WHERE DRAMA IS ALWAYS A GIVEN!

WANT to win the National League promotion final? Then you'd better be prepared to go the distance.

- Chris Dunlavy

Oldham’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Southend last weekend means that each of the last five play off finals have gone to extra-time.

And while three of them went to penalties, none produced the sort of lifeless phony war that so often sends supporters to sleep; of the 18 goals scored in those five games, six came during the additional half hour. Here’s how the drama played out:

2021 TORQUAY UTD 1-1 HARTLEPOOL UTD (HARTLEPOOL WON 5-4 ON PENS)

Otherwise known as the Lucas Covolan show. The Brazilian goalkeeper enjoyed the game of his life at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate — but still ended up on the losing side!

Ahead through Luke Armstrong’s 35th-minute goal, Dave Challinor’s Hartlepool looked to be closing out a comfortable victory.

Covolan had other ideas. Thrown forward for a corner in the dying seconds, he remained upfield when the ball was recycled and rose majestically to glance home an incredible equaliser.

“The image of the ball going inside the goal was something that I couldn’t believe,” he said. “It crossed the line in slow-motion. It was the happiest moment of my career, maybe my life.”