Notts County v Salford: League Two playoff final - live
Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureHalf-time reading.ShareHalf-time: Notts County 2-0 SalfordThe Magpies have been the much better team and punished Salford’s mistakes to put them 45 minutes away from League One.ShareUpdated at 11.01 EDT45+2 mins: We are half way through four minutes added on.Salford need to get through to the break and then come up with a plan to change things. Woodburn, Harris and Borini could be interesting options.ShareGOAL! Jones pings the free-kick to the back post where McDonald is waiting to lift it into the danger area where Ness is primed to head into the top corner.ShareGOAL! Notts County 2-0 Swindon (Ness, 45)A well-worked free-kick is headed home by Ness.ShareUpdated at 10.52 EDT44 mins: Mnoga takes down Jones in crude fashion. The Salford man is cautioned while the Notts County midfielder writhes in pain. It is a poor challenge but VAR do not need to intervene.Share42 mins: Longelo is needlessly fouled by Ness on the left flank. Not a smart bit of defending. Garbutt comes over to take it but it goes over everyone. It looks a decent cross but no one in red knew what to do.Share40 mins: Robinson has his finger to his lips as he ponders how to change things. He also looks like he has put plenty of sun cream on.Share38 mins: Norburn is too relaxed on the edge of his own box and is almost dispossessed.Share36 mins: Jatta puts in a cracking challenge to win the ball back from Mnoga. A man of many talents.Share34 mins: Mnoga has taken it upon himself to wake Salford up, charging out of defence and straight into Robertson to win a free-kick. They quickly lose the ball and Notts County can now be more patient.ShareGOAL! A superb pass from Jones catches out the centre-backs, allowing Jatta to latch onto the ball and slot a shot into the corner.ShareGOAL! Notts County 1-0 Salford (Jatta, 32)I told you he was a great finisher.ShareUpdated at 10.39 EDT31 mins: Garbutt has an excellent left foot and his latest cross is turned behind for a corner. The full-back goes over to take it but Belshaw has it under control.Share30 mins: Nothing has happened since the restart. Give them more electrolytes.Share28 mins: After some cold fluids and towelling down, we start again.There are plenty of fans sat under the sun, with t-shirts not part of the dress code. The thermometer shows 36.6C pitchside.Share25 mins: HYDRATION BREAK!Share24 mins: Garbutt swings in the first corner of the match and Notts eventually scramble it away after some head tennis.Garbutt sends an a superb delivery from the left but Udoh is outjumped. Salford are coming into the game now.Share22 mins: Notts County have had around three quarters of possession here. Maybe Salford are trying a rope-a-dope trick on them.Tsaroulla goes into the book for pushing Longelo down.Butcher receives the ball around 20 yards out and has a dig, which is deflected wide for a corner.Share20 mins: Jatta latches onto a long ball over the top from Luker but Salford crowd him out on the edge of the box. The striker has no support and the Ammies are able to recover possession.Share18 mins: Salford play for territory with a throw-in down the line, earning another that can be launched into the box but opts to send it short. It does not result in a chance as Notts County hold firm.Share16 mins: Speaking of … Jones lifts a cross into the box for Jatta but the it lacks pace and Jatta gets underneath it, forcing him to head well over.Share14 mins: Notts County will want to get more of the ball to Jatta. He can run in behind and through defences but has not been involved too much so far.Share12 mins: Jones v Mnoga looks like a battle I want to see. Both players look up for it.Share10 mins: McDonald has an absolutely nightmare at the back. He receives a short pass from Belshaw and fails to get rid on three occasions, thanks to an impressive Salford press.Share8 mins: Jones is looking lively down the left for Notts County and could be a key man today. A perfect first touch bamboozles Mnoga and the cross is a dangerous one but Salford just about cope.Share6 mins: Mnoga is robust in a couple of challenges and drags Salford up the pitch, ultimately winning a free kick. Young pumps it to the edge of the box but Notts County are able to deal with it.Share4 mins: Salford have a free kick on the left, which is delivered by Garbutt but easily cleared.Notts County get in a decent pitch thanks to a good run by Jones, who slips a pass to Iorpenda but his low cross is well defended.Share2 mins: Salford go long early doors, which may be an early indication of their plans to conserve energy.Jatta has an early burst forward but he is tackled before he can cause any damage.James Belshaw, mercifully, is at the shady end. There is a decent amount of shade on one side of the pitch – I would focus on playing in that area.ShareKick offPeep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!ShareNotts County have four times the amount of fans that Salford do. The Ammies fanbase is pretty small, to be fair.ShareWe will be having hydration breaks because it is so ruddy hot.The players are in the tunnel …ShareI did see Notts County beat Harrogate a couple of months back. It was all very easy, so I can’t tell you much except Jatta is a cut above this level as a finisher.Oh, I’ve interviewed him too.ShareGary Neville confirms that co-owner David Beckham is in attendance today. He is rightly concerned by the conditions.ShareMore tedious links to this game, you say?ShareGary Neville and Nicky Butt are at Wembley. Not sure if David Beckham will be in attendance, but who knows?ShareIt is boiling at Wembley. Not too far away at Heathrow they have recorded a temperature of 33.5C, making it the hottest May day in history. I would not fancy going through 90 minutes (or more) in this.ShareSalford missed out on automatic promotion on the final day by a single point, forcing Karl Robinson to go through the playoffs.“To play 58 games in a year is unbelievable,” Robinson said. “We have done so much, and been through so many moments. It is something that we are really proud of.“I just hope now that we make ourselves really competitive for one last time and, hopefully, get another win under our belts. If we do that, then I will be happy.”ShareI have a tenuous collection articles to fit all events. I went to speak to Salford’s Fabio Borini back in October.From Liverpool to Salford, it’s been a fun journey.ShareSky are having bit of chat with James Belshaw, who is a Notts County fan and the club’s goalkeeper having joined in January. It is his daughter Isla’s third birthday today. She will be at Wembley, I am sure.Do not worry, I interviewed him a while back, so you can learn more about him.ShareStarting lineupsNotts County (3-4-2-1): Belshaw; Ness, McDonald, Bedeau; Tsaroulla, Norburn, Robertson, Jones; Iorpenda, Luker; JattaSubs: Griffiths, Palmer, Kouhyar, Bennetts, Grant, Ndlovu, DennisSalford (3-4-3): Young; Oluwo, Cooper, Garbutt; Mnoga, Butcher, Austerfield, Longelo; Cesay, Graydon, UdohSubs: Howard, Turton, Woodburn, Stockton, Harris, Borini, DorringtonSharePreambleIt does not get bigger than this, especially if you’re from Salford or certain parts of Nottingham. A place in League One is at stake, something Gary Neville has been chasing for many years but repeatedly fallen short. Karl Robinson has carefully built a robust side in recent times to five the club the best chance of reaching the third tier for the first time in their history.Notts County have a far bigger fanbase and the greater history, so feel it is their right to go up. They possess plenty of quality in the form of striker Alassana Jatta, who should be playing in the Championship, and could be the man to fire them to success at Wembley.Let’s hope for a cracker!Kick-off: 3pm BSTShare
