Capital One Cup: Second Round Draw

With the Football League season well underway, and only a week or so until the Premier League season kicks off, the Capital One Cup is in full flow after an entertaining first round was played this week. There were six Championship sides knocked out by lower league teams with Brighton one of the shock exits as they were beaten 3-1 at home by League Two's Newport County. The Welsh side looked set to exit the competition after Ashley Barnes had given the hosts the lead. However Danny Crow netted late on to send the tie into extra time. Crow was at it again in extra time scoring from range with only three minutes played. The tie was all over though moments later as Conor Washington slid the ball home after racing through.

Other Championship casualties included Blackburn Rovers who were knocked out on penalties after drawing 3-3 with League One's Carlisle after extra time. Rovers were joined by Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough who were both beaten by League Two opposition. Wednesday were beaten 2-1 away at Rotherham while Middlesbrough were beaten at home by Accrington Stanley by the same scoreline.

In one of the round's high scoring ties, Colchester United were beaten by fellow League One side Peterborough United 5-1 at home. Posh took the lead early on as Gabriel Zakuani nodded a Grant McCann cross into the net. The home side were level soon after as Jabo Ibehre smashed home to draw level. But the away side went goal crazy as Tyrone Barnett headed into the net, before Tommy Rowe made the score 3-1 with a thunderbolt. Two more goals from Lee Tomlin late on meant Darren Ferguson's side came out 5-1 winners. 

All Premier League sides come into the second round bar the clubs competing in Europe meaning there are 14 top flight clubs playing for a third round tie. Wigan also wait until the third round as they are also competing in the Europa League having won the FA Cup last season. In the second round draw one of the stand out ties sees Liverpool host League One Notts County. Having beaten Wolves in the first round, Morecambe's reward is a home game against Newcastle United. Newport County's reward is a trip to West Brom. 

All ties will commence the week beginning the 26th August 2013.

Second Round Fixtures: 
Carlisle v Leicester City
Doncaster Rovers v Leeds United
Notts Forest v Millwall
Sunderland v MK Dons
West Brom v Newport County
Bristol City v Crystal Palace
Peterborough United v Reading
Barnsley v Southampton
Burton Albion v Fulham
Burnley v Preston
Liverpool v Notts County
Norwich City v Bury
Leyton Orient v Hull
Everton v Stevenage
Stoke City v Walsall
Huddersfield Town v Charlton Athletic
Aston Villa v Rotherham
Tranmere v Bolton Wanderers
Morecambe v Newcastle United
QPR v Swindon Town
Derby County v Brentford
Watford v Bournemouth 
Yeovil Town v Birmingham City
Accrington Stanley v Cardiff City
West Ham United v Cheltenham Town

Championship 2012/13: Season Review

Moving on from League's One and Two, focus turns to the Championship and a time to reflect on a brilliant season in the top division of the Football League.

The craziness on the final day of the season was one that will take some beating, and as for the play-offs, the level of entertainment will be difficult to match. Automatic promotion, the play-off positions and relegation all needed sorting on the final day of the season with the majority of the sides in the league having something to play for.

The race for the title was settled fairly quickly as Cardiff finally secured promotion after a number of unsuccessful attempts in previous seasons. Under the management of Malky Mackay, the Bluebirds finished eight points clear of second place. It was the battle for second place though that caught the eye throughout the year as it went down to the final moments of the last game of the season. Watford and Hull had it all to play for as the latter at one point were six points clear of Watford. However after a poor run in their final few games, Hull managed to better Watford's result on the final day of the season to finish second and give Steve Bruce another chance to manage in the Premier League.

Malky Mackay guided Cardiff to the Premier League

For Watford and Gianfranco Zola, it was the play-offs. The drama continued for the Hornets as they overcame Leicester in the semi finals to reach Wembley and be 90 minutes away from the Premier League. The drama came as Leicester were awarded a late penalty in the second leg of the semi final which if scored, essentially sent them through to the final. However a heroic double save from Manuel Almunia allowed Watford to break up the field and score themselves sending their fans wild and putting them through to the final. They faced Crystal Palace in the battle for the final promotion spot, with an extra time penalty from Kevin Phillips making sure it was Ian Holloway's men who made a return to the top flight, after an eight year absence. They had beaten Brighton 2-0 over two games in their semi final.

Moving down to the other end of the table, and the fight for survival also went down to the final day of the season. Bristol City had already been relegated before the final day, as six teams went head to head to avoid the drop. Having already been relegated from the Premier League in the previous season, Wolves faced another relegation as they were beaten by Brighton to send them down to League One. They were joined by battling Peterborough United who threw away a 2-1 lead away at Palace to lose 3-2, and saw Barnsley draw at Huddersfield to end their time in the second tier of English football. The results on the final day meant that looking at the final league table, just the seven points separated third bottom Peterborough with tenth place Derby County.

Looking forward to the 2013/14 season, six new teams join the Championship. Coming from the Premier League will be QPR, Reading and Wigan Athletic, with all three teams looking to make an immediate return to the top flight. From League One, Doncaster, Bournemouth and Yeovil will join the division making up the 24 teams.

The fixtures for the 2013/14 Championship season will be released on Wednesday 19th June 2013 at 9am.

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League One & Two 2012/13: Season Review

It has come to that time of the year again where we have completed yet another season in League's One and Two.

We begin in League Two where it was Barnet and Aldershot Town who were relegated and ends their time in the Football League, as they now face at least a season in the Blue Square Bet Premier. Barnet, now under Edgar Davids, have escaped relegation numerous times over the past few seasons, but not this year. The former Dutch midfielder has vowed to continue as manager at Barnet as they play in the non-league for the first time in eight years. Aldershot, another former non-league side join Barnet in the top tier of non-league, as they make a return to the BSBP for the first time since 2008. The Shots entered administration in early May with players being unpaid. The situation has yet to be resolved with 13 players being made redundant as they begin to prepare for the up and coming season in the non-league. Replacing Barnet and Aldershot will be Mansfield, who won the BSBP title, and Welsh side Newport County who were promoted after beating Wrexham in the Conference play-off final.

At the other end of the table, it was Gillingham who claimed the league title and made a return to League One alongside Rotherham and Port Vale who also achieved automatic promotion. Perhaps the surprise of the season was Northampton Town who finished in a play-off position. The Cobblers had escaped relegation the previous season and under Aidy Boothroyd this year, finished in sixth. Unfortunately it wasn't their year as they were beaten by Bradford City in the play-off final 3-0 at Wembley. Cheltenham Town and Burton Albion were the other two teams who made it to the play-offs but were beaten in their respective semi finals.

Player of the season: Tom Pope
Port Vale striker Tom Pope finished the season with an excellent 31 goals in League Two. Voted League Two player of the year, Pope's excellent goal scoring was one of the main reasons Vale earned automatic promotion to League One. His excellent exploits didn't go unnoticed by other clubs, but Pope was rewarded by Vale with a new contract during the season that will see him stay at Vale Park till 2015. Having played in the non-league, Pope will have another step up next season as he looks to prove himself at League One level. At 6ft 3' Pope is excellent in the air, and as a target man brings others into the game. As well as this he is a natural finisher and certainly knows where the goal is.

