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• Chesterfield beat Notts County both home and away in the 2025-26 League Two season – the only other side to do a league double over County were Salford City.
• This is the first EFL play-off meeting between Chesterfield and Notts County, but they’ve met in two in the National League – in the 2020-21 quarter-final County won 3-2, while in the 2022-23 final they drew 2-2 before County won 4-3 on penalties to reach the EFL.
• This is Chesterfield’s fifth EFL play-off campaign, winning promotion once in 1994-95 from the fourth tier. Last season, they were knocked out 4-1 on aggregate by Walsall in the League Two semi-finals.
• Notts County were knocked out in last season’s League Two play-off semi-final by eventual winners AFC Wimbledon – the Magpies have lost four of their last five games in the EFL play-offs (D1) since winning 1-0 against Crewe Alexandra back in May 1996.
• This will be Paul Cook’s fourth EFL play-off campaign – across six matches with Chesterfield (L4) and Portsmouth (D1 L1), he is yet to win. Only Uwe Rosler (7) has ever managed more games without winning in the history of the play-offs.

Chesterfield

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Chesterfield assistant manager Danny Webb has been speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield before the play-off semi-final.

When asked if winning their past three games against Notts County would count for anything, he said: "Technically, no. But you'd always rather go into a game with good form against that opposition than really poor form, of course.

"I think one thing that is guaranteed is a good game of football. In my time here, I can't remember a game against Notts County where it's been really one side dominated or really poor quality of football.

"It's always been good. Obviously, I'm sure Martin [Paterson] and his staff would rather [have] a rubbish game and they win, and we'd rather a rubbish game and us win.

"But I'm pretty safe to say it'll be an entertaining game of football."

Chesterfield

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What a run Chesterfield put together in the League Two run-in to give themselves a shot at a second promotion in three seasons.

If you believe in momentum being a big factor coming into the play-offs, then the Spireites might be the team to watch out for.

Paul Cook's side were unbeaten in their last eight games of the regular season, winning six, including a 2-1 victory at direct play-off rivals Swindon Town on the final day to secure a top-seven finish.

Chesterfield were beaten semi-finalists in the League Two play-offs last season, which was their first campaign back in the EFL for six years.

They are back for another shot at the play-offs and looking to return to League One for the first time since 2017.

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This is all getting a bit too familiar, isn't it?

Chesterfield and Notts County are facing each other in a play-off encounter for the third time in six years.

It was the Magpies who came out on top on the previous two occasions, beating the Spireites on penalties in the National League play-off final in 2023 and winning a fifth-tier quarter-final 3-2 in 2021.

Will it be third time lucky for Chesterfield? They will certainly hope so.

Right. That is one League Two play-off semi-final first leg done and dusted.

We've got another on the way in just over 25 minutes, so let's switch our attentions to Chesterfield v Notts County.

Grimsby Town

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Grimsby boss David Artell speaking to Sky Sports:

"I'm not going to talk about the referee. I'll let others decide, I'm not going to talk about the referee at all.

"We've all seen the second goal. If I tell you exactly what I think, I'll be at Wembley tomorrow morning, it's as simple as that."

On their goal after 26 seconds: "It was a great finish, it was probably the one moment of real quality in the whole game.

"It was a tight game, two similar teams and I imagine the xG for both teams isn't particularly high.

"It was attritional and we've come out on the wrong side by the odd goal but it's half time.

"It's all to play for."

Salford City

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Salford City boss Karl Robinson speaking to Sky Sports:

"When you think what happened and then to go behind - honestly I nearly clapped the goal by the way, what an unbelievable strike that was.

"I was just thinking what's going on? The way my players responded, I thought they were very calm.

"There was a tremendous noise in the stadium today, it was electric.

"And for us to find peace of mind and calmness to our performance and to take the goal and get another one very quickly.

"It was a tremendous game, very frantic. A real honest performance by the two sets of teams."

Salford City

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Salford's Kallum Cesay, who scored the equaliser on his first start since January, speaking to Sky Sports:

"I found it good, I'm happy to be back. I just wanted to help the team as much as possible and that's what I did.

"It's only half-time so we go again on Friday."

On his dad who passed away recently: "100% [that was for him]. I just tried to perform to the best I could and I did it for him really."

On missing out on automatic promotion: "We can't really think about that now. We're in the play-offs, we need to do the job here."

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Some incredible drama unfolding in the National League play-off final at Wembley Stadium right now.

Boreham Wood led 2-0 but Rochdale, who amassed 106 points but missed out on automatic promotion by two points to York City in that dramatic final game of the season, have pegged them back.

Rochdale scored in the 97th minute to force extra-time. That one is still ongoing and you can follow our live coverage here.

The winner, of course, will be in League Two next season.

Salford City

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Salford striker Dan Udoh speaking to Sky Sports:

"It was a tough game. Obviously going down, I looked up at the board and it was 58 seconds gone.

"I thought we were going to be up against it. But we showed our resilience as a group of boys.

"We stuck in together and kept our gameplan and Cesay pops up with an important goal for us to get us back in it."

On being ahead in the tie: "That doesn't matter, it's 0-0, fresh start in the game. Well that's our mentality. Our mentality is going to be 0-0.

"They're going to be up for it but we've made our place really tough to beat us recently so we're going to need that. We're going to need our fans and be on it because they're a good team."

Matt Dean
BBC Radio Humberside

A frustrating afternoon all round for the Mariners today who started so brightly.

The atmosphere was crackling at the beginning but it's flat at the end.

Town have work to do if they're going to make it to Wembley.

Lee Hendrie
Former Aston Villa midfielder on Sky Sports

I do [think it was a fair result]. Credit to Salford, going down really early on in the game, they showed a lot of character.

The disappointment at the end of the season can always play a big part in these play-offs but credit to them, to go 1-0 down, show that character, be compact and defensively really good in the second half.

Taking the advantage back home is going to be massive for Karl Robinson and Salford.

Gary Croft
Former Grimsby defender on BBC Radio Humberside

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It's disappointing after such a good start - credit to Salford.

It was such poor defending for their first goal, there was controversy for the second which I thought was blatantly offside.

You're expecting Grimsby to come out with a bit of passion in the second half, and I think we started the half well but the Salford subs gave them a bit more energy.

It's only half-time and Town are still well in the tie, we can go to Salford and get a result.

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Advantage Salford City at the halfway stage of this League Two play-off semi-final.

A game that was front-loaded with all the action in the first half as the Ammies come from behind to claim victory, having trailed to Reece Staunton's stunning volley after just 26 seconds.

Kallum Cesay's slotted finish drew Salford level in the fourth minute before Adebola Oluwo headed home from a corner to complete the turnaround.

It was not without controversy though, with the Mariners feeling Haji Mnoga was in an offside position and blocking goalkeeper Jackson Smith's line of sight for Salford's winner.

A late chance for Darragh Burns to spin and get a shot away in the area for Grimsby but it's well blocked.

And now Fabio Borini goes down with a head injury.

Into the final 90 seconds. Not much to shout about.

Salford have a late corner of their own now. It's looped in but Grimsby can clear.

Gary Croft
Former Grimsby defender on BBC Radio Humberside

It's a nice chance for Town.

Green just side foots it to the keeper, Burns teed it up for him quite nicely. The connection has got to be better.

Kieran Green finds a yard of space for Grimsby as he races in behind on the left but his shot is tame and straight at Salford keeper Matt Young.

Plenty of time for some late drama here. We will have seven minutes of stoppage time.