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 beat Grimsby in the playoff semi-finals, while Notts finish in 5th place and overcame Chesterfield for a place at Wembley.
Head to head, Salford have won past five league meetings between the sides, but it was the Magpies who were up for it on this occasion.
5,500 Salford City fans baking in the Sun here pic.twitter.com/0O6enpoy6L
— Ian Abrahams (Moose) (@BroadcastMoose) May 25, 2026
21,000 @Official_NCFC fans creating all the noise at Wembley pic.twitter.com/GELDWLWQDR
— Ian Abrahams (Moose) (@BroadcastMoose) May 25, 2026
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 a 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 a 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.
“That’s what they craved, that’s what they dreamt of’!” 🙌
Notts County take the lead thanks to Alassana Jatta 🤩 pic.twitter.com/AohjVG019I
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 25, 2026
A towering header from Lucas Ness doubles Notts County’s lead 💪 pic.twitter.com/TjfuH7XF5K
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 25, 2026
“Notts County surely going up” 📈
Jodi Jones makes it 3-0 🤩 pic.twitter.com/JwMQ0jy5C8
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 25, 2026
NOTTS COUNTY ARE BACK IN LEAGUE ONE! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Qm77QXoIs4
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 25, 2026
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.”
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 😳
@liamturnbull9: Neville’s Salford 0-3 down and Gary Neville is a wanker echoing round Wembley hahaha inject it!!!
– @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
HAAAAAAAAS ANYONE SEEN
GARY NEVILLE CAN YOU HEARRRR ME GARYPAUL SCHOLESNICKY BUTTSIR DAVID BECKHAMSKY SPORTSSKY BETFIVE THOUSAND SALFORD ‘FANS’ 😹😹😹😹😹😹
YOUR BOYS TOOK ONE HELLLLL OF A BEATING pic.twitter.com/XtGxsxCcBw
— Will (@WillB_2003) May 25, 2026