Port Vale's Tom Pope

Moving onto League One, and the final day of the season proved to be as dramatic as football can get. With seconds to go, Brentford were awarded a penalty in the dying moments of their final game of the season against promotion rivals Doncaster. A draw or win for Brentford would've seen them go up automatically. But having seen Marcello Trotta crash the penalty against the bar, Doncaster went up the other end to score and win the game, meaning they made an immediate return to the Championship at the expense of Brentford. The Bees made it to the play-off final but were beaten 2-1 by Yeovil Town, meaning more play-off heartache for Brentford and their fans. Sheffield United and Swindon were beaten in the semi-finals and face another season in League One. Bournemouth were the final team to go up to the Championship as they finished second to gain promotion automatically.

At the bottom of the table, four teams made the drop to League Two. Relegated from the Championship last year, Portsmouth were deducted ten points at the start of the season making it very difficult for them to remain in League One. It was exactly that, and the South Coast side finished rock bottom of the league and will play League Two football next season. They were joined by Hartlepool, Scunthorpe and Bury who were also relegated. 

Player of the season: Patrick Madden

The Yeovil striker from Ireland ended the season as the leading goal scorer in League One. With 25 goals to his name, Madden helped his side achieve promotion to the Championship. His exquisite finish with the outside of his boot in the play-off final summed up what a clinical season the forward had. Madden only joined Yeovil in October 2012 in a one month loan deal which saw him score once in three appearances. The one month loan was extended a further two months and on January 1st, Madden made his loan spell permanent by signing a two and a half year deal to stay at Huish Park. 

Paddy Madden

Fixtures for the 2013/14 season for League's One and Two will be released on 19th June 2013 at 9am

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League Two play-off final preview: Bradford City v Northampton Town

With the Football League season only finishing a couple weeks ago, there are still promotion places to settle through the play-offs. The League Two play-off final is the first to take to the Wembley turf on Saturday 18th May, which will see Bradford City take on Northampton Town for the right to play in League One next season.

Bradford City:
Bradford find themselves visiting Wembley for the second time this season. The last visit was one to remember and forget for the Bantams as they were beaten 5-0 by Swansea in the Captial One Cup final. If they were to secure promotion as well this season, then it would have been an extraordinary season for them. Their run in the Capital One Cup saw them overcome Premier League opposition in both Arsenal and Aston Villa. Phil Parkinson's men came from a goal down in the play-off semi final eventually winning 5-4 on aggregate against Burton Albion. Having been 3-2 down from the first leg, City won 3-1 at the Pirelli to make the final. Once of the Premier League, Bradford have been in League Two since the 2007 season and will want to start making a return up the leagues with victory over Northampton come the 18th May.

Northampton Town:
The Cobblers find themselves 90 minutes away from a possible return to League One for the first time since 2009. Under the management of Aidy Boothroyd, Northampton have gone from narrowly avoiding relegation last year, to a top six finish this year. Beating Cheltenham over two legs in the semi finals, Town ended a poor run of form having only won one of their six games played in April. Northampton hadn't had much luck previously in the play-offs with defeats in 2003/04 to Mansfield and then again the following season to Southend United.

We spoke to Cobblers fan of 13 years Ashley Lambell (@ashlambell) about his side's chances in the final and his views on the season just gone.

What does it feel like to be 90 minutes away from promotion and League One?
Ashley: The prospect of local derbies against Peterborough and MK Dons as well as potential games against Wolves, Sheffield United and Coventry means that everyone associated with Northampton Town is really excited for this game!

Where does reaching the play-off final rank in the club's history?
Ashley: The play-off final will be another great moment in the history alongside the two previous visits to Wembley in the 1990s and the Carling Cup victory against Liverpool. Definitely in the top five I would say.

What do you think has been the key to your successful season having narrowly avoided relegation last season?
Ashley: We've looked a better team unit this season rather than a bunch of talented individuals thrown together. Aidy Boothroyd has instilled a real togetherness in the squad and the football club, and the players seem to believe that anything is possible this season.

How much of a threat are Bradford City, and is there a stand out player for them you are worried about?
Ashley: Bradford are a tough team and certainly won't be an easy game for us, especially as they've been to Wembley already this season. Nakhi Wells always has a great goalscoring record against us, and we will need to be wary of his sharpness and finishing on the day.

You drew and lost against Bradford in the league this season, do you think this matters going into the final?
Ashley: I don't think it does. We finished higher than Bradford in the league table and to me, that is a more accurate reflection of the season the two teams have had. Cheltenham had beaten us twice in the league before the play-off semi-final but we saw them off quite comfortably so there is no reason why we can't do the same again.

Which player should we watch out for Northampton Town?
Ashley: Everyone will, of course, look out for 'Bayo Akinfenwa' but I would say Chris Hackett is our stand out player. With his devastating mix of pace, power and clinical finishing, he is a winger to be feared and with the large pitch at Wembley, he could be a match-winner.

Chris Hackett
Picture: northamptonchron.co.uk

Going onto Akinfenwa, he has had an excellent season for you, how important is it for him to be on his game in the final?

Ashley: Massively important. When Bayo has his 'beastmode' switched on, he is almost impossible to handle and we certainly look a much better outfit when he performs well. Hopefully his experience of playing in a final before, for Swansea, will come in useful next weekend.

Finally, will you be making the trip to Wembley?
Ashley: I definitely will be! It's going to be a massive day for the club, and proof of just how far we have progressed in the last 18 months.

Predicted line up: 
Ashley: Nicholls; Tozer, Carlisle, Langmead, Collins; Demontagnac, Guttridge, Harding, Hackett; O'Donovan, Akinfenwa

Ashley's score prediction: 

Bradford 1-2 Northampton Town

Bradford City v Northampton Town will be shown live on Sky Sports 2 on Saturday 18th May from 13:00. 

FA Cup Third Round: Ones to watch

This coming weekend sees one of the favourite dates in the football calendar, as the third round of the FA Cup comes to our screens. Below are some of the key ties that were drawn, and games you should keep a look out on.

#1 Mansfield Town v Liverpool

picture: liverpoolfc.tv

The tie of the round sees Liverpool travel to Blue Square Premier League side Mansfield. The non-league side are one of four sides from outside the football league still in the competition. The side from Nottinghamshire have had a relatively simple route through to the third round dispatching of fellow non-league sides Slough and Lincoln City. Mansfield currently sit ninth in the Blue Square Premier and have had a quiet period during Christmas having seen two of their four games postponed due to the weather. They come up against runners up of the competition last season Liverpool who are currently in excellent form winning three of their four games over the winter period. Brendan Rogers men will be strong favourites to win the game which should see new man Daniel Sturridge make his first appearance for the club. With tough fixtures to come for the Merseyside club, Rogers will look to rest some of his names, giving youngsters, Jack Robinson and John Flanagan a run out.

