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Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
League Two line-up for 2025-26 season confirmed as Latics secure promotion
Big moment - Oldham Athletic's James Norwood celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Vanarama National League play-off final against Southend (Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire) ON-LOAN Colchester United defender Ben Goodliffe suffered Wembley heartache after Southend United were beaten 3-2 by Oldham Athletic in the National League play-off final this afternoon. It looked as though the Shrimpers would be returning to League Two after they went 2-1 up in extra-time but two quickfire goals secured the Latics promotion back to the EFL, after a three-year absence. Advertisement It was a dramatic match with plenty of twists and turns throughout. In front of a record crowd of 52,115 at Wembley, substitutes James Norwood and Kian Harratt scored within the space of two minutes after Leon Chambers-Parillon had restored Southend's lead just seconds into extra time. An early own-goal from Manny Monthe had given the Shrimpers the lead, but was cancelled out by Joe Garner's penalty after Monthe had been brought down in the area. Oldham boss Micky Mellon unsurprisingly named the same starting XI which won 3-0 against York in the semi-final, only to see his side concede their first goal of the play-offs with just four minutes on the clock. Advertisement Gus Scott-Morriss pounced on a loose pass in midfield and chipped the ball into the area for Charley Kendall to chase and his presence was enough to pressure the unfortunate Monthe to loft the ball over his own goalkeeper. Garner came close to an equaliser when his header from Tom Pett's corner came back off the post and Oldham felt they should have had a penalty when Mike Fondop went down in the area under a challenge from Harry Taylor. Taylor did not appear to get much of the ball but referee Elliot Bell waved away the appeals and the Oldham fans suffered more frustration in the last minute of the half as Fondop missed a golden chance to equalise. Advertisement A defensive clearance was charged down and left Fondop through on goal, but after clipping the ball over goalkeeper Nick Hayes he could only look on as it drifted agonisingly wide of the post. It took less than a minute of the second half for Oldham to finally get back on level terms, Garner calmly scoring from the penalty spot after Monthe had been brought down in the area. Neither side was able to find a winner in normal time but Southend regained the lead just seconds into extra-time, goalkeeper Mathew Hudson parrying a deflected cross from Scott-Morriss straight on to the head of substitute Chambers-Parillon to head into the empty net. Advertisement Oldham refused to throw in the towel and Norwood got them back on level terms for the second time when he latched on to a long ball through the middle and took a deft touch around Hayes before slotting the ball into an empty net. And just two minutes later Oldham grabbed the winner as Harratt's curling cross evaded everyone in the area before nestling into the far corner to send the Latics fans wild.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harratt completes comeback to sink Southend and fire Oldham into EFL
Oldham are back in the Football League, edging Southend United in a playoff final that was not just a thrilling contest in front of a record crowd, but a showcase of the strength of the English football pyramid. Two goals in the second half of extra time turned things around for Mickey Mellon's side, after Leon Parillon's header had given the Shrimpers control of the match. A piece of striking flair from the journeyman forward James Norwood, followed by a freakish series of events that saw a cross go all the way into the Southend net was enough to overstimulate the blue half of a 52,115 crowd, a record for a National League playoff match. Advertisement After three years outside the 92, and a period of torment that led to fans staging mock funerals for their club, Oldham can now look forward to returning to the fold of the football league. For Southend and their clearly heartbroken players, there will – in the end – come the realisation that they too are on the way back following the dozens of winding up orders that nearly led to the club's extinction before its takeover last year. Related: Oldham 3-2 Southend (aet): Latics promoted to EFL after playoff final drama – live reaction The clash in styles between the two teams was visible from the off. Oldham had already lofted a few set plays into the Southend box, some from their own half, before the Shrimpers took an early lead in the fifth minute. Tom Pett, Oldham's reliable midfield anchor gave the ball away to Gus Scott-Morriss who immediately lofted a ball for Charley Kendall to chase. The Southend forward couldn't get there, but he did enough to unsettle defender Manny Monthé into beating him to the ball with the tip of a toe, a touch that went past his own keeper. In the 17th minute the Owls should have equalised through teenager Vimal Yoganathan when he placed a header wide at the far post after being found in space. That routine was one Oldham then went for time and again. Joe Garner saw an effort cleared off the line