Walsall | The Saddlers on the march to Wembley

Walsall 2 - 1 Chesterfield (Walsall won 4-1 on aggregate)

Walsall booked their place at Wembley with a dramatic late winner against Chesterfield, completing a 4–1 aggregate victory in the League Two play-off semi-finals.

Author - Peter Grainger

Stadium - Bescot Stadium

The Saddlers, who carried a 2–0 lead into the second leg, saw their advantage threatened when Chesterfield’s Armando Dobra scored in stoppage time. But substitute Levi Amantchi responded instantly with a decisive header to seal the tie and spark wild celebrations, with jubilant fans spilling onto the pitch at full-time.

Charlie Lakin, another substitute, opened the scoring on the night with a header from an Albert Adomah cross in the 81st minute, giving Walsall a commanding three-goal cushion overall. Dobra’s strike in the 90th minute gave the visitors brief hope, but Amantchi’s clinical finish moments later put the result beyond doubt.

Walsall recover after late-season revival

Walsall’s route to the final marks a remarkable turnaround after a late-season slump saw them squander a 12-point lead at the top of the table and drop out of the automatic promotion places on the final day.

READ MORE | EFL play-offs: 24/25

A 13-match winless streak had threatened to derail their season entirely, but a 3–1 victory at Crewe Alexandra on the last day of the campaign steadied the ship. Back-to-back wins over Chesterfield now mean the Saddlers head to Wembley buoyed by three straight victories.

Jamie Jellis came close early on as Walsall showed attacking intent despite their first-leg cushion. The Saddlers looked dangerous on the break, while Chesterfield spurned key opportunities through Jason Metcalfe and Aribim Pepple.

It was Lakin’s late goal that appeared to end the contest, but when Dobra finally breached the Walsall defence after more than 180 minutes, a nervy finale briefly loomed. That was until Amantchi, having earlier missed a golden opportunity in a three-on-one break, rose to meet Adomah’s delivery and restore the home side's advantage.

Walsall now head to the League Two play-off final at Wembley, where they will look to cap off a turbulent campaign with promotion.