2003 Football League First Division play-off Final

2003 Football League First Division play-off Final
Sheffield United Wolverhampton Wanderers
0 3
Date 26 May 2003
Venue Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Man of the Match Matt Murray (Wolverhampton Wanderers)[1]
Referee Steve Bennett (Kent)
Attendance 69,473
Weather Mostly cloudy
14 °C (57 °F)[2]

The 2003 Football League First Division play-off Final was a football match played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on 26 May 2003 at the end of the 2002–03 season. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion from the First Division to the Premier League, and was contested by Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves won the match 3–0, with three first-half goals, taking them back to the top flight for the first time in nineteen years.

Route to the final

2002–03 First Division:
final table, leading positions
Pos Team P W D L F A Pts
1.Portsmouth4629116974598
2.Leicester City4626146734092
3.Sheffield United46231112725280
4.Reading4625417614679
5.Wolverhampton Wanderers46201610814476
6.Nottingham Forest46201412825074
Pos=Position P=Games played W=Wins D=Draws
L=Losses F=Goals for A=Goals against Pts=Points

Sheffield United finished the season in third place in the First Division, twelve points behind the runaway top two Portsmouth and Leicester City. They had enjoyed a successful season, being positioned in the play-off zone almost throughout and reaching the semi-finals of both the FA Cup[3] and League Cup.[4]

Wolves had had an inconsistent first half to the campaign after the disappointment of their late slump in form during the previous season which had lost them promotion to local rivals West Bromwich Albion. A stronger run of form in the closing months however, earned them a second successive place in the play-offs with a fifth-place finish, four points behind their opponents.

Both clubs had confirmed their play-off place with games to spare, before meeting in their penultimate league match – a 3–3 draw at Bramall Lane.[5] In their first meeting of the season Sheffield United had won 3–1 at Molineux.[6]

In the play-off semi-finals, Sheffield United drew at sixth-placed Nottingham Forest 1–1 in the first leg,[7] before a thrilling 4–3 extra time victory at Bramall Lane took them to the final.[8]

Wolves meanwhile faced Reading, winning the first leg 2–1 after coming from behind[9] and edging a narrow 1–0 success in the away leg to progress 3–1 on aggregate.[10] This marked their first play-off semi-final success at this level in four attempts.

Match

Summary

Mark Kennedy opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a low drive into the corner of the net from 20 yards.[11][12] Their lead was doubled sixteen minutes later when Nathan Blake headed in from close range at a corner.[11] A three-goal lead was established moments shortly before the half time interval when Kenny Miller converted after a quick counterattack.[11]

Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock was sent to the stands at half time after arguing with referee Steve Bennett.[11] He saw his side offered a route back into the contest when they were awarded a penalty in the 48th minute after Wolves' defender Paul Butler was adjudged to have handled. However, Michael Brown's spotkick was pushed away by goalkeeper Matt Murray.[11]

Details

Sheffield United 0–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Report Kennedy  6'
Blake  22'
Miller  45'
Attendance: 69,473
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)
Sheffield United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
GK23Paddy Kenny
RB36John Curtis
CB6Rob Page (c)
CB17Phil Jagielka
LB2Rob Kozluk
RM16Peter Ndlovu 64'
CM7Michael BrownYellow card 79'
CM26Mark Rankine 46'
LM18Michael TongeYellow card 77'
CF9Carl Asaba
CF34Steve Kabba 74'
Substitutes:
GK24Gary Kelly
MF8Stuart McCall 46'
MF12Nick Montgomery
FW10Paul Peschisolido 64'
FW14Wayne Allison 74'
Manager:
Neil WarnockRed card 45'
GK13Matt Murray
RB8Denis IrwinYellow card 44'
CB5Joleon Lescott
CB6Paul Butler
LB3Lee Naylor
RM7Shaun Newton
CM10Colin Cameron
CM23Paul Ince (c)
LM11Mark Kennedy
CF16Kenny Miller 75'
CF9Nathan Blake 88'
Substitutes:
GK1Michael Oakes
DF24Marc Edworthy
MF4Alex Rae
FW12Adam Proudlock 88'
FW29Dean Sturridge 75'
Manager:
Dave Jones

Match officials:

Match rules:

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Five named substitutes
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

References

  1. ↑ "Hayward's dream come true". BBC Sport. 27 May 2003.
  2. ↑ "History for Cardiff, United Kingdom". Weather Underground. 26 May 2003.
  3. ↑ "Arsenal sink brave Blades". BBC Sport. 13 April 2003.
  4. ↑ "Liverpool conquer brave Blades". BBC Sport. 21 January 2003.
  5. ↑ "Sheff Utd 3–3 Wolves". BBC Sport. 26 April 2003.
  6. ↑ "Wolves 1–3 Sheff Utd". BBC Sport. 5 October 2002.
  7. ↑ "Blades hold Forest". BBC Sport. 10 May 2003.
  8. ↑ "Blades overcome brave Forest". BBC Sport. 14 May 2003.
  9. ↑ "Wolves edge past Reading". BBC Sport. 10 May 2003.
  10. ↑ "Wolves hold off Reading". BBC Sport. 14 May 2003.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "How Wolves won promotion". BBC Sport. 26 May 2003.
  12. ↑ "Goal of the Week: Kennedy's corker". BBC Sport. 26 May 2003.
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