by Cav Miley on the half hour. A minute before half time and Oldham's biggest chance came to Mike Fondop as he chased down two Southend clearances and burst through on goal only to look to lift the ball over goalkeeper Nick Hayes with his left foot, an effort that span wide by a yard. Advertisement The momentum was all with Oldham and they carried on where they had left off after half-time. Their intense press unsettled Southend again and a corner just a minute after the restart was aimed at Monthé who was hauled to the ground by Ben Goodliffe. The referee, Elliot Bell, pointed to the spot and James Garner, the former Ipswich and Nottingham Forest forward, stepped up coolly, sending Hayes the wrong way. The game slid back into equilibrium after that, with Southend producing decent patterns with the ball and Oldham perhaps struggling to maintain their earlier intensity. Fondop had a shot on the spin saved on the hour mark and Keenan Appiah-Forson had a big shout for a penalty turned down after he wriggled his way past Charlie Raglan. The best openings of the half, however, only came in added time and both opportunities falling for Oldham; first a low drive from Mark Kitching that went just past the post; then an air kick from substitute James Norwood where any connection would surely have sealed the match. Then came extra time and a period that resembled delirium. In the first half Southend reclaimed the lead with a wicked cross shot from Scott-Morriss that Hudson could only parry into the path of Parillon, who duly headed home. In the second, they nearly doubled their advantage when winger Josh Walker cut in from the right to this time force a good save from the Oldham keeper. Then Norwood made the game's decisive intervention. Tussling with Goodliffe for a long ball he threw the defender off him decisively, advanced on goal, lifted the ball over the onrushing Hayes while skirting him and then finished coolly. 'This is my house!' Norwood screamed at the crowd and the atmosphere, already wild, jumped up another level. Within 60 seconds Oldham had the lead, when Kian Harrat's left footed cross from way out went under the legs of the sliding Goodliffe and somehow past Hayes too.
The Guardian
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Harratt completes comeback to sink Southend and fire Oldham into EFL
Oldham are back in the Football League, edging Southend United in a playoff final that was not just a thrilling contest in front of a record crowd, but a showcase of the strength of the English football pyramid. Two goals in the second half of extra time turned things around for Mickey Mellon's side, after Leon Parillon's header had given the Shrimpers control of the match. A piece of striking flair from the journeyman forward James Norwood, followed by a freakish series of events that saw a cross go all the way into the Southend net was enough to overstimulate the blue half of a 52,115 crowd, a record for a National League playoff match. After three years outside the 92, and a period of torment that led to fans staging mock funerals for their club, Oldham can now look forward to returning to the fold of the football league. For Southend and their clearly heartbroken players, there will – in the end – come the realisation that they too are on the way back following the dozens of winding up orders that nearly led to the club's extinction before its takeover last year. The clash in styles between the two teams was visible from the off. Oldham had already lofted a few set plays into the Southend box, some from their own half, before the Shrimpers took an early lead in the fifth minute. Tom Pett, Oldham's reliable midfield anchor gave the ball away to Gus Scott-Morriss who immediately lofted a ball for Charley Kendall to chase. The Southend forward couldn't get there, but he did enough to unsettle defender Manny Monthé into beating him to the ball with the tip of a toe, a touch that went past his own keeper. In the 17th minute the Owls should have equalised through teenager Vimal Yoganathan when he placed a header wide at the far post after being found in space. That routine was one Oldham then went for time and again. Joe Garner saw an effort cleared off the line by Cav Miley on the half hour. A minute before half time and Oldham's biggest chance came to Mike Fondop as he chased down two Southend clearances and burst through on goal only to look to lift the ball over goalkeeper Nick Hayes with his left foot, an effort that span wide by a yard. The momentum was all with Oldham and they carried on where they had left off after half-time. Their intense press unsettled Southend again and a corner just a minute after the restart was aimed at Monthé who was hauled to the ground by Ben Goodliffe. The referee, Elliot Bell, pointed to the spot and James Garner, the former Ipswich and Nottingham Forest forward, stepped up coolly, sending Hayes the wrong way. The game slid back into equilibrium after that, with Southend producing decent patterns with the ball and Oldham perhaps struggling to maintain their earlier intensity. Fondop had a shot on the spin saved on the hour mark and Keenan Appiah-Forson had a big shout for a penalty turned down after he wriggled his way past Charlie Raglan. The best openings of the half, however, only came in added time and both opportunities falling for Oldham; first a low drive from Mark Kitching that went just past the post; then an air kick from substitute James Norwood where any connection would surely have sealed the match. Then came extra time and a period that resembled delirium. In the first half Southend reclaimed the lead with a wicked cross shot from Scott-Morriss that Hudson could only parry into the path of Parillon, who duly headed home. In the second, they nearly doubled their advantage when winger Josh Walker cut in from the right to this time force a good save from the Oldham keeper. