Greatest EFL play-off comebacks

There is always something special about the English Football League play-offs as teams battle tooth and nail for promotion at the end of an arduous season.

Fiercely contested, the post-season showpiece provides entertainment by the bucket loads and the advantage of having two-legged semi-finals is that no tie is ever finished after the first 90 minutes.

With that said, we've taken a look back at some of the greatest comebacks the EFL play-offs have had to offer.

Sheffield Wednesday 5-5 Peterborough United (5-3p)

League One play-off semi-finals, 2022/23

Narrowly missing out on automatic promotion despite accruing 96 points, a tie with Peterborough United posed a tricky obstacle but one that Sheffield Wednesday were expected to overcome.

The first leg at London Road defied all odds.

Jack Taylor scored, Joe Ward made it two and the Owls were left stunned at the half-time interval. Kwame Poku added a third before Jonson Clarke-Harris provided Peterborough with a seemingly insurmountable lead with a fourth in the closing stages.

Darren Moore's men required the miracle of all miracles to turn the contest around in the second leg at Hillsborough.

The Owls made the perfect start as Michael Smith slotted home from the penalty spot after 10 minutes and Lee Gregory reduced the deficit again 15 minutes later.

Testing the resolve of the Peterborough defence with a relentless series of attacks, Reece James clawed the hosts to within one before one of Wednesday's own, Liam Palmer, scrambled the ball home with the last kick of the 90 minutes to spark pandemonium.

The goal meant extra time ensued and despite relinquishing a four-goal advantage, Darren Ferguson's Posh were able to silence the raucous home crowd as Nathan Thompson's header struck Gregory and deflected in.

Wednesday responded once more courtesy of Callum Paterson to force penalties, and the shootout was befitting of the 120 minutes which had preceded it.

Peterborough full-back Dan Butler put his hands on his head as his spot-kick struck the crossbar as the Owls produced five perfect penalties, the last an inch-perfect effort from Jack Hunt to round off the most extraordinary comeback in Football League history.

Derby County 4-3 Leeds United

Championship play-off semi-finals, 2018/19

Leeds United had been in the driving seat to win automatic promotion under the auspices of Marcelo Bielsa but buckled in the closing stages of the campaign and, much to the fear of their supporters, were forced to settle for third.

The play-offs always deliver several fascinating narratives and Leeds' 'Spygate' fiasco - where the club were fined £200,000 for sending a member of staff to watch Derby train before their league fixture in January - certainly turned up the heat on an already spicy encounter.

It was advantage Leeds following the first leg as Kemar Roofe capped off an assured Whites performance with the only goal of the game at Pride Park.

When Stuart Dallas doubled the lead for Bielsa's men in the early stages of the second leg, there was a sense of acceptance that the tie was over; Leeds had won the previous three meetings against Derby by an aggregate of 7-1.

What unfolded next was scarcely believable.

Frank Lampard made a bold attacking change in the first half and his decision was vindicated when Jack Marriott scored with his first touch on the stroke of half-time. Buoyed by unearthing a route into the match, Derby started the second half on the front foot and the Rams restored parity thanks to a superb improvised effort from Mason Mount.

Harry Wilson was the next to weigh in as he dispatched a spot-kick to put Derby ahead, but Leeds responded valiantly as Dallas scored his second of the night to bring the hosts on level terms.

But just as Leeds were in the ascendancy, Gaetano Berardi received his marching orders to swing the momentum back in Derby's favour.

As the full-time whistle loomed and the contest requiring a source of inspiration, Richard Keogh marched forward and played an inviting pass into the path of Marriott, who produced a sublime dinked finish over Kiko Casilla to complete an astonishing comeback and book Derby's place at Wembley.

Yeovil Town 5-4 Nottingham Forest (AET)

League One play-off semi-finals, 2006/07

Nottingham Forest were forced to settle for the play-offs after a goalless draw at home to Crewe Alexandra, coupled with victories for Bristol City and Blackpool, saw Colin Calderwood's men finish fourth.

Despite the eminent disappointment, Forest quelled the fears of their supporters as they departed Huish Park with a two-goal advantage from their first leg meeting with Yeovil Town.

The Forest faithful packed out the City Ground for the return leg in anticipation of an easy passage to the final but what they witnessed was an improbable mauling.

Yeovil's task appeared forlorn, but Russell Slade's men approached the second leg with immense belief and they were rewarded after 22 minutes as Arron Davies slalomed through the Forest defence before firing beyond Paul Smith.

Scott Dobie's equaliser early in the second half quelled home fears, but with less than 10 minutes of normal time remaining, Yeovil struck twice; Jean-Paul Kalala's shot deflected off Alan Wright and in Marcus Stewart delivered a thumping header to level the tie.

Forest's woes were exacerbated when substitute David Prutton was dismissed for two needless bookings and the momentum was firmly in Yeovil's favour as extra-time loomed.

The Glovers made their man advantage count as Lee Morris capitalised on Wes Morgan's error, but they surrendered their lead within a minute as Gary Holt volleyed in to briefly raise Forest's hopes.

An injury to Wright in the second half of extra time effectively reduced Forest to nine men as they had used all their substitutes, and Yeovil seized the initiative as Davies exchanged a one-two with Morris before scoring his second and the visitors' fifth of the night.

From playing in the Conference four years prior, Yeovil would encounter Blackpool in a League One play-off final, while Forest were left to pick the bones of a humiliating defeat.

Northampton Town 3-2 Cheltenham Town

League Two play-off semi-finals, 2019/20

In a Covid-affected season, there was even greater tension ahead of this League Two play-off contest as neither Cheltenham Town or Northampton Town had played a competitive match in 103 days.

Flaunting one of the meanest defences in England's top four tiers after conceding just 27 goals all season, Cheltenham flexed their defensive superiority and resilience to chalk up a two-goal aggregate lead over Northampton at Sixfields.

With the return leg at home - albeit behind-closed-doors - Robins supporters could be forgiven for thinking the tie was all but done. Step forth the magic of the play-offs...

Cheltenham's advantage was halved within nine minutes when Vadaine Oliver's downward header brought the Cobblers back into the equation and the scent of a comeback filled the nostrils of Keith Curle's men.

Callum Morton restored parity in fortuitous fashion as Cheltenham's failure to clear their lines saw the ball hit the striker's head unknowingly and go in, but the on-loan West Bromwich Albion forward wasn't done there.

The visitors profited from a sequence calamitous Cheltenham errors which enabled the on-rushing Michael Harriman to pounce and despite his effort striking the post, Morton was present at the right place at the right time to slot the decisive rebound.

Socially distanced celebrations were momentarily forgotten as Cobblers players and staff rejoiced at a momentous comeback; although Alfie May nearly haunted Curle's side as he went close to levelling the tie on aggregate in the dying embers.

Incidentally, Northampton's fightback saw them become the first team in the EFL to lose the first leg of a play-off tie by two or more goals and then progress since Yeovil's aforementioned triumph over Nottingham Forest.