The 2021 EFL League Two play-off Final was an association football match which was played on 31 May 2021 at Wembley Stadium, London, between Morecambe and Newport County. The match determined the fourth and final team to gain promotion from EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football, to League One for the 2021–22 season. The top three teams of 2020–21 EFL League Two gained automatic promotion, while the clubs placed from fourth to seventh in the table took part in the 2021 English Football League play-offs.
The match was played in front of 9,083 spectators in sunny conditions, with Bobby Madley as the referee. Goalless after 90 minutes, the game went into extra time. A minute into the second period of additional time, John O'Sullivan was brought down by Ryan Haynes and the referee awarded Morecambe a penalty which Carlos Mendes Gomes converted to give his side the lead. The match ended 1–0 to Morecambe who were promoted to League One, the third tier of English football, for the first time in the club's history.
Route to the final
Morecambe finished the regular 2020–21 season in fourth place in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, one place and five points ahead of Newport County. Both therefore missed out on the three automatic places for promotion to EFL League One and instead took part in the play-offs to determine the fourth promoted team. Morecambe finished one point behind Bolton Wanderers (who were promoted in third place), two behind Cambridge United (promoted in second) and four behind Cheltenham Town (who were promoted as champions).
Newport County's opponents for their play-off semi-final were Forest Green Rovers and the first match of the two-legged tie was held at Rodney Parade in Newport on 18 May 2021. Matt Dolan put the home side ahead in the 31st minute with a left-footed strike from around after Josh Sheehan had played him the ball. Ten minutes into the second half, Forest Green Rovers' Aaron Collins missed an opportunity to score with a header. A minute later, his brother Lewis Collins doubled Newport County's lead, running on to a long goal kick to shoot past Luke McGee, the Forest Green Rovers goalkeeper. No further goals were scored and the match ended 2–0. The second leg was played five days later at The New Lawn, Forest Green Rovers' home ground in Nailsworth. Ebou Adams gave Forest Green the lead after seven minutes when he headed in Nicky Cadden's cross, and Collins made it 2–0 within a minute after he volleyed in a Baily Cargill cross. Eight minutes into the second half, Cadden's free kick crept in at the far post to make it 3–0 and give Forest Green the lead in the tie on aggregate. Kevin Ellison then became the oldest goalscorer in play-off history when his 70th minute strike from went into the Forest Green net off the underside of the crossbar. Six minutes later, Joss Labadie scored for Newport County from a Ryan Haynes cross to make it 4–3 on aggregate before a Jamille Matt goal three minutes from full time levelled the tie and sent the match into extra time. With one minute remaining in the second period of extra time, Nicky Maynard scored for Newport County to end the match 4–3 to Forest Green Rovers, but 5–4 on aggregate to Newport County who progressed to the final.
Morecambe faced Tranmere Rovers in the semi-final, with the first leg taking place at Prenton Park in Tranmere on 20 May 2021. Nathaniel Knight-Percival gave Morecambe the lead in the 15th minute when he deflected in a cross from Liam McAlinden but the home side equalised four minutes later when Peter Clarke scored with a header. A minute into stoppage time in the first half, McAlinden converted Cole Stockton's cross to restore Morecambe's lead. After a goalless second half, the match ended 2–1. The second leg was held three days later at the Globe Arena in Morecambe. Aaron Wildig put Morecambe ahead after nine minutes with McAlinden providing the assist. Eight minutes into the second half, James Vaughan scored from a David Nugent header to make it 1–1. The match ended without further goals and Morecambe progressed to the final with a 3–2 aggregate victory.