Liam Dickinson scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal at 67 minutes to lift Stockport to a 3-2 victory over Rochdale Monday to win the League Two promotion final at Wembley Stadium, sending the Hatters to League One.
im Gannon's Stockport made it fifth-time lucky at Wembley but were made to sweat in their 3-2 Coca-Cola League Two play-off final win over local rivals Rochdale.
County manager Gannon, 10 years a player at Edgeley Park, had been a Wembley loser four times with Stockport, who clinched their first promotion in 11 years.
The Hatters fell behind to Rochdale defender Rory McArdle's 23rd-minute corner, but once Nathan Stanton's own goal hauled Stockport level, Gannon's side seized control.
Anthony Pilkington headed County into a 49th-minute lead and Liam Dickinson bludgeoned home a third before Dale winger Adam Rundle set up a nerve-jangling finale with a 77th-minute volley.
For Stockdale, this marks their first promotion in 11 years. The Hatters will join Milton Keynes Dons, Peterborough, and Hereford in moving up to League One. As for the perennially snakebitten Dale, next season will mark their 35th straight in English soccer's fourth division. They will be joined by two teams coming up from the Blue Square Premier (formerly Nationwide) Conference, table-topping Aldershot and Exeter City, who won the promotion final at Wembley Stadium on May 18, 1-0 over Cambridge United.
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