Football, bloody hell. We may never see the likes of it again after York struck an equaliser in the 103rd minute to secure a dramatic return to the Football League at Rochdale’s expense.

The hosts thought they had done it when Mani Dieseruvwe headed a 95th-minute goal that would have sent Dale into League Two. A pitch invasion ensued and after a lengthy delay play restarted. But there was still enough time for Josh Stones to bundle the ball over the line for York’s 114th, and most important, goal of the season to secure the point needed for unparalleled glory.

The Minstermen are back in the Football League after a decade away, but it all came down to injury time after 46 matches and 4,140 minutes of football. It was utter chaos as the final fixture included more pitch invasions than goals.

“The maddest ever. Crazy,” Stones said. “When they scored, that’s what they’ve done all season. For the final game to have ended 0-0, it would have been a travesty for the league.

“I’m so happy. We deserve it as a group, the staff, the fans. I love the club and that meant everything.

“I thought it was over, but the boys never say never. If I’m really honest, I hope they [Rochdale] go on and win the playoffs, they’ve been unbelievable. I missed a chance at 0-0 and I thought if that was it and we lost 1-0, I wouldn’t sleep for days. Now I’m not going to sleep for days, in a good way.”

Everyone was hoping for a climax in this final-day shootout, but no one could have anticipated this, especially after a match of little to no incident. Callum Howe’s header on to his own bar in the 92nd minute was the first sign of what was to come, with Rochdale failing to threaten the York goal prior before the final throes.

When the fans emptied to celebrate the Dieseruvwe header from an Ian Henderson cross in the dying embers of six original added minutes, the overwhelming joy resonated around Spotland. Everyone able to jump the hoardings did so, even one fan in a protective boot, but ecstasy was soon replaced with agony.

It took more than five minutes to clear the playing surface. Once they did, everyone in red lined up on the halfway line for the restart to show they would not go quietly and the noise quickly came. York pushed forward and the battling of Rochdale was not enough, with Stones given space to thrust towards the line and the defender was too deep, with the assistant’s referee’s flag the signal for wild celebrations from the 1,500 away fans, who replicated the Rochdale excitement and no one could blame them.

The setting had been serene, without a cloud in the sky as the hottest day of the year in these parts added to the pre-match carnival atmosphere. In modern football stadiums are sanitised and atmospheres devoid of noise or interest. There were no customers at Spotland, just 7,221 fans desperate to triumph.

The stands were packed well before kick-off as both sets of supporters tried to offer inspiration from the warmups. Stewards were taken through a dress rehearsal of what to do at full-time, with a pitch invasion anticipated, not that any training can stop the embracing of such emotions here today. This was certainly not a normal day in the National League and no other fifth tier in the world could not challenge this.

Discussing the events in regular time would be a disservice to everything that happened after. It was more a test of nerves than a football match and no one coped with it particularly well.

I. At the end, York’s manager, Stuart Maynard, embraced his partner and kissed like a soldier returning home. It was a day that everyone who attended will remember for ever, whether it is surviving relegation or winning the Champions League, for the conclusion to come in this manner will live on. York got to sing “We are going up” after the three other stands emptied via the exit doors, rather across the whitewash.

Rochdale are left to pick up the pieces, but with the upset that one automatic promotion slot is allocated because they deserve to join York. “I hope Rochdale go up,” Maynard said. “It’s criminal in this league that teams can get over 100 points and not go up.”

The Dale will face the prospects of going through the playoffs, which will be a huge test of character and quality after coming so close to promotion and being left with utter despair. It will be difficult to find a way back from this.