Sunday 24 May 2015 16:55, UK
As six Football League clubs prepare to walk out at Wembley for a final shot at promotion, Peter Beagrie assesses where each of this weekend’s play-offs will be won and lost.
Preston North End and Swindon Town do battle for a place in the second tier of English football and Sky Sports’ Football League expert casts his eye over the League One play-off showpiece…
Swindon Town
Swindon are the perceived underdogs heading into this tie. For most of the season they’ve replicated the shape of Bristol City and they were replicating the results – outscoring teams, going forward at will and attack being their best form of defence. There has been a brilliant influence from the lads in midfield, and that has been Swindon’s strength. Yaser Kasim and Massimo Luongo are great at winning and retaining possession.
Swindon may be hampered by injuries – Louis Thompson is out and we will wait and see if how Nathan Thompson’s hamstring injury is faring. Swindon’s hopes could rest on a boost if he’s fit ahead of this huge task.
Ones to watch
Ben Gladwin has been the unsung hero coming from non-league Marlow FC. Play-off triumph would cap a meteoric rise for him on this stage. He’s a big strong lad who moves very well on the ball, and he’s got an eye for goal and he has taken to League football like a duck to water. His influence has grown, he scored a magnificent goal in the semi-final and he is technically gifted. A lot of people will be wishing they had taken a punt on him, he’s a tremendous talent.
Nathan Byrne in the right wing-back position has been the one over the two semi-final legs, and the season in fairness, who has shown incredible tenacity. When they turn defence into attack, it’s mainly this guy who can carry the ball 50 to 70 yards and he will flourish at Wembley.
Preston North End
This Preston side is very experienced and they are better defensively than Swindon and they certainly have as much going forward. As such, out of the three play-off ties, Preston are the outstanding favourites with the bookmakers.
But they will not be able to underestimate Swindon who, on their day, can put a lot of people to the sword.
Ones to watch
Swindon’s Nathan Byrne will have a double job on his hands at Wembley, and that’s keeping tabs on Preston’s architect-in-chief, Paul Gallagher. He has been instrumental this year on the left-hand side and we saw against a Chesterfield side, who had a lot of possession; the craft, guile and experience which made the scoreline look very healthy.
The focus, as it often does, also falls on Joe Garner who has scored bundles of goals this season. We saw the great goal Jermaine Beckford got and that just shows what he is capable of. He is at a club where the manager knows him, he and the manager like each other and they get the best out of him. He’s training hard and he’s a fit as he’s been, he is also benefitting from playing week in week out and he will be one of the major threats to Swindon.
Beags’ League One play-off verdict
These two teams just show how good the two teams above them were - MK Dons and Bristol City.
This game is all about how Swindon defend because sometimes your strength can be your weakness. Swindon have been irrepressible at times going forward but defensively, as we saw in the two legs against Sheffield United, they can overplay sometimes from the back and take chances.
It’s a huge task the manager Mark Cooper has embraced. He can look back on whatever happens at Wembley on an outstanding season. At this level, though, he’s not only up against a quality Preston outfit but the dream-maker at this level, Simon Grayson.
He’s been there seen it and done it and has all the experience of getting out of this division. Will he do it again? We don’t know. It will all depend on the day but again, two sides who have covered themselves in glory this season.
It is an absolute privilege to go and witness the play-off finals this year. To the thousands and thousands of fans going to support their teams, regardless of the scoreline, make sure you get to and from Wembley safely.
Watch Preston North End v Swindon Town in the Sky Bet League One play-off final, Sunday, 5pm, Sky Sports 1HD