Prediction: Mansfield Town 0-3 Liverpool

#2 West Ham Utd v Man Utd
The last time these two teams met in this competition, Man United ran out comfortable 6-0 winners at Old Trafford back in 2003. Despite this, the Hammers will feel there is a slight chance of an upset on the cards at Upton Park come Saturday evening. The two teams also met in the competition back in 2001 where a Paolo Di Canio goal was enough for his side to progress beating United at Old Trafford. The potential arrival of Joe Cole this week may see the former Hammer play having struggled to play much football over the last few years whilst at Liverpool. Opponents United, are currently flying at the top of the league thanks to new signing Robin Van Persie. The Dutchman has netted an impressive 19 goals in all competitions and has been the obvious difference between his side and rivals Manchester City.

Prediction: West Ham United 1-2 Man United

#3 Brighton & HA v Newcastle Utd

picture: guardian.co.uk

These two sides once again meet each other in the competition having played against each other in last years fourth round. The home side came out shock winners beating the Premier League side 1-0 at the Amex Stadium. Mike Williamson's own goal was enough for the home side to progress to the fifth round. Brighton, are currently ninth in the Championship, three points from a play off place and registered their first win on New Years Day since the end of November with a 3-0 away success at Ipswich. Newcastle will want to avoid a repeat of last years game between the two. Alan Pardew's side's defeat to Everton this week saw his team lose their fifth game in six. The departure of Demba Ba to Chelsea leaves Pardew with just Papiss Cisse and Shola Ameobi as options in attack. However it's defence where Newcastle need refreshing and with the January transfer window now open, Pardew has the opportunity to bring in fresh faces to boost his back four. 

Prediction: Brighton 1-1 Newcastle United

#4 Middlesbrough v Hastings Utd

Hastings United, like Mansfield, are one of the four non-league sides remaining in the competition. The side from Sussex are the lowest ranked team in the cup and play their games in the Ryman League Premier Division, three leagues from League Two. United overcame fellow non-league side Harrogate Town in the last round, beating them on penalties after the two sides matched each other in the first game and replay. They face a tough test as they travel to in form Middlesbrough. The Championship side currently sit in fourth place and enjoyed a successful Christmas period winning three out of four games. Tony Mowbray's men enjoyed a decent cup run in the Capital One Cup this season, which ended, after losing 1-0 to Swansea in the quarter finals. Despite suffering a number of injuries to his side, Mowbray's men will surely have too much for the Ryman side on Saturday. 

Prediction: Middlesbrough 4-0 Hastings United

#5 Luton Town v Wolves

Luton go into the third round as the highest ranked non-league side in the competition. Despite coming desperately close to promotion to the football league last season. Luton have had a mixed season so far, and find themselves in the final play off place in the conference. Like Mansfield, Luton have also had a relatively simple passage through to the third round despatching of fellow non-league sides Nuneaton and Dorchester. Visitors for Luton come in the form of Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Championship side have struggled so far this season after suffering relegation from the Premier League last year. Manager Stale Solbakken has become under increasing pressure over the last month as his side slipped to 18th in the league just six points from the relegation zone. Recent home defeats to Ipswich and Peterborough United are increasing the pressure for him to be sacked. Despite the poor league form, the quality and experience in the Wolves squad should see them safely though, but as always with the FA Cup, Luton may cause a potential upset on the day. 

Prediction: Luton Town 1-2 Wolves

#6 Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City

The last and only time Coventry City won this competition, was against Spurs back in 1987. An extra time own goal from Tottenham's Gary Mabbutt gave the Sky Blues a day to remember at Wembley for the club and their fans. Since that memorable day, the two sides have rarely met since Coventry's decline into the Football League. The last meeting between the sides came back in 2003 where Spurs beat City 3-0 in the League Cup. Coventry, relegated from the Championship last season, have had a mixed season and sit mid table in League One, five points from the play off's. They have only lost twice in their last ten league games and with the goals from striker David McGoldrick, the Sky Blues will look to challenge for a play off spot in the second half of the season. Tottenham will go into the game as the favourites and have enjoyed a good run of their own of late in the league.  One defeat in nine league games has seen AVB's men rise to third in the league. The goals from Gareth Bale and Jermain Defoe have been very important as Spurs look to challenge for a top four finish. 

Prediction: Spurs 3-1 Coventry City

#7 Cheltenham Town v Everton

picture: telegraph.co.uk

The final tie of the round is between Cheltenham and Everton as they battle it out on Monday night in front of the ESPN cameras. The League Two side progressed to the third round having beaten Hereford over two games in the second round. Currently sitting in the play off's, Cheltenham have only won one of their last four league games, so an FA Cup distraction has come at the perfect time for Mark Yates' men. They reached the third round of the cup last season, facing Tottenham at White Hart Lane where they were comfortably dispatched 3-0. Everton will go into the game as strong favourites and will hope for a healthy scoreline as they continue their good form of late. One defeat in their last eight league games has seen the Toffee's reach fifth place and a constant threat to the top four. Despite only scoring six times in all competitions, striker Nikica Jelavic has been well supported from Marouane Fellaini who has hit the net eight times this season. 

Prediction: Cheltenham 0-2 Everton

...and the rest!

Aldershot v Rotherham (Prediction 1-2)

Aston Villa v Ipswich Town (Prediction 2-0)

Barnsley v Burnley (Predcition 1-2)

Blackburn v Bristol City (Prediction 3-0)

Bolton v Sunderland (Prediction 1-1)

Charlton v Huddersfield (Prediction 2-0)

Crawley Town v Reading (Prediction 1-2)

Crystal Palace v Stoke City (Prediction 2-2)

Derby v Tranmere (Prediction 2-1)

Fulham v Blackpool (Prediction: 3-1)

Hull v Leyton Orient (Prediction 3-0)

Leeds v Birmingham (Prediction 1-1)

Leicester v Burton Albion (Prediction 4-0)

Macclesfield v Cardiff City (Prediction 0-2)

Man City v Watford (Prediction 4-0)

Millwall v Preston (Prediction 1-1)

Notts Forest v Oldham (Prediction 2-1)

Oxford Utd v Sheffield Utd (Prediction 0-2)

Peterborough Utd v Norwich City (Prediction 1-3)

QPR v West Brom (Prediction 1-1)

Sheff Wed v MK Dons (Prediction 1-2)

Southampton v Chelsea (Prediction 1-0)

Southend v Brentford (Prediction 1-1)

Wigan v Bournemouth (Prediction 2-0)

Swansea v Arsenal (Prediction 2-1)

What a hit! Some of football's great strikes

Having witnessed an unbelievable overhead kick from Zlatan Ibrahimovich this week for Sweden, we have put together a few of the best goals scored in England or by English players over the past few years. Enjoy!

1. Joe Cole v Sweden (WC 2006)
Joe Cole scored a sensational volley against Sweden in England's final group game of the World Cup in Germany. Cole took the ball on his chest and volleyed home superbly from 35 yards to give England a lead after 32 minutes. The game went onto finish 2-2 with Steven Gerrard scoring the other goal for England. The draw meant England progressed through to the round of 16 where they played Ecuador.

