National League play-offs: Chesterfield book spot in final with dramatic Bromley win
By Dan Hepburn
Chesterfield eventually navigated past ten-player Bromley to book a spot in the National League play-off final by beating Bromley 3-2 in extra time.
The Spireites fell behind when Adam Marriott struck at the end of the first half, but Deji Elerewe's own goal levelled things up.
Darren Oldaker's free kick had Chesterfield 2-1 before a 99th-minute equaliser from Michael Cheek forced extra time, where Liam Mandeville's effort eventually beat Bromley, who had Elerewe sent off.
The two sides met in the penultimate round of National League fixtures on Bromley soil as the home side won 2-0. 13 points separated the sides in the final standings of the season but there was little between the pair on Sunday afternoon.
Apart from a yellow card apiece, the first half was fairly quiet with neither side keen to give the opening goal away. It took until the 53rd minute of the first half for Marriott to net, poking home from Cheek's delivery.
Contrary to the first 45 minutes, the second period gave supporters a spectacle to follow Notts County's remarkable come from behind victory over Boreham Wood earlier on Sunday.
An own goal from Elerewe, who stretched attempting to clear a cross from Chesterfield's Ryan Colclough, saw the two sides draw level 12 minutes after the restart.
With just over ten minutes of normal time to spare, Chesterfield took charge of the match for the first time through Oldaker. The 24-year-old's free-kick took a big deflection and fizzed past a hapless Reice Charles-Cook.
Read more on the play-off hunt across the EFL
manual
Charlton loanee Elerewe's afternoon went from bad to worse as he was sent off with 75 minutes on the clock, leaving his side a player down for the remainder of the game.
Despite that deficit, Bromley striker Cheek salvaged extra-time at the Technique Stadium with a last-gasp 99th-minute equaliser. Cheek connected with Omar Sowunmi's headed assist across the box to place it past the marauding Ross Fitzsimons.
The visitors looked poised to win after two successful last-ditch attempts to stay in the tie, but Chesterfield regained their lead in the 102nd minute as Mandeville showed great technique to capitalise on a Bromley mistake and scored his fourth goal in six outings.
Paul Cook's side now look ahead to Wembley, where fellow semi-final winners Notts County await them. The two will go head-to-head in the 2022/23 play-off final to see who will join Wrexham in League Two of England's football pyramid.