Weight of history lifted as Wakefield AFC hold nerve to reach play-offs final

It was the fourth season in succession that the Falcons had reached the promotion play-offs and they had previously stumbled at this stage every time, failing to score a goal in the process, writes Austin Ainsworth.

Demons of the past aside, this season may have felt different for many Wakefield fans; the West Yorkshire side having experienced a positive NCE season with a new management team and a squad togetherness not seen since their last promotion in 2022.

Wakefield, having finished third in the league, secured home advantage for the game and welcomed fourth placed Harrogate Railway Athletic. Ominously – just as with all of the other sides in the play-offs – they had failed to beat them in three previous games this season.

Nevertheless, last week’s victory over Route One Rovers and a strong end to the season saw Wakefield go into the game full of confidence, and that meant manager Jason Blunt made just two changes to his line-up, with regular right-winger Basile Zottos replacing Ify Ofoegbu and Matthew Swift coming in at centre-back in place of Mo Conteh – the Falcons lining up in the 4-4-2 formation seen in recent weeks.

As expected, the game was a largely cagey affair, with little by way of goalmouth action but a real competitive edge nonetheless. Wakefield predictably bossed possession and moved the ball well enough through midfield, while Harrogate always looked a threat on the break and from set pieces.

Wakefield goalkeeper Drew Bremer was excellent throughout and was first called into action after just two minutes, when he made a good low save.

That was the only real save Bremer had to make, but his command of the area and collection of threatening crosses saved Wakefield on numerous occasions.

Either side of that early chance for Harrogate, Wakefield’s Eliel Anku screwed a difficult effort wide from an angle, and top scorer Tom Hinton launched a rocket-like shot from midfield that stung the Harrogate keeper’s palms.

It remained goalless at half-time with the nerves and tension amplifying among the raucous crowd of 586 at the Hunters Stadium.

The second half went much the same way as the first, though both sides did begin to carry a greater threat. Wakefield’s best chance came in the 53rd minute when the home side’s signature, ferocious press – led by the as-ever animated Blunt on the sidelines – led to Anku snatching the ball from a Harrogate defender only for his shot being comfortably saved.

Harrogate looked increasingly dangerous from set plays and went ahead in the 54th minute when a long throw was headed on and Alex Ingham directed a second header into the top corner.

Visions of past play-off failures were surfacing, but Wakefield’s captain Chris Salt equalised on 69 minutes with a header following a fine move involving Ethan Kachosa and Zottos.

Inexplicably for Wakefield, not long after the restart they were back to square one from another long throw as Ingham netted again.

With that sucker punch and the clock ticking down, a sense of foreboding crept in, particularly as some cynical time-wasting from Harrogate led to greater frustration for Wakefield and added to the feeling that history was to repeat itself.

Blunt threw the kitchen sink at it, moving wingers to full-back and sending on extra attackers in the hope of turning the tide. Substitute Ify Ofoegbu had a good effort on the half-volley saved and then another when he swivelled in the box to shoot just over.

They kept going and in the fourth minute of the allotted seven of added time Kachosa started a mazy run from the back, gliding past several players as he moved infield 30 yards from goal.

Adding precision to his pace, he then executed a perfectly-weighted, reverse through ball for the run across the backline of substitute Jerome Greaves from the right. The big man, on the sidelines of late and without a goal since the beginning of February, stepped up at the most crucial moment to touch perfectly, hold his marker off and slot the ball past the goalkeeper to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

It was onto the nail-biting lottery of penalties to decide who would go through to the final and first up in the shootout was Akeel Francis who slotted his spot kick perfectly beyond the reach of the keeper.

Harrogate missed their first penalty before Hinton coolly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 2-0.

Harrogate scored their next spot kick, but after Ofoegbu made it 3-1 Bremer guessed correctly to brilliantly save Railway’s third spot kick.

That meant Wakefield had the chance to win the game with their fourth effort and Greaves, after rescuing Wakefield in stoppage time, again showed the strength of his personality as he wrong-footed the keeper to cement his incredible mark on the game.

The Hunters Stadium erupted into scenes of jubilation as the demons of Wakefield’s past were banished, with the Falcons now daring to dream that they may finally realise their hope of promotion at the fourth attempt.

They will now meet Worsbrough Bridge in the final and will be away as their opponents finished one place above them in the league. Kick-off is 3pm on Saturday.