Crewe pull off stunning comeback to beat Doncaster and reach League Two play-off final
Doncaster had won first leg 2-0 on Monday
Demetriou and Maxwell own goal helped Crewe level on aggregate
Visitors won 4-3 on penalties with Max Stryjek saving two spot kicks
The Alex will face either Crawley or MK Dons in final at Wembley on 19 May
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
Image source, Getty ImagesThat's it from me, on a night that Crewe Alexandra - against the odds - reached the League Two play-off final.
There are three more EFL play-off matches being played over the course of the weekend, including the first legs of both Championship semi-finals.
Thanks for your company and enjoy what's left of your Friday evening.
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
Crewe Alexandra manager Lee Bell, speaking to Sky Sports:
"I'm so proud to be associated with those players and all the staff. What a fantastic evening. This stage of the cup competition, it throws up funny things.
"We've got loads of personality and character. We couldn't get a grip of the game, which is fine, we've done it all season.
"Full credit to the players. I hope they really enjoy it tonight.
"I can't put it into words. Just a lot of emotion. I think the players deserve it, what they've had to go through. What they've had to put up with.
"I think Doncaster are a fantastic team. If they would have gone through, they would have been worthy winners. I expect them to be fighting again next year."
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
Image source, Getty ImagesCrewe substitute Charlie Kirk, who scored the Alex's fifth penalty in the shootout, speaking to Sky Sports:
"I was sent on to do a job and I did it.
"We've got a lot to thank Max Stryjek for, he's such a good lad around the place and he's done well tonight.
"This club holds a very special place in my heart. I left, I came back and I still feel everything I felt. To go to Wembley with them is amazing."
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
Crewe captain Mickey Demetriou, speaking to Sky Sports:
"It's an unbelievable feeling. We worked our socks off the whole game. For the next 120 minutes, the boys were fantastic.
"This is what we've done all season. When anyone questions our character, this is what we do.
"I owed it to the lads after the mistake in the first leg [for Doncaster's second goal].
"I get another chance [to win a play-off final after losing twice with Newport] and hopefully we will go one better. We are ready for anyone. We showed our resilience today and we are up for it."
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
Crewe will discover their League Two play-off final opponents on Saturday, when Crawley face MK Dons in the second leg of their semi-final.
Crawley won the first leg 3-0 so will be strong favourites to go through, but, well - this is the play-offs. Anything is possible.
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
We'll try to bring you some reaction from the Crewe camp before we disappear for the evening...
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
While Crewe celebrate, one always thinks of and feels for the losing team in this situation.
Grant McCann and his Doncaster players are being applauded by all sides of the ground as they make their way around the field.
What an effort it's been for them to make the play-offs at all. They were in the bottom six in March and won 10 games in a row to get here.
But that won't make tonight any less painful for them.
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
Peter Morse
Crewe summariser on BBC Radio Stoke
Image source, Rex FeaturesAbsolutely sensational. I said it would be one of the biggest and best results of the club and I stand by it. They've given it everything for 120 minutes.
They held their nerve. They got over the line. They've sent those travelling fans wild.
It's hard to take for Doncaster but Crewe Alexandra - the spirit, the togetherness, the never-say-die attitude - all those ingredients have been on display tonight.
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
When Crewe last appeared in a play-off final, Lee Bell was part of the playing staff and came on as a late substitute in their 2-0 win over Cheltenham in 2012.
In nine days' time, he will be leading the Alex out at Wembley as their manager.
Doncaster 0-2 Crewe (2-2 agg) - Crewe win 4-3 on penalties
I said at the start that Doncaster were heavy favourites to progress but that we shouldn't write off Crewe Alexandra.
It is they who will be walking out at Wembley on Sunday, 19 May in the League Two play-off final, with Crawley or MK Dons their opponents.
Hakeeb Adelakun
Saved! Max Stryjek dives to his left to deny Hakeeb Adelakun and the Alex have won it!
Charlie Kirk
Side-footed into the corner.
