A busy day in Leagues One and Two, with promotion, playoffs and relegations confirmed on the final day of the 2025/26 season.
Coming into the afternoon, we knew that in League One, three play-off places were up for grabs, with Stockport, Bradford, Stevenage, Luton and Plymouth all in contention. Meanwhile Leyton Orient and Exeter were in danger of finishing in final relegation place.
In League Two, MK Dons and Bromley both battle it out for the title. Cambridge, Salford and Notts County all have eyes on the final automatic promotion place. Swindon and Chesterfield face off with each other for final play-off spot. Two of Barrow, Harrogate, Crawley, Newport and Tranmere will be going down.
So how did it play out?
With help from BBC Sport
GOAL: Leyton Orient 1-0 Burton
Will Forrester (2 mins)
Exeter need to beat Bradford and hope Burton can help them out if Grecians are to stay in League One.
GOAL: Harrogate 0-1 Barnet
Callum Stead (5 mins)
Harrogate going down as it stands…
GOAL: Barrow 1-0 Newport
Charlie McCann (8 mins)
LUTON HIT THE WOODWORK
Emilio Lawrence is at the far post (10 mins)
GOAL: Northampton 1-0 Plymouth
Elliott List (13 mins)
Plymouth struggling in their battle for a League One play-off place
GOAL Bolton 0-1 Luton
Jordan Clark (15 mins)
Luton climb into 6th place in League One
GOAL Bolton 1-1 Luton
Jordi Osei-Tutu (21 mins)
Stevenage go into 6th place in League One
GOAL: Northampton 2-0 Plymouth
Michael Jacobs (18 mins)
Plymouth needed a win to keep League One play-off hopes alive
GOAL: Swindon 0-1 Chesterfield
Lee Bonis (19 mins)
Spireites climb into the League Two play-off places
GOAL Barnsley 0-1 Stockport
Adama Sidibeh (23 mins)
Stockport go 3rd in League One with Bolton drawing to Luton
GOAL: Notts County 1-0 Bristol Rovers
Nick Tsaroulla (27 mins)
Notts County on course for promotion to League One?
GOAL Exeter 0-1 Bradford City
Kayden Jackson (27 mins)
Bradford into the League One play-offs, Grecians going down to League Two
GOAL: Harrogate 1-1 Barnet
Bryn Morris (pen 29 mins)
Harrogate safe as it stands in League Two, Newport in drop zone
HITS THE CROSSBAR: Crawley 0-0 Salford
Salford’s Matt Butcher at Crawley (32 mins)
GOAL: Northampton 2-1 Plymouth
Lorent Tolaj (28 mins)
PENALTY SAVED
Crewe 0-0 Cambridge
Crewe’s Ben Knight saved Ian Lawlor’s spot kick (38 mins)
GOAL: Northampton 2-2 Plymouth
Malachi Boateng (40 mins)
Plymouth need to win to have any hope of play-offs
GOAL: Tranmere 0-1 Grimsby
Justin Amaluzor (43 mins)
Tranmere out of the League Two drop zone on goal difference.
HITS THE WOODWORK
Bolton 1-1 Luton
Luton’s Kasey Palmer with a header against the crossbar. (45+)
GOAL: Bolton 2-1 Luton
Ibrahim Cissoko (45 mins)
GOAL: Swindon 1-1 Chesterfield
Ben Middlemas (43+3 mins)
Chesterfield 7th, Swindon 8th. Swindon need a win to leapfrog the Spireites into the play-offs
HALF TIME
Barnsley 0-1 Stockport
Tom Bradshaw has goal disallowed for Barnsley
HALF TIME SCORES:
LEAGUE ONE
AFC Wimbledon 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Barnsley 0-1 Stockport County
Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Luton Town
Exeter City 0-1 Bradford City
Leyton Orient 1-1 Burton Albion
Mansfield Town 3-0 Cardiff City
Northampton Town 2-2 Plymouth Argyle
Peterborough United 0-0 Doncaster Rovers
Port Vale 0-1 Lincoln City
Reading 0-0 Blackpool
Stevenage 0-0 Wigan Athletic
Wycombe Wanderers 2-2 Rotherham United
LEAGUE TWO
Barrow 1-0 Newport County
Bromley 1-0 Walsall
Cheltenham Town 0-3 Colchester United
Crawley Town 0-0 Salford City
Crewe Alexandra 0-0 Cambridge United
Fleetwood Town 1-1 Milton Keynes Dons
Gillingham 0-0 Shrewsbury Town
Harrogate Town 1-1 Barnet
Notts County 1-0 Bristol Rovers
Oldham Athletic 1-0 Accrington Stanley
Swindon Town 1-1 Chesterfield
Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Grimsby Town
As it stood at half time…
League One
Play-Offs: Bolton, Stockport, Bradford, Stevenage
Relegated: Exeter, Port Vale, Rotherham, Northampton
League Two:
Champions: Bromley
Promoted: MK Dons, Cambridge
Play-Offs: Notts County, Salford, Grimsby, Chesterfield
Relegated: Newport County, Barrow
How did the second half play out?
PENALTY SAVED!
Barrow 1-0 Newport
Barrow’s Josh Gordon has spot kick saved (48 mins)
GOAL Barnsley 1-1 Stockport
Adam Phillips (52 mins)
GOAL: Leyton Orient 2-1 Burton
Dom Ballard (52 mins)
Orient on course for safety in League One
HITS THE WOODWORK
Harrogate 1-1 Barnet
Harrogate’s Shawn McCoulsky (50 mins)
Harrogate still safe in League Two on goal difference lone as it stands.
