User:Amakuru/Draft 18

Route to the final
Stockport County finished the regular 2022–23 season in fourth place in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, one place and three points ahead of Carlisle United. Both therefore missed out on the three automatic places for promotion to EFL League One and instead took part in the play-offs to determine the fourth promoted team. Stockport finished four points behind Northampton Town (who were promoted in third place) and six behind both second-placed Exeter City and league winners Forest Green Rovers. Stockport secured at least a play-off place after beating Leyton Orient in their penultimate game, retaining the possibility of autoamtic promotion until the season's final day. Carlisle secured a play-off berth on the final day with a draw against Sutton United.

Stockport faced seventh-placed Salford City in their play-off semi-final with the first match of the two-legged tie being held at the Moor Lane in Salford on 13 May 2023. Matt Smith gave the home side the lead in the first half, when he headed the ball into the Stockport goal following a cross by Elliot Watt. They had a chance to double their lead on 71 minutes, when Conor McAleny shot from within the penalty area, but Ben Hinchliffe, the Stockport goalkeeper dived to save it and the match ended 1–0. The second leg took place a week later at Edgeley Park in Stockport. Salford had several opportunities to extend their aggregate lead in the first half, but it was Stockport who scored first, when Isaac Olaofe headed into the corner of the goal from Ryan Rydel's cross. With the aggregate score level, the game went to extra time, in which Stevie Mallan restored Salford's overall lead with a deflected shot. Jack Stretton scored for Stockport three minutes later, however, giving Stockport a 2–1 match win, but leaving the tie level 2–2 on aggregate. In the ensuing penalty shoot-out, Salford failed to score three of the four penalties they took, two of them being saved by Hinchliffe, and it was Stockport who progressed, winning the shoot-out 3–1.

In the other play-off semi-final, Carlisle faced Bradford City and the first leg was played on 14 May 2023 at Valley Parade in Bradford. Eighteen minutes into the game, Jamie Walker gave the home side the lead, firing the bouncing ball underneat Carlisle goalkeeper Tomáš Holý following a pass from Scott Banks. Carlisle had some chances to equalise, but that proved the only goal and the match ended 1–0 to Bradford. The return leg took place at Brunton Park, Carlisle, four days later. Midway through the first half, Owen Moxon fired a shot at goal which was saved by Bradford goalkeeper Harry Lewis. The ball rebounded and was chased by Carlisle's John-Kymani Gordon and Bradford's Brad Halliday; the ball ended up in the goal, with Halliday credited with an own goal having touched the ball last. No additional goals were scored in normal time, so with the aggregate score level at 1–1, the game went to extra time. In the first half of extra time, Carlisle scored again to take the lead in the tie, when Callum Guy hitting a bouncing half volley past Lewis. Bradford levelled the tie again when Matt Derbyshire scored following a run down the right wing by Banks, but Ben Barclay scored midway through the second period to seal a 3–1 win for Carlisle on the night, the 3–2 aggregate score taking them to the final.

Background
The two finalists played each other twice during the regular season, with Stockport winning their home fixture 2–0 in October 2022 and a 2–2 draw in the reverse fixture at Brunton Park in April 2023, three games before the end of the season. Kristian Dennis was the highest scorer for Carlisle with 20 league goals during the season while Kyle Wootton was Stockport's top marksman with 14 goals during the league campaign.

Carlisle manager Paul Simpson urged his players to enjoy the occasion, recalling his own experience playing at Wembley, when he "got so nervous about the day that [he] couldn’t enjoy it". He also noted the logistical difficulties for players and supporters in travelling from Carlisle to London, but noted that the game was a "fantastic" one to be involved with. Simpson had previously managed Stockport himself, and his son Jake was part of the Stockport coaching team for the final. Simpson's counterpart Dave Challinor expressed confidence in his team's ability to achieve a second consecutive promotion, noting that Stockport were "in a really strong situation, the fact we have got two players in Antoni Sarcevic and Chris Hussey that have played in a play-off final, so in terms of that, they can pass on completely different feelings and emotions, and we need to use those experiences in a positive way".

The referee for the match was David Webb, who had officiated Coventry once during the regular season, a 2–1 home win over Cheltenham Town in December. He had also officiated Exeter City in the previous year's play-off semi-final at Carlisle United. The assistant referees were Adrian Waters and Dean Treleaven, with John Brooks named as the fourth official. Sam Lewis was the reserve assistant referee.

Robins named an unchanged side from the team that won the second leg of the play-off semi-final against Notts County. Tisdale made one change to the Exeter squad, with Craig Woodman starting and Robbie Simpson dropping into the substitutes. Coventry wore a one-off kit commissioned for the match as the club had run out of their regular season home strip. Prior to the match, Exeter fans commemorated their former player Adam Stansfield with a giant number nine shirt. Stansfield had died in 2010 at the age of 31 from cancer and the club retired his shirt for the following nine years. After the players were introduced to a group of dignitaries, the national anthem was sung by Faryl Smith.