2. Peter Crouch v Man City (24/03/12)

Peter Crouch scored a stunning volley in the Premier League clash between Stoke and Manchester City last season. Crouch received the ball from Pennant on the right side of the box and expertly volleyed the ball over Joe Hart into the far side of the net.

3. Papiss Cisse v Chelsea (02/05/12)
Newcastle centre forward Papiss Cisse scored a wonderful half volley against Chelsea as his two goals meant Newcastle recorded a rare away win at Stamford Bridge. The Senegal striker collected the ball from a Demba Ba header and half volleyed home from the left edge of the box, watching the ball loop over Petr Cech and in off the bar for one of the goals of the season. 

4. Steven Gerrard v Middlesbrough (30/04/05)

Steven Gerrard has scored many a screamer but not many better than his wonderful volley against Middlesbrough. Gerrard received the ball from John Arne Riise 40 yards from goal, and after taking the ball down and letting it bounce twice, Gerrard struck an amazing strike that swerved into the top left corner of the goal. 2005 turned out to be an excellent season for the Liverpool skipper as he captained his side to Champions League glory.

5. George Boyd v Huddersfield (23/10/12)
Peterborough United's George Boyd scored a stunning 50 yard effort this season in a 3-1 home win against Huddersfield. Boyd received the ball in the centre circle and unleashed a stunning hit that looped over the Huddersfield keeper to score one of the current goals of the season. 

FA Cup: Second Round Draw

We saw a cracking beginning to the FA Cup first round this month, with cup upsets and plenty of drama in the ties. The second round of the competition will see 11 non league clubs all within a shout of getting a third round tie where the Premier League clubs enter the fray.

picture: chelmsfordcityfc.com

The first round of the competition threw us goals, upsets and controversy. Chelmsford City upset the odds when they beat League One side Colchester United by three goals to one. A double for Donovan Simmonds and one for Jamie Slabber was enough to see the Blue Square Bet South side to the second round. Despite financial problems in the club, Conference side Hereford had something to cheer about as they came out on top beating League Two side Shrewsbury Town by three goals to one. They have been drawn away from home to Cheltenham Town in the second round.

Alongside Hereford and Chelmsford were Dorchester who completely upset the odds coming out 1-0 winners in the televised home clash to Plymouth Argyle. A goal early on in the second half from former Plymouth man Jake Gosling saw the Blue Square Bet south side progress to the second round of the cup.

Macclesfield also upset the apple-cart as they beat League One high flyers Swindon Town 2-0 away from home. Harrogate Town joined them in the second round as they caused a shock of their own beating League Two side Torquay United 1-0.

The second round of the cup through up a few tasty ties. MK Dons will face AFC Wimbledon in the tie of the round. AFC Wimbledon were set up in 2002 by the supporters and will face the Dons for the first time.

There are four all non league ties in the second round meaning that there will be four non league sides guaranteed a place in the third round and the chance for a tie against one of the big guns in the Premier League. Chelmsford's reward for beating Colchester in the first round is an away trip to League One side Crawley Town.

All ties will be played over the weekend of 1st and 2nd December. Hereford's clash with Cheltenham Town will be played on Monday 3rd December due to the tie being televised on ESPN.

FA Cup second round fixtures:

Accrington Stanley v Oxford United
Barrow v Macclesfield
Bradford v Brentford
Bury v Southend Utd
Carlisle v Bournemouth
Coventry City v Morecambe
Crawley Town v Chelmsford City
Crewe Alexandra v Burton Albion
Fleetwood Town v Aldershot Town
Harrogate Town v Hastings Utd
Lincoln City v Mansfield
Luton Town v Dorchester
Oldham Town v Doncaster
Preston North End v Gillingham
Rotherham v Notts County
Sheff United v Port Vale
Tranmere v Chesterfield
MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon
Alfreton Town v Leyton Orient
Cheltenham v Hereford

Capital One Cup: Quarter Finals

The fourth round of the Capital One Cup saw some of the best League Cup games in its existence. The eight games saw a total of 37 goals scored in some enthralling encounters.

The stand out game of the round saw Arsenal make a remarkable comeback away at Reading in front of the Sky cameras winning 7-5. It all looked rosy for the home side after 35 minutes, as Brian McDermott's men lead 4-0 through Jason Roberts, Noel Hunt, Mikele Leigertwood and a Laurent Koscielny own goal. Despite an awful first half display Arsenal went in at the break with one goal to their name and a slither of hope as Theo Walcott chipped home after through on goal.

picture: ozsportsreviews.com

The second half of the game started as the first half finished. Arsene Wenger brought on Olivier Giroud who made an immediate impact to head home a Walcott cross and to make the scoreline 4-2. As the half came to a close, it looked like Reading had withstood the Arsenal comeback but in the 89th minute Koscielny made amends for his own goal as he headed home another fine Walcott corner. It was the winger though that completed a remarkable game as his 95th minute shot crept over the line despite the efforts of Nicky Shorey to stop the strike.

The equaliser took the game to extra time, and the 30 minutes did not disappoint as the Gunners went ahead for the first time in the game as Marouane Chamakh drilled home from outside the box. Chamakh's goal had looked like it was to be the vital goal to take Arsenal through but Reading had other ideas. As extra time neared the end, Pavel Pogrebnyak popped up to head home their fifth from a Chris Gunter cross. The game looked set for penalties but it was Walcott again who blasted home from six yards after Andrey Arshavin's cross was blocked to complete his hat trick. Chamakh lobbed home in the dying moments to end a remarkable game and one that will be remembered for a long time.

The drama on Tuesday night continued on Wednesday as Chelsea faced Manchester United at Stamford Bridge for the second time in four days. Like Arsenal, this game was in front of the Sky cameras and didn't disappoint either as Chelsea won 5-4 after extra time. Goals from David Luiz, Daniel Sturridge, Eden Hazard, Ramires and Gary Cahill were enough to overcome a reletively inexperienced United side whose goals came from the boots of Giggs (2), Hernandez and Nani.

picture: theguardian.co.uk

The cup wasn't completely dominated this week by the goal fests but with a shocks too as both Wigan and Sunderland were beaten by lower league opposition. Sunderland fell down to Championship side Middlesbrough 1-0 at the Stadium of Light as Scott McDonald's goal was enough for them to win the Wear-Tees derby. Wigan were embarrassed at home as League Two Bradford City beat them 4-2 on penalties to take them to the quarter finals. Both Liverpool and Spurs were eliminated from the competition as Brendan Rogers side were beaten by his former side Swansea 3-1. Spurs were beaten 2-1 away at Norwich with Spurs' Clint Dempsey missing a penalty in the dying moments of the game to end their involvement in the competition.

The quarter finals saw the 'bigger' teams avoid each other and will see Chelsea travel to Leeds who have already deposited of Everton and Southampton in the competition so far. Bradford's reward is a home tie to Arsenal while Middlesbrough face an away trip to Swansea. In the final tie of the quarter finals, Paul Lambert will face his former side as his Villa team will travel to Norwich City.

