2015 Football League Two play-off final

Southend United had featured in one play-off final in their history, winning the 2005 Football League Two play-off final 2–0 against Lincoln City at the Millennium Stadium.[7] They had also been knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2012 and 2014 fourth tier play-offs, and the 2008 third tier play-offs.[8] Southend had played in the fourth tier of English football since being relegated from League One in the 2009–10 season.[9] Wycombe won the 1994 Football League Third Division play-off final 4–2 against Preston North End at the old Wembley Stadium and had been knocked out at the semi-final stage of both the 2006 and 2008 fourth tier play-offs.[10] They had been relegated to the fourth tier in the 2011–12 season and narrowly avoided further relegation to the Football League Conference in the 2013–14 season, avoiding becoming a non-League club on goal difference.[11] The top scorer for Southend during the regular season was Corr who had scored 15 goals (14 in the league, 1 in the FA Cup),[12] while Hayes led the scoring chart for Wycombe with 13 goals (12 in the league, 1 in the FA Cup).[13] In the two games between the sides during the regular season, Wycombe won the match at Adams Park 4–1 in December 2014 while the return fixture the following March ended in a 2–2 draw.[14]

Simon Hooper was the referee for the match and was assisted by Jonathan Hunt and Billy Smallwood. Graham Scott was the fourth official while Martin Coy was the reserve assistant referee.[15] Wycombe wore their regular blue checked kit while Southend played in yellow.[16] Southend fans were seated in the West End of Wembley, while Wycombe's supporters were allocated the East End.[15] The match was broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports.[15]

Joe Pigott (pictured in 2017) scored two minutes into stoppage time in extra time to send the game to a penalty shootout.

Wycombe kicked off the match on 23 May 2015 at around 5:30 p.m. in front of a crowd of 38,252. Within two seconds,[17] Wycombe's Sam Saunders went down with a calf injury and had to be replaced in the fourth minute by Matt Bloomfield. After a series of corners for Southend with a chance in the 17th minute falling to Cian Bolger whose header ahead of Mawson's tackle went wide of the Wycombe goal.[16] Four minutes later, Bolger's shot went off-target and soon after Hayes was the first player of the match to be shown the yellow card after he fouled McLaughlin. On 24 minutes, Corr's header found the back of the Wycombe net but was disallowed after a Bolger foul on Nico Yennaris. On the half-hour mark, Bolger was shown the second yellow card of the game after he fouled Sam Wood. Five minutes before half-time, Hayes had a chance from a Hogan Ephraim cross but it was straight at Bentley. Wood then struck a shot high over the Southend crossbar from 25 yards (23 m). The referee blew the whistle for half-time with the score at 0–0.[18]

No changes of personnel were made to either side during the half-time interval and Southend kicked off the second half. On 50 minutes, Will Atkinson's volley for Southend from inside the area was off-target before Ephraim was fouled by Corr: the resulting free kick was struck over the bar by Wycombe's Joe Jacobson.[18] In the 60th minute, Southend made their first substitution of the game with Joe Pigott coming on to replace McLaughlin. Four minutes later, a cross from David Worrall found Corr but his header was gathered by Alex Lynch in the Wycombe goal. Adam Barrett then headed two separate chances off-target for Wycombe and in the 76th minute, Hayes' shot was saved by Bentley before an attempt from Wood was defended by Southend. Pigott's shot was then blocked by Aaron Pierre and two minutes later, another strike from Pigott, this time from 25 yards (23 m), went wide. On 80 minutes, Myles Weston came on to replace Atkinson for Southend and six minutes later, Craig came on for Ephraim for Wycombe. With two minutes of regular time remaining, Pierre's header was tipped over by Bentley. Mawson was then booked for a foul on Pigott before the final whistle was blown and the game moved into extra time.[19]

Wycombe kicked off the first period of extra time.[19] Hayes early strike was wide and then his header went over the Southend bar. In the 95th minute, Holloway was brought down by Timlin 25 yards (23 m) out from the Southend goal and was awarded a free kick. Jacobsen took the set piece and his strike passed over the wall, off the underside of the Southend crossbar and into the goal to make it 1–0 to Wycombe. Almost immediately, Jack Payne was brought on to replace Worrall. Wycombe controlled the remainder of the half and continued their domination into the second half of extra time. In the 111th minute, Wycombe's Yennaris was replaced by Peter Murphy. Leonard was booked four minutes later. Two minutes into injury time, Weston's cross was partially cleared but Pigott brought the ball under control inside the Wycombe box, and struck a shot from 15 yards (14 m) into the bottom corner of Lynch's goal to send the game into a penalty shootout.[20]

The spot kicks were taken at the Wycombe end of Wembley. Pigott and Murphy both scored to make it 1–1 before Ben Coker's strike was saved by Lynch with his legs. Penalties from Mawson, Leonard, Hayes and Payne then found their target before Bloomfield's shot was saved by Bentley to his right. Timlin and Marcus Bean scored their penalties to make it 4–4 and send the shootout to sudden death. Barrett, Jacobsen, Weston, Holloway and Bolger were all successful but Wood's strike was pushed onto the post by Bentley for a 7–6 Southend victory.[21]

• Foster, Richard (2015). The Agony & The Ecstasy. Ockley Books. ISBN 978-1-910906-00-2.