How Neil Warnock will win the EFL play-offs

Warnock says his most memorable play-off wins came with Plymouth Argyle in 1996 as they won promotion from what is now League Two.

“I enjoyed Plymouth because it was the first time the Green Army came to Wembley and they were always really supportive – I remember people queuing for tickets and talking around town,” he says.

But that win didn’t come easy for the Pilgrims, who finished the season with one point and one place from automatic promotion.

They lost the first leg of the semi-final 1-0 to Colchester United, before winning 3-1 in a memorable return game at Home Park in which he was sent off from the dugout – and in the stands with Argyle supporters after chatting to the referee.

“I remember Adrian Littlejohn going through the goal and they pulled him down, and the lad (Mark Kinsella) should have gone off. He didn’t, and then the same lad went and scored another goal and you feel tough,” Warnock said.

“The referee came and sent me off and then apologized at the end of the game because he got it wrong – all those little things you remember.

“There’s a lot of emotion. Paul Williams scored late in the second leg at Plymouth – I’d never seen him in the box until then.”

Argyle beat Darlington 1-0 in the final thanks to a second-half goal from Ronnie Mouse – something Warnock is still proud of.

“The pleasing thing about Plymouth was that it was a set-piece that we worked on in training,” he recalled.

“A late run into the box by Mark Patterson and someone else allowed Ronnie Mouse to break free and score a superb header.

“When you score with a set-piece, from a manager’s point of view, it’s really pleasing.”