All games will be played the week commencing the 10th December whilst Chelsea's game at Leeds will be played on 19th December due to their commitment to the Club World Cup which they will play in after their Champions League success.

Quarter Final ties:

Bradford v Arsenal
Leeds United v Chelsea
Swansea v Middlesbrough
Norwich City v Aston Villa

FA Cup: First Round Draw

Having seen rounds upon rounds of qualifying, the first round of the FA Cup begins seeing clubs from non-league face clubs from League One and Two. Teams in the Championship and Premier League don't come into the competition until the third round, giving some of the lower sides the opportunity for a cup run. 

picture: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

Last years final was played in front of a massive crowd at Wembley which saw Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1. Goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba saw the London side win the cup beating Liverpool whose goal was scored by Andy Carroll. Chelsea's win saw them go level with FA Cup final wins with Liverpool with both clubs on seven wins. Manchester United lead the table with 11 wins.

This year's final will be once again played at Wembley on Saturday 11th May 2013.

The first round will see 40 ties played between clubs from as low as the fourth tier of non-league in the Evo-Stick league. Arlesey Town of the Evo Stick Southern Premier league will face 1987 winners Coventry City in one of the ties of the round. Isthmian League side Met Police have also progressed through qualifying and face a first round game at home to League One side Crawley Town. 

Current conference leaders Newport County needed two late goals in their final qualifying game to take their tie against Yate Town to a replay. If they come through the test against the Evo-Stick southern south and west side then they will face League Two side Cheltenham Town. Cambridge City will host MK Dons while an Essex derby is guaranteed as Colchester United face the winner of Chelmsford City and East Thurrock who need a replay. 

Luton Town and Wrexham both made it through their qualifying games as they both face non-league opposition. The Welsh team face Alfreton Town while Luton have to also wait for a replay as they will host either Nuneaton or Telford United. Winners of the competition in 2008, Portsmouth, face fellow League One side Notts County, while Sheffield United travel to League Two side Bristol Rovers. 

The ties will be played the weekend of 3rd/4th November 2012. 

First Round Fixtures:

Kidderminster Harriers v Oldham Athletic

Boreham Wood v Brentford

Chelmsford City/East Thurrock v Colchester United

Met Police v Crawley Town

Luton Town v Telford Utd/Nuneaton

Portsmouth v Notts County

Bishop's Stortford v Hastings Utd

Fleetwood Town v Bromley

Forest Green Rovers/Dartford v Port Vale

Torquay Utd v Hyde/Harrogate Town

Bournemouth v Dag & Red

Morecambe v Rochdale

Swindon Town v Macclesfied Town

Cambridge City v MK Dons

Cheltenham Town v Yate Town/Newport County

Dorchester Utd v Plymouth Argyle

Coventry City v Arlesey Town

York City v AFC Wimbledon

Bury v Exeter City

Chesterfield v Hartlepool Utd

Doncaster Rovers v Bradford Park Ave

Gillingham v Scunthorpe Utd

Aldershot Town v Hendon

Lincoln City/Halifax Town v Walsall

Wrexham v Alfreton Town

Southend Utd v Stockport County

Crewe v Wycombe

Bristol Rovers v Sheff Utd

Hereford Utd v Shrewsbury Town

Mansfield v SLough Town/Gosport Boro

Barnet v Oxford Utd

Rotherham Utd v Stevenage

AFC Fylde/Ilkeston Town v Accrington Stanley

Gloucester City v Leyton Orient

Burton Albion v Altrincham

Guiseley v Barrow

Northampton Town v Bradford City

Preston NE v Yeovil Town

Braintree Town v Tranmere Rovers

Carlisle Utd v Ebbsfleet Utd

Capital One Cup: Fourth Round Draw

The newly named Capital One Cup continued this week as we saw the third round of the competition take place. This round saw the remaining seven Premier League clubs enter the fray including current holders Liverpool and Premier League winners Manchester City.

picture: whoateallthepies.tv

It was City though, who surprised everyone as they were beaten 4-2 at home by Aston Villa after extra time at the Etihad Stadium. Roberto Mancini fielded a strong side which included Kolo Toure, Jack Rodwell, Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez. It was the Italian striker that opened the scoring in the game after an excellent through pass from James Milner. It was another former Villa man in the City line up, Gareth Barry, who scored a deserved equaliser for Villa as he put through his own net after good work down the right from Andreas Weimann. An Aleksander Kolarov free kick and a Gabby Agbonlahor goal in the second half, saw the game go to extra time. It was Villa though, who took the initiative in extra time as goals from Charlies N'Zogbia and Gabby Agbonlahor gave Paul Lambert and his Villa side a surprise victory away from home.

Another shock in the third round of the competition came at Elland Road as Championship outfit Leeds United beat high flying Everton 2-1. The game was largely dominated by Leeds who could have easily scored more. They opened the scoring in the first half as Aidan White was given time and space to beautifully curl home. David Moyes fielded a strong line up which included Steven Pienaar and his side should have been level when Steven Naismith headed wide from 3 yards. Leeds effectively ended the game in the second half as midfielder Rodolph Austin flicked home after a well worked free kick from the left. A late Sylvain Distin header made an exciting end to the game but the Premier League team were unable to take the game to extra time.

picture: theguardian.co.uk

Having beaten Stoke in the last round, Swindon were at it again causing another upset beating Championship team Burnley 3-1 at home. They were joined in the fourth round by Bradford, who came down from two goals down at home to Burton to win the all League Two clash 3-2 after extra time. Arsenal and Chelsea set up their Premier League clash beautifully on Saturday, as they both hit their opponents for six. The Gunners faced League One Coventry City at home and two goals for Theo Walcott and a first goal for Olivier Giroud, saw Arsene Wenger's side came out 6-1 winners. Chelsea fielded a strong side against Wolves and that was evident as they beat the Championship club 6-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Current holders of the cup Liverpool, faced a tricky tie away at West Brom who beat them on the opening day of the league season 3-0. Brendan Rogers young outfit though came away 2-1 winners thanks to two goals from Nuri Sahin. Tottenham, Southampton and Sunderland all eased past lower league opposition and were joined by Man United who came out top against Newcastle United.

As the competition progresses nicely, the fourth round draw was made immediately after the third round and threw up Chelsea v Man United in the tie of the round. Arsenal face a tough tie away at Reading, while holders Liverpool are at home to Swansea which will see Brendan Rogers come up against his former team. Aston Villas reward for beating Man City is a tricky tie away at League One Swindon Town. Bradford are the lowest league side left in the competition and will travel to Wigan, whilst Sunderland will face north east rivals Middlesbrough.

All ties will be played the week commencing the 29th October 2012.

