chaps?

  4. Listen to live commentarypublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    BBC Radio 5 live

    BBC Radio 5 live will be broadcasting live commentary of today's match and the other two Football League play-off finals over this Bank Holiday weekend.

    Alistair Bruce-Ball and Steve Claridge are the men doing the talking at Wembley this evening.

    Southend v WycombeImage source, BBC Sport
  5. More Wembley joy for Brown?published at 17:20 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Phil BrownImage source, Getty Images

    Southend manager Phil Brown has fond memories of Wembley. It's seven years since his Hull side defeated Bristol City, helped by THAT goal from Dean Windass, to reach the Premier League.

    Back to today, and after missing out on automatic promotion on the final day of the season, the Shrimpers are determined to end the campaign on a positive note.

    "Everyone levelled a certain level of criticism at us after the Morecambe game," Brown told BBC Essex. "It was unfair after we had gone eight games without conceding a goal.

    "The team is 90% selected as the consistency levels of the players has been great this season, although it is a little unfair on the lads who haven't been able to get in."

  6. Matt Bloomfield's play-off final diarypublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Matt BloomfieldImage source, Matt Bloomfield

    If you're a supporter of either Southend or Wycombe, I'm sure you've had your own way of preparing for today's play-off final and dealing with the pressure.

    Ever wondered what it's like for the players involved?

    Wycombe midfielder Matt Bloomfield is a regular BBC Sport columnist and he's been keeping a special diary over the past few days.

    Being measured for a club blazer, dishing the dirt on his team-mates, or being left holding the baby - it's all documented here.

  7. Postpublished at 17:16 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Freddy EastwoodImage source, Getty Images/BBC

    Goals from Southend duo Duncan Jupp and Freddy Eastwood earned the Shrimpers victory over Lincoln in the League Two play-off final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium a decade ago.

    Back in 1994, a Wycombe side managed by Martin O'Neill beat Preston at Wembley to reach the third tier of English football for the first time in the club's history.

  8. Postpublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Phil Shepka
    BBC Sport at Wembley

    Southend United players at WembleyImage source, Phil Shepka

    "'Oh dear!' exclaimed a Wycombe fan as she disembarked a train into the Wembley drizzle in flip-flops and a t-shirt.

    "That rain looks to have abated for now, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the overcast heavens open later, giving us weather we aren't used to seeing in the play-offs.

    "Southend will be hoping the sun shines on them (see what I did there?) for the first time at Wembley, a place they have never succeeded before.

    "But Wycombe have won on their last three visits here - in 1991 and 1993 for the FA Trophy and the 1994 fourth-tier play-off final, a game in which manager Gareth Ainsworth played for losers Preston."

  9. 'Don't panic, Mr Mainwaring!'published at 17:11 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    This weekend's Football League play-off finals are going ahead as scheduled, despite an unexploded World War Two bomb being discovered near Wembley.

    A 50kg bomb was found by builders near Wembley Arena on Thursday and around 300 homes in the vicinity were evacuated.

    A post on the stadium's official Twitter account read: "This weekend's games remain unaffected and we look forward to welcoming supporters of all six Football League play-off finals to Wembley."

    However, rumours that these three are on standby are yet to be confirmed...

    Dad's Army
  10. Join the debate at #bbcfootballpublished at 17:09 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Ashley Westwood and Nick PowellImage source, Getty Images

    Play-off weekend is upon us again. For almost 30 years, it's been the time of the Football League season when dreams are made and hopes are crushed.

    It's not just in the Championship where you'll see magical moments - Nick Powell's sensational strike for Crewe lit up the League Two play-off final three years ago and inspired a youthful Alex side to victory over Cheltenham.

    What's your favourite play-off final memory?

    Text on 81111, tweet using #bbcfootball or contact us via the BBC Sport Facebook page.

  11. The road to Wembley: Wycombe Wandererspublished at 17:07 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Gareth AinsworthImage source, PA

    Wycombe Wanderers narrowly missed out on automatic promotion from League Two, a year after almost dropping out of the Football League.

    They took control of their play-off semi-final against Plymouth, going 3-0 up at Home Park in the first leg, but Argyle reduced the deficit to one goal by full-time.

    However, there would be no slip up in the home leg as Wycombe won 2-1 to book their place at Wembley.

  12. The road to Wembley: Southend Unitedpublished at 17:05 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Michael TimlinImage source, Getty Images

    Southend United would have been promoted automatically from League Two had they won at Morecambe on the final day of the season. A 3-1 defeat in Lancashire left them fifth and destined for the play-offs.

    After their semi-final first leg at Stevenage ended level, Barry Corr had the chance to win the tie at Roots Hall, but the Southend striker missed a a stoppage-time penalty.

    In extra time, goals from Stephen McLaughin and Michael Timlin - who required 15 stitches after a nasty clash of heads in the first leg - secured Southend's spot in the final.

  13. Line-upspublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Southend United: Bentley, White, Coker, Worrall, Timlin, Corr, Atkinson, Bolger, Leonard, McLaughlin, Barrett.

    Subs: Prosser, Weston, Smith, Payne, Deegan, Cassidy, Pigott.

    Wycombe Wanderers: Lynch, Jacobson, Yennaris, Pierre, Saunders, Bean, Hayes, Wood, Holloway, Mawson, Ephraim.

    Subs: Horlock, Bloomfield, Craig, Murphy, McClure, Kretzschmar, Onyedinma.

    Referee: Simon Hooper.

  14. Team newspublished at 17:01 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    There's one change for Southend, with Stephen McLaughlin rewarded for his extra-time goal in the semi-final second-leg win over Stevenage with a place in the starting line-up. He replaces Joe Pigott, who drops to the bench.

    As for Wycombe, goalkeeper Alex Lynch makes only his third senior start in the Football League as Matt Ingram is out injured. They name an unchanged line-up from the team that beat Plymouth in their semi-final second leg nine days ago.

  15. Postpublished at 16:58 British Summer Time 23 May 2015

    Southend United and Wycombe Wanderers have played 48 games to get to this point of their journey to League One.

    Next stop - Wembley.

    Wembley Stadium train station signImage source, Empics