Newbies Boreham Wood & old-timers Rochdale seek EFL place

New blood or an old stager? The EFL will be welcoming one of those on Sunday as Boreham Wood and Rochdale face off at Wembley in the National League's promotion final.

The Wood, founded in 1948, have never been a member of the elite 92 although they have come close twice, losing 2-1 to the 10 men of Tranmere in the 2018 final and then conceding a 120th-minute winner to Notts County in a 3-2 loss five years later.

Rochdale have just spent a third season in non-league football after their 102-year stay in the EFL came to an end in 2023.

York City's last-gasp equaliser in their final-day title decider meant a second year in the play-offs but, unlike last season's agonising eliminator defeat by Southend where they threw away a 3-1 lead, Dale have made it to the final.

In charge of Boreham Wood for their two near misses in promotion finals was Luke Garrard.

Garrard made more than 140 appearances for the club as a player has now taken charge of well over 500 matches in two spells as manager.

Defeat in that second promotion final to Notts County was followed by relegation and Garrard's exit. He says the time away from the club was painful.

"Two years ago relegating Boreham Wood really hurt me. This is my club. I left and there were some dark times in the six months not having a job," he told the BBC's football podcast 72+.

"It was a reset for me, I went away and worked at my my craft, spoke to a lot of good managers and when I returned my language changed, there was a different mindset.

"I was very negative in the build-up to the relegation season but when I returned 16 months ago the mindset was all about getting back to the National League."

His return in September 2024 brought immediate results with promotion earned by beating Maidstone 1-0 in the National League South promotion final and he has always believed a second successive one was possible this year.

"I said it from the start of this season we have enough to get promotion," he said.

"I worked it out that we'd have won three leagues in the past 12 or 13 years with the 90 points we got.

"What went on with Wrexham and Notts County (in 2022-23) was incredible to see. Rochdale and York having a proper ding-dong on the last day of the season and to achieve what they did was incredible.

"For us to get 90 points normally wins you a division but for us that season is done - it's a two-part season for us. We accumulated 90 points, won the National Cup, and reached the third round of the FA Cup but that's done now."

Boreham Wood needed extra time to beat Forest Green Rovers 1-0 in their eliminator before being taken to 120 minutes again at Carlisle in a 2-1 victory to secure their place at Wembley.

"Our aim was to be successful in this second part of the season and we're two thirds of the way through that now. I don't want to be talking about we got 90 points, I want to go to Wembley and win now," said Garrard.

"There are going to be households who are excited, mums and dads, there are staff who are excited but we need to be calm, we're going to Wembley for business.

"I don't want any dramas on tickets, no dramas on Wembley and if anyone discusses it from Friday onwards they're going to be fined because it's another game of football but it happens to be at Wembley."

From the agony of the way they missed out on the National League title to commanding their way to the National League promotion final, it is business as usual for Rochdale.

Not least because they have been in a knockout mindset for the past three matches.

Dale had to win against Braintree to take their title fight to the final day, they had to win against York and then nothing but victory against Scunthorpe would have sufficed to set up Sunday's visit to Wembley.

"I would say the past three games have been exactly that because our game away at Braintree was must-win and so we've been in must-win scenarios for a few weeks now," boss Jim McNulty told BBC Radio Manchester.

"I think that being accustomed to that in the past few weeks has certainly helped us going into what becomes now another must-win at Wembley on Sunday."

Three of the past five National League promotion finals - 2020-21, 2022-23 and 2023-24 - have gone to penalties having finished all square after 120 minutes.

Asked if his side had practised penalties before their trip to the capital, McNulty said: "Yes, we have, which is regular practise for anyone to go into a final.

"I've got nothing special to say about it though, other than the lads are just walking up, taking a pen and seeing what goes in."

As for where it would rank on his list of achievements both as a player and as manager at Rochdale, McNulty is clear that it will be at the very top should his side earn promotion back to the EFL.

"Short answer, it has to be. Nothing will come close," he added.

"I feel very fortunate to be at the helm of the club during a period of such growth. We fully deserve to be where we are with earning the right for these sort of opportunities."