Preview: Notts County vs Salford City - prediction, team news, lineups

Notts County and Salford City make their way down to Wembley on Bank Holiday Monday as they meet in the League Two play-off final.

The Magpies reached the League Two showdown after edging past Chesterfield 1-0 on aggregate across two semi-final legs, while the Ammies progressed in more dramatic fashion, winning 4-3 on aggregate against Grimsby Town with extra time required in their tie.

Match preview

Heading into the final day of the regular League Two season, Martin Paterson’s Notts County had the chance to secure automatic promotion and avoid the playoff route, but a draw against Bristol Rovers ultimately condemned them to a fifth-place finish and a semi-final meeting with Chesterfield.

Over 180 minutes, Jayden Luker’s goal proved decisive as the Magpies edged through to Wembley, where they will aim to secure promotion at the national stadium for the second time in four years.

Notts County’s recent history has been defined by turbulence off the pitch, with financial instability under previous ownership leading to their drop out of the English Football League in 2019 and raising fears over the club’s long-term future.

However, a strong revival under new ownership has seen them climb back into League Two and now stand just 90 minutes away from a return to League One for the first time since 2015.

Form going into the final may be a slight concern for Paterson’s side, who have won just two of their last eight matches and suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to promoted Cambridge United during that run, as well as losing to their upcoming opponents in the same spell.

As for Salford, they have risen through the ranks quickly after being taken over by the 'Class of 92' over 12 years ago and enjoyed a run of four promotions in five seasons following the takeover.

The string of promotions ended in 2019 when the Ammies were promoted from the National League to League Two, where they have remained ever since.

After missing out on the automatic promotion places on the final day of the season, the Ammies reached the playoffs for only the second time in their EFL history.

Karl Robinson, who has been manager of the Greater Manchester side for almost two-and-a-half years, has claimed this particular trip to Wembley is the "biggest occasion in the club's history."

They travel south after overcoming Grimsby in a dramatic two-legged affair which saw Robinson’s side take a 2-1 advantage away from Blundell Park before suffering a 2-1 defeat in the return leg.

That result forced extra time, where the Ammies eventually secured their place in the final thanks to a 117th-minute winner from Kallum Cesay.

The decisive strike marked an emotional moment for the defender, who scored twice across the tie following the recent loss of his father.

During the regular season, the two finalists met twice, with Salford winning 2-1 at both Meadow Lane and the Peninsula Stadium.

Notts County League Two form:

L L W D W D

Salford City League Two form:

D W W D W D

Team News

Notts County will head to Wembley knowing they avoided the extra 30 minutes their opponents were forced to endure and also have the advantage of being able to name an unchanged XI.

There are no major concerns over the fitness of Jodi Jones after he was withdrawn early against Chesterfield through injury, with the issue not believed to be serious and the midfielder expected to start on Monday afternoon.

Jones is likely to feature in a midfield four behind an attacking trio of Tom Iorpenda, Alassana Jatta and Luker.

Jatta is set to make his 32nd appearance of the season as he looks to add to his 15-goal tally, while the Magpies remain without Lewis Macari in defence.

As for Salford, they also report no fresh injury concerns despite their extra-time effort in the semi-final.

The long break between matches should allow full recovery, and Robinson is able to stick with the same side that drew with Grimsby.

However, Salford will be without the services of Jorge Grant, Ossama Ashley and Zach Awe.

Kadeem Harris has returned to the bench following injury and will be hoping to make an impact if called upon.

Both Fabio Borini and Ben Woodburn featured in extra time and could push for a start, although it is unlikely the Ammies boss will make significant changes for the final.

Notts County possible starting lineup:

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

Salford City possible starting lineup:

Young: Mnoga, Oluwo, Cooper, Garbutt; Graydon, Butcher, Austerfield, N'Mai; Cesay, Udoh

We say: Notts County 1-2 Salford City

Form often goes out of the window in finals like this, but Notts County have won just two of their last eight matches and were beaten by Salford during that run, which could give the Ammies a slight psychological edge heading into the huge final.

With that in mind, we expect Robinson’s side to edge a tight contest and secure promotion to the third tier, with extra time potentially on the cards once again.

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

Vote in the 2025-26 Sports Mole Readers' Awards!

Cast your votes for the 2025-26 Sports Mole Reader Awards' below - pick your Premier League player of the season, worst signing of the season, European player of the season and more.

Voting will be open until 11pm on Sunday, May 24, and the winners will be announced on Monday, May 25!