1987 Football League Fourth Division play-off final

An early goal from Ian McDonald and a second-half penalty from Bobby Barnes gave Aldershot a 2–0 lead heading into the second leg.

Three days later, at Molineux, 19,962 people saw Barnes score the only goal of the game to give Aldershot a 3–0 aggregate victory and promotion to the Third Division.

"[4] The Swindon Town manager Lou Macari was also dissatisfied with the play-offs, arguing "we have proved ourselves the better team over 46 games this season but then see our future decided in Cup-style matches".

Mark Kendall, the Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper, made a number of saves to keep a clean sheet and his side won 2–0.

The game at the Recreation Ground in August 1986 ended 2–1 and the return match at Molineux in February 1987 saw Wolverhampton win 3–0.

[17] Conditions underfoot were poor with a heavily waterlogged pitch, and the first goal came about in the fourth minute when a number of players slipped, including Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Floyd Streete, and Ian McDonald scored.

[19] Wolverhampton Wanderers concentrated their efforts on playing long balls forward to their attackers, but according to Mike King of the Sandwell Evening Mail, they were met with "an unflinching Aldershot defence".

Just before the hour mark, Thompson shot high and off-target before Lange made another save, this time from a strike which took a deflection off Jon Purdie.

With nine minutes of the match remaining, Barnes scored for Aldershot to give them a 1–0 win, and a 3–0 aggregate victory, securing promotion to the Third Division.

[20] After the final whistle, hundreds of Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters rushed on the 2,000 travelling Aldershot fans, attacking them and the police.

Ten officers and a police horse were injured in the riot while forty-two people, including one Aldershot supporter, were arrested.

We ended nine points clear of Aldershot in the table with a better goal difference, so that makes it even harder to swallow at the moment".