York City are back in the Football League after a decade away, following a scarcely believable 1-1 draw at Rochdale on the final day of the National League season. The Minstermen needed a point to secure the title and automatic promotion, and they got it in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.
Rochdale thought they had won it when Mani Dieseruvwe headed home in the 95th minute, sparking a pitch invasion. After a lengthy delay to clear the field, play resumed with six minutes of added time. In the 103rd minute, Josh Stones bundled the ball over the line to level the scores and seal York's promotion.
“The maddest ever. Crazy,” Stones said. “When they scored, that’s what they’ve done all season. For the final game to have ended 0-0, it would have been a travesty for the league. I’m so happy. We deserve it as a group, the staff, the fans.”
York manager Stuart Maynard expressed hope that Rochdale, who finished with 106 points, would win the playoffs. “It’s criminal in this league that teams can get over 100 points and not go up,” he said. Rochdale must now regroup for the playoffs after coming so close to automatic promotion.