GOAL: Notts County 1-1 Bristol Rovers
Ellis Harrison (55 mins)
Notts County drop down to 6th in League Two
HITS THE WOODWORK
Barrow 1-0 Newport
Newport’s Bobby Kamwa
GOAL: Swindon 1-2 Chesterfield
Dilan Markanday (61 mins)
Chesterfield in the League Two play-offs
GOAL: Tranmere 1-1 Grimsby
Nathan Smith (64 mins)
Tranmere on course for League Two survival
GOAL Barnsley 1-2 Stockport
Oliver Norwood (71 mins – pen)
Stockport up the 3rd
GOAL: Barrow 1-1 Newport
Tom Davies (75 mins)
Newport to survive
GOAL: Northampton 2-3 Plymouth
Brendan Wiredu (74 mins)
Plymouth in the play-offs, up to 6th
HITS THE WOODWORK
Crawley 0-0 Salford
Salford’s Adebola Oluwo
GOAL: Exeter 0-2 Bradford City
Antoni Sarcevic (79 mins)
Exeter going down from League One
GOAL: Barrow 1-2 Newport
Bobby Kamwa (83 mins)
Scenes in the away end, Newport to avoid relegation from League Two
GOAL: Harrogate 1-2 Barnet
Phillip Chinedu (82 mins)
Heartbreak for Harrogate, on course for relegation to the National League
GOAL Stevenage 1-0 Wigan
Dan Sweeney (90 + 1 mins)
Stevenage go back into the League One play-offs, Plymouth drop out
GOAL Exeter 1-2 Bradford
Josh Magennis (90 + 2 mins)
Too late for Exeter
GOAL Bolton 2-3 Luton
Shayden Morris (90 + 3)
Stevenage winning means Luton win wouldn’t be enough to get into the play-offs
GOAL Barnsley 1-3 Stockport
Benony Andresson (90+8 mins)
FULL TIME SCORES:
LEAGUE ONE
FT AFC Wimbledon (0) 0-4 (1) Huddersfield Town
FT Barnsley (0) 1-3 (1) Stockport County
FT Bolton Wanderers (2) 2-3 (1) Luton Town
FT Exeter City (0) 1-2 (1) Bradford City
FT Leyton Orient (1) 2-2 (1) Burton Albion
FT Mansfield Town (3) 5-4 (0) Cardiff City
FT Northampton Town (2) 2-3 (2) Plymouth Argyle
FT Peterborough United (0) 1-3 (0) Doncaster Rovers
FT Port Vale (0) 0-2 (1) Lincoln City
FT Reading (0) 0-1 (0) Blackpool
FT Stevenage (0) 1-0 (0) Wigan Athletic
FT Wycombe Wanderers (2) 3-2 (2) Rotherham United
LEAGUE TWO
FT Barrow (1) 1-2 (0) Newport County
FT Bromley (1) 3-1 (0) Walsall
FT Cheltenham Town (0) 1-4 (3) Colchester United
FT Crawley Town (0) 0-0 (0) Salford City
FT Crewe Alexandra (0) 0-0 (0) Cambridge United
FT Fleetwood Town (1) 1-1 (1) Milton Keynes Dons
FT Gillingham (0) 1-0 (0) Shrewsbury Town
FT Harrogate Town (1) 1-2 (1) Barnet
FT Notts County (1) 1-1 (0) Bristol Rovers
FT Oldham Athletic (1) 3-0 (0) Accrington Stanley
FT Swindon Town (1) 1-2 (1) Chesterfield
FT Tranmere Rovers (0) 1-1 (1) Grimsby Town
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Playoff schedule
League One play-off schedule
Play-off semi-final first legs
Stevenage vs Stockport – Saturday May 9, kick-off 3pm
Bolton vs Bradford – Saturday May 9, kick-off 8pm
Play-off semi-final second legs
Stockport vs Stevenage – Wednesday May 13, kick-off 8pm
Bradford vs Bolton – Thursday May 14, kick-off 8pm
Play-off final
Sunday May 24, Wembley Stadium
League Two play-off schedule
Play-off semi-final first legs
Grimsby vs Salford – Sunday May 10, kick-off 3pm
Chesterfield vs Notts County – Sunday May 10, 6pm
Play-off semi-final second legs
Salford vs Grimsby – Friday May 15, kick-off 7.15pm
Notts County vs Chesterfield – Friday May 15, kick-off 8pm
Play-off final
Monday May 25, Wembley Stadium
It’s tight I’m not sure for that Stevenage goal #wafc #STFC #pafc #ltfc pic.twitter.com/cX514Q6T3d
— Wigan Not Today (@WiganNotToday) May 2, 2026
FT – Stevenage are into the Play-Offs…….just pic.twitter.com/7EvpDENo2f
— Ian Abrahams (Moose) (@BroadcastMoose) May 2, 2026
Bromley are going up as champions from L2.
Credit to #Saddlers fans who stayed put and applauded the Bromley supporters at the final whistle.
These are the scenes we desperately need to see at Bescot next spring in Walsall’s 8th season at L2 level… huge summer ahead. pic.twitter.com/3cLO6yvqXG
— Tom Marlow (@tommymarlow) May 2, 2026
Nothing worse than another club invading your pitch 🤣 Crewe Alex yet again being a tinpot club #PVFC pic.twitter.com/DmSqkvOiuJ
— Jay 🇦🇺 (@JayPVFC) May 2, 2026
the invisible barrier strikes again #GTFC #TRFC pic.twitter.com/jsYBaJQpvq
— max 🐟 (@MaxHolness3) May 2, 2026
WHAT IT MEANS!!!#OneClubOneCounty pic.twitter.com/TetDHb3Rmw
— Newport County (@NewportCounty) May 2, 2026
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