Football News: Crawley Earns Promotion to League One After Play-Off Final Victory

In a thrilling conclusion to the League Two season, Crawley earned promotion to League One after defeating Crewe Alexandra 2-0 in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Crawley’s Journey to Wembley

Crawley, who finished seventh in the table, had earlier overcome MK Dons in the semi-finals to secure their first-ever trip to the national stadium. In the final, Danilo Orsi opened the scoring for the Red Devils in the 41st minute, stabbing a shot into the bottom corner to give his side the lead.

Controversial VAR Decision

Crewe had an opportunity to level the scores shortly after the break when Chris Long tumbled in the box while rounding goalkeeper Corey Addai. However, the introduction of VAR for the first time in the fourth tier’s play-off final spotted that Long had dived, and the goal was disallowed.

Crawley Seal the Victory

Liam Kelly sealed the victory for Crawley late in the game, capitalizing on a quick-thinking rebound to make it 2-0. The win means Crawley will join Mansfield, Wrexham, and Stockport in moving up to League One for the 2023-24 season.

“I don’t think there are any words to describe it,” said goalscorer Orsi. “We were underdogs at the start of the season, and to finally come away and say we’ve won the play-offs is an amazing feeling. I’ve had a good season this year, and it’s thanks to the coaches and the rest of the players. We play football like that every day, all day. The manager and the players have given me so much confidence, and to top it off with a play-off win, I couldn’t imagine.”

This hard-fought victory caps off a successful campaign for Crawley, who will now look to make their mark in the third tier of English football next season.

🔗 Source