Dons waiting to see who they will face in League One next season after play-off first legs
MK Dons are waiting on who will join them in League One next season
Both Salford City and Notts County took first blood in their League Two play-off semi-finals as they look to join MK Dons in League One next season.
While Paul Warne’s side will be joined by Bromley and Cambridge United in the third tier next season, they are waiting on one more to join them via the play-offs.
After watching the first legs played in both the Championship and League One play-offs, the first League Two semi took place between Grimsby Town and Salford at Blundell Park. Karl Robinson’s side though were dealt a blow almost immediately after kick-off courtesy of Reece Staunton who fired in a brilliant volley for the hosts after just 26 seconds.
However, Salford, who finished just a point outside the automatic promotion places in fourth place, responded three minutes later through Kallum Cesay’s deft finish.
The Ammies would take an advantage back to the Peninsula Stadium five minutes before half-time when Adebola Owulo’s header found the back of the net, via a deflection off Cameron McJannet. However, Grimsby claimed keeper Jackson Smith was unsighted by Haji Mnoga, who was stood in an offside position.
The sides will meet in the second-leg on Friday night.
Later on Sunday afternoon, Chesterfield took on Notts County in the second semi-final at SMH Group Stadium.
The Spireites were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead just five minutes in when Liam Mandeville was downed by Lucas Ness in the box, but Lee Bonis saw his low driven penalty come back off the woodwork after sending keeper James Belshaw the wrong way.
Jayden Luker scored the only goal of the game after 28 minutes from a tight angle to put the Magpies in the ascendency heading back to Meadow Lane for the second leg, also on Friday.
The game featured three ex-MK Dons players, with Kyle McFadzean captaining Chesterfield and Will Grigg coming off the bench in the second-half for the hosts, while Irishman Conor Grant replaced County goal-scorer Luker in the second-half.
It is still all to play for in the League One semi-finals too, with both first-legs being won 1-0. Stockport County and Stevenage looked to be taking a 0-0 draw back to Edgeley Park until a bizarre goal at the very death from Ben Osborn have the Hatters the advantage on Saturday.
Later in the day, Amario Cozier-Duberry scored on the hour-mark for Bolton as they took a slender advantage in their home leg against Bradford City. Ex-Dons boss Graham Alexander’s Bantams are looking to make it back-to-back promotions after winning automatic promotion from League Two last season.