The 2009–10 Football League Trophy, known as the 2009–10 Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is the 29th Football League Trophy, a knockout competition for English football clubs in Leagues One and Two, the third and fourth tiers of English football.
The format is similar to that which has been used since 1996, with four first round regions; North-West, North-East, South-West and South-East; which were used for the first time in the second region, before a two-region format from the area quarter-finals (3rd round); North and South. The resulting regional winners then meet in the final.
Luton Town were the defending champions, but were unable to defend the trophy due to their relegation to the Conference.
The competition was won by Southampton who defeated Carlisle United 4–1 in the final.
First round
Sixteen teams were granted byes to the Second Round, which were drawn on 3 August, while the remaining teams were drawn for the First Round ties on Soccer AM on 15 August 2009. As part of new rules enforced this season, teams who received byes the previous season were not allowed to receive byes this season. The First Round matches were played in the week commencing 31 August 2009.
Northern Section
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceNorth-West 1 Oldham Athletic 1–2 Accrington Stanley 1,619 2 Crewe Alexandra 1–4 Stockport County 2,331 3 Walsall 0–0 Bury 2,314Bury won 5 – 4 on penalties 4 Morecambe 2–2 Carlisle United 2,016Carlisle United won 4 – 2 on penaltiesNorth-East 5 Darlington 1 – 0 Lincoln City 828 6 Rochdale 1–2 Bradford City 1,800 7 Rotherham United 1–2 Huddersfield Town 2,246 8 Burton Albion 1–5 Chesterfield 1,493
Southern Section
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceSouth-West 1 Wycombe Wanderers 2–2 Northampton Town 1,035Northampton Town won 3 – 0 on penalties 2 Cheltenham Town 1–3 Torquay United 1,397 3 Hereford United 0–0 Bristol Rovers 970Hereford United won 4 – 2 on penalties 4 A.F.C. Bournemouth 2–1 Yeovil Town 2,655South-East 5 Barnet 2–0 Millwall 1,623 6 Norwich City 1–0 Brentford 12,540 7 Milton Keynes Dons 3–1 Dagenham & Redbridge 4,413 8 Gillingham 1–1 Colchester United 1,725Gillingham won 4 – 3 on penalties
First round byes
Northern section
Grimsby Town, Hartlepool United, Leeds United, Macclesfield Town, Notts County, Port Vale, Shrewsbury Town, Tranmere Rovers.
Southern section
Aldershot Town, Brighton & Hove Albion, Charlton Athletic, Exeter City, Leyton Orient, Southampton, Southend United, Swindon Town.
Second round
The Second Round draw took place on 5 September 2009, with matches to be played in the week commencing 5 October 2009.
Northern Section
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceNorth-West 1 Accrington Stanley 2–0 Shrewsbury Town 819 2 Bury 2–1 Tranmere Rovers 1,903 3 Carlisle United 4–2 Macclesfield Town 1,753 4 Port Vale 3–1 Stockport County 3,154North-East 5 Bradford City 2–2 Notts County 3,701 Bradford City won 3 – 2 on penalties 6 Leeds United 2–1 Darlington 8,429 7 Chesterfield 3–3 Huddersfield Town 3,003 Chesterfield won 4 – 2 on penalties 8 Hartlepool United 0–2 Grimsby Town 1,675
Southern Section
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceSouth-West 1 Exeter City 1–1 Swindon Town 2,006 Swindon Town won 4 – 3 on penalties 2 Northampton Town 2–1 Bournemouth 1,718 3 Southampton 2–2 Torquay United 9,319Southampton won 5 – 3 on penalties 4 Hereford United 2–2 Aldershot Town 897 Hereford United won 4 – 3 on penaltiesSouth-East 5 Milton Keynes Dons 2–0 Southend United 4,792 6 Leyton Orient 1–0 Brighton & Hove Albion 1,457 7 Charlton Athletic 4–1 Barnet 4,522 8 Gillingham 0–1 Norwich City 2,814
Area-quarter-finals
The draw for the area quarter-finals took place on 10 October 2009. The matches were played in the week commencing 9 November 2009.
Northern Section
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance 1 Leeds United 3–1 Grimsby Town 10,430 2 Accrington Stanley 3–2 Bury 1,637 3 Bradford City 2–2 Port Vale 5,096 Bradford City won 5 – 4 on penalties 4 Chesterfield 1–3 Carlisle United 2,878
Southern Section
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance 1 Milton Keynes Dons 3–1 Northampton Town 8,886 2 Leyton Orient 1–1 Hereford United 1,282 Hereford United won 3 – 2 on penalties 3 Swindon Town 0–0 Norwich City 4,978 Norwich City won 5 – 3 on penalties 4 Southampton 2–1 Charlton Athletic 13,906
Area semi-finals
The draw for the area semi-finals took place on 14 November 2009. The matches were played in the week commencing 14 December 2009.
Northern Section
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance 1 Carlisle United 3–0 Bradford City 3,176 2 Leeds United 2–0 Accrington Stanley 12,696
Southern Section
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance 1 Southampton2–2 Norwich City 15,453 Southampton won 6 – 5 on penalties 2 Hereford United 1–4 Milton Keynes Dons 1,367
Area finals The area finals, which serve as the semi-finals for the entire competition, were contested over two legs, home and away.
Northern Section
Carlisle United 4–4 Leeds United on aggregate. Carlisle United won 6–5 on penalties.
Southern Section
Southampton won 4–1 on aggregate
Final
Top scorers Football League Trophy PosPlayerTeamGoals1Papa Waigo N'DiayeSouthampton52Drew TalbotChesterfield43Carl BakerStockport3Sam BaldockMK DonsScott DobieCarlisleJermaine EasterMK DonsSteve GuinanNorthamptonGraham KavanaghCarlisleRickie LambertSouthamptonMatty RobsonCarlisle
References
External links Tournament home page