BALTIMORE, Maryland May 13, 2014 - A drenching spring rain fell across the pitch when time was, at last, declared. Soaked but happy fans filtered out on the pitch until the pitch was filled with people. Harry Redknapp, the Ranger manager, was wearing his soaked dress suit as a badge awarded him for a hard-earned victory. He remembered for a reporter that the one and the only certain thing about this endlessly competed playoff, which is what these two-legged affairs end up being, was that his side would get to play one more time this season, and at Wembley Stadium no less, against Derby County, in eleven days time.
"The suit is soaked," said Redknapp, as close to a loss for words as he ever would be. "But it was worth it. It was a good night and you have to enjoy it. We've now got a final to look forward to," the exhausted coach told the BBC. "It will be great for the owners and fans and players and that is all the matters to me. I would love to see them back in the Premier League."
That is the prize, you see, it always is in the Championship League; and for all the celebration on Loftus Road, all is meaningless if the Rangers cannot beat Derby County in eleven days time. Only the winner gets promoted. The loser at Wembley will face another campaign in the Championship come August. The first and second place teams, Leicester City and Timeless Burnley, one of English Soccer's original teams, and maybe its least-celebrated, earned the automatic promotions the league offers. Four other teams playoff for the third promotion. The winner amongst the four gets the promotion. Three others get a Championship re-run. Brighton and Hove Albion, now along with Wigan, have already had their fates determined. They have the Championship to look forward to come August.
On the pitch at Loftus Road, in a cool spring rain, ebullient fans roamed and celebrated, and discussed their chances at Wembley. Against spirited Wigan, it took 123 minutes, 20 total corner kicks, 34 total fouls and 36 total shots, but at the end, Queens Park had two goals and Wigan 1, this, after a first leg last week at Wigan that was totally scoreless, and a full game's worth of minutes last night that ended at one goal each. The star of the game was former Burnley star Charlie Austin. With the Rangers down, 1-0, and less than 20 minutes before time, Austin deftly fooled Latic keeper Scott Carson on a penalty to knot the count. Both sides had chances to move ahead after that. The one that staggered the 17,000-plus on Loftus Road was when a counter-attacking James McClean of Wigan found himself past all of the Rangers defenders and in on their keeper, Rob Green. But in a play for the ages, Green made the save, and saved the day.
In extra time, Austin scored again. It was only six minutes in. Bobby Zamora sent a through ball and Austin snared it in the middle of the box. His winning shot was made with his right foot. The only problem for the Rangers, now ahead, 2-1, was that there was still 24 minutes left in extra time, plus, as it turned out, three extra minutes added on. And the Latics were none too bashful in these remaining minutes of their season. Just two minutes after the Austin score, Leon Barnett of the Latics leaped and got off a header that went maddingly over the Ranger goal. Exactly 36 minutes into extra time in the extra period, Robert Kiernan of Wigan got off a nasty shot near the top of the box that was blocked by Green. Just before the final whistle Shaun Maloney of Wigan took another hard shot, albeit from a bad angle, but it, too, was blocked.
May 24 is the date of the winner-take-all final between the two first round winners, Derby County and Queens Park. A Wembley official said, in a statement at the stadium's web page, that it is doubtful that tickets for the showdown will be available there. Instead, it is expected that all of the tickets will be sold by the two teams who have qualified to play.
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