View source for 2003 Football Conference play-off final

{{Refimprove|date=October 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox football match
|                   title = 2003 Football Conference play-off final
| image = Britannia Stadium 1.JPG
| image_size = 240
|                 caption = Britannia Stadium venue of the 2003 Football Conference play-off final
|                   event = [[2002–03 Football Conference]]
|                   team1 = [[Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.|Dagenham & Redbridge]]
|        team1association =
|              team1score = 2
|                   team2 = [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]]
|        team2association =
|              team2score = 3
|                 details = [[Extra time|After extra time]]
|                    date = 10 May 2003
|                 stadium = [[Britannia Stadium]]
|                    city = [[Stoke-on-Trent]]
|      man_of_the_match1a =
|                 referee = [[Andre Marriner]] ([[Birmingham County Football Association|Birmingham]])
|              attendance = 13,092
|                 weather =
|                previous =
|                    next = [[2004 Football Conference play-off final|2004]]
}}

The '''2003 Football Conference play-off final''' took place on 10 May 2003 and was contested between [[Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.|Dagenham & Redbridge]] and [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]]. It was held at the [[Britannia Stadium]], [[Stoke-on-Trent]] and was the inaugural final of the [[Football Conference]] playoffs which were introduced to accommodate a second promotion place to the [[Football League]].

==Match==

===Summary===
Doncaster had much of the play early on in the match with [[Tony Roberts (footballer)|Tony Roberts]] in the Daggers goal making a number of good saves, notably from [[Paul Barnes (footballer)|Paul Barnes]]. Doncaster turned up the pressure and should have taken the lead through [[Steve Foster (footballer, born 1974)|Steve Foster]], whose header was cleared off the line by [[John McGrath (footballer, born 1980)|John McGrath]]. However they took a deserved lead when [[Tim Ryan (footballer)|Tim Ryan]]'s cross was headed into the net by [[Paul Green (footballer, born 1983)|Paul Green]].

Ten minutes into the second half Doncaster were two goals in front thanks to [[Dave Morley]]'s header, which a Dagenham defender got an inadvertent hand to, with the ball rebounding in off the post. Dagenham battled on and got a goal back through [[Mark Stein (footballer)|Mark Stein]], who netted after a knock down from target man Steve West. They then levelled the scores when [[Tarkan Mustafa]] scored arguably the goal of the game. He received a good ball from [[Paul Terry (footballer)|Paul Terry]] on the right, ran at the Rovers defence and shot past [[Andy Warrington]] into the far corner of the net.

Extra time was needed and, with legs tiring, it was Doncaster who got the golden goal. [[Paul Barnes (footballer)|Paul Barnes]] broke away on the left and crossed for [[Francis Tierney]], who sidefooted home to send his team back into the Football League. It is the only time in UK football that promotion has been decided by the controversial [[sudden death (sport)|golden goal method]], officially known as "Promotion Goal" in this match. The pitch was subsequently invaded by Doncaster Rovers fans, including one wearing an oversized jester's hat who managed to circle the ground before being caught by police.

===Details===
{{Football box
|date=10 May 2003
|time=14:30 [[Western European Summer Time|BST]]
|team1=[[Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.|Dagenham & Redbridge]]
|score=2–3
|aet=yes
|report=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/3014141.stm
|team2=[[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]]
|goals1=
* [[Mark Stein (footballer)|Stein]] {{Goal|63}}
* [[Tarkan Mustafa|Mustafa]] {{Goal|78}}
|goals2=
* [[Paul Green (footballer, born 1983)|Green]] {{Goal|39}}
* [[Dave Morley|Morley]] {{Goal|55}}
* [[Francis Tierney|Tierney]] {{golden goal|110}}
|stadium=[[Britannia Stadium]]
|location=[[Stoke-on-Trent]]
|attendance=13,092
|referee=[[Andre Marriner]] ([[Birmingham County Football Association|Birmingham]]) }}