Fourth Round Fixtures:

Sunderland v Middlesbrough
Swindon v Aston Villa
Liverpool v Swansea City
Chelsea v Man United
Wigan v Bradford City
Norwich City v Tottenham
Reading v Arsenal
Leeds v Southampton

Capital One Cup: Third Round Draw

Having witnessed many upsets in the first round, the Capital One Cup the theme of David beating Goliath continued in the second round of the competition. 

picture: sportinglife.com

The second stage saw the entrance of 13 Premier League sides with only Fulham and Stoke City failing to progress. The Cottagers were beaten 1-0 away to Sheffield Wednesday thanks to a Gary Madine penalty whilst Stoke were beaten at home by Swindon Town in extra time 4-3. The League One side had gone into half time two goals to the good, but were pegged back in the second half after Jonathan Walters and Kenwyne Jones had made the game level. Despite throwing away the lead, Swindon's James Collins grabbed a late winner in extra time to take Paolo Di Canio's men to the third round where they will play Burnley. 

The upsets continuted in the second round with plenty of Championship clubs falling victim to lower league opposition. The most notable game involved Leicester City who were comfortably beaten 4-2 at home to League Two side Burton Albion. Midlands rivals Birmingham City and Coventry went head to head, and it was the Sky Blues who came out on top beating their opponents 3-2 after extra time. Both Blackburn and Bolton were knocked out after both sides were beaten away to League One opposition. Blackburn were beaten 2-1 by MK Dons whilst Bolton came away from Crawley also losing 2-1. 

With the third round upon us already, the remaining seven Premier League sides enter the competition. Winners from last year Liverpool will travel to West Brom who comfortably beat them 3-0 on the opening day of the season. Coventry's reward for beating Birmingham in the last round is a trip to the Emirates where they will face Arsenal. Both Manchester clubs both have home fixtures in the third round with United facing a tricky test against Newcastle United. Rivals City have a slightly easier task as they come up against Paul Lambert and Aston Villa. 

Having comfortably come through their second round tie against Leyton Orient, Everton face a difficult game as they travel to Championship side Leeds United. The Toffee's came away 5-0 winners in their second round game, and have got off to a flyer in the league. Neil Warnock's men have also had a good start in the Championship having taken seven points from their first four games. 

All ties will be played the week commencing the 24th September 2012.

Third Round Fixtures: 

Man United v Newcastle United

Man City v Aston Villa

MK Dons v Sunderland

West Brom v Liverpool

Crawley v Swansea City

QPR v Reading

Norwich v Doncaster Rovers

Bradford v Burton Albion

Preston v Middlesbrough

Arsenal v Coventry City

Southampton v Sheffield Wednesday

Chelsea v Wolves

Carlisle v Tottenham Hotspur

Swindon v Burnley

West Ham v Wigan Athletic

Leeds United v Everton

Capital One Cup: Second Round Draw

As the football season begins to get into full swing, eyes drew to the second round of the Capital One Cup. The first round games threw up some cracking games and some excellent entertainment. Seven Championship teams fell at the first hurdle with last years runners up Cardiff losing to League Two side Northampton Town the shock of the round. Derby were involved in a ten goal thriller at Pride Park which ended 5-5 after extra time. Their opponents Scunthorpe came out the eventual winners 7-6 on penalties and will face Norwich in the second round.

picture: thisisscunthorpe.co.uk

Other Championship casualties included Brighton, who were well beaten 3-0 by Paolo Di Canio's Swindon Town. Paul Benson struck early on in the second half for the Robins, and an Alan Navarro brace soon after booked them a second round tie against Premier League side Stoke City. Bristol City also crashed out losing 2-1 to League Two side Gillingham Town at Ashton Gate. 

Relegated side Wolverhampton Wanderers needed a penalty shoot out to get past Aldershot Town at Molineux. Michel Rankine had cancelled out a Sylvain Ebanks Blake goal in the second half and after the first 13 penalty kicks had been successful, Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme kept out Jordan Robert's penalty to give the Championship side a second round tie away at Northampton Town.

All Premier League sides come into the second round bar the clubs competing in Europe meaning there are 13 top flight clubs playing for a third round tie. Everton are involved in one of the stand out games playing at home to League One side Leyton Orient. Morecambe's reward for dumping Blackpool out of the cup, is a trip to the North East where they will play Sunderland. 

Both Wigan and Fulham will have to play to their best if they are progress as they both travel to a Championship club. Having been dumped out of FA Cup by Swindon last season, Wigan face a tough task in playing Nottingham Forest. Fulham face newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. 

All ties will commence the week beginning the 27th August 2012

Second Round Fixtures: 

Aston Villa v Tranmere Rovers

Burnley v Plymouth

Carlisle v Ipswich Town

Coventry v Birmingham City

Crawley v Bolton

Doncaster v Hull City

Gillingham v Middlesbrough

Leeds United v Oxford United

Leicester City v Burton Albion

MK Dons v Blackburn Rovers

Norwich v Scunthorpe

Notts Forest v Wigan Athletic

Preston v Crystal Palace

QPR v Walsall

Sheff Wed v Fulham

Stevenage v Southampton

Stoke City v Swindon Town

Sunderland v Morecambe

Swansea v Barnsley

Watford v Bradford

West Ham v Crewe Alex

Yeovil v West Brom

Reading v Peterborough

Everton v Leyton Orient

Northampton v Wolves

League One and Two: 2011/12 season reviews

It was a fantastic season in both League One and League Two which saw joy and tears for both fans and players. Charlton Athletic and Swindon claimed the league title in League One and Two respectively. Both club's managers were former players and had not been in management long. Chris Powell, a former Charlton player guided the Addicks to the Championship next season. For Swindon, the ever humorous Paolo Di Canio guided his side to the League Two championship as well as an appearance at Wembley in the Johnstone Paint Trophy final where they were defeated by Chesterfield.

picture: dailymail.co.uk

The race for second place and the final automatic promotion spot in League One was one of the closest race for it in a while. Sheffield Wednesday were the eventual winners taking it ahead of arch rivals Sheffield United who had to settle for the play off's. With 40 goal man Jordan Rhodes, Huddersfield were also in contention for the place during the season but like Sheffield United in the end had to settle for a play off place. They were both joined in the play off's by the ever present MK Dons and newly promoted Stevenage. Promoted via the play off's in League Two last season, Stevenage were narrowly beaten by Sheffield United in the semi finals, which saw Huddersfield overcome MK Dons in the other semi final in a close fought encounter. It was Huddersfield though that came out winners in the final at Wembley, beating Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United in a penalty shoot out. United keeper Steve Simonsen missed the decisive penalty which saw Huddersfield win 8-7.

picture: wearegoingup.co.uk

Looking down to the bottom of the division, four teams were relegated from the League down to League Two. Having been promoted automatically from League Two last season, both Wycombe and Chesterfield failed in their bid to play another season in the third tier of English football. They were joined by Rochdale and Exeter who will bemoan a poor season in League One. Having finished in a respectable ninth the season before, Rochdale surprisingly found themselves in the bottom four for the majority of this season only managing eight wins in their 46 league games. Just like Rochdale, Exeter narrowly missed out on a play off place the season before, but by only managing two away wins all season, they will now play their football in League Two next year.

