Coventry beat Notts County to reach League Two play-off final 6h From the section Football 47

Coventry beat Notts County to reach League Two play-off final 6h From the section Football 47

Coventry City won an absorbing League Two play-off semi-final second leg at Notts County to book a meeting with Exeter at Wembley on Monday, 28 May.

After a drawn first leg, Max Biamou’s stunning bicycle kick put Coventry ahead before Marc McNulty rounded off a fine move to increase City’s lead.

Notts’ Jorge Grant tucked in to cut the deficit, before Jonathan Forte’s goal was wrongly ruled out for offside.

But Biamou’s low finish made it 3-1 and Tom Bayliss’ deflected shot sealed it.

Victory saw the Sky Blues move one step closer to their first promotion since 1966-67, when they went up to the old First Division, but it came after the hosts were on the wrong end of two very controversial decisions in the second leg.

Offside decisions go against County?

Kevin Nolan’s side, who already felt aggrieved at the award of a late Coventry penalty in the first leg, should have levelled at 2-2 in the second half.

Forte thought he had equalised for the Magpies when he headed in amid a spirited fightback, but his effort was ruled out for offside despite replays showing he had been onside.

Moments later, Biamou appeared to be in an offside position in the build-up to his second goal of the night, adding to Notts’ growing frustration.

Those two incidents came after Coventry keeper Lee Burge had produced a terrific save to deny Jon Stead from close range on 64 minutes.

• How Coventry reached the League Two play-off final

The hosts had been starkly second best for the opening 40 minutes, as Coventry carved out numerous early chances, but McNulty fired over before seeing a well-struck low shot saved by Adam Collin.

Mark Robins’ Coventry, who finished sixth – two points behind Notts – secured a second trip to Wembley inside 14 months, while Notts’ wait for a first appearance at the rebuilt Wembley goes on.

Nolan’s side will face a fourth consecutive year of League Two football, as Coventry bid for an immediate return to the third tier, from which they were relegated in 2017.

The Sky Blues were the only side in this season’s English Football League play-offs to progress to a final having played their second leg away from home.

Notts County manager Kevin Nolan told BBC Radio Nottingham:

“I’m gutted. I feel aggrieved. There’s been three massive decisions made by the referees over the last two games.

“They cost us last Saturday and they’ve cost us again tonight. They’ve dropped two clangers.

“Lady luck was not on our side. Coventry came here and played well but we had momentum when that goal was disallowed. And he was a yard onside.

“If we’d got it back to 2-2 on the night, it would have been a different story.”

Sky Blues manager Mark Robins told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:

“I’m being asked about controversy but I think that’s a bit unfair. It’s something that’s rankling with them but I reckon our performance deserved it.

“Before this, every single team who have played at home second has got through, so I’m absolutely delighted. I really feel like we were well worth it over the two legs

“Notts County are a tough side. Kevin Nolan has really done an amazing job here. But we were brilliant. My front two ran themselves silly and the goals we scored were outstanding.

“We’re now just one step away from getting back to the position we lost last year and we’ll be going all out to get back at the first attempt.”