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| A third straight home defeat means Notts County will have to make do with the playoffs |
Playoff football will be returning to Meadow Lane once again this season, with Notts County missing out on automatic promotion this afternoon.
It has become a regular occurrence for the Magpies' campaign to continue past the 46th game week, and that trend has repeated itself this term with Notts County qualifying for the playoffs for the sixth time in the past eight seasons.
It was always going to be a big ask for Stuart Maynard's side to break into the top three, requiring themselves to beat league leaders Doncaster Rovers and Bradford City and Walsall to both drop points.
Having said that, County didn't do themselves any favours in the run-in by winning just twice in April and only once at home since February.
As well as this, goals have been much harder to find in Nottingham this year.
Last season they scored over 20 more goals than they did this term, despite finishing in the bottom half.
Although Bradford and Walsall seemed equally keen on avoiding automatic promotion, with the former coming into the final day having won just once in seven and the latter winless in 13.
However, on the all-important final day, both Bradford and Walsall rediscovered the winning formula - both recording 1-0 victories enough to see the Bantams promoted by a point.
Meanwhile, in Nottingham, the mood was triumphant...in the away end.
A 2-1 victory, thanks to a first-half brace from Rob Street, secured the league title for Doncaster who will return back to League One in August following a three-year absence from the third tier.
Quality Street
It really was a poor showing from Notts County. Regardless of their opposition's notable quality, the Magpies performed like a team who had nothing left to play for.
"Atrocious", "pathetic" and "disgraceful" were just three words used in the comment section of the clubs full time post on X, and even with promotion still on the cards the pressure is continuing to mount on manager Stuart Maynard who is still yet to win over the Meadow Lane faithful over a year into the job.
The visitors had secured promotion with a 2-1 win at home to their fellow promotion-chasing Yorkshiremen Bradford last Saturday, and it was clear to see they were still riding a promotion high, racing into a 2-0 lead inside half an hour.
Street has certainly made a name for himself since joining Donny on loan from Lincoln, netting 10 goals prior to kick-off, and he was on target for the second weekend in a row.
Jordan Gibson's shot was blocked by Alassana Jatta and the ball looked to be slowly trickling in, but Street made sure of this, tapping in from a couple of yards out.
To give them some credit Notts County did go close to equalising shortly afterwards when a fine Kellan Gordon cross was raced onto by Charlie Whitaker, he just couldn't keep his header down and the ball went just over.
Street's first goal may have been a routine poacher's goal, but his second was far from this.
Ten minutes after he had broken the deadlock, the 23-year-old was found in a pocket of space by an accurate ball forward from Jamie Sterry, and the striker controlled well, shielded the ball from Matty Platt before dinking an effort over Alex Bass and into the back of the County goal.
The Magpies were more than likely relieved to hear the half-time whistle and have the chance to regroup, and with Bradford and Walsall both drawing automatic promotion was still on the cards for Notts - so long as they achieve the simple task of overcoming a two-goal deficit against the league leaders.
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| Notts County failed to make their set-pieces count in the first half against Doncaster, and ultimately paid the price. |
Party Time
The second period was more of the same in the East Midlands.
Doncaster were unlucky not to add a third with Street being denied a hat-trick by the post and Bass making a crucial save to keep out Zain Westbrooke, who had been played in behind by a brilliant pass from Joe Sbarra.
Despite these misses - solid defending and Port Vale conceding to Gillingham meant the party could really start in the away end.
2,000 Yorkshiremen were in fine voice and certainly made an awful lot more of a racket than the home fans who seemed just as defeated as their players who, try as they might, just couldn't find any way past a solid Rovers backline.
As full-time approached, the sight of home supporters trudging towards the exits with the backdrop of the away fans cheering every pass made brought a bitter end to what has been a successful season in Nottingham.
To give them their dues the Magpies didn't give up and in stoppage time they halved the deficit when top scorer Jatta bagged his 22nd goal of the season, poking home a Sam Austin cross.
There wasn't enough time for the hosts to get an equaliser though, with the full-time whistle being greeted by an eruption of noise from half of those occupying the Jimmy Sirrel Stand.
So, Doncaster are this season's League Two Champions, as for Notts County they're into the lottery that is the playoffs.
What next?
A day that could have ended with Notts County in League One has instead ended with them 6th in the table and facing the reality of a second leg away from home.
In the playoffs later this month they'll go head-to-head against AFC Wimbledon, a club they've lost five of their six meetings with - including a 2-0 loss in the capital in March when the Magpies were in the automatic promotion places.
You get the impression they'll really have to make the home advantage count in the first leg given Wimbledon's impeccable home form - bettered by only Bradford in League Two.
David McGoldrick being involved would provide a big boost for both the team and the fans.
The former Republic of Ireland international picked up a trio of end-of-the-season awards before kick-off, but was an unused substitute having picked up a knock at Harrogate last week.
With Jatta not at his best today, County looked toothless going forward, so a return for 17-goal McGoldrick could be make or break.
Their playoff opponents Wimbledon haven't enjoyed their end to the season either, and coming into the final day they had only won once in eight, sparking ugly scenes between fans and players following their 1-0 loss at Gillingham on Easter Monday.
However, they made it a solid end to the season by beating Grimsby Town 1-0. Grimsby would have faced Notts County in the playoffs had they won that game.
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| Notts County will be back at Meadow Lane next Saturday. AFC Wimbledon are the visitors in their playoff semi-final first leg. |
Playoff Heartache
As mentioned earlier, this is now County's sixth playoff campaign in eight seasons and they have enjoyed very little success.
The last time they finished in the top seven in League Two was in 2017/18, where they were thumped 5-1 by Coventry City, and the next season they were relegated out of the EFL.
In the National League, they lost in the playoffs three seasons in a row losing to: Harrogate, Torquay United and Grimsby, before dramatic wins over Boreham Wood and Chesterfield finally secured them a return to the EFL in 2023.
This year they entertain Wimbledon at home on Saturday, May 10, before travelling down to the capital on Friday, May 16. Both ties kick off at 8pm.
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