Five of the best Championship play-off finals include Reading nightmare and a Charlie Adam screamer

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With just eight games left of the 2024/25 campaign, the Championship is reaching the business end of the season.

While Burnley and Sunderland currently have a nice buffer between seventh-placed Bristol City, just eight points separates Coventry City in fourth and Sheffield Wednesday in 12^th in the race to reach the play-offs.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	38	23	11	4	76	25	51	80
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	38	25	7	6	53	28	25	80
3	BurnleyBurnley	38	21	15	2	52	11	41	78
4	SunderlandSunderland	38	19	12	7	55	37	18	69
5	CoventryCoventry	38	17	8	13	55	48	7	59
6	West BromWest Brom	38	13	18	7	48	34	14	57
7	Bristol CityBristol City	38	14	15	9	49	41	8	57
8	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	38	15	9	14	57	48	9	54
9	BlackburnBlackburn	38	15	7	16	42	40	2	52
10	WatfordWatford	38	15	7	16	47	51	-4	52
11	MillwallMillwall	38	13	12	13	37	39	-2	51
12	Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday	38	14	9	15	53	59	-6	51

Historically, the richest game in football has caused some teams to tighten up, freezing on the big stage.

However, the play-off final has also seen some absolute barnstorming match-ups, with goals and action galore.

And as the race to reach this season’s Championship play-offs heats up, here are five of the best finals from previous campaigns.

5. Swansea City 4-2 Reading (2011)

What a day to put in your worst performance in a Reading shirt.

That’s exactly what happened to Zurab Khizanishvili, the Royals’ Georgian centre-back who was on loan from Blackburn at the time.

A booking early on for bringing down Swansea City striker Fabio Borini set the tone, before the defender conceded a penalty for a foul on Nathan Dyer, allowing Scott Sinclair to add to his 19-goal tally for that campaign.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Khizanishvili then failed to stop Dyer crossing for Sinclair’s second, before deflecting another Dyer cross into the path of Stephen Dobbie who made it 3-0 before half-time.

Two goals in eight second-half minutes meant Brian McDermott’s side threatened to mount an improbable comeback, but Swansea put the game beyond doubt late on as Sinclair completed his hat-trick.

It was sweet revenge for Brendan Rodgers, the Northern Irishman leading Swansea to the top flight for the first time in their history at the expense of the club who had sacked him just two years prior.

4. Ipswich Town 4-2 Barnsley (2000)

The last competitive fixture to be played at the original Wembley before it was redeveloped, Ipswich and Barnsley put on a fitting send-off.

The third and fourth-best sides in the division that season, Ipswich came into the final having qualified for the play-offs for the fourth consecutive campaign.

Having failed at their previous three attempts to climb out of the Championship, and despite conceding first by virtue of a Richard Wright own goal, they wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

Goals from Tony Mowbray, Richard Naylor and Marcus Stewart put the Tractor Boys 3-1 up, before Craig Hignett pulled one back for Barnsley with their second penalty of the game.

A nervy final 10 minutes ensued, before Martijn Reuser sent the Ipswich end into raptures as Barnsley were caught on the break.

George Burley had finally guided his team to the promised land.

Remarkably, Ipswich would go on to finish fifth in their first season in the top flight, before again being relegated back to the Championship in the 2001/02 campaign.

3. Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff City (2010)

An example of how the game should be played.

Blackpool and Cardiff City came into the 2010 play-off final as the third and fourth-highest scorers in the Championship that season, behind only the top two of Newcastle and West Brom.

They would play the final how they’d performed all season: with the handbrake off.

All five goals were scored in the first half, Blackpool twice pegging Cardiff back after the Bluebirds had taken the lead.

The first of these equalisers from Charlie Adam is one of the best play-off final goals of all time, the former Liverpool midfielder bending a beautiful free-kick into the top corner to silence the Cardiff supporters.

After Brett Ormerod put Blackpool ahead shortly before half-time, Ian Holloway’s side did not surrender their lead, going on to reach the Premier League for the first time in their history.

They would play the same way during their solitary season in the top flight, being rather unlucky as they were relegated on the final day of the 2010/11 season despite recording a very respectable 39 points.

2. Swindon Town 4-3 Leicester City (1993)

Talk about almost snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Swindon were cruising in the 1993 First Division play-off final, with goals from player-manager Glenn Hoddle, Craig Maskell and Shaun Taylor giving the Robins a comfortable 3-0 lead with just over half an hour to play.

Yet three Leicester goals in 12 crazy minutes, including two in the space of 60 seconds, meant it was all square as extra time loomed.

After being awarded a penalty with just six minutes remaining, however, Swindon had a chance to retake the lead, an opportunity they took as Welshman Paul Bodin converted.

It was relief at the end of a game they had seemingly been in control of.

Sadly, an immediate return to the First Division followed as the Robins were relegated from the Premiership at the first time of asking, finishing the 1993/94 campaign rock bottom.

1. Charlton Athletic 4-4 Sunderland (7-6 on penalties – 1998)

Was there any other choice for top spot?

The only 4-4 draw in Championship play-off final history, the 1998 contest between Charlton and Sunderland has a good claim to be the best play-off final across all of the Football League.

Amazingly, Charlton came into the final having not conceded a single goal in their previous 10 games.

And when self-confessed Sunderland fan Clive Mendonca put them 1-0 up in the first half, the Addicks were 45 minutes away from the Premier League.

Sunderland hit back in the second half, however, with goals from Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips turning the game on its head.

After Mendonca equalised for Charlton, Quinn restored the Black Cats lead, before Richard Rufus equalised again to send the game to extra time.

There was still time for more drama as Nicky Summerbee put Sunderland ahead for the third time on the afternoon, before Mendonca completed his hat-trick with a poked finish after a brilliant first touch.

The penalties were as good as the action that came before, all thirteen players converting before Sunderland’s Michael Gray was the unfortunate player to miss, firing a tame effort into the hands of Charlton goalkeeper Sasa Ilic.

Charlton would suffer an immediate return to the Football League as they were relegated from the top flight in the 1998/99 campaign, while Sunderland put the pain of the defeat behind them to win the Division One title with a then-English record 105 points.