Cardiff are celebrating an instant return to the Championship after results in the League One promotion race favoured the Welsh club, while Bromley have been promoted from League Two without playing.
After Bradford and Bolton were held to draws in Saturday’s early games, Cardiff needed more points from there game at Reading than Stockport could manage at Exeter. Cardiff did their part, winning 3-1, but Stockport were leading 3-2 in added time at St James Park. However, Jack Bycroft, the Exeter goalkeeper, went up for a corner and headed home in the sixth minute of added time.
Barry-Murphy, the former Rochdale manager, has transformed Cardiff since taking over last summer after relegation to the third tier for the first time in more than two decades. A squad of young players has won over the club’s support.
The Irishman told the BBC before Saturday’s win: “I’ve had the time of my life. A club of our size doing so well, backed by so many people is an incredible feeling and one that you treasure every single day.
“I think there would have been a lot of doubts about myself, the club [at the start of the season], I think it’s easy to forget. The perception of the club in pre-season was of a club that wasn’t very stable or wasn’t very settled or didn’t have a real clear identity. The players have transformed that, and the supporters have fuelled it with their energy.”
Bromley, who drew 0-0 against Cambridge on Thursday, went up as a result of Barnet winning 2-1 at Notts County.
