Fifteen minutes later, Kevin Francis scored with a header from an Andy Preece pass, but the linesman raised his flag to signify offside and the goal was disallowed.

With three minutes of the match remaining, Francis scored when Peterborough goalkeeper Fred Barber failed to catch a 15-yard (14-metre) strike from Preece.

Stockport County finished five points behind Birmingham City (who were promoted in second place) and six behind league winners Brentford.

Cynthia Bateman, writing in The Guardian, suggested "the football was as poor and malevolent as the atmosphere" in a match which saw Stoke's captain Carl Beeston sent off seven minutes before half-time after an altercation with Jim Gannon following an argument over a free kick.

The home side had several chances but failed to increase their lead; Stoke, according to Bateman, "did hardly anything worthy of favourable comment" and the match ended 1–0.

Iffy Onuora put the visitors ahead in the 28th minute from close range after Peterborough goalkeeper Fred Barber had made a double-save.

In the final minute, Mick Halsall scored the equaliser with a shot from around 18 yards (16 metres) which went in off the underside of the crossbar; the match ended 2–2.

After coming on as substitute, Steve Cooper scored a late winner for Peterborough after he dived to head in a cross from Bobby Barnes, to see them win 2–1 and progress to the final 4–3 on aggregate.

[11] During the regular season, Peterborough won both matches between the sides with a 3–0 victory at Edgeley Park in December 1991 and a 3–2 win at London Road the following February.

[14] Five minutes into the game, a cross from Barnes was headed on by Sterling, then controlled by Charlery with his chest; his shot went over the Stockport crossbar.

Before half-time, Stockport's 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)-tall striker Kevin Francis won a number of corners, one of which was headed wide of the Peterborough goal by Tony Barras.

Fifteen minutes later, Francis scored with a header from an Andy Preece pass, but the linesman deemed him offside and disallowed the goal.

[16] The Peterborough manager Chris Turner described the decision-making surrounding the opening goal as a "Russian linesman job" while his counterpart Danny Bergara called it a "travesty".

"[11] Bergara suggested that a review system should be put in place: "I'm not criticising the referee ... he had a difficult job and everyone makes mistakes ...