Stockport, Carlisle, Bradford and Salford all reach League Two play-offs on final day
- Planet Sport writer
- 8 May 2023
Stockport had to settle for a play-off place along with Salford, Bradford and Carlisle as the League Two campaign drew to a close.
Stockport needed Northampton to lose and to beat Hartlepool themselves to snatch the last automatic spot.
Dave Challinor's side had to settle for a play-off place as they were held to a 1-1 draw by their already-relegated opponents, while Northampton claimed a 1-0 win at Tranmere.
Having suffered final-day heartbreak on the last day of last season, Hoskins volleyed in the only goal of the game in the fifth minute - his 22nd of a hugely impressive campaign.
The Hatters opened the scoring from the penalty spot six minutes before the break after Callum Camps was brought down inside the area. He picked himself up and fired the ball into the top corner.
Hartlepool refused to lie down, though, and grabbed an equaliser when Callum Cooke smashed in from outside the area.
The home side had a chance to snatch the points at the death but Pools' man of the match Ben Killip denied Camps his second of the afternoon from the spot.
Stockport will now take on Salford in the play-offs after they held onto the final spot despite losing 1-0 at home to Gillingham. Cheye Alexander won it for the visitors with a late penalty.
Carlisle secured fifth place and a two-legged tie with Bradford after they came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Sutton.
Sutton took the lead when Kylian Kouassi turned home inside the area but the Cumbrians levelled with four minutes left when Joe Kizzi headed into his own goal.
Bradford confirmed their spot with a 1-1 draw against champions Leyton Orient, who broke the deadlock through Jordan Brown in the 41st minute to silence a bumper home crowd.
But the Bantams were on level terms just two minutes later through Brad Halliday's deflected effort from outside the box and that was how it stayed.
Mansfield narrowly missed out on a top-seven finish as they claimed a 2-0 win at Colchester.
The Stags were relying on results elsewhere to see them extend their season and started to believe when they went 1-0 up thanks to Riley Harbottle on the stroke of half-time.
But James Gale's goal deep into stoppage time came too late and they narrowly missed out on goal difference.
Elsewhere, Jake Reeves' strike was enough for Stevenage to claim a 1-0 win at Barrow, Swindon had new boss Michael Flynn watching from the stand as they ran out 2-1 winners over Crawley thanks to goals from Charlie Austin and Jake Cain, while an Isaac Ogundere own goal earned Grimsby a 1-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon.
Lachlan Brook equalised deep into time added on as Crewe shared the spoils with Newport in an entertaining 2-2 draw, Connor Wilkinson and Isaac Hutchinson were on the scoresheet for Walsall in their 2-1 victory over Doncaster and Toby Sims earned Harrogate a point at home to Rochdale.
