EFL play-offs 2024/.25: Which League One and League Two teams will reach Wembley?

Ahead of the start of the Sky Bet League One and League Two play-off semi-finals this weekend, we take a look at the clubs preparing to battle it out for a place at Wembley.

Leyton Orient vs Stockport

Saturday May 10, 12.30pm – Live on Sky Sports

Kelman holds the key for Orient express

Charlie Kelman has scored more goals than any other player in the top four tiers since the turn of the year.

The Leyton Orient striker, on loan from QPR, has hit 15 this year, four more than both Alexander Isak and Mo Salah, to finish as League One’s top scorer on 21.

His clinical finishing and relentless energy have made him the heartbeat of Orient’s attack, and the biggest reason they’re still in the promotion hunt.

Orient themselves have had a more mixed 2025. It started with a narrow, but memorable, defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup and was soon followed by five consecutive league defeats which looked to have ended hopes of a play-off finish.

But a run of just one loss in their final 10 games, that concluded with a six-game winning streak, earned them sixth and a reputation of being the side no one wants to face.

Richie Wellens’ team has already defied expectations once this season – don’t be surprised if they do it again.
David Richardson

Promotion king Challinor targets more Stockport success

Stockport County boss Dave Challinor is a promotion specialist – he’s gunning for the EIGHTH of his managerial career.

The 49-year-old has lifted County from the National League to third in League One, finishing the season with just two defeats in their last 21 league games.

Challinor has won promotion in the previous five divisions he has managed, working his way up from the eighth tier with Colwyn Bay, AFC Fylde and Hartlepool. In each of the last 14 seasons, he has finished either in the play-offs or as promotion winners.

His 3-4-2-1 formation has delivered 168 league goals in the last two seasons and only champions Birmingham scored more in this campaign.

Now just three games away from the Championship, Challinor’s relentless rise through the ranks shows no signs of slowing. With Stockport riding the momentum of a stellar season and his track record of success, few would bet against him adding to his remarkable managerial resume.
David Richardson

Second leg on Wednesday May 14, 8pm – Live on Sky Sports

Sunday May 11, 6.30pm – Live on Sky Sports

Can Wycombe learn from very recent history?

Since their first-ever Championship season ended with relegation in 2020/21, Wycombe have pushed hard to get back there. They reached the play-off final in 2021/22, but were beaten by Sunderland. In 2022/23, they finished eight points off sixth and in 2023/24, it was 11.

Last summer, a takeover by billionaire businessman Mikheil Lomtadze was completed and the good feeling continued into the season. In a league containing heavyweights Birmingham and Wrexham, it was the Chairboys that were top at the end of November, having won eight on the trot.

In January, however, they were rocked by the departure of Matt Bloomfield, who left for Luton after the best part of 22 years at Adams Park. There was potential for the promotion push to crumble as a result, but Mike Dodds took over and led them to the play-offs, even though hopes of automatic promotion were alive until April 26.

Their only worry is that they faced each of the other three League One play-off semi-finalists in their last three games and lost all three – including 4-0 against Charlton on April 21. Lessons need to be learned.
Dan Long

Charlton well placed to challenge after superb turnaround

Results suggested Charlton were sleepwalking to another season of mid-table mediocrity in the first few months of this season. But they were still well under a year into the Nathan Jones-led rebuild – and since the start of December, everything has clicked into gear.

Across the last 29 games of the season, 87 points were available – and with 19 wins and six draws in that time, the Addicks took 63 of them. Without their struggles at the start, it would have been title-winning form.

It is particularly impressive given the club finished only nine points above the relegation zone in 2023/24.

“We’ve asked, ‘give us time and we’ll build you something,'” Jones told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview in March. “And we’ve got that. And now we’re in a really good place. We’ve achieved nothing. Absolutely nothing. But we’re in a categorically better position than we were last year