Rochdale 1 York City 1: Finale to end all finales as last-gasp Josh Stones returns Minstermen to EFL

For Liverpool and Arsenal read Rochdale and York City, but with drama to even surpass Michael Thomas’ mad moment at Anfield.

Mani Dieseruvwe time looked like breaking York hearts for the second time in seven days. His header in the fifth minute of stoppage time was a brutal development.

Dale fans flooded the pitch in an outpouring of relief and emotion. Several York players were on their floor, there was a fair bit of pandemonium before play restarted.

Incredibly, incredibly, there was the twist of all twists. Josh Stones, who looked like losing his one-man battle with Dale keeper Oliver Whatmuff after being denied several times in the second half, saved his best until last. Staggering.

His effort was cleared from behind the line by Tyler Smith, with a linesman confirming it had crossed.

York are back in the EFL after a decade-long absence by the barest of margins.

The first half was evenly poised with both defences on top. It reinforced the feeling ahead of the game among many observers that such an occasion of high magnitude could well be decided by a mistake, moment of brilliance or even a fluke. We need not have worried.

York had a half-decent spell just after the half-hour mark without testing Whatmuff, although there was one moment of controversy when the Dale custodian was penalised for handling just outside of the box on the far right-hand side.

Dale defence, led admirably by captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell, were on message as was York’s backline, who kept Dieseruvwe quiet.

Tobi Adebayo-Rowling had one or two moments on the right for Dale, who also hit a fair few diagonals in the direction of Dan Moss.

He had the ball in the net early on, but it was ruled out for a clear foul on City keeper Harrison Male following Adebayo-Rowling’s hanging cross.

Half-chances for York saw Stones nod wide, while a deflected low shot from Jeff King was saved after Ollie Banks’ effort moments earlier was blocked in a crowded box. There wasn’t a great deal else.

Still, a goalless scoreline was enough for York and in one sense it was one half of the job done.

The first chance of the second half was a Minstermen one with Hiram Boateng slotting in Stones, but Whatmuff got his angles right, while Luke Hannatt fired wide at the other end.

York were then handed the chance they had been hankering for, courtesy of the Boateng/Stones axis again.

Stones’ second chance was much more clear cut after he was sent clear. Once again, Whatmuff saved the day.

It was turning into a good, purposeful start to the second half by the Minstermen, who just needed a goal now to make it count, while being mindful that Dale might leave gaps in their own pursuit of a cherished breakthrough.

York stayed strong in their defensive work as the mood started to get a bit subdued among home followers, who needed something to invest into.

Boss McNulty spotted the signs and made a triple change. Maynard soon replied in kind.

Dale were then presented with an excellent free-kick chance after Ben Brookes fouled Dieseruvwe, but substitute Aidan Barlow curled his shot over.

The hosts, from their perspective, were starting to hint at something at last. Maynard soon added further ballast in the backline with Callum Howe thrown on, with the City chief no doubt expecting a bit of an aerial onslaught as the clock ticked down and Dale got more desperate.

York still looked the more likely, with substitute Ryan Fallowfield firing into the side-netting as the visitors sought to seal the deal.

It almost arrived when Pearce cashed in on an error to find Stones, whose shot deflected off Ebanks-Landell and was turned away superbly by Whatmuff.

At the other end, Dieseruvwe failed to get on the end of a cross as Dale boss McNulty revved up the home crowd.

Stones was then denied again, before York replacement Callum Howe glanced against his own crossbar. And then the devastating development in the Minstermen goal as Dieseruvwe headed in Henderson’s cross.

York and Stones weren’t quite finished. Ryah Fallowfield’s cross was met by Howe, whose header was parried by Whatmuff. The loose ball fell to Stones, whose effort crept over the line despite the best efforts of Whatmuff and sub Smith. Football, bloody hell..

Rochdale: Whatmuff; Gordon, Ebanks-Landell, Perry; East (Pettit 66), Gilmour (Smith 84); Adebayo-Rowling (Pritchard 76), Rodney (Barlow 66), Hannatt (Henderson 66), Moss; Dieseruvwe. Substitutes unused: Baptiste, Francis.

York City: Male; King (Grey 69), Fagan-Walcott, Johnson, Kitching; Hunt (Batty 69), Boateng, Brookes (Howe 75), Banks (Fallowfield 70); Stones, Pearce (Olley 88). Substitutes unused: Sykes-Kenworthy, Newby.

Referee: W Finnie (Bedfordshire).

Attendance: 7,221