2014 Football League Two play-off final

Of the finalists, only Burton had participated in the play-offs prior to 2014 when they took part in them the previous season. There, they had been knocked out at the semi-final stage by Bradford City 5–4 on aggregate.[6] Fleetwood's last visit to Wembley was for the 1985 FA Vase Final which they lost against Halesowen Town while Burton had featured at the national stadium in the 1987 FA Trophy Final which ended in a 0–0 draw with Kidderminster Harriers. Both teams were aiming for promotion to the third tier of English football for the first time in either club's histories.[7] Burton had played in the fourth tier since they gained promotion from the Football Conference in the 2008–09 season.[8] Fleetwood were promoted to League Two after winning the Football Conference in the 2011–12 season.[9]

The play-off final was the fifth meeting between the clubs during the season. In the two league matches, both sides won their away games, with Burton winning 3–2 at the Highbury Stadium in August 2013 and Fleetwood securing a 4–2 victory at the Pirelli Stadium the following January. The teams were also drawn against one another in the second round of the 2013–14 FA Cup: the tie, played in Fleetwood in December 2013, was a 1–1, with Burton winning the replay 1–0 ten days later.[10] Fleetwood's top scorer during the regular season was Sarcevic who had scored thirteen goals, all in the league.[11] Billy Kee was the leading scorer for Burton, with fourteen goals (twelve in the league and two in the FA Cup).[12]

Kee's wife was in labour during the game and Kee himself said that should he score during the final, that "Wembley" would form part of the baby's name.[13] Fleetwood went into the match as slight favourites, according to bookmakers.[13] Burton, who wore yellow and black kit, adopted a 4–4–2 formation while Fleetwood, in red and white, played as a 4–4–2 diamond.[13] The referee for the game was Michael Naylor.[14]

Antoni Sarcevic (pictured in 2013) scored the only goal of the game.

Burton kicked off the match in front of 14,007 spectators at around 3 p.m. on 26 May 2014. Within a minute, a high free kick from McGurk found Kee in the Fleetwood penalty area but his header was saved by Maxwell. David Ball's shot was then kept out by Dean Lyness who made a clearance from the subsequent corner. In the 11th minute, Kees was fouled by Mark Roberts but Alex MacDonald's low free-kick was cleared. Nathan Pond then sent a header over the Burton crossbar from a Fleetwood corner. Two penalty appeals were turned down by the referee in the 16th minute when both Blair and Ball fell under challenge in the Burton area. Three minutes later, a curling shot from McGurk went high and wide of the Fleetwood goal, before his shot from around 25 yards (23 m) went wide of the post. Robbie Weir then struck the ball straight at Maxwell who gathered it. On 29 minutes, Roberts passed to Ball whose shot was off-target. With three minutes of the half remaining, Sarcevic was fouled but the subsequent free kick was cleared by the Burton defence. The referee brought the half to a close with the score 0–0.[13]

Neither side made any changes to their personnel during the half-time break and the second half was kicked off by Fleetwood. A minute in, a header from Hume fell to Ball whose attempted chip was caught by Lyness. In the 54th minute, Kee passed to Lee Bell whose low shot was caught in the Fleetwood goal by Maxwell. Hussey's shot two minutes later failed to trouble Maxwell before Sarcevic's shot went wide of the Burton goal. In the 64th minute, Burton made the first substitution of the game with Zander Diamond coming on to replace Holness who appeared to be suffering from a hamstring injury. In the 70th minute MacDonald's strike from 30 yards (27 m) took a deflection before going out for a corner which Shane Cansdell-Sherriff narrowly missed with a header. Three minutes later, Burton made their second change of the game, with Zeli Ismail coming on to replace MacDonald. Jon Parkin then replaced Blair in Fleetwood's first substitution of the afternoon. With fifteen minutes of the game remaining, Fleetwood took the lead: Lyness came out to punch clear Sarcevic's 35-yard (32 m) free kick but the ball flew over the goalkeeper and into the Burton goal. In the 78th minute, Burton made their final substitution of the game with Matt Palmer coming on for Bell. Despite late pressure from Burton, they failed to score and the match ended 1–0 to Fleetwood.[13]