LIVE updates and reaction as Stockport County take on Carlisle United in Wembley play-off final

Stockport County are taking on Carlisle United in the League Two play-off final at Wembley - hoping history will repeat itself with back-to-back promotions for the Hatters.

County booked their place in the Wembley showpiece after coming from behind to beat Salford 3-1 on penalties - the two sides were locked at 2-2 on aggregate after extra time over two legs. Many thousands of Stockport fans have made the trip down to Wembley to cheer on Dave Challinor's men.

An own goal had put the Hatters one nil up by half time.

READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community

Challinor took over at Edgeley Park in November 2021, just five months after he guided Hartlepool into League Two and the County boss repeated that feat with his current club – this time finding himself one game away from his first English Football League promotion.

The 47-year-old admitted the Hatters suffered a poor start to the season but never stopped believing he could guide the club to successive promotions.

He told a press conference: “The start of this season was tough but we have got over that and we have built. Now it’s come up to this point where we have to back ourselves and we all hoped of having the shot of getting into League One because that was our ambition at the start of the season.

“It was a big ambition some would say, now we have the opportunity to take it. Promotion was always the plan, the hope, the ambition and that’s the big thing.”

Stockport ended the season unbeaten in 13 games but narrowly missed out on the automatic promotion places, finishing just four points behind Northampton in third place.

Read more of today's top stories here

READ NEXT:

Metrolink staff announce June strike dates as Parklife