The 2007 Football League Championship play-off final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 28 May 2007, at the end of the 2006–07 season. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, and was contested by Derby County and West Bromwich Albion, who had finished third and fourth respectively during the league season. Stephen Pearson scored the only goal of the game to ensure that Derby County returned to the top division of English football after a five-year absence. The match was the last in the career of referee Graham Poll before his retirement.[1]
Route to the final
Derby County finished the season in third place in the Championship, behind champions Sunderland and runners-up Birmingham City, while West Bromwich Albion finished fourth.
In the play-off semi-finals, Derby beat sixth-placed Southampton 2–1 away in the first leg,[2] but lost the second leg at home 3–2. With the scores level after 180 minutes of play, and no further goals in extra time, the tie went to a penalty shootout. Former Derby player Iñigo Idiakez missed Southampton's fifth penalty to send Derby into the final.[3]
Albion meanwhile faced local rivals and fifth-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, winning the first leg 3–2,[4] and the second leg 1–0 to progress 4–2 on aggregate.[5]
Match details
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MATCH RULES
- 90 minutes.
- 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
- Penalty shootout if scores still level.
- 5 named substitutes.
- Maximum of 3 substitutions.
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References
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