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Notts County comfortably beat sluggish Salford side in League Two playoff final

Notts County comfortably beat a sluggish Salford side in the League Two playoff final to seal promotion to League One.

Coming into this, Salford ended the season 4th and won against Grimsby in the playoff semi-finals, while Notts County finished in 5th place and beat Chesterfield for a place at Wembley. More on that HERE.

Head to head, Salford have won the past five league meetings between the sides, but it was the Magpies who were up for it on this occasion.

Alassana Jatta put Notts ahead on 32 minutes, sending the ball into the bottom corner, before Lucas Ness’ header doubled his side’s lead on the verge of half time.

Salford started the second half with a better showing of themselves, Kallum Cesay with a good chance as he got himself past the Notts County defence. only to run the ball into James Belshaw instead of taking a shot and a cheeky chip.

There was also a penalty appeal, Ryan Graydon called for a handball after the ball struck a Notts player’s elbow on the way, not enough for a spot kick.

Just as Salford were trying to get themselves back in the game, Notts County then went and grabbed their third of the game with 20 minutes remaining.

A pass from Conor Grant fell perfectly for Alassana Jatta, who then placed it for Jodi Jones to get there before Graydon, who was slower to react, with Jones placing it into the net.

The result means they will join League Two’s other promoted sides Bromley, MK Dons and Cambridge United in League One next season.

Notts County’s Jodi Jones said to Sky Sports, as per BBC Sport’s live blog:

“It’s unbelievable. It makes me really emotional when you work so hard for 11 months and everyone becomes your family. Personally for me, it’s being one of the hardest years of my life mentally but it all comes down to this day.

“I always say if you’re not going to have fun when you’re playing football, what’s the point of playing. It’s the most fun I’ve had all season, I was just having fun playing football.

“It just knew I’d score in front of our fans today. Look how good they are. It’s amazing, it’s one of the best days of my life.

“I was telling them we were going to win 3-0 yesterday. I knew we had too much quality for them.”

Notts County keeper James Belshaw said to Sky Sports:

“Dreams do come true, you dream of this moment as a boy, and the last few years. One day, to represent Notts County, I thought would be incredible and then to play a part in representing them at Wembley, and to go on and win in the manner we did, and the way we have attacked these play-offs is incredible.

“Each and every single person here, I have been one of them, I am one of them and to give them that moment is incredible.

“Again, fairytales in football don’t often come true, but this has been one story I have held on to, and when it became reality to sign here in January and to go on to be here, it is overwhelming.”

 

Notts County boss Martin Paterson speaking to Sky Sports:

“I had a little moment near the end, even at 3-0 you can take nothing for granted.

“I thought we were from start to finish, excellent today.

“I’m only 18 months into my career so I don’t know all the answers but this is hard. There’s an affect on your family life whether people admit or not, but I’m delighted for my family, for the fans.

“In moments like this, everyone just thinks ‘me, me, me’ but without them [the staff], we can’t do it. I want them to have the trophy as much as me.

“We had a bit of a sticky patch coming into chasing the top three, with injuries. I thought we were a little too honest, a little too green and I thought we had to be more controlled. We’ve improved on the defensive end.

“The focus was to have a controlled performance. The weather plays a big part, you can’t just go out and press. I worked on a balance.

“You talk about desire, this is stuff you can’t qualify. How do you turn up at Wembley and perform? I don’t have the answers, my players were excellent.”

Notts County’s Lucas Ness told Sky Sports:

“You couldn’t write it, it is absolutely unbelievable. I wouldn’t want it any other way. We have got such a great group of lads look at the fans they deserve this – so absolutely buzzing.”

When asked if his goal was straight off the training ground, Ness said:

“We do it a few times where there is a block around the back, and I just thought ‘why not just gamble?’ and I saw the ball loop back up in the air and I attacked it. I was delighted when I saw it go in the back of the goal.

“It was really tough today, I think you might have seen me cramping, probably the worst cramp I have ever had in my life, but that is to do with occasion and the heat. It was tough but we got through it.

“I can’t wait [to lift the trophy], we are going to have such a special night and few days ahead.”

Salford City boss Karl Robinson speaking to Sky Sports:

“We’ve been the best versions of ourselves and then today we got beat in most aspects of the game. I have no other words than that. You have to be respectful in defeat, you have to be honest in defeat.

“We didn’t stick to the game plan. We got carried away. Sometimes you can under-care, sometimes you can over-care, and today we just weren’t good enough.

“We are going to be a generational football club and we are going to use this as a springboard now. Every single one of my players has always given their all and I thank them for that.

“What Salford are outstanding at are responding. That’s the city and the football club, they are aligned in those sort of messages.

“We have to be better. Today wasn’t good enough. The football club will keep improving year in, year out.”

Here’s how social media users reacted after Notts County comfortably beat a sluggish Salford side in the League Two playoff final…

@wayne1982164: Seeing the class of 92 face after being fucked against notts, it’s a fucking picture. #nottscounty

@hullman76: How come @GNev2 knows EXACTLY how to run Manchester United, but he cant guide Salford out of Division 2 with a large budget? Wierd that!

@leeharris85: I think @GNev2 should conduct an internal review, question the recruitment of Salford and demand to know what Karl Robinson’s style of play and philosophy is. Poor Gary

@StephenHampson: @GNev2 looking happy at Wembley 😂😂😂😂. Sack the manager

@ianstox79: Funny seeing Salford not go up again, still spending a lot of money for a club with small crowds and can’t go up 😂😅😂

@GiallorossiBlue: Notts County are making this look like a training game. The Salford players look like deer in headlights

@Wesley_James: Ooooo Salford are losing, heart bleeds. Quickly, get another member of the class of 92 in. Pathetic

@DalaiPalmerMCR: I take it David Beckham’s, Gary Neville’s, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes’s Salford just become simple old Salford again now then…

@Johno2306: Best team is winning. Well in lads. Good luck next season.

@spamcrolla: First time I have seen Salford city, OMG they are miles off it, slow, ponderous, 2nd to every ball, zero creativity, just lump it up the park

@james_jw92: The annual Salford bottle is absolutely glorious #colu

@TheRoadEndPod: Shitty weekend for footy… Until Salford and the ‘Class of 92’ decided to get slapped around Wembley 👌🏻

@AdamRM1_: One of the most one sided play off finals I’ve seen, fair play notts, hope you enjoyed your little pitch invasion Salford 🙂

@manor_eja: Salford are a good example why not to do a pitch invasion when you win a semi 😳

@nikstorey_: Fully deserved by Notts County. Salford haven’t had one player at it. Poor from GK to 9. County have simply sat in a mid block once 2-0 up and have picked Salford off with ease. Lots of questions for Robinson as his team looked off it tactically and physically

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