Stockport cruised to a 2-0 second-leg victory over Stevenage to reach the 2025-26 Sky Bet League One Play-Off Final with a 3-0 aggregate win at Edgeley Park.
Louie Barry fired Stockport ahead through a 14th-minute strike, before Kyle Wootton sealed their victory with a 28th-minute volley from Odin Bailey’s cross.
Stockport now await the winner of Bolton’s semi-final against Bradford in the Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium, London, on Sunday 24 May at 1pm BST.
With a slender 1-0 lead through Ben Osborn’s late first-leg winner, Stockport quickly asserted dominance in their home leg as Adama Sidibeh forced a third-minute foul from Charlie Goode, only for referee – Josh Smith to snub the Hatters’ penalty appeals.
Daniel Phillips then blocked Barry’s shot a minute later but the latter wasn’t denied in the 14th minute as he met Osborn’s pass and fired past Filip Marschall into the top right corner to double Stockport’s aggregate lead.
Stockport subsequently continued to pile on the pressure as Sidibeh saw a 27th-minute shot deflected behind, from which the subsequent corner was played short for Bailey whose cross was volleyed in by Wootton via a deflective header off Stevenage’s Carl Piergianni.
Stevenage in response struggled to offer hope of a comeback aside from a tame 44th-minute shot from Daniel Phillips which was saved by Corey Addai, as Stockport protected their comfortable lead into half time.
It was therefore little surprise that the hosts lifted their foot off the gas in the second half as Piergianni saw a header go wide and Goode’s 60th-minute shot was saved by Addai.
Stevenage’s dominance however left them vulnerable to a quick attack from Stockport as Oliver Norwood forced Filip Marschall to punch away a 66th-minute shot from his near-top right corner from the edge of the box.
Addai went on to secure a clean sheet as he denied Matt Phillips and Beryly Lubala late on as Stockport cruised through to the play-off final.
Teams
Stockport: Corey Addai, Josh Dacres-Cogley, Kyle Wootton, Ethan Pye, Tayo Edun, Oliver Norwood, Odin Bailey (Andresson 88′), Louie Barry (Diamon 69′), Josh Stokes (Mothersille 80′), Ben Osborn (Fiorini 80′), Adama Sidibeh (Olaofe 46′)
Substitutes: Benony Breki Andresson, Jack Diamond, Roman Dixon, Lewis Fiorini, Ben Hinchcliffe, Malik Mothersille, Isaac Olaofe
Stevenage: Filip Marschall, Jasper Pattenden (James-Wildin 62′), Charlie Goode, Carl Piergianni, Saxon Earley, Dan Kemp, Jordan Houghton (White 62′), Daniel Phillips (Thompson 63′), Jordan Roberts (Patterson 63′), Matt Phillips (Lubala 80′), Jamie Reid
Substitutes: Taye Ashby-Hammond, Luther James-Wildin, Beryly Lubala, Phoenix Patterson, Dan Sweeney, Louis Thompson, Harvey White,
Referee – Josh Smith
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