Supersub Gianfranco sinks the Germans
S'derland 2
Sheff Utd 0
Charlton 1 Ipswich 0
Grimsby 1 Fulham 0
N'hmpton 3
Bristol R 0
Torquay 4 S'borough 1
C'chester 3 Barnet 1
Waddle:
'I Chose
To Quit'
Little In To Save Stoke
Hansen Backs Kenny's Toon
England Under-21s Take On France
Nationwide News
Premiership
Round-Up
Trivia
Bollocks!
TV And Radio
The Knowledge
Fake Balls Ring Smashed
Bombers 'Not Targetting Cup'
Tabloids In Trouble
Colombian In Drug Charge
McCoist Dropped By Scots
Anderton Optimistic
World Cup Round-Up
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Thursday 14 May 1998
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 News 4 
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MARINERS' WEMBLEY RETURN
Grimsby Town 1 Fulham 0
(Grimsby win 2-1 on aggregate)
KEVIN DONOVAN scored his 20th and most important goal of the season to send Grimsby to Wembley for the second time this season.
Winger Donovan struck 14 minutes from the end of a tense Division Two Play-Off Second Leg to end Kevin Keegan's dream of an immediate return to glory with Fulham. Donovan ran on to a flick from Steve Livingstone to steer the ball wide of goalkeeper Maik Taylor, who had previously stood between the Mariners and victory.
In truth Fulham were in trouble from the moment Canadian striker Paul Peschisolido was sent off in the 30th minute, for a late, high challenge that left centre-back Peter Handyside in a heap long after the ball had gone. As Peschisolido left the pitch he shouted to Keegan: I went for the ball, but the tackle saw players racing in from all directions and keeper Aidan Davison was involved in a scuffle as referee Clive Wilkes immediately produced a red card for the Canadian.
There had been a scare for Grimsby after four minutes when David Smith, attempting to clear a cross at the far post, instead sent the ball towards the top corner. But with keeper Davison beaten John McDermott rose to head off the line.
Both teams had chances, but with the extra man Grimsby always looked like winners. In the second half the Mariners were denied time and again with Lester twice being thwarted from close range by Taylor. In the closing stages, as Keegan urged his players forward, McDermott had to clear off the line for Grimsby. But having not collected a red card all season, getting one in each play-off match cost Fulham dear.
Keegan, who took charge of team affairs after he sacked Ray Wilkins last week, still has his sights set on promotion. The manager said: It's my job to make sure we get to the Premiership in four years. We are a bit short of time, but that will make it more fun.
Keegan was not happy with the sending-off of Canadian Paul Peschisolido after just 30 minutes. He said: ''It was a mis-timed tackle. A yellow card should have been enough. The lad is only 10 stone wet-through and their lad got up straight away.
Grimsby boss Alan Buckley, meanwhile, paid tribute to the opposition and to his match winner: You can't put it into words. Fulham have made us fight every inch of the way. But Kevin Donovan has won us the game again. The lad has had a fantastic season. Donovan netted the winner in the Auto Windscreens Shield Final against Bournemouth at Wembley last month, and will be hoping for a repeat against Northampton.
GRIMSBY: Davison, McDermott, Gallimore (Livingstone 74), Handyside, Lever, Burnett, Donovan, Smith, Nogan (Black 82), Lester, Groves
Subs Not Used: Jobling
Booked: Gallimore, Handyside, Lester, Nogan
FULHAM: Taylor, Lawrence, Brevett, Trollope, Coleman, Morgan, Hayward, Bracewell, Peschisolido, Thorpe, Collins (Brooker 77)
Subs Not Used: Blake, Smith
Sent Off: Peschisolido (30)
Booked: Lawrence
Att: 8,689
Ref: C R Wilkes (Gloucester)
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NORTHAMPTON LOOK FOR PLAY-OFF DOUBLE
Northampton Town 3 Bristol Rovers 0
(Northampton win 4-3 on aggregate)
NORTHAMPTON TOWN turned a 3-0 deficit late on in the first leg into a 4-3 aggregate victory over Bristol Rovers to reach a Wembley play-off final for a second successive season.
The Cobblers looked dead and buried, losing 3-0 midway through the Division Two first leg on Sunday. However, they were handed a lifeline by John Gayle's late goal and completed a marvellous comeback courtesy of strikes from Carl Heggs, Ian Clarkson and Ray Warburton.
The breakthrough came in the 34th minute. Left-back John Frain swung over a corner from the right which the unmarked Chris Freestone headed back across goal for Heggs to gleefully slot home from five yards.
Rovers came out after the break in more positive mood, but when it seemed the tide was turning the Cobblers grabbed the tie-levelling second on the hour. Again it involved Heggs, who tricked Steve Foster, before drilling a low centre across goal which defender Clarkson directed past keeper Lee Jones. At this stage Northampton were ahead on away goals, if the match had gone into extra time and the scores remained the same.
Rovers tried in vain to get back into the match and Peter Beadle's header had keeper Andy Woodman sprawling across his goal to kick the ball over. However, with 13 minutes left, Northampton skipper Warburton sent the home fans wild with the third. James Hunt whipped over a corner from the left and Warburton planted a firm header past Jones.
