Kallum Cesay scored a dramatic extra-time winner as Salford City booked their place in the League Two play-off final with a 4-3 aggregate win over Grimsby Town.
The attacker was the coolest person inside the Peninsula Stadium as he fired low into the bottom corner three minutes from time to seal Salford’s spot in the final on 25 May.
Salford City fans will make the trip down Wembley way for the first time since their 3-0 win over Fylde in 2019, which saw them reach the heights of the English Football League for the first time.
The Ammies’ visit to the capital will be a dramatic ending to an enthralling season which has thrown up the euphoric highs of Manchester City cup tie and the gut-wrenching lows of a goalless draw at Crawley that denied the side automatic promotion on the final day.
Grimsby’s dominant 2-0 win at the Peninsula Stadium seven months ago was one of the forgettable moments for Ammies fans who had seen their side concede inside the first minute and go two behind on the half-hour mark.
But tonight, Karl Robinson’s men underlined the improvement they have made across the campaign as they overcame an away fightback in front of a sellout 4,509 crowd.
His side began brightly and went closest to opening the scoring in a cagey first half after 15 minutes when jet-heeled winger Kelly N’mai teed up Ryan Graydon inside the box, but the striker fired tamely at Jackson Smith.
Karl Robinson’s men went closest to opening the scoring in a cagey first half after 15 minutes when jet-heeled winger Kelly N’mai teed up Ryan Graydon inside the box, but the striker fired tamely at Jackson Smith.
If the first leg at Grimsby on Sunday was the biggest test of Salford’s ability to overcome adversity as they fought back from Reece Staunton’s 1st-minute wondergoal to win 2-1, it was more comfortable here for long periods.
In fact, when Daniel Udoh rifled home his 10th Salford goal this season after Adebola Oluwo flicked on a Luke Garbutt corner, it felt for a moment that the Ammies might cruise into the final.
But Grimsby captain Keiran Green turned the game on its head in the space of four minutes, flicking home from a teasing Staunton corner on 16 minutes from time before assisting substitute Jaze Kabia with a low cross.
Luke Garbutt had a speculative effort comfortably saved before Kadeem Harris blazed wide in stoppage time as Salford gathered themselves but failed to manufacture a clear-cut chance before extra time.
After a tense first half of extra time, Justin Amaluzor squandered a golden opportunity to put them ahead after 108 minutes when he fired at Matthew Young with the goal at his mercy.
Grimsby would pay for their wastefulness dramatically as Cesay latched onto the end of a tired Cameron McJannet tackle and slotted past Jackson Smith to send thousands of Salford fans delirious.
Referee Ben Speedie made Ammies fans wait four minutes of additional time as Salford defended valiantly to hold off the Mariners’ late onslaught.
As his final whistle sounded, the pitch became a sea of red and orange – the colour Salford will readopt next year – as fans raced onto the field.
