OLDHAM Athletic will lock horns with Hartlepool for the first time in over eight years, after the north east club secured a dramatic return to the Football League.

Pools, who lost their League status at the end of the 2026/17 season, faced Torquay United in the National League play-off final to challenge for a place back in English football’s 92.

And less than a week before the EFL fixtures are announced on Thursday, Hartlepool ensured it was them completing the League Two line-up after a penalty shoot-out victory over Keith Curle’s old club Torquay.

Luke Armstrong put Pools ahead in the first, and that looked like being enough to clinch it after Torquay's Kyle Cameron goals disallowed in either half.

However, Torquay goalkeeper Lucas Covolan headed in a dramatic 95th minute equaliser to force extra-time, and then penalties, at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate.

The drama did not end there, as all of the opening four penalties were missed. Covolan saved from Nicky Featherstone and Armstrong while Billy Waters and Danny Wright failed to convert for the Gulls.

The next four spot kicks for each side were then scored to take it to sudden death penalties, when before substitute Matt Buse's penalty was turned onto the crossbar by Brad James to hand victory to Hartlepool.

Pools will join National League champions Sutton United in League Two next season, and manager Dave Challinor said: “We had one hand on the trophy and the Football League and then it's snatched away from you but we go on to win it in the most emotional way possible.

"Thankfully now I've earned that opportunity and it's one I'm massively looking forward to. It feels absolutely amazing.

“The play-offs are a bit of a lottery and the penalty shoot-out is even more of a lottery so when our best two penalty takers miss and their best two penalty takers miss, you start questioning what's going on?

“It was two teams who were emotionally drained for penalties. It was a game that had everything and thankfully we’ve won.”

Challinor added: “I'm made up for the players. We now have a much better chance of keeping this team together.

“I’m made up for the supporters too, it was an amazing atmosphere even if there wasn’t an awful lot of social distancing going on.”

Latics last went head to head with Hartlepool in the 2012/13 League One season, at the end of which Pools were relegated to the bottom tier.

Oldham had a mid-season change of manager but won both meetings that term, the first under Paul Dickov - when Jose Baxter completed his double with a last minute winner.

Baxter was on target again in a 3-0 win in the reverse fixture at Boundary Park the day after Lee Johnson was unveiled as Dickov's replacement in March 2013.

The teams have met 68 times in all competitions, with Latics coming out on top in almost 50 per cent of them, winning 33.