• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Notts County have sealed the most dramatic playoff comeback in history

Home> Football

Updated 15:42 7 May 2023 GMT+1Published 15:22 7 May 2023 GMT+1

Notts County have sealed the most dramatic playoff comeback in history

After earning a record breaking number of points, for a team not earning automatic promotion, Notts County make the playoff final.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Notts County delivered one of the most dramatic comebacks in play-off history, as they scored at the end of normal time and extra time, to defeat Boreham Wood.

After narrowly missing out on the title, and an automatic route out of non-league football, County were forced into the play-off picture with six other sides.

They had the pleasure of hosting Boreham Wood, the team who finished the league in six, and had beaten local rivals Barnet in the previous round.

Advert

Goals late in the first half, from Femi Ilasemi and Lee Ndlovu, the latter deep into injury time, gave the visitors a lead that looked like it would be enough.

The hosts did pull one back through Aden Baldwin, just two minutes into the second half, before they had the chance to equalise from the penalty spot.

However, Joe McDonnell, who signed for 'Wood on an emergency loan deal just a few days ago, saved the spot kick low to his left.

Advert

It looked like it would be heartbreak for County, but, deep in injury time, Baldwin scored his second of the day to take it to extra time.

Things looked like they couldn't get much more dramatic, apart from the penalty shoot-out which looked inevitable, only for Jodi Jones to score in the 120th minute, sending the home support into raptures.

Most teams earning 107 points in a league season would expect to win the title, and earn automatic promotion to the league above.

Advert

Unfortunately for Notts County, however, there is only one automatic promotion place in the National League, which went to Wrexham.

Having beaten their rivals to the title by four points, even Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds pointed out how terrible it was that there was only one automatic promotion place.

However, that cruel reality meant that Luke Williams side had to drop down into the play-offs, at least getting a bye into the sem-final stage.

Advert

There they met Boreham Wood, who beat Barnet in the quarters, a side who finished closer to relegation than they did their opponents on Sunday.

Luke Gerrard's team had also looked like opening the door for their opponents to potentially win the league, on the penultimate weekend of the season.

They faced Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground, with the Welsh side knowing a win would seal the title, only for Ndlovu to score after 41 seconds.

That match ultimately went the way of Wrexham, but perhaps it gave hope to the Hertfordshire side that they could bloody the noses of a side who'd earned more than 100 points in the league.

Advert

They were given far more encouragement when going 2-0 up in the first half, and the side who would have gone up as champions in every other National League season must have been fearing the worst.

Wood themselves would have been panicking when they conceded so early at the start of the second half and then gave away a penalty.

It looked like they would hold on, but maybe the issue was that they began bringing off all their attacking players late on, to defend the lead.

Baldwin took advantage of that to earn the extra 30 minutes, and then Jones, with the help of poor keeping by McDonnell, meant that it's County who make the final.

They will head to Wembley, where they'll meet either Chesterfield or Bromley, with the chance to return Wrexham in League Two on the line.

Featured Image Credit: BT Sport

Topics: Football, Non-League, League Two

Ryan Sidle
Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a journalist for SPORTbible with over eight years of experience. Passionate about all sports, he mainly covers football and F1 - Daniel Ricciardo once spent an entire interview referring to him as 'Ryan Gosling,' still his proudest moment.

X

@Sidler28

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Ryan Reynolds confirms Wrexham squad's next end of season holiday destination
  • King Charles supports recently-promoted football team
  • Ryan Reynolds facing huge bill after Wrexham players partied at Hakkasan nightclub
  • Wrexham given incredible welcome at the Hakkasan nightclub in Las Vegas

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    Steph Houghton makes her feelings clear on Leonardo Bonucci taking her out with crunching tackle at Soccer Aid

    Steph Houghton was on the receiving end of a crunching challenge from Leonardo Bonucci in the 2025 Soccer Aid game at Old Trafford.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Atletico star suffers unusual extreme heat injury at Club World Cup as major concerns raised over competition

    Atletico Madrid were beaten by Paris Saint Germain at the FIFA Club World Cup.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Angel Gomes reveals 'perfect' rule Man Utd make all academy players follow that the senior team don't have

    The former Manchester United wonderkid has opened up about his time at the club.

    Football
  • 2 hours ago

    Fresh Man City 115 charges points deduction claim made as 'rumour' circulates over final verdict

    The verdict for Manchester City's 115 charges case with the Premier League has still not been announced despite concluding in December.

    Football