Rochdale edge past Boreham Wood on penalties to regain EFL status in 2026

Rochdale secured promotion to the English Football League after a dramatic penalty shootout victory at Wembley, ending a three-year absence.

Wembley heartbreak and glory After enduring a 15-day delay and a 220-mile journey south from their home ground, Rochdale finally claimed their long-awaited moment of triumph on Sunday. Their National League title ambitions had been cruelly snatched away by York City just weeks earlier in one of English football’s most unforgettable season finales. Many observers, including manager Jimmy McNulty, believed justice had been served when Dale defeated Boreham Wood in a penalty shootout to return to the EFL after three seasons away. Their incredible campaign yielded 106 points, a total 16 points clear of fourth-placed Wood, who were left reflecting on what might have been following a dramatic promotion showdown at Wembley. ## Dramatic late drama at Wembley The Hertfordshire side led 2-0 with just 12 minutes remaining in the final, edging closer to their first-ever promotion to the EFL in their 78-year history. However, Mani Dieseruvwe’s dramatic headed equalizer in the dying seconds of added time marked his third stoppage-time goal in four matches, making it the sixth straight year the season finale had gone to extra time and the fourth consecutive occasion decided by a penalty shootout. This sequence of late twists has become a recurring theme in recent years, with Rochdale emerging as the latest beneficiaries of such high-stakes footballing theatre. ## Images of the triumph Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Mani Dieseruvwe celebrates Rochdale's penalty shootout win over Boreham Wood ## Cometh the hour, cometh the Mani There was once a time when Rochdale’s reputation was defined by mediocrity rather than moments of magic. Relegated from the old Division Three in 1974, the club spent the next 36 years drifting between the fourth tier’s upper and lower reaches, never rising nor falling, earning the unflattering nickname ‘the Rochdale division’ in some circles. Yet the class of 2026 have rewritten their narrative entirely, crafting an identity rooted in breathtaking drama and an unyielding refusal to surrender. Nowhere was that spirit more evident than in the heroics of Wembley scorer Mani Dieseruvwe. ## From journeyman to Wembley hero The 31-year-old has worn the colors of more than a dozen clubs since graduating from Sheffield Wednesday’s academy and turning professional at Hillsborough in 2013. His career has taken him from the National League North to League Two and back again, with stops at Salford and Grimsby where he played key roles in securing EFL promotions. However, it was in non-league football where Dieseruvwe truly flourished after joining Hartlepool in 2023, netting 23 goals in 39 National League games before adding a further 16 last season. His performances caught the eye of Rochdale, who rewarded him with a two-year contract last summer. In return, Dieseruvwe delivered 27 league goals and eight assists across 42 appearances in the current campaign. ## Late drama defines Rochdale’s season His season was punctuated by pivotal interventions, beginning with a 99th-minute winner at Braintree on April 18 that kept title hopes alive. A week later, he appeared to have sealed automatic promotion against York with a 95th-minute strike, only for a pitch invasion and a late leveller from City to force Dale into the play-offs. Dieseruvwe, however, had the final say once more, heading home from Casey Pettit’s deep cross after a deflection from James Clarke to send Rochdale through. ## Heroic quotes from Dieseruvwe "It's unbelievable. It's surreal. I honestly don't know what's just happened," said Dieseruvwe, clutching a cold beer in the mixed zone beneath Wembley Stadium after the on-field celebrations had concluded. "The last kick of the game.. again. We managed to take it to extra time and win the penalties – it's an unbelievable feeling." Dieseruvwe’s campaign began with both goals in a 2-0 away win at Boreham Wood in August, followed by two more in a 4-1 home victory in February. "It's a mad game when you come here; it's not like the league season, the pitch is humongous. There was so much action but until the final whistle you have to believe," he added. "We were still in the game, even at 2-0, as low as we might have felt, and once [Tyler Smith] gets that goal we believed and thankfully managed to get the equaliser and win on penalties." ## Oli Whatmuff the shootout savior Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, 18-year-old keeper Oli Whatmuff was the hero with two saves in the penalty shootout as Dale won 3-1 on spot-kicks ## We wouldn't have had it any other way While the ill-fated clash with York may never fade from memory, Dieseruvwe insists the club can now move forward with pride. "To do it like that, I wouldn't have had it any other way. It's just another [Rochdale] game," he reflected. "We're taking the p now at this point. Every single game we leave it so late, but the gaffer keeps pushing us; he tells us to keep believing." A teammate reportedly summed up the spirit in the dressing room with the phrase, ‘it's the Dale way’ - putting fans through the emotional wringer before finding a way to prevail in the end. ## The biggest goal of his career Dieseruvwe admitted Sunday’s equalizer was the most significant strike of his career, claiming it held a special place for the supporters. "That's no 1, for sure, for the fans. It was almost an out-of-body experience," he explained. "To take it to extra time, to believe, for the team to keep going.. Honestly we have done it the hard way for weeks now." His boss, Jimmy McNulty, shared the sentiment, describing the triumph as a feeling of pure elation and surreality. ## McNulty’s verdict on justice served Before heading to the Royal Box to meet his family, McNulty delivered his verdict: "It's a feeling of pure elation and fairly surreal. We have character and belief and I've never been part of anything like this. The game against York was wild and had everyone's eyes rightfully on it, so to go and do this at Wembley is incredible and amazing. I feel like it was destined to end this way. The season itself has been incredible - the points tally, the performances, the guts, the character, the late goals. It does feel like some sort of footballing justice was served today."