Notts County 3-0 Salford City: Jodi Jones Magnificent as Magpies End 11-Year League One Exile

Match Details

• Competition: Sky Bet League Two Play-off Final
• Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
• Final Score: Notts County 3 - 0 Salford City
• Half Time: Notts County 2 - 0 Salford City (4 minutes added time)
• Attendance: 30,851
• Referee: Tom Reeves (4th Official: Edward Duckworth, VAR: James Bell)

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	Notts County	Salford City
Score	3	0
Half Time	2	0
Goalscorers	Jatta 32', Ness 45', Jones 70'	-
Formation	3-4-2-1	4-4-2
Yellow Cards	Tsaroulla 22', Ness 57'	Mnoga 44', Woodburn 90+3'
Red Cards	-	-
Substitutions	Grant 68' (Luker), Palmer 78' (Norburn), Kouhyar 85' (Jones), Ndlovu 86' (Jatta), Bennetts 87' (Tsaroulla)	Woodburn 46' (Butcher), Borini 60' (Cooper), Harris 60' (Longelo), Stockton 85' (Austerfield)
Attendance	30,851

The Story of the Match

NOTTS COUNTY's Jodi Jones was magnificent in ending the Magpies' 11-year absence from League One, putting on a brilliant performance in their comfortable 3-0 win against the Salford City side who were watched by owners Sir David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes at a sweltering Wembley Stadium with the temperature pitch side at 36.5 degrees centigrade.

Salford supporters were heavily outnumbered in the crowd of 30,851 at the League Two Play-off Final, and there was a huge focus on the former Manchester United and England team-mates in the stands. On the pitch, Malta international Jodi Jones once again helped the Magpies to promotion at Wembley Stadium - having been part of the Notts County side that beat Chesterfield on penalties in the National League promotion final back in 2023.

Jodi Jones first provided the pass that set Alassana Jatta on his way to opening the scoring with a cool finish in stifling conditions, making it 1-0 in the 32nd minute. Then Jodi Jones helped to create Notts County's second with a well-worked free-kick that was eventually headed home by Lucas Ness from an assist by captain Rod McDonald to make it 2-0 in the 45th minute. Notts County led 2-0 at the interval.

Jodi Jones went on to complete the one-sided result with a first-time finish past Salford City goalkeeper Matt Young with 20 minutes remaining, making it 3-0 in the 70th minute. The sun-soaked showdown failed to produce a shot on goal in the opening 25 minutes leading up to the first break for drinks. Once refreshed, Notts County wasted no time in breaking the deadlock.

Salford City's inability to keep Jodi Jones suppressed proved the difference in an otherwise cagey first half. No pass in this game was more decisive than the searching ball the winger swept into the path of Jatta from deep, setting the Gambia striker up for the opener just after the half-hour mark. Jones then went on to orchestrate the Magpies' second on the stroke of half-time, sending a free-kick to Rod McDonald at the back post, where it was volleyed back across goal for Ness to meet with a towering header.

It was not until the second half that Salford managed a meaningful chance but, even then, goalkeeper and lifelong Notts County fan James Belshaw read the danger and rushed off his line to smother a shot from Kallum Cesay as he broke free on goal. That chance was the best that Salford City managed to carve out, with Jones going on to put the result beyond doubt when he raced into the box and slammed the ball home after meeting a cut-back pass from substitute Conor Grant. It was a performance that earned Jones a standing ovation when he was replaced late on, and why he earned more rapturous applause when named man of the match.

Notts County came into the League Two Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium off the back of two wins against Chesterfield away in the Play-off Semi-Final 1st Leg (1-0) and Colchester United away (1-0), two draws against Chesterfield at home in the Play-off Semi-Final 2nd Leg (0-0) last time out and Bristol Rovers at home (1-1), and two defeats against Barnet at home (1-2) and Cambridge United away (0-4).

Salford City came into the League Two Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium off the back of three wins against Grimsby Town away in the Play-off Semi-Final 1st Leg (2-1), Bromley at home (2-0) and Oldham Athletic away (2-1), and three draws against Grimsby Town at home in the Play-off Semi-Final 2nd Leg (2-2) last time out, Crawley Town away (0-0) and Gillingham at home (0-0).

Notts County manager Martin Paterson started with a 3-4-2-1 formation with James Belshaw in goal, then a three-man defensive unit of Lucas Ness, captain Rod McDonald and Jacob Bedeau, then a four-man midfield with two wing backs in Nick Tsaroulla, Oliver Norburn, Scott Robertson and Jodi Jones, then two attacking midfielders in Tom Iorpenda and Jayden Luker with Alassana Jatta the loan striker up top. Notts County were unchanged.

Salford City manager Karl Robinson started with a 4-4-2 formation with Matt Young in goal, then a back four of Haji Mnoga, Ademola Oluwo, Brandon Cooper and captain Luke Garbutt, then a four-man midfield of Ryan Graydon, Matt Butcher, Josh Austerfield and Rosaire Longelo, then two strikers in Kallum Cesay and Daniel Udoh. Salford City made one change with Rosaire Longelo for N'Mai.

The match, the third play-off final of the weekend, kicked off at the traditional time of 3 pm. Salford City kicked off the first half attacking the goal behind where the Notts County fans were seated in the shade. Nick Tsaroulla was yellow carded in the 22nd minute. Notts County opened the scoring in the 32nd minute through Alassana Jatta with a right-footed shot from an assist by Jodi Jones. Salford's Haji Mnoga was yellow carded in the 44th minute for a foul on Jodi Jones.

Notts County made it 2-0 with a Lucas Ness header from an assist by captain Rod McDonald in the 45th minute. Jones went on to complete the one-sided result with a first-time finish past Matt Young from a Conor Grant cut-back, making it 3-0 in the 70th minute.

Timeline of Key Events

• Kick Off 3 pm (pitch side temperature 36.5 degrees)
• 22' Tsaroulla yellow carded (Notts County)
• 32' Jatta opens the scoring from a Jodi Jones assist (1-0)
• 44' Mnoga yellow carded for a foul on Jodi Jones (Salford City)
• 45' Ness heads home from a Rod McDonald assist (2-0)
• Half Time Notts County 2 Salford City 0 (4 minutes added time)
• 46' Woodburn replaces Butcher (Salford City)
• 57' Ness yellow carded (Notts County)
• 60' Borini replaces Cooper, Harris replaces Longelo (Salford City)
• 68' Grant replaces Luker (Notts County)
• 70' Jones finishes from a Grant cut-back to seal the win (3-0)
• 78' Palmer replaces Norburn (Notts County)
• 85' Kouhyar replaces Jones (Notts County); Stockton replaces Austerfield (Salford City)
• 86' Ndlovu replaces Jatta (Notts County)
• 87' Bennetts replaces Tsaroulla (Notts County)
• 90+3' Woodburn yellow carded (Salford City)
• Full Time Notts County 3 Salford City 0 (10 minutes added time)

Author's Standout Players

• Jodi Jones (Notts County) - The man of the match and the driving force behind the Magpies' triumph, involved in all three goals with the assist for Jatta's opener, the move that created Ness's header, and a composed first-time finish to seal the win - a performance that earned a standing ovation from the entire stadium
• Alassana Jatta (Notts County) - The Gambia loan striker took his opportunity superbly, breaking the deadlock with a composed finish after Jones's searching through ball set him clear, giving Notts County the platform from which to control the final
• James Belshaw (Notts County) - The lifelong County fan between the sticks made a vital intervention to deny Cesay when it mattered most, rushing off his line to smother the only meaningful chance Salford managed across 90 minutes in the heat