In the 2025-26 League Two season, Chesterfield achieved a remarkable feat. They secured victories over Notts County in both encounters, marking a significant achievement in their rivalry. The only other team to accomplish a league double over Notts County this season was Salford City.
Historic EFL Play-Off Meetings
This will be Chesterfield’s first EFL play-off meeting against Notts County. However, the two clubs have a history in the National League play-offs. In the 2020-21 quarter-finals, Notts County emerged victorious with a 3-2 win. During the 2022-23 final, they faced each other again, resulting in a 2-2 draw, with County winning 4-3 on penalties to secure promotion to the EFL.
Chesterfield’s Play-Off Journey
This marks Chesterfield’s fifth campaign in the EFL play-offs. Their best performance came in the 1994-95 season when they achieved promotion from the fourth tier. Last season, they were eliminated by Walsall in the League Two semi-finals, losing 4-1 on aggregate.
Notts County’s Recent Play-Off Success
Notts County’s recent play-off record has been less favorable. They were knocked out in the previous season’s League Two semi-finals by the eventual champions, AFC Wimbledon. The Magpies have lost four of their last five EFL play-off matches, with one draw. Their last play-off victory was a narrow 1-0 win against Crewe Alexandra in May 1996.
League Two Statistics: Chesterfield vs Notts County
- Chesterfield: 15,553 successful passes.
- Notts County: 15,602 successful passes.
- Chesterfield led in open play sequences with over 10 passes (365).
- Notts County followed with 348 sequences.
- Jacob Bedeau of Notts County topped all players with 1,922 successful passes.
Key Players
Paul Cook is set to lead Chesterfield in his fourth EFL play-off campaign. Across six play-off matches with Chesterfield and Portsmouth, he remains winless, a record matched only by Uwe Rosler, who managed seven winless appearances.
In terms of attacking prowess, Notts County’s Alassana Jatta has been impressive. He scored 34 League Two goals over the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. However, he has only found the net once against Chesterfield during this period, in a 2-2 draw in October 2024.
Chesterfield’s Liam Mandeville also stands out for his playmaking skills. He recorded 11 assists this season, leading all players in League Two. Over the past two seasons, he has accumulated 18 assists, with three players creating more chances than his total of 118.
