After suffering a third consecutive loss, Burton Albion can look forward to a journey into the Football League for the first time in 59 years.
In a quite bizarre finale to the regular Blue Square season, Burton lost 2-1 to Torquay...only to swap despair for joy as news filtered through that Cambridge had failed to beat Altrincham.
Having allowed a 19-point lead to be whittled down to just three ahead of Sunday’s trip to Plainmoor, Roy McFarland’s men knew defeat to Torquay would allow Cambridge to snatch promotion at the death if they could beat Altrincham by three goals.
Burton did lose, but Cambridge failed to win, meaning Plainmoor was the scene of sheer jubilation as Albion celebrated promotion while Torquay booked their place in the play-offs.
With former coach and fans’ favourite Nigel Clough watching on from the stands Burton travelled south hoping for the perfect start.
They got it, on eight minutes, through one of the most sweetly-timed strikes of the season from Marc Goodfellow. Chesting down a poor Torquay clearance inside the box, Goodfellow made light work of an unfavourable angle by swiping home a sumptuous half volley for 1-0.
The ‘we are going up’ chants lasted all of four minutes though, former Oxford man Chris Hargreaves showing superb technique to caress a left-footed 20-yarder just inside the post for an immediate equaliser.
Hargreaves’ strike set the tone for an impressive display from Torquay, who forced Burton keeper Saul Deeney into a string of fingertip saves.
There was nothing Deeney could do two minutes into the second half though as the hosts kept up the pressure, eventually taking the lead from a long throw. Hargreaves was again heavily involved as he won the flick-on, and from there Elliot Benyon showed excellent striker’s instincts to glance into the far corner.
Nails were bitten and radio stations flooded as Burton’s fans switched their attention to matters at Cambridge, but then came the news that The U’s had only drawn, sending Albion up to League Two.
Cambridge United 0 Altrincham 0
Altrincham ended any hopes Cambridge had of automatic promotion to League Two after holding The U’s to a dull draw at The Abbey Stadium.
Cambridge needed to comprehensively beat Alty and hope Torquay could beat Burton in order to go up as champions but it wasn’t to be for Gary Brabin’s troops.
Cambridge defender Wayne Hatswell had The U’s best chance of the first half but saw his curling free-kick well saved by Altrincham keeper Stuart Coburn.
The visitors were absent throughout and were lucky not to see a point slip from within their grasp when Cambridge centre-back Phil Bolland somehow sent Robbie Willmott's last minute corner wide.
Crawley 3 Histon 3
Histon secured their place in the Blue Square Premier play-offs despite Crawley striker Jon Shaw capping a remarkable comeback for The Red Devils.
Steve Evans’ men looked dead and buried when striker Jack Midson’s double and Jamie Barker’s strike saw them go in at the break 3-0 ahead.
However it was all change after the resart and when keeper Danny Naisbit saw red for hauling down Jamie Cook in the area the floodgates opened.
Cook smashed home the spotkick, Weymouth loanee Michael Malcolm added a second in the 66th minute before Shaw stole a point eight minutes from time.
Mansfield 2 Stevenage 1
Stevenage scrambled their way into the end-of-season play-offs despite Aaron O’Connor’s late winner for Mansfield.
Mitchell Cole was stupidly sent off four minutes into first-half stoppage time, leaving Stevenage with a mountain to climb.
Scott Garner gave Mansfield the lead after 71 minutes – and with it Stevenage’s play-off charge looked to have ended.
Scott Laird came to Stevenage’s rescue with five minutes remaining to level.
But O’Connor ensured Mansfield ended their season with a win by scoring in the last minute.
Kidderminster 0 Kettering 1
Kettering substitute Ben Wright spoilt any chance Kidderminster had of making the play-offs slotting a last gasp winner for The Poppies.
With Stevenage slumping to Mansfield a win would have seen The Harriers make the top five but it just never happened at Aggborough.
Kidderminster barely threatened the visitors' goal and were made to pay when Wright popped up to head home the winner for Kettering in injury time.
Oxford 1 Northwich 2
Oxford were left devastated at the KC Stadium after needlessly losing against already-relegated Northwich.
The U’s missed out on the end-of-season play-offs after the impossible happened and Jamie Mullan and Matt Crowell scored as Northwich won away.
Oxford had hammered Northwich throughout the first-half but left the backdoor open just seconds before the break for Mullan to score the opener.
James Constable grabbed a crucial leveller on 83 minutes but it proved too little, too late for Oxford.
With Oxford chasing a winner – Crowell took advantage to seal the most unlikely of winners.
Wrexham 2 Weymouth 0
Weymouth saw their troubled campaign finish on a low note as they crashed to yet another loss – this time at the hands of Wrexham.
The game was all but over at the break as Michael Proctor and Ryan Flynn scored first-half goals in the space of four minutes to seal the points for the Dragons.
Proctor was the first to score after 29 minutes – Jamie McCluskey’s corner was helped on by former Sunderland winger Sam Aiston for Proctor to apply the all-important winner.
And the writing was on the wall for Weymouth moments later as Flynn was the lucky recipient of good build-up play by Aiston again to score Wrexham’s second.
Rushden & Diamonds 3 Woking 1
Woking waved the white flag as they said goodbye to their Conference future after crashing to a heavy loss against Rushden.
Rushden enjoyed a dream start after only six minutes as former Chelsea youngster Robert Wolleaston scored the opener.
Woking were handed a lifeline less than five minutes later as Michael Kamara levelled.
But goals from Michael Rankine ten minutes before the break and Jake Beecroft five minutes after saw Rushden take the points.
Eastbourne 0 Barrow 2
Barrow duo Mark Boyd and Andrew Bond netted the only goal as The Bluebirds executed the perfect smash and grab raid against Eastbourne.
In a dire first half neither team managed to trouble the scoreboard with Jason Walker going close for Barrow and Allan Tait sending a shot wide for Eastbourne.
It looked as if both teams were going to settle for a draw until the 70th minute when Boyd curled home a long range solo effort and Bond netted with four minutes remaining.
Ebbsfleet 2 Salisbury 2
Defender James Smith’s last-gasp effort saw Ebbsfleet grab a point from the clutches of defeat against Salisbury.
The Whites flew out of the blocks and took the lead in the 32nd minute when Robert Sinclair latched onto Charlie Griffin’s neat past and fired past home keeper Lance Cronin.
Liam Daish’s troops regrouped and hit back almost immediately after the restart when defender Paul McCarthy powered home Stacy Long’s inswinging corner.
Whites striker Matt Tubbs thought he had done enough to earn all three point for his side in the 84th minute but it wasn’t to be with Smith stealing a point for The Fleet in injury time.
Grays 2 Forest Green 1
Grays duo Stuart Thurgood and Tyrone Berry netted two goals in the space of a minute as The Blues ended their season on a high against Forest Green.
Rovers drew first blood thanks to striker Andrew Mangan’s 25th minute spot-kick after midfielder Thurgood was adjudged to have handled in the area.
However the 27-year-old went from villain to hero after the restart lashing home from inside the box in the 69th minute to spark an unlikely comeback at Bridge Road.
Forest Green lost possession from the restart and a hopeful ball from former Spurs striker Jamie Slabber found winger Berry who slotted the winner from six yards.
Lewes 1 York 1
Joe Keehan scored a last-gasp leveller as Lewes grabbed a deserved point against York.
Mark Greaves looked to have stolen the points for York with just ten minutes remaining, scoring against the run of play.
But the league’s bottom club refused to go out of the Conference with a whimper as they grabbed a crucial leveller.
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