Cardiff City 0 Stoke City 2

(After extra-time, agg 2-3)



It was the late, late show for Stoke City as goals from James O'Connor and Souleyman Oulare took them to the Second Division play-off final.

O'Connor and Oulare earned Stoke a 2-0 win over Cardiff after a night of high tension at Ninian Park.

O'Connor's free-kick, deflected by Oulare, in the 115th minute sent the visiting fans into ecstasy and gave Stoke their first win in a play-off semi-final at the fifth attempt.

But the goal was not without controversy as the free-kick was given for a challenge by Spencer Prior that looked innocuous at best.

The former Leicester defender, incensed by the decision, earned himself a red card for his prolonged protest. As if that was not dramatic enough it was only O'Connor's strike in the final minutes of normal time that had taken the game into an extra half hour. After 90 minutes when a clear chance, never mind a goal, had looked unlikely O'Connor popped up to convert after a superb run down the left from full-back Clive Clarke. His cross was cleverly headed back by Bjarni Gudjonsson at the back post and O'Connor was on hand to slide the ball past Neil Alexander from eight yards. Cardiff, in front of an exuberant home crowd, had looked edgy throughout and too many of their passes went awry, the chief culprit being former Stoke star Graham Kavanagh. Stoke had started well and Tony Dinning forced a good save from Bluebirds keeper Alexander. Cardiff were almost made to pay for their slackness six minutes before half-time. O'Connor broke down the left and when his low cross reached Chris Iwelumo it looked easier for the forward to score than miss.