Doncaster have to score...
Owen Bailey
Another well-taken pen into the bottom corner.
Four spot-kicks taken by both sides, it's 3-3.
Lewis Leigh
Sends the keeper the wrong way.
George Miller
Just squeezes through the goalkeeper! Just!
Ryan Cooney
Confidently taken, into the net.
Zain Westbrooke
But then the next one is saved too!
Max Stryjek pushes Zain Westbrooke's effort against the post.
Mickey Demetriou
Thimothee Lo-Tutala guesses right, diving to his right to keep out the penalty.
Advantage Doncaster.
Joe Ironside
A delay because of some goalkeeping shenanigans - but Joe Ironside sends Max Stryjek the wrong way.
Courtney Baker-Richardson
Great penalty. A short run-up and fired high into the top corner.
Crewe Alexandra will play Crawley Town or MK Dons in the League Two play-off final
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.
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.
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.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 96 | 48 | 48 | 92 |
| |
| 2 | 46 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 89 | 52 | 37 | 88 |
| |
| 3 | 46 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 90 | 47 | 43 | 86 |
| |
| 4 | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 83 | 68 | 15 | 78 |
| |
| 5 | 46 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 73 | 68 | 5 | 71 |
| |
| 6 | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 69 | 65 | 4 | 71 |
| |
| 7 | 46 | 21 | 7 | 18 | 73 | 67 | 6 | 70 |
| |
| 8 | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 62 | 56 | 6 | 69 |
| |
| 9 | 46 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 61 | 59 | 2 | 69 |
| |
| 10 | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 64 | 51 | 13 | 65 |
| |
| 11 | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 69 | 73 | -4 | 65 |
| |
| 12 | 46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 46 | 57 | -11 | 64 |
| |
| 13 | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 60 | 69 | -9 | 63 |
| |
| 14 | 46 | 18 | 7 | 21 | 89 | 86 | 3 | 61 |
| |
| 15 | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 67 | 81 | -14 | 58 |
| |
| 16 | 46 | 17 | 6 | 23 | 67 | 70 | -3 | 57 |
| |
| 17 | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 63 | 71 | -8 | 57 |
| |
| 18 | 46 | 16 | 7 | 23 | 62 | 76 | -14 | 55 |
| |
| 19 | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 77 | 83 | -6 | 54 |
| |
| 20 | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 66 | 82 | -16 | 51 |
| |
| 21 | 46 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 57 | 74 | -17 | 49 |
| |
| 22 | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 59 | 80 | -21 | 45 |
| |
| 23 | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 59 | 84 | -25 | 42 |
| |
| 24 | 46 | 11 | 9 | 26 | 44 | 78 | -34 | 42 |
|
Manager: Grant McCann
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Lee Bell
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
League Two
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Doncaster Rovers have won each of their last two games against Crewe, both 2-0 wins this year, after winning just two of their previous 11 encounters in all competitions (D2 L7).
Crewe have won on two of their last four visits to Doncaster (L2), having only won one of their prior nine trips there in all competitions (D2 L6).
Only on two occasions previously in the four tier of the Football League play-offs has a side who has lost the first leg by two goals gone on to reach the final, Preston North End in 1994 and Northampton Town in 2020, with the Cobblers the only such side to do so after losing the first leg at home.
Of sides that have played in at least five games in the Football League play-offs, only Burnley and Hull City (both 75%) have a higher win percentage than Doncaster Rovers (67% - 4/6), though their only defeat did come at home, losing 2-1 to Charlton in 2019.
Doncaster’s Joe Ironside has been involved in a goal in each of his last six games in all competitions (6 goals, 1 assist), setting up Harrison Biggins’ goal in the first leg. Indeed, in the first leg he won possession in the final third four times, twice as much as any other player.
Crewe’s Elliott Nevitt has scored four goals in his last seven away games in all competitions, while four of the Railwaymen’s final five away goals in League Two this season were scored by him.