That signalled a late bombardment from Ian Holloway's men and Gary Penrice was inches wide of a last minute header. However, seconds after that chance referee Mike Fletcher blew for time.
Afterwards Town manager Ian Atkins was ecstatic: That was an awesome performance; we took a stranglehold on the game from the off and never relinquished it. It was just sheer determination and I can't praise my players enough. We played a bit of football out there, but basically it was just power.
Atkins also thanked the Sixfield fans for providing an electric atmosphere on which his players thrived. He said: I've never seen them like that before. They were just marvellous.
Like final opponents Grimsby, Auto Windscreens Shield Winners, Northampton have recent happy memories of Wembley, after winning last season's Division Three Play-Off Final against Swansea.
Rovers manager Ian Holloway, meanwhile, was left reflecting on his worst night in football. It leaves a terrible taste in my mouth, and the players are very down, he said. However, you must give credit to the Northampton lads. They showed great spirit and deserved it.
NORTHAMPTON: Woodman, Clarkson, Frain, Sampson, Warburton, Hunt, Peer, Heggs, Freestone (Brightwell 88), Gayle, Hill
Subs Not Used: Gibb, Seal
Booked: Warburton, Heggs, Hill
BRISTOL ROVERS: Jones, Pritchard, Lockwood, Penrice, Foster, Tillson, Zabek, Ramasut (Power 72), Beadle, Bennett (Hayfield 77), Hayles
Subs Not Used: Perry
Booked: Lockwood, Power
Att: 7,501
Ref: M Fletcher (Warley)
EASY FOR TORQUAY
Torquay United 4 Scarborough 1
(Torquay win 7-2 on aggregate)
WEST Indian striker Rodney Jack inspired Torquay to their third Wembley appearance in ten years as they battle for a Second Division spot next season.
Jack scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season with blinding bursts of pace in the sixth and seventh minutes. Although Scarborough pulled a goal back through Jason Rockett in the 22nd minute their cause was lost when leading scorer Gareth Williams was sent off for a second bookable offence six minutes later.
Veteran Steve McCall, outstanding in midfield, curled home a 25 yard shot in the 38th minute. And in the second half, a sparkling Jack-McCall move in the 55th minute set up the fourth for left back Paul Gibbs. His 15 yard shot was his tenth goal of the season.
Scarborough were finally reduced to nine men when substitute Liam Robinson was sent off for scything down Gibbs in the 76th minute.
TORQUAY: Veysey, Gurney, Gibbs, Robinson, Gittens, Watson, Clayton, Leadbitter, Jack (Bedeau 84), MacFarlane (Thomas 87), McCall (Hill 73)
Booked: Robinson, Gittens, MacFarlane
SCARBOROUGH: Elliott, Kaye, McElhatton, Bennett (Mitchell 60), Atkin (Sutherland 45), Rockett, Williams, Tate (Robinson 60), Campbell, Brodie, Worrall
Sent Off: Williams (28), Robinson (76)
Booked: Rockett, Williams, Brodie, Campbell
Att: 5,386
Ref: R J Harris (Oxford)
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UNITED PIP BEES
Colchester United 3 Barnet 1
(Colchester win 3-2 on aggregate)
Two-goal David Gregory fired Colchester to a dramatic extra-time victory over ten-man Barnet in the second leg of the Third Division play-off semi-final.
The former Ipswich striker converted a penalty and then grabbed the winner five minutes into the additional period for his ninth goal of the season.
It was a tense, see-saw affair from the moment Gregory put Colchester in front after 12 minutes following a handling offence by Lee Howarth, who was sent off in the second half. This put Colchester level on aggregate, but Barnet fought back to equalise on the night and notched what could have been a priceless away goal when 20-year-old Warren Goodhind headed home a Sam Stockley cross.
However, Colchester responded magnificently in a thrilling second half, which swung on the sending-off of Barnet's Howarth in the 59th minute for a professional foul on Neil Gregory as he raced towards goal.
The extra-man advantage proved vital and Colchester went ahead on the night through central defender David Greene, who headed home a Paul Buckle free kick. From then on Colchester were in the driving seat and only a succession of brilliant saves by Barnet's Lee Harrison took the tie into extra-time.
The winner came in the 95th minute as Barnet's defence were all at sea following a throw-in by Simon Betts. The ball was headed on by Mark Sale and then Steve Forbes for Gregory to rifle home a left-foot shot.
Colchester had one or two anxious moments afterwards, but they held on to earn manager Steve Wignall a second Wembley appearance in three seasons following the Auto Windscreen final last season.
Wignall said: The lads' spirit was quite tremendous. I always thought we had more chances, but we're not out of the division yet and have to win at Wembley against a Torquay side who are currently flying very high.
COLCHESTER: Emberson, Dunne, Betts, Forbes (Skelton 107), Greene, D Gregory, Wilkins, Buckle, Sale, N Gregory (Duguid 75), Abrahams (Lock 45)
Booked: Greene, D. Gregory, Abrahams
BARNET: Harrison, Stockley, Harle, Heald, Howarth, Basham, Goodhind, Searle (Simpson 45), Charlery, McGleish (Samuels 96), Wilson (Manuel 110)
Sent Off: Howarth (59)
Booked: Stockley, Harle, Heald
Att: 5,863
Ref: T Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe)
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