County’s Wembley showdown return
DAVE Challinor will become only the third ever Hatters manager to lead a County team out at Wembley after guiding his side to the League Two play-off final.
Ben Hinchliffe’s penalty heroics helped County on their way back to Wembley after a fifteen-year absence via a 3-1 shootout win over Salford City at Edgeley Park last Saturday.
Back in 2008, County beat Rochdale to secure a place in League One.
The victors of Sunday’s play-off final clash – in which County take on Carlisle – will see either the Hatters or The Cumbrians seal a spot in the third tier. It potentially continues a remarkable rise up the pyramid for The Hatters, who were battling to make it out of the sixth tier just four years ago .
And after the emotion of Saturday’s win over The Ammies, Challinor is ensuring County feet remain firmly on the ground.
“I suppose, through experience as a manager, you manage to control your emotions better than your first time in the playoffs,” he said.
“I’ve won and lost as a manager in these games, and it’s a terrible way to lose but a brilliant way to win.
“To come through the season we’ve had and give ourselves the opportunity of a Wembley final is hugely pleasing.
“Without question, we enjoyed the weekend as did the players, and our focus now quickly switches to what lies ahead.”
Tanto Olaofe’s secondhalf header levelled the tie on aggregate, before Stevie Mallan’s extra-time strike from distance deflected off Fraser Horsfall and into the net.
But just moments later, substitute Jack Stretton bundled home to secure a penalty shoutout, with Antoni Sarcevic scoring the winning spot-kick after Hinchliffe’s two saves.
Stretton joined Ryan Croasdale, Will Collar and Sarcevic himself in coming off the bench to make an impact against Neil Woods’ men.
“It’s a term that’s used more in rugby when we refer to ‘starters and finishers’, and I felt the finishers – the substitutes – would be massively important on Saturday,” said Challinor. “We used the finishers earlier than we would have liked to, which had that knock-on effect of then having players dropping with cramp late on.
“I also expected we’d only get an hour out of Paddy Madden, so to get one hundred and twenty minutes plus a penalty in the shootout was fantastic.”
Challinor will now return to Wembley just two years after leading Hartlepool United to a National League play-off final win in Bristol, and four years after guiding AFC Fylde to back-to-back Wembley appearances in the National League final and FA Trophy final just a week apart.
“It’s a brilliant week, an absolutely brilliant week for us,” he said. “Everyone else will be on their holidays enjoying the sunshine, but we have a brilliant week ahead of us and we’ll embrace that.
“There’s lots of organising to be done, and lots of preparation for what’s in front of us. And that is the sort of thing you want as a player and a manager – these are the games to play in.”
Challinor also paid tribute to his goalkeeper
Hinchliffe, who earned another feather in his cap as a Hatters hero with saves from Mallan and Adrian Mariappa in the shootout.
“Ben didn’t save one in training so I’m delighted with how it went!” said Challinor.
“It’s so different to anything you can do in training. It’s a unique situation, and you cannot replicate the feeling of a penalty shootout in training.
“From Ben’s point of view, someone needed to be the hero and he’s absolutely gone and been that for us.”
An attendance of over ten thousand at Edgeley Park had helped roar County onto victory, with The Hatters now allocated 39,000 tickets for the trip to London this Sunday.
“People sometimes think you comment on the fans just for the sake of saying it and that it’s all cliches. It isn’t, they are massively important and have absolutely played a part in getting us over the line,” said Challinor.
“They got us through extra time and into the penalty shootout, and thankfully we’ve progressed as a result.”
Promotion this weekend would make it backto-back successes for The Hatters, and would signal a third promotion in a row for Challinor, who continues to impress in his management career.
After 46 league games and two play-off semifinals, now just one remains – with Carlisle United, led by former County boss Paul Simpson, standing in the way.
“I’ve experienced Wembley as a manager, and it is an experience absolutely to be relished and enjoyed,” said Challinor. “You never know when or if you’ll get to experience it again in football, and it is an achievement to remember.
“We have to go to Wembley and perform as we know we can. If we do that, we can be a League One club come the start of next season.”