Notts Promotion Chase Ended By Dons

AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Notts County (EFL League Two Play Off Semi-Final 2nd leg) 17.05.2025

(Dons win 2-0 on aggregate, will play Walsall in play-off final)

Stuart Maynard’s Notts County’s 2024/25 season finished with back-to-back, 1-0 play-off semi-final losses to AFC Wimbledon, their former player, Johnnie Jackson, masterminding a road to Wembley for his SW London side.

The first leg, a week earlier, saw both goalkeeper’s, Alex Bass (County) and Owen Goodman (Dons) put in stand-out performances, but was spun on a sixpence when, after Nottingham-born Riley Harbottle’s goal just before the hour mark, the ending had a sour note.

In the 95th minute however, Jatta saw a straight red, in what was said to be a “reckless challenge,” County’s socials described the moment as: “Jatta has the shirt ripped off his back before winning the ball with a lunging challenge – but is shown a straight red card,” it is certainly a sore point for the Magpies.

That red saw Jatta suspended for the second leg, at Plough Lane, whilst County were also shorn of the service of David McGoldrick, their 39-goal strike partnership watching on from the sidelines.

It was their being missing which perhaps proved the costliest of County’s dreams of reaching Wembley, and a shot at promotion; they now need to go again next season; for the Dons though, an early goal for them proved decisive.

Although Maynard’s charges had the better of the opening throes of the contest, the second leg, and the tie as a whole, was put to bed after just eight minutes; Joe Lewis spun a cross-field pass, over and beyond the County back-line and, although Myles Hippolyte was in a sightly offside position, the ball went beyond him also.

Hippolyte’s marker, Lewis Macari, was caught out as Josh Neufville sneaked in behind, controlled beautifully, before lifting his effort over and beyond the dive of Alex Bass and into the far corner of the County goal.

That goal gave the Dons a two-goal cushion, and all but knocked the stuffing out of County and, as the first half wore on, the hosts grew more-and-more into the game, Bass being called into action on a couple of occasions.

Twenty minutes in would see George Abbott and Conor Grant combine well through the middle of the park, before the ball is played back into the mix beating all and drifting wide; later in the half and Bass was called into action, twice, following first, a long throw-in which he punched clear, but Neufville’s return was pounced upon with Marcus Browne lurking.

The half ended as a free-kick from Jodi Jones beats all, and drifts past Goodman’s goal, County going in a goal down at the interval, and two on aggregate.

Jones got the ball rolling at the start of the second also, another free-kick, but again not really troubling Goodman in the home goal but, as the game moved towards the hour mark, the hosts continued their push for more goals, County’s defence holding firm.

With a little over twenty minutes remaining, Dons striker, Matty Stevens, who is in the midst of a goal drought, saw his headed effort saved brilliantly down low from Bass, before Maynard made a pair of changes, one of which was the appearance of Junior Morias, pulling on a County first team jersey for the first time in some 459 days (he’s had loan spells at Dagenham & Redbridge and Woking in recent times).

Bass was called into action again as he beat away an effort from range from James Tilley, whilst the closing stages would see the ever-industrious Neufville set up Dons substitute Aron Sasu, who twisted, turned, and fired low at Bass, who held on.

County though, having finished in sixth place in the final league standings, one point and one place below their semi-final opponents, were kept at arms-length throughout the second leg, restricted to efforts from range, whilst the Dons pushed hard and threatened more in the final, attacking third.

For Maynard, it’s back to the drawing board, and preparation for next season begins in earnest, whilst for Jackson, it’s the case of Wembley, and Walsall, a little over 37 years since the Crazy Gang pulled off that shock of shocks in the 1988 FA Cup final, against Liverpool.

FIRST LEG Notts County – Alex Bass, Lewis Macari (Rod McDonald, 77), Matty Platt, Jacob Bedeau, Jodi Jones, George Abbott, Matthew Palmer, Sam Austin (Will Jarvis, 72), Conor Grant, David McGoldrick (Mai Traore, 94), Alassana Jatta.

SECOND LEG Notts County – Alex Bass, Lewis Macari, Matty Platt, Jacob Bedeau, Jodi Jones, George Abbott, Matthew Palmer, Sam Austin (Will Jarvis, 54), Conor Grant (Scott Robertson, 70), Charlie Whitaker, Mai Traore (Junior Morias, 70).