CURRENT PLAYOFFS CHAMPIONSHIP,LEAGUE ONE AND LEAGUE 2
It’s that time of the year again! League playoffs are here and they’ve already got off to a cracking start! So far we’ve seen Crawley and Crewe Alexandra book their places in the League Two playoff final taking place at Wembley on the 19th May. We’ve also seen Oxford and Bolton both confirm their trip to the home of football on the 18th May.
Taking a look at the championship we saw The Baggies draw 0-0 to The Saints at The Hawthorns aswell as Norwich and Leeds tie 0-0. What a boring start!
Let’s take a dive into the League One semi-finals.
Here are the results:
BARNSLEY 1-3 BOLTON
OXFORD 1-0 PETERBOROUGH
BOLTON 2-3 BARNSLEY
PETERBOROUGH 1-1 OXFORD
GAME 1: Barnsley vs Bolton
Game 1 of the League One playoffs saw Bolton comfortably take down Barnsley away from home thanks to a brace from Dion Charles and a late goal from Randell Williams. During game 1 Barnsley did dominate the possession (59%) and the total amount of shots were equal at 9 a peice.
GAME 2: Oxford vs Peterborough
Game 2 of the League One playoffs saw Oxford put themselves a step closer to a match under the Wembley arch all thanks to an Elliot Moore header in the 53rd minute. However, the possession was once again controlled by the losing side Peterborough United (57%).
GAME 3: Bolton vs Barnsley
Game 3 had us on the edges of our seats as we thought Barnsley may just pull it back but in the end it wasn’t to be as Bolton won over the two legs 5-4. Although Bolton did end up going through Barnsley did win the tie 3-2. A similar theme is starting to unveil as yet again the losing team came out on top in the possession side of things. Bolton had 52% of the possession.
GAME 4: PETERBOROUGH VS OXFORD
Last but not least, Game 4! This one was an interesting one as 41 minutes into the game Josh Knight put Posh ahead but yet another Oxford penalty (they definitely pay the refs) was converted by who else but Cameron Brannagan on the stroke of half time! The game ended 1-1 meaning Oxford advance to the final. Just about! Going against our theme the losers Peterborough absolutely DOMINATING possession with a whopping 70% possession throughout Game!
Now it’s time to talk about the results from the lowest tier of professional football!
CREWE 0-2 DONCASTER
CRAWLEY 3-0 MK DONS
DONCASTER 0-2 CREWE
MK DONS 1-5 CRAWLEY
GAME 1: CREWE VS DONCASTER
Game 1 of the League Two playoffs saw Doncaster take the lead on aggregate with goals coming from Luke Molyneux and Harrison Biggins. Possession was controlled by Doncaster (56%)
GAME 2: CRAWLEY VS MK DONS
For most people seeing MK suffer brings joy to them as they are seen to have killed the old Wimbledon FC and this game certainly didn’t disapoint the neutral. Crawley miraculously came out victorious very comfortably as 3-0 winners! They also just edged it in the possession department (52%)
GAME 3: DONCASTER VS CREWE
What a night it was as Doncaster started very slow Crewe punished that scoring twice in the first 16 minutes. For the rest if the game Doncaster dominated possession (61%) The game did eventually go to extra time then penalties when Crewe emergency loan goalkeeper Maksymillian Stryjek starred saving two crucial penalties!
GAME 4: MK DONS VS CRAWLEY
A bit of a joke really! MK Dons were embarrassed at home as they got hammered 5-1 by The Red Devils. Jay Williams and Danilo Orsi were on the scoresheet before Dons forward Max Dean tapped home a close range effort just before half time. Just as MK thought they had any hope Crawley hit them hard with 3 more goals including 2 more from Danilo Orsi completing his hatrick. As expected Crawley did control possession (55%)
In conclusion, the playoffs across Championship, League One, and League Two have provided thrilling matches and surprising outcomes. From the exciting clashes between Barnsley and Bolton to the dominance of Crawley in League Two, each game has showcased the intensity and unpredictability of playoff football. As teams prepare for the final showdowns at Wembley, one thing is certain: anything can happen in the pursuit of playoff glory.