´óÏó´«Ã½

Liam Hogan
former Stockport defender on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Manchester

I think it’s Antoni Sarcevic who gets a bit under the ball and gives Joe Garner a free header, but one of Ben Hinchliffe’s strengths is his shot-stopping.

James Phillips
´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Cumbria Sport

A beautiful clean header from Joe Garner!

The goalkeeper gets two hands on it but you can't give Garner that kind of space.

This game is coming to life now.

Carlisle defender Jon Mellish is booked for taking Issac Olaofe down on the halfway line as he looked to launch an attack.

Might have been a little harsh.

Now we're talking.

Owen Moxon swings in a great free-kick to the back stick and Joe Garner gets up well to power a header towars the corner.

Ben Hinchliffe has to be on his mettle to turn it around the post.

Image source, Rex Features

Half-chance for Stockport.

Issac Olaofe takes a good touch from a low cross into the area but it wont quite drop for him to shoot at goal.

Carlisle win a free-kick in a similar area to the one they had earlier.

Owen Moxon sends it deep once again but Ben Hinchliffe is off his line well to pluck it from the air.

Liam Hogan
former Stockport defender on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Manchester

They’re looking to get down the sides and get balls into Paddy Madden.

As expected, Dave Challinor has made sure the lads are on the front foot and they’re in control in the early stages.

Ian Slater: Surely it would have been better for both sets of fans if the League 2 play-off final was at a northern PL stadium? Might not have been as many empty seats.

Great effort from both sets of fans to get down to the National Stadium at short notice.

I asked you back at 13:23 who you thought would take this one.

The voting is incredibly tight just now.

At time of writing it's 313 for Stockport and 310 for Carlisle.

It's about as even as that out on the pitch too just now.

Just a reminder that video assistant referees are in operation today.

Both teams will be hoping this game isn't decided by a call from VAR...

Image source, Getty Images

Carlisle win the first corner of the match down their left.

Owen Moxon's delivery is deep and challenging but the Hatters defence manage to head it away for a throw to the Blues.

It's hurled into the area and Stockport stand up to it before winning a defensive free kick to clear their lines.

Carlisle win a free-kick 40 yards out and Owen Moxon, 15 assists in the regular season, is stood over it.

Bit of a build-up... He hammers it over all of the gathered players in the area.

He'll call that one a range-finder

Stephen O'Halloran
Ex-Salford and Stockport defender on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Manchester

You can see the last couple of years the changes at the club.

There’s been that ambition to get the club back in the league which they achieved last year and promotion to League One would be fantastic.

It would be maybe a year ahead of schedule but the team they’ve developed is an outstanding one and they deserve to be in the final today.

Bright start from Stockport.

They move the ball around well and eventually Antoni Sarcevic chips in a cross from the left that Paddy Madden heads over.

We are off and running under the arch on a scorching hot day in North London.

One of these pair will be celebrating promotion to League One underneath it later this afternoon.

Who? We're about to find out.

Image source, Rex Features

Stockport had the better of the two league meetings between these pair this season.

The Hatters claimed a 2-0 win at Edgeley Park in October before the sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Cumbria in April.

The all-time head-to-head record between the teams is about as tight as it gets.

Stockport narrowly edge it with 32 wins to Carlisle's 30, with the remaining 16 games ending level.

Righteo, it's that time.

Who do you think will end the day climbing the Wembley steps to pick up the trophy?

Give this post a thumbs up if you think Carlisle will be a third tier team next season and hit the down thumb if you think it's going to be Stockport.

We also welcome your more considered thoughts on today's game.

Get in touch using #bbcefl on Twitter.

Image source, Getty Images

Stockport boss Dave Challinor is looking to lead the team to back-to-back promotions.

The last team to go straight through League Two having come up from the National League the season before was Tranmere in 2018-19.

It's a feat Carlisle boss Paul Simpson is familiar with after he achieved it in in his first spell with the Cumbrians in 2005-06.

Promotion today would be Challinor's third in successive seasons, as he led Hartlepool back into the EFL in 2020-21.

• Read more - Challinor praises 'unique' Hatters owner

Image source, Rex Features/Getty Images

Carlisle boss Paul Simpson says he is putting his club over family loyalties as he prepares to face Stockport, who have son Jake on their coaching staff, in Sunday's League Two play-off final.

Simpson, who twice managed Jake in his playing career, is looking for a third promotion with the Cumbrians.

Carlisle edged past Bradford,while Stockport beat Salford on penalties to set up the Wembley final.

"I'll give him a hug before and after," Simpson told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Cumbria.

"But I hope he's not smiling at the end. I really want him to be successful and I like [County boss] Dave Challinor and want him to be successful as well.

"Unfortunately, on the day, there's only one team I'm going to be favouring. I wanted us to achieve something and I'd like Jake and Stockport to achieve something, but not this season.

Carlisle make on change from the win over Bradford. Jon Mellish returns from his three-match ban and takes the place of last week's hero Ben Barclay as the defender is ineligible to face his parent club.

Stockport make two changes from the XI that started the semi-final second leg win over Salford. Ryan Croasdale and Antoni Sarcevic are in and Joe Lewis and Connor Evans are out.

Carlisle: Holy, Mellish, Huntington, Whelan, Senior, Guy, Moxon, Armer, McCalmont, Garner, Gordon.

Subs: Gibson, Edmondson, Patrick, Dennis, Charters, Kelly, Robinson.

Stockport: Hinchliffe, Wright, Horsfall, Hussey, Knoyle, Camps, Croasdale, Sarcevic, Rydel, Olaofe, Madden.

Subs: Byrne, Lemonheigh-Evans, Collar, Stretton, Hippolyte, Jaros, Lewis.

Referee: Tom Nield (West Yorkshire)