Notts County take a 1-0 advantage back to Meadow Lane after a narrow win over Chesterfield
Jayden Luker scored the only goal with a close-range finish after Lee Bonis had missed an early penalty for the hosts
Salford City also hold a one-goal lead over Grimsby Town having won 2-1 at Blundell Park
Adebola Oluwo's controversial header decided the first leg for Karl Robinson's side
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Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Lee Turnbull
Former Chesterfield midfielder on BBC Radio Sheffield
You need to take advantage of the pressure and really push for it while you're on top.
It's corner kick after corner kick at the moment - the Spireites are having a good spell here.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
County manage to clear the corner when it eventually comes in. This is just coming to the boil nicely now though.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
A bit of pushing and shoving in the box before this Chesterfield corner and the ref is just having a word with them all.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Tom Pearce is on in place of Lewis Gordon for Chesterfield.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Probably the closest Chesterfield have come since the penalty miss early in the first half.
The corner drops to Janoi Donacien on the edge of the box and he comes racing onto it but fizzes an effort just wide of the post via a slight deflection.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Better from Chesterfield as they win a corner on the left. But not so good from the delivery as Alassana Jatta heads it away.
But the hosts get it back in for Kyle McFadzean and his header is deflected behind.
The decibel levels are just going up a notch or two.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Lee Turnbull
Former Chesterfield midfielder on BBC Radio Sheffield
Notts County are really well organised, well drilled, they look fit and look at it.
Chesterfield were wide open there, Stirk giving the ball away in the middle of the park, loose play from the Spireites.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Chesterfield striker Lee Bonis wanted a penalty from that ambitious bicycle kick, claiming that Nick Tsaroulla was holding onto his shirt. Would have been a bit harsh.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Now there's a touch in the County area for Chesterfield as Lee Bonis goes for the spectacular from close range after a decent cross by Janoi Donacien but he doesn't make the right contact and the moment passes.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
It's Chesterfield who need a goal here but it's County who are looking slightly more likely.
The visitors have had six touches in the opposition box in this second half, compared to zero for the Spireites.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Notts County go short from the corner and work it all the way over to the left flank. The cross eventually comes in for Jacob Bedeau but it's just too high and he can't connect properly with the header.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Chesterfield are caught in possession as Notts County press high and now the visitors win themselves a corner on the right.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Alassana Jatta finds himself in acres of space for County from a long ball forward.
But it's as if he almost has too much time to think about what to do and hesitates.
Jatta eventually plays a one-two and gets a shot away from inside the box but it's fairly easy for Sil Swinkels to make the block.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
County's Jayden Luker is chasing back as Dilan Markanday tries to drive the hosts up the pitch.
Luker barges into Markanday and referee Will Finnie gives a foul and then maybe a slightly harsh yellow.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Case in point as Janoi Donacien attempts a cross from the right flank for Chesterfield and it sails harmlessly out for a goal-kick.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Mark Stallard
Ex-Notts County striker on BBC Radio Nottingham
It's important for Notts to get control of the ball and not allow Chesterfield to get any kind of momentum.
You don't want to lift the atmosphere and bring the fans into it.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Chesterfield have edged it in terms of possession and look very comfortable knocking it about in the middle of the park but you sense that they just need a bit more cutting edge in the final third.
They'll head down to Nottingham with a deficit if they can't conjure up something in this second period.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Chesterfield look to get on the front foot at the start of this second half as Lewis Gordon floats in a teasing cross from the left touchline but County are able to deal with it.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Chesterfield have made a change at the break - their second sub of the game after Armando Dobra was forced off with an injury and replaced by Will Dickson.
Sam Curtis, who was on a yellow, has made way for Janoi Donacien.
Chesterfield 0-1 Notts County
Away we go again in this League Two play-off semi-final.
Will we see it open up a bit more? Or will both sides want to keep it tight with a second leg still to come?
We are about to find out...
Adebola Oluwo's deflected header means Salford will take a one-goal lead into Friday's second leg
A controversial Adebola Oluwo goal gave Salford City a narrow win at Grimsby Town in the first leg of their League Two play-off semi-final.
Oluwo's header deflected off Mariners defender Cameron McJannet and beat Jackson Smith. However, the goalkeeper appeared to be unsighted by Haji Mnoga, who was in an offside position, and home players and coaching staff were incensed that the goal was not ruled out.
