2001 Football League Second Division play-off final
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| Event | 2000–01 Football League Second Division | ||||||
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| After extra time | |||||||
| Date | 27 May 2001 | ||||||
| Venue | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | ||||||
| Referee | E. K. Wolstenholme | ||||||
| Attendance | 50,496 | ||||||
The 2001 Football League Second Division play-off Final was contested by Walsall and Reading. It was the first season that the play-off finals were contested at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium following the demolition of Wembley Stadium.
Route to the final
- Reading: Reading beat Wigan 2–1 on aggregate after a 0–0 draw and a 2–1 second leg win.
- Walsall: Walsall beat Stoke 4–2 at Home in the second leg, after 0–0 draw at Stoke's Britannia Stadium.
Match
Summary
Reading scored the opening goal from a throw in. Jamie Cureton's volley crept in underneath Walsall goalkeeper Jimmy Walker. Don Goodman scored the leveler for Walsall just after half-time to take the game into extra-time.
Reading made a storming start to extra-time with, ex-Walsall striker, Martin Butler scoring a header inside the first 2 minutes. A treble substitution by Walsall manager Ray Graydon on 98 minutes changed the game. Walsall's Dean Keates forced an own-goal by Reading's Tony Rougier on 107 minutes. Walsall nicked it 2 minutes later virtue of a stunning turn and shot from substitute Darren Byfield.
Details
| Walsall | 3–2 | Reading |
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Goodman  48'Rougier 107' (o.g.)Byfield 109' |
Report | Cureton 31' Butler 91' |
        Walsall
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 Reading
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Match rules:
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