2001 Football League Second Division play-off Final

The 2001 Football League Second Division play-off Final was contested by Walsall and Reading. It was the first season that the play-off finals were contested at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium following the demolition of Wembley Stadium.

2001 Football League Second Division play-off Final
Event2000–01 Football League Second Division
Walsall Reading
3 2
After extra time
Date27 May 2001
VenueMillennium Stadium, Cardiff
RefereeE. K. Wolstenholme
Attendance50,496

Route to the final
  • Reading: Reading beat Wigan 2–1 on aggregate after a 0–0 draw and a 2–1 second leg win.
  • Walsall: Walsall beat Stoke 4–2 at Home in the second leg, after 0–0 draw at Stoke's Britannia Stadium.

Match

Summary

Reading scored the opening goal from a throw in. Jamie Cureton's volley crept in underneath Walsall goalkeeper Jimmy Walker. Don Goodman scored the leveler for Walsall just after half-time to take the game into extra-time.

Reading made a storming start to extra-time with, ex-Walsall striker, Martin Butler scoring a header inside the first 2 minutes. A treble substitution by Walsall manager Ray Graydon on 98 minutes changed the game. Walsall's Dean Keates forced an own-goal by Reading's Tony Rougier on 107 minutes. Walsall nicked it 2 minutes later virtue of a stunning turn and shot from substitute Darren Byfield.

Details
Walsall3–2Reading
Goodman  48'
Rougier  107' (o.g.)
Byfield  109'		 Report Cureton  31'
Butler  91'
Attendance: 50,496
Walsall
Reading
GK1Jimmy Walker
DF3Ian Brightwell
DF15Zigor Aranalde
DF25Tony Barras
DF5Andy Tillson
MF10Dean Keates
MF27Pedro Matías
MF4Tom Bennett 98'
MF19Paul Hall 98'
FW9Don Goodman
FW14Jorge Leitão 98'
Substitutes:
DF21Matt Gadsby 98'
GK17Carl Emberson
MF26Gábor Bukrán 98'
FW11Brett Angell
FW8Darren Byfield 98'
Manager:
Ray Graydon
GK1Phil Whitehead
DF7Graeme Murty
DF3Matthew Robinson
DF5Adrian Viveash
DF29Adrian Williams 105'
MF40James Harper
MF14Sammy Igoe 66'
MF16Phil Parkinson
FW22Jim McIntyre 82'
FW9Martin Butler
FW12Jamie Cureton
Substitutes:
MF37Tony Rougier 82'
DF6Barry Hunter 105'
GK21Scott Howie
FW10Nicky Forster 66'
MF8Darren Caskey
Manager:
Alan Pardew

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
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