The hosts had got off to the dream start when Reece Staunton scored with a wonderful long-range volley after just 26 seconds, only for the Ammies to level inside four minutes through Kallum Cesay's composed finish.
Salford took the lead before the break through Oluwo and, despite having the majority of the ball in the second half, Grimsby could not get back on level terms.
The two teams meet in the second leg on Friday (19:15 BST).
Grimsby Town's Reece Staunton opened the scoring with a spectacular volley
Salford had finished three places and three points above the home side in the table.
However, the Mariners ended the season in great form and took the lead with their first foray forward when a cross from the right was headed clear as far as full-back Staunton, who sent a superb cushioned volley into the top corner from 25 yards out.
Karl Robinson's men, who would have gone up automatically had they won at struggling Crawley on the final day, quickly recovered their composure and were level when the home side made a mess of dealing with a throw-in and Cesay, in for a first start since 31 January, kept his cool to slot in.
Neither side could force the goalkeepers into meaningful work for the rest of the half until Oluwo's header from Luke Garbutt's corner beat Smith.
Grimsby boss Dave Artell led the complaints about the goal being allowed to stand but referee Matthew Corlett was unmoved.
That seemed to take a lot of the energy out of the home side and they barely threatened in the second half, with midfielder Kieran Green's tame free-kick straight at Matt Young in the Salford goal being their best effort.
The Mariners won both league games between these two sides in the regular season and will still believe they can turn the deficit around on Friday.
Artell: 'We didn't do enough'
Grimsby Town boss Dave Artell told BBC Radio Humberside:
"It was a tight game, I thought it was fairly attritional. I'm not sure there was too much football played from either team, if I'm being honest.
[On reaction to second goal] "As soon as it went in I said, 'That's offside.' That's it, that's my view.
"I'm going to see the referee in a minute because the explanation we had at half-time of 'it was one for VAR' doesn't sit quite comfortable with me because we've not had VAR all season.
"They (Salford) wanted to stop us playing and I thought they were fairly successful at that.
"We've took more points since Christmas than any other team and we've already been there and won 2-0... all those things that are relevant but sort of inconsequential as well because it's going to be what happens on Friday night."
Salford City boss Karl Robinson said:
"I almost clapped their goal because it was a brilliant finish.
"But every single one of my players stood up to the challenge from that point on.
"I'm not under any illusions as to how hard it is going to be on Friday, and if we were a goal behind, we'd be standing here saying we're still in the tie.
"We are still up against it and you can twist a two-legged tie however you want to in terms of who has the advantage… and the one we have is only a small one.
"As a collective, that was one of our best away performances of the season, which shows how good the opposition are because it was incredibly tight."
Manager: David Artell
Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Manager: Karl Robinson
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: David Artell
Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Manager: Karl Robinson
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
League Two
All competitions
All competitions
Grimsby Town won both of their League Two games against Salford this season and were one of three sides to complete a league double over them, along with Chesterfield and Crewe Alexandra.
Salford City have lost five of their last six matches against Grimsby – all in League Two – with their only win in this sequence coming at Blundell Park in the 2024-25 campaign, a 1-0 victory.
This will be the first time since the 2005-06 season that Grimsby Town have featured in the EFL play-offs, the longest wait of any side to be taken part in this season’s play-offs across the Championship, League One and League Two.
Salford City are taking part in just their second ever EFL play-off campaign – they were eliminated on penalties by Stockport County in 2022-23 after a 2-2 draw on aggregate. They won the first leg 1-0 before losing the second leg 2-1.
Grimsby have lost just one of their prior six EFL play-off matches (W4 D1), a 1-0 defeat to Cheltenham Town in the 2005-06 League Two play-off final.
Only MK Dons (86) scored more League Two goals during the regular season than Grimsby (74), while the Mariners topped the charts for shots on target (219, level with Barnet) and xG (75.6) and were second for overall shots (637) and touches in the opposition box (1,308).
The only player to register double figures for both goals and assists in League Two this season was Grimsby’s Charles Vernam (10 goals, 10 assists). He had 85 shots and created 70 chances (155 in total), with only Mitch Pinnock having more combined (208 - 71 shots, 137 chances created).
Salford’s Jorge Grant ranked first among his teammates for chances created (58), tackles (74), interceptions (42) and possession won (187) in League Two this season.
