"It might sound obvious, but in the second tier, avoiding a first-leg deficit is a key component to being a successful play-off side. And even if you get back into the tie by scoring first in the second leg of your semi-final, the odds appear stacked against you claiming that final promotion place. In the current format - a two-legged semi-final followed by a one-off final - teams have scored first in the second leg on 21 occasions having lost the first. But, of those, only three clubs have not only reached the final but also won promotion to the top flight."
"Bolton Wanderers did it first in 1994-95 after trailing 2-1 to Wolves after the first leg of their semi-final. John McGinlay scored to take the second leg to extra time then, after escaping with just a yellow card for appearing to punch David Kelly, then scored again in the 109th minute to send his side to Wembley. Bolton eventually beat Reading to win promotion to the then-named Premiership. It took 23 years for another side to repeat the feat, as Fulham scored first in thei"
Twelve teams across the Championship, League One, and League Two begin their pursuit of the final promotion place through the play-offs. In the Championship, avoiding a first-leg deficit is a key factor for success. Even when a team scores first in the second leg after losing the first, the odds are still heavily against winning the tie and reaching the final promotion spot. In the current format, teams have scored first in the second leg on 21 occasions after losing the first, but only three clubs have both reached the final and won promotion. Bolton Wanderers achieved the turnaround in 1994-95, and Fulham repeated the feat 23 years later. The play-offs also offer motivation for teams in League One and League Two to test themselves at a higher level.
Read at www.bbc.com
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