picture: thisisswindontownfc.co.uk

Moving onto League Two, it was Swindon Town who took the title under manager Paolo Di Canio. Having been relegated from League One last season, Di Canio's men have made an immediate return to League One. They were joined by fellow sides Crawley Town and Shrewsbury who secured automatic promotion. Having been promoted to League Two from the conference last season, Crawley secured back to back promotions. Their season also contained a memorable FA Cup run beating the likes of Hull City and Bristol City before falling to Premier League side Stoke City. Having also lost strikers Matt Tubbs and Tyrone Barnett to bigger clubs, getting promoted again this season is some achievement. With three of the four promotion places gone, there was one more promotion spot available to the four teams in the play off's. It was Crewe that took the initiative and achieved promotion after beating Cheltenham in the final at Wembley. Crewe had beaten Southend in the semi finals, while Cheltenham overcame Torquay United in their semi final tie.

picture: herefordtimes.com

Joy for some was despair for others, as two teams from League Two made the drop from the Football League into the Blue Square Premier Division. Despite a final day victory over Torquay, relegation wasn't prevented for Hereford Town. The Bulls were relying on fellow side Barnet to slip up in their game, but after they beat Burton, Hereford slipped out of League Two into the Blue Square. Defeat meant that Hereford dropped out the Football League for the first time in 15 years. Despite winning their last two games, poor form over the season was their downfall. They are joined by Macclesfield Town who endured a dreadful season. A 22 match win less run stretching to the end of December ended their 15 year stay in the Football League. The run included 15 defeats with the 2-0 home defeat to Burton the game that sent the Silkmen down. Fleetwood Town and York City will take their places after they were promoted from the Blue Square Premier Division.

After another exciting season in the Football League we are sure to see as much even more drama than we have this season in the coming twelve months. The fixtures for the Football League are released on the 18th June at 9am giving plenty of time for fans to start organising their trips to games for next season.

Championship: 2011/12 season review

It may have been a cracking season in the Premier League, but throughout the three divisions in the football league, fans have not been disappointed with the levels of excitement throughout the season. In the Championship we saw Reading crowned as champions of the Championship with Southampton and West Ham joining them in the top flight next year. Joy for some clubs meant tears for others as Portsmouth, Coventry and Doncaster were relegated from the league. The fight for a play off place also took centre stage as a number of clubs fought for a place to give them a chance of promotion to the top division.

picture: football.co.uk

Having been relegated from the Premier League last season, West Ham were strong favourites to make an immediate return to the top flight. New boss Sam Alladyce brought in an array of talent throughout the season which included Nicky Maynard, Kevin Nolan, Matty Taylor and Ricardo Vaz Te. With the added experience, the Hammers had one of the strongest squads in the division. Having hovered around the top two for much of the season, a dip in form saw them slip down to third behind Reading and Southampton, meaning if they were to go up, they'd have to go through the play off's. Having beaten Cardiff in the semi finals, it was Blackpool standing in the way of the Hammers. However a late Vaz Te goal secured victory at Wembley and an immediate return for Alladyce's men.

The fight for a play off position was as exciting as ever, as a number of clubs fought for a chance to gain promotion to the Premier League. Cardiff City were again in the mix and after finishing fifth, were given the difficult task of facing West Ham. Relegated from the Premier League last season, Birmingham City and Blackpool faced each other in the other semi final. The likes of Middlesbrough and Brighton were amongst the play off's throughout the season, but eventually fell short meaning another season in the Championship for them. It was West Ham and Blackpool who made it through to the final at Wembley, and it was the Hammers who won beating the Seasiders 2-1.

picture: dailymail.co.uk

Despite the excitement at the top of the table, teams lower down the league were fighting it out to avoid relegation. Having been deducted ten points due to administration, Portsmouth were caught up in the relegation scrap. Having put up a valiant effort, Pompey couldn't overturn the deficit and were relegated with fellow sides Doncaster Rovers and Coventry City. Both Doncaster and Coventry spent the majority of the season in the bottom two and struggled to put any form together. Coventry only mastered up a poor nine wins throughout the whole season while Doncaster could only win eight games out of 46. Newly promoted side Peterborough United were relegated the last time they were in the Championship but after some astute signings, Darren Ferguson's side finished with a very respectable 50 points finishing in 18th position. Brighton who were also promoted with The Posh last season and enjoyed a good season, missing out on the play off's finishing in tenth position.

picture: readingfc.co.uk

Scoring an impressive 27 goals, Southampton striker Rickie Lambert took away the golden boot for the Championship. The centre forward continued to show what a finisher he is and guided the Saints to second place where they gained promotion to the Premier League. His goals though, weren't enough for Southampton to claim the title having been favourites to take top spot. They were pipped to the title by Reading whose excellent second half of the season, saw the Royals finish the season as champions. Losing only two of the last 19 league games, Brian McDermott's side enjoyed victories on the road against both Southampton and West Ham. Goals were a plenty throughout the season, as the Championship saw a number of high scoring games. In particular Nottingham Forest's 7-3 win at Leeds, and Peterborough United's 7-1 home drubbing of Ipswich the stand out games.

After another exciting season, next year will be sure to be as entertaining. The Championship will welcome Wolves, Bolton and Blackburn, who were relegated from the Premier League. The division will also welcome Charlton Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield after they gained promotion from League One.

League Two play off final preview: Cheltenham Town v Crewe Alexandra

Sunday's League Two play off final will be the last game of the 2011/12 football league season. Having seen West Ham clinch the first victory in the Championship play off final last week, one team from League Two has the chance to achieve similar success. Cheltenham Town or Crewe face each other at Wembley and the winner will be playing in League One next season. Both teams finished below their semi final opponents in the league this year with Crewe beating Southend and Cheltenham beating Torquay in their respective games.

Crewe Alexandra:

picture: dailymail.co.uk

Crewe go into the final on Sunday appearing in their sixth play off campaign. The last time they were successful in the play off's came back in 1997 where they beat Brentford to reach the second tier of English football. Having finished in the final place of the play off's, Crewe overcame semi final opponents Southend winning 3-2 on aggregate. The Staffordshire club are now 18 games unbeaten in the league, having not lost a league game since playing Southend on 18th February. Crewe will go into the game full of confidence having beaten their opponents Cheltenham Town twice this season, winning 1-0 on both occasions. Youngster Nick Powell will be the key figure for Alex on Sunday, having scored 15 goals in all competitions this year. The highly rated 18 year old is set to sign for giants Manchester United next season after a impressing this year in League Two.


Cheltenham Town:

picture: maxihobbs.com

Going into their third play off final, Cheltenham Town are unbeaten in their play off history. Having gained promotion via them in 2001/02 and 2005/06, they will be going into Sunday's final wanting to achieve similar success. Town overcame Torquay United in the play off semi finals beating them 4-1 on aggregate. Current boss Mark Yates was a play off winner for the club back in 2002 where they beat Rushden and Diamonds 3-1 at the Millennium Stadium. Yates guided the club to a sixth place finish, five points above opponents Crewe. Winger Jermaine McGlashan is the man to watch for Town having impressed in the semi finals scoring in both ties. 

