Stanley Belted At Home

At Accrington, England:

Alan Gow scored twice (14', 53') as Exeter City dominated hosts Accrington Stanley 3-0 in Saturday English League Two action.

Blades Settle For Promotion Playoff Berth

At Exeter, England:


Goals from Alan Gow (24') and Scott Bennett (90') carried already-relegated Exeter City to a 2-2 Saturday home draw with Sheffield United in the English League One regular-season finale for both clubs.  Lee Williamson (44') and Kevin McDonald (47') each scored a goal for the Blades, whose hopes of gaining automatic promotion to the League Championship ended with Sheffield Wednesday's 2-0 win over already-relegated Wycombe Wanderers (the Owls join Charlton Athletic in gaining automatic promotion to the second level of English soccer).  Sheffield United will take on Stevenage (gunning for a third straight promotion) in a two-match promotion-playoff semifinal series.

Wild Goalfest At Bramall Lane

At Sheffield, England:


Matthew Phillips scored twice (45', 85') as Sheffield United battled visiting Exeter City to a 4-4 Saturday English League One draw.  James Dunne's late equalizer (86') enabled the Grecians to gain a draw on the road.

Richard Lambert Double Powers Saints Past Grecians

At Exeter, England:

Two late goals from Richard Lambert (70', 90') enabled Southampton to come from behind to defeat Exeter City 2-1 on the road in Tuesday action in England's League One.

Gecians Look Ancient As Saints Roll

At Southampton, England:

Guly Do Prado scored twice (19', 51') as Southampton laid a frontier-styled fist beating on visiting Exeter City 4-0 in Saturday English League One action.

It's League One For Stockport

At London:

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.