{| width="100%"
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|colspan="4"|
|-
!width="25"| !!width="25"|
|-
|GK ||'''1''' ||[[Tony Roberts (footballer)|Tony Roberts]]
|-
|DF ||'''2''' ||Tim Cole
|-
|DF ||'''17'''||Lee Matthews ([[Captain (association football)|c]]) || {{Yel}}
|-
|DF ||'''19'''||[[Tarkan Mustafa]]
|-
|DF ||'''4''' ||[[Lee Goodwin]] || || {{Suboff|71}}
|-
|MF ||'''8''' ||[[Paul Terry (footballer)|Paul Terry]] || || {{Suboff|94}}
|-
|MF ||'''26'''||[[John McGrath (footballer, born 1980)|John McGrath]] || || {{Suboff|70}}
|-
|MF ||'''7''' ||[[Mark Janney]]
|-
|FW ||'''10'''||[[Mark Stein (footballer)|Mark Stein]]
|-
|FW ||'''9''' ||Danny Shipp
|-
|FW ||'''15'''||Steve West
|-
|colspan=4|'''Substitutes:'''
|-
|GK ||'''18'''||Paul Gothard
|-
|DF ||'''3''' ||[[Ashley Vickers]] || || {{Subon|71}}
|-
|DF ||'''5''' ||Mark Smith || || {{Subon|70}}
|-
|MF ||'''6''' ||Steve Heffer || || {{Subon|94}}
|-
|MF ||'''14'''||[[Danny Hill (footballer)|Danny Hill]]
|-
|colspan=4|'''Manager:'''
|-
|colspan="4"|[[Garry Hill]]
|}
|
|valign="top" width="50%"|
{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center
|colspan="4"|
|-
!width="25"| !!width="25"|
|-
|GK ||'''1''' ||[[Andy Warrington]]
|-
|DF ||'''2''' ||[[Simon Marples]]
|-
|DF ||'''3''' ||[[Tim Ryan (footballer)|Tim Ryan]]
|-
|DF ||'''4''' ||[[Dave Morley]]
|-
|DF ||'''23'''||[[Steve Foster (footballer, born 1974)|Steve Foster]]
|-
|MF ||'''11'''||[[Jamie Paterson (footballer, born 1973)|Jamie Paterson]] || || {{Suboff|84}}
|-
|MF ||'''19'''||[[Ricky Ravenhill]] || {{Yel}}
|-
|MF ||'''20'''||[[Paul Green (footballer, born 1983)|Paul Green]]
|-
|MF ||'''7''' ||[[Francis Tierney]]
|-
|FW ||'''9''' ||[[Paul Barnes (footballer)|Paul Barnes]] ([[Captain (association football)|c]])
|-
|MF ||'''16'''||Tristram Whitman || || {{Suboff|83}}
|-
|colspan=4|'''Substitutes:'''
|-
|GK ||'''13'''||[[Stuart Nelson]]
|-
|DF ||'''6''' ||[[Mark Albrighton]]
|-
|MF ||'''30'''||[[Jason Blunt]] || || {{Subon|84}}
|-
|MF ||'''5''' ||[[John Doolan (footballer, born 1974)|John Doolan]]
|-
|FW ||'''26'''||[[Gregg Blundell]] || || {{Subon|83}}
|-
|colspan=4|'''Manager:'''
|-
|colspan="4"|[[Dave Penney]]
|}
|}

{| width=100% style="font-size: 90%"
| width=50% valign=top|
'''Match rules:'''
*90 minutes.
*30 minutes of golden-goal extra time if necessary.
*Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
*Five named substitutes
*Maximum of three substitutions.
|}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/3014141.stm |title=Doncaster seal League return |publisher=BBC Sport |date=10 May 2003 |accessdate=10 January 2014}}
*{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2401249/Play-offs-round-up-Cardiff-edge-rivals.html |title=Play-offs round-up: Cardiff edge rivals |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=10 May 2003 |accessdate=2 December 2014}}
*{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2401446/Tierney-has-golden-touch-as-Rovers-return.html |title=Tierney has golden touch as Rovers return |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=11 May 2003 |accessdate=2 December 2014}}
*{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2401423/Tierneys-golden-goal-dagger.html |title=Tierney's golden dagger |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=11 May 2003 |accessdate=2 December 2014}}
*{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/may/12/newsstory.sport1 |title=Tierney gives Doncaster the golden touch |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=12 May 2003 |accessdate=2 December 2014}}
{{refend}}

{{2002–03 in English football}}
{{Conference National Playoff Finals}}
{{Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.}}
{{Doncaster Rovers F.C.}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2003 Football Conference Play-Off Final}}
[[Category:2002–03 Football Conference|Play-off Final]]
[[Category:Doncaster Rovers F.C. matches|Play-off Final 2003]]
[[Category:Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. matches|Play-off Final 2003]]
[[Category:National League (English football) play-off finals]]
[[Category:Sport in Stoke-on-Trent|Conference Playoff Final 2003]]
[[Category:May 2003 sports events in the United Kingdom|Football Conference play-off final]]