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Then Norwood made the game's decisive intervention. Tussling with Goodliffe for a long ball he threw the defender off him decisively, advanced on goal, lifted the ball over the onrushing Hayes while skirting him and then finished coolly. 'This is my house!' Norwood screamed at the crowd and the atmosphere, already wild, jumped up another level. Within 60 seconds Oldham had the lead, when Kian Harrat's left footed cross from way out went under the legs of the sliding Goodliffe and somehow past Hayes too.
The Irish Sun
01-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Former Premier League side back in EFL after scoring twice in two minutes in dramatic National League play-off final
OLDHAM are back from the brink - fired to the Football League by a wonder goal and a huge blunder. An extraordinary extra time escape act sent Micky Mellon's men back to League Two in front of chief executive Darren Royle - son of legendary ex-manager Joe. 8 Oldham are back in the Football League after beating Southend 3-2 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 A dramatic National League final saw the Lactics go behind twice before winning in extra time Credit: Getty Four years after coffins were carried outside Boundary Park to mark the death of the club and three years since owner Frank Rothwell stepped in as the saviour, they are alive and kicking again. All thanks to two goals in two staggering extra-time minutes. But a Premier League quality finish from James Norwood and Kian Harratt's bizarre winner helped down READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Oldham finished five points clear of Southend in the table and had sailed through the play-offs without conceding a single goal. Their opponents, however, had scraped into the play-off places and needed extra time and then penalties to reach this final. But it was Mellon's side who made a frantic start under the arch. Having been so water-tight in the two games to reach Wembley, it was a surprise to see Oldham so ragged inside five minutes. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Southend's Charley Kendall raced onto a clipped ball over the top, unsettling Monthe to the extent he swung a leg and lifted the ball over his own goalkeeper. Oldham responded well to the nightmare start and should have been level just over 10 minutes later, when Vimal Yoganathan headed inexplicably wide from two yards at the far post. Former Premier League club closing in on return to EFL despite finishing 23 POINTS behind play-off opponents 8 Southend took the lead after just FIVE minutes Credit: Reuters 8 Oldham eventually pegged them back through Joe Garner's 48th minute penalty Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Striker Mike Fondop erupted at his teammate for taking the chance away from him and wasting it, but was just as guilty later in the half. Fondop, who should have been awarded a penalty earlier in the half, raced through one-on-one and decided to dink over the keeper but placed the ball just wide. Oldham had scored seven goals in two play-off games before the final, but were so wasteful across a frustrating first half. That was swiftly corrected after the break. 8 Southend regained the lead in extra time through Leon Chambers-Parillon Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 James Norwood's top strike pulled Oldham back into the game in the 110th minute Credit: PA Monthe, making amends for his own-goal, was hauled to the ground by Ben Goodliffe inside the six-yard box within a minute of the restart. Referee Elliot Bell immediately pointed to the spot and veteran Garner slotted home from the spot to make it three goals in three play-off games. Having endured nine minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half, Southend struck just 39 seconds into extra time. Keeper Mathew Hudson flapped at a deflected cross from Gus Scott-Morriss, palming it straight to substitute Parillon to nod home. 8 Kian Harratt then put Oldham ahead for the first time just two minutes later Credit: PA 8 It proved to be the winning goal as Oldham cemented their spot back in League Two Credit: Getty That looked to have started a Southend party, though they wasted chances to extend their lead before the Latics struck. Substitute Norwood collected a hopeful punt before showing off some staggering footwork, lifting the ball over advancing keeper Hayes and finishing into an empty net. The winner was even more surprising as Harratt cut in on the right and swung in a low cross which evaded everyone in red and rolled in. A galling way for Southend's own redemption story to hit the buffers, but the most ridiculous route back to League Two for Oldham.
