Preview: Notts County vs Chesterfield - prediction, team news, lineups

Notts County are set to host Chesterfield in the League Two playoff semi-final on Friday night knowing that if they avoid defeat they will progress to the final.

The visitors must overcome a 1-0 defeat from the first leg and the atmosphere from the crowd to keep their hopes of promotion to League One a reality.

Match preview

Notts County come into this fixture a goal to the good in the tie, and as they prepare to host Chesterfield, they must be viewed as favourites to progress to the final.

The Magpies will be aiming to win back-to-back games against Chesterfield as an EFL side for the first time since doing a league double over them in League One in 2011-12 after their 1-0 win in the first leg.

Fans will have the task upon them to create an atmosphere for their team to help them through the match, especially due to the home record of the club in recent weeks.

Notts County have won only two of their last six home League Two matches; one of those six games was a 3-2 defeat to Chesterfield in March.

Meanwhile, there will be a concern within the Magpies, knowing they have never won both legs of an EFL play-off semi-final tie, with this their seventh, and so they hope after their 1-0 victory in the previous match, as they last reached a final in 1995-96 under Colin Murphy in the third tier.

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Chesterfield came into the playoffs in fine form as they went unbeaten in their last eight regular-season fixtures and so will feel that despite that loss, they can secure the victory to progress to the final.

The Spireites have won away to Notts County in League Two in both of the last two seasons, winning 2-1 in March 2025 and 3-2 this year, so they will be confident they can make it three in a row.

Further confidence will be taken from the fact that Chesterfield were unbeaten in each of their final five away games in the League Two regular season.

The Spireites also went unbeaten on the road against each of the top seven teams in the final standings.

While Chesterfield have lost each of their last five matches in the EFL play-offs, the joint longest losing run in the history of the play-offs, with Lincoln City.

Chesterfield’s Paul Cook has never won a match in the EFL play-offs in seven attempts, the joint most games without winning in the history of the play-offs, along with Uwe Rosler. His six defeats are also the joint most, along with Billy Davies, Mick McCarthy and Steve Coppell.

Notts County League Two form:

Chesterfield League Two form:

Team News

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Notts County will continue to be without the services of Lewis Macari at the back, as he suffered an injury which ruled him out for the season.

The Magpies should be able to name the same team that won the first leg to help guide them to the final.

Chesterfield are likely to be without Armando Dobra for the return leg, as he suffered an injury last time out against Notts County, and while there are hopes he will be fit, this is unlikely.

There are no other fresh injury concerns for the team ahead of this match, but they will be hopeful Lee Bonis can add to his tally of 12 league goals this season to propel them into the playoff final.

Notts County possible starting lineup:

Belshaw; Ness, McDonald, Bedeau; Tsaroulla, Norburn, Robertson, Jones; Iorpenda, Luker; Jatta

Chesterfield possible starting lineup:

Boot; Curtis, Swinkels, McFadzean, Gordon; Braybrooke, Stirk; Markanday, Mandeville, Dickson; Bonis

We say: Notts County 1-1 Chesterfield

Notts County should have enough to get across the line in this fixture by playing out a draw, meaning they will have a chance to gain promotion to League One at Wembley. Chesterfield will make a game of it, as they have impressed away from home against the Magpies, and so it will be a fantastic event.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.