Summary

  • Carlisle beat Stockport 5-4 on penalties after Rydel misses

  • Patrick fired in equaliser for Carlisle to take game to extra time

  • Olaofe cross had deflected in off Mellish to give Stockport lead

  • The Cumbrians were last in League One in 2013-14

  1. Postpublished at 13:55 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Liam Hogan
    former Stockport defender on BBC Radio Manchester

    I think it’s Antoni Sarcevic who gets a bit under the ball and gives Joe Garner a free header, but one of Ben Hinchliffe’s strengths is his shot-stopping.

  2. Postpublished at 13:55 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    James Phillips
    BBC Radio Cumbria Sport

    A beautiful clean header from Joe Garner!

    The goalkeeper gets two hands on it but you can't give Garner that kind of space.

  3. YELLOW CARDpublished at 24 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    This game is coming to life now.

    Carlisle defender Jon Mellish is booked for taking Issac Olaofe down on the halfway line as he looked to launch an attack.

    Might have been a little harsh.

  4. GREAT SAVE!published at 23 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Now we're talking.

    Owen Moxon swings in a great free-kick to the back stick and Joe Garner gets up well to power a header towars the corner.

    Ben Hinchliffe has to be on his mettle to turn it around the post.

    Joe Garner headerImage source, Rex Features
  5. Postpublished at 20 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Half-chance for Stockport.

    Issac Olaofe takes a good touch from a low cross into the area but it wont quite drop for him to shoot at goal.

  6. Postpublished at 16 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Carlisle win a free-kick in a similar area to the one they had earlier.

    Owen Moxon sends it deep once again but Ben Hinchliffe is off his line well to pluck it from the air.

  7. 'Stockport on the front foot'published at 13:47 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Liam Hogan
    former Stockport defender on BBC Radio Manchester

    They’re looking to get down the sides and get balls into Paddy Madden.

    As expected, Dave Challinor has made sure the lads are on the front foot and they’re in control in the early stages.

  8. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 13:46 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    #bbcefl

    Ian Slater: Surely it would have been better for both sets of fans if the League 2 play-off final was at a northern PL stadium? Might not have been as many empty seats.

    Great effort from both sets of fans to get down to the National Stadium at short notice.

  9. get involved

    Get Involved - #bbceflpublished at 15 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    I asked you back at 13:23 who you thought would take this one.

    The voting is incredibly tight just now.

    At time of writing it's 313 for Stockport and 310 for Carlisle.

    It's about as even as that out on the pitch too just now.

  10. Postpublished at 11 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Just a reminder that video assistant referees are in operation today.

    Both teams will be hoping this game isn't decided by a call from VAR...

    Carlisle v StockportImage source, Getty Images
  11. Postpublished at 9 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Carlisle win the first corner of the match down their left.

    Owen Moxon's delivery is deep and challenging but the Hatters defence manage to head it away for a throw to the Blues.

    It's hurled into the area and Stockport stand up to it before winning a defensive free kick to clear their lines.

  12. Postpublished at 6 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Carlisle win a free-kick 40 yards out and Owen Moxon, 15 assists in the regular season, is stood over it.

    Bit of a build-up... He hammers it over all of the gathered players in the area.

    He'll call that one a range-finder

  13. 'Ambitious Stockport deserve to be in final'published at 13:34 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Stephen O'Halloran
    Ex-Salford and Stockport defender on BBC Radio Manchester

    You can see the last couple of years the changes at the club.

    There’s been that ambition to get the club back in the league which they achieved last year and promotion to League One would be fantastic.

    It would be maybe a year ahead of schedule but the team they’ve developed is an outstanding one and they deserve to be in the final today.

  14. Postpublished at 3 mins

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    Bright start from Stockport.

    They move the ball around well and eventually Antoni Sarcevic chips in a cross from the left that Paddy Madden heads over.

  15. KICK-OFFpublished at 13:30 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle 0-0 Stockport

    We are off and running under the arch on a scorching hot day in North London.

    One of these pair will be celebrating promotion to League One underneath it later this afternoon.

    Who? We're about to find out.

  16. Tale of the tapepublished at 13:26 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle v Stockport (13:30 BST)

    Stockport and CarlisleImage source, Rex Features

    Stockport had the better of the two league meetings between these pair this season.

    The Hatters claimed a 2-0 win at Edgeley Park in October before the sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Cumbria in April.

    The all-time head-to-head record between the teams is about as tight as it gets.

    Stockport narrowly edge it with 32 wins to Carlisle's 30, with the remaining 16 games ending level.

  17. get involved

    Get Involved - Who will be in League One next season?published at 13:23 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    #bbcefl

    Righteo, it's that time.

    Who do you think will end the day climbing the Wembley steps to pick up the trophy?

    Give this post a thumbs up if you think Carlisle will be a third tier team next season and hit the down thumb if you think it's going to be Stockport.

    We also welcome your more considered thoughts on today's game.

    Get in touch using #bbcefl on Twitter.

  18. Challinor targets promotion treblepublished at 13:21 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle v Stockport (13:30 BST)

    StockportImage source, Getty Images

    Stockport boss Dave Challinor is looking to lead the team to back-to-back promotions.

    The last team to go straight through League Two having come up from the National League the season before was Tranmere in 2018-19.

    It's a feat Carlisle boss Paul Simpson is familiar with after he achieved it in in his first spell with the Cumbrians in 2005-06.

    Promotion today would be Challinor's third in successive seasons, as he led Hartlepool back into the EFL in 2020-21.

  19. It's a family affair...published at 13:19 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle v Stockport (13:30 BST)

    Paul Simpson and Jake SimpsonImage source, Rex Features/Getty Images

    Carlisle boss Paul Simpson says he is putting his club over family loyalties as he prepares to face Stockport, who have son Jake on their coaching staff, in Sunday's League Two play-off final.

    Simpson, who twice managed Jake in his playing career, is looking for a third promotion with the Cumbrians.

    Carlisle edged past Bradford,while Stockport beat Salford on penalties to set up the Wembley final.

    "I'll give him a hug before and after," Simpson told BBC Radio Cumbria.

    "But I hope he's not smiling at the end. I really want him to be successful and I like [County boss] Dave Challinor and want him to be successful as well.

    "Unfortunately, on the day, there's only one team I'm going to be favouring. I wanted us to achieve something and I'd like Jake and Stockport to achieve something, but not this season.

  20. Team Newspublished at 13:16 British Summer Time 28 May 2023

    Carlisle v Stockport (13:30 BST)

    Carlisle make on change from the win over Bradford. Jon Mellish returns from his three-match ban and takes the place of last week's hero Ben Barclay as the defender is ineligible to face his parent club.

    Stockport make two changes from the XI that started the semi-final second leg win over Salford. Ryan Croasdale and Antoni Sarcevic are in and Joe Lewis and Connor Evans are out.

    Carlisle: Holy, Mellish, Huntington, Whelan, Senior, Guy, Moxon, Armer, McCalmont, Garner, Gordon.

    Subs: Gibson, Edmondson, Patrick, Dennis, Charters, Kelly, Robinson.

    Stockport: Hinchliffe, Wright, Horsfall, Hussey, Knoyle, Camps, Croasdale, Sarcevic, Rydel, Olaofe, Madden.

    Subs: Byrne, Lemonheigh-Evans, Collar, Stretton, Hippolyte, Jaros, Lewis.

    Referee: Tom Nield (West Yorkshire)