The Sun
01-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Former Premier League side back in EFL after scoring twice in two minutes in dramatic National League play-off final
OLDHAM are back from the brink - fired to the Football League by a wonder goal and a huge blunder. An extraordinary extra time escape act sent Micky Mellon's men back to League Two in front of chief executive Darren Royle - son of legendary ex-manager Joe. 8 8 Four years after coffins were carried outside Boundary Park to mark the death of the club and three years since owner Frank Rothwell stepped in as the saviour, they are alive and kicking again. All thanks to two goals in two staggering extra-time minutes. The Latics were behind five minutes after kick-off, then behind again 39 seconds into extra time. But a Premier League quality finish from James Norwood and Kian Harratt's bizarre winner helped down Southend. Oldham finished five points clear of Southend in the table and had sailed through the play-offs without conceding a single goal. Their opponents, however, had scraped into the play-off places and needed extra time and then penalties to reach this final. But it was Mellon's side who made a frantic start under the arch. Having been so water-tight in the two games to reach Wembley, it was a surprise to see Oldham so ragged inside five minutes. Southend's Charley Kendall raced onto a clipped ball over the top, unsettling Monthe to the extent he swung a leg and lifted the ball over his own goalkeeper. Oldham responded well to the nightmare start and should have been level just over 10 minutes later, when Vimal Yoganathan headed inexplicably wide from two yards at the far post. Former Premier League club closing in on return to EFL despite finishing 23 POINTS behind play-off opponents 8 8 Striker Mike Fondop erupted at his teammate for taking the chance away from him and wasting it, but was just as guilty later in the half. Fondop, who should have been awarded a penalty earlier in the half, raced through one-on-one and decided to dink over the keeper but placed the ball just wide. Oldham had scored seven goals in two play-off games before the final, but were so wasteful across a frustrating first half. That was swiftly corrected after the break. 8 8 Monthe, making amends for his own-goal, was hauled to the ground by Ben Goodliffe inside the six-yard box within a minute of the restart. Referee Elliot Bell immediately pointed to the spot and veteran Garner slotted home from the spot to make it three goals in three play-off games. Having endured nine minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half, Southend struck just 39 seconds into extra time. Keeper Mathew Hudson flapped at a deflected cross from Gus Scott-Morriss, palming it straight to substitute Parillon to nod home. 8 8 That looked to have started a Southend party, though they wasted chances to extend their lead before the Latics struck. Substitute Norwood collected a hopeful punt before showing off some staggering footwork, lifting the ball over advancing keeper Hayes and finishing into an empty net. The winner was even more surprising as Harratt cut in on the right and swung in a low cross which evaded everyone in red and rolled in. A galling way for Southend's own redemption story to hit the buffers, but the most ridiculous route back to League Two for Oldham.