Prediction: Crewe 2-1 Cheltenham Town

League One play off final preview: Huddersfield Town v Sheffield United

As everyone starts to concentrate on the upcoming European Championships, there are still a couple of games that will decide which teams will be playing in both League One or League Two next season. Both play off finals take place this weekend at Wembley. First up is the League One play off final on Saturday which sees a Yorkshire derby between Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United. Both teams will be desperate to gain the final promotion spot having both had seasons which thoroughly deserve promotion. Huddersfield Town will be eager to gain the final place having missed out last season after being beaten in the final to Peterborough United. On the other hand, Sheffield United looked certain to go up automatically but were narrowly pipped by arch rivals Sheffield Wednesday and will want an immediate return to the Championship following last seasons relegation.

Huddersfield Town:

picture: dailymail.co.uk

This will be the third time Huddersfield Town will be in a play off final after making it in 2004 and 2011. The first time they reached a play off final was when they played Mansfield Town in the old Division Three play off final winning 4-1 on penalties. As already mentioned their most recent appearance came against Peterborough United last season where they were beaten 3-0 at Old Trafford in the League One play off final. Town progressed to the final this year after overcoming MK Dons over the two legs winning 3-2 on aggregate. Striker Jordan Rhodes scored twice over the legs making it an incredible 40 goals in all competitions this year. The forward has been a key figure in the club's charge for promotion this year scoring a number of hat tricks including an impressive four goals in the 4-4 draw away at Sheffield Wednesday. Huddersfield will fancy their chances on Saturday against opponents Sheffield United after beating them 3-0 at Bramall Lane earlier on in the season. Boss Simon Grayson has excellent history in the play off's having managed former clubs Blackpool and Leeds United to promotion while in charge.

Sheffield United:

picture: dailymail.co.uk

Relegated from the Championship last season, Sheffield United will be keen to make an immediate return. Having narrowly missed out to on an automatic spot to arch rivals Sheffield Wednesday, United have good enough reason for wanting promotion to the Championship. Their last appearance in the play off's came in 2003 where they were beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 in the old Division One play off final at Millennium Stadium. Since, the Blades have had appearances in the Premier League and the Championship before being relegated last season to League One. United could feel lucky to be playing at Wembley on Saturday after struggling to get past their semi final opponents Stevenage. The Blades came out 1-0 winners on aggregate after a last minute winner in the second leg from forward Chris Porter. Goals have not been hard to come for United this season having had striker Ched Evans in great form notching 35 goals in all competitions. But after being found guilty of rape, Evans was sent to prison leaving United boss Danny Wilson with problems up front. If selected it could be up to semi final hero, Porter to provide the goods if United are to go back up.

Prediction: Huddersfield Town 2-0 Sheffield United

Championship play off final preview: West Ham Utd v Blackpool

Having both been relegated from the top flight last season, both Blackpool and West Ham have the opportunity this weekend to bounce straight back. With one place up for grab, one of the sides will be making a lucrative return to the Premier League leaving the losers enduring another long season in the Championship. Both sides experienced different semi finals with West Ham easing past opponents Cardiff with a convincing 5-0 aggregate scoreline against the Welsh side. Blackpool however secured a final place after battling brilliantly in the second leg to prevent Birmingham City place taking the tie to extra time. The Seasiders came out against the Midlands side winning 3-2 on aggregate. Both clubs will be eager to return to the big time which will make it a very entertaining game.

Blackpool:

picture: thesun.co.uk

Ian Holloway took Blackpool to the promise land two years ago after beating Cardiff in the play off final at Wembley. His side gained many fans last year with his sides performances. Unfortunately they were relegated on the last day of the season after being narrowly beaten at Old Trafford by Manchester United. The Seasiders though are back again after just one season in the Championship. Two excellent displays in the semi finals against Birmingham ensured they made it to Wembley again, and even though they go into the tie with West Ham as underdogs,  they will know anything is possible on the day. Wingers Tom Ince and Matt Phillips have really shone for them this year and with the experience of another Phillips, Kevin, they have impressed this season. Loan signing Stephen Dobbie will be making his second appearance for Blackpool in the play off's in three years after he helped gain promotion two years ago and will be looking for a repeat performance.

West Ham United:

picture: caughtoffside.com

Having been tipped for automatic promotion at the start of the season, the Hammers would not have expected to be in this position come the end of the season. Sam Alladyce's side had been around the top of the table for much of the season, but after a terrific run by Reading they were pipped to a place and had to settle for a place in the play off's. Their last appearance in a play off final came in 2005 where they beat Preston 1-0 in a tight encounter at the Millennium Stadium. West Ham have always been renowned to be a Premier League club and a return to the big time is a must. Players such as Rob Green, Kevin Nolan and Carlton Cole are all proven at the top level and will not want another season in the Championship. Striker Ricardo Vaz Te has had an excellent season having moved to the Hammers in the January transfer market from Barnsley. The Portuguese forward has 21 league goals to his name this season, 11 of them coming in his time at Upton Park. Having previously played in the Premier League with Bolton, Vaz Te suffered an injury hit time at the Reebok and will want another chance to show he can prove himself in the top flight.

Prediction: Blackpool 1-2 West Ham Utd

Preview: League Two play off semi finals

We continue with previews of this years Football League play off's by looking at League Two and the semi finals that kick off this weekend. The first semi final kicks off tomorrow where we see Crewe Alexandra take on Southend in a late afternoon kick off at Gresty Road. The second semi final follows on Sunday lunchtime where we see the other semi final take place between Cheltenham and Torquay.

#1 Crewe Alexandra  v Southend Utd

picture: thefootballnetwork.net

Staffordshire side Crewe Alexandra go into the semi final in excellent form having gone the last sixteen league games unbeaten. This run included seven wins and nine draws which saw them claim seventh spot in the league and the last play off place up for grabs. A draw away at Macclesfield on the final day of the season saw them clinch the place ahead of fellow sides Oxford and Gillingham. Opponents for Alex come in the form of Southend who narrowly missed out on an automatic spot to Crawley on the final day of the season. The Essex club come into the play off's unbeaten in the last five conceding no goals. Paul Sturrocks side are aiming to replicate the side of 2004/05 where a Steve Tilson side saw them promoted from a similar position to that of this season. Strikers Freddy Eastwood and Neil Harris give the side much needed experience with Harris having helped former club Millwall to play off success in 2009. The play off tie is Crewe's sixth attempt at promotion from the play off's with their last successful attempt coming in 1997 where they were promoted to the second tier of English football. 

#2 Cheltenham Town v Torquay

picture: ctfc.com

Having narrowly missed out last season to Stevenage in the play off final, Torquay will want to go one better and achieve promotion to League One this time round. However they will need to buck up their ideas this weekend as they go into the semi final having not won in their previous five league games. This poor run ended their chances of automatic promotion after being in second in April. They come up against Cheltenham who are looking to return to League One after playing in League Two for the past three seasons. The Gloucestershire club are on a good run after achieving back to back victories from their last two games of the season. They will go into the tie with good history in the play off's having gained promotion from them in 2002 and 2006 both to League One. Torquay though came out on top in the league's fixtures between the two this season having beaten Cheltenham at Whaddon Road 1-0 and managing a 2-2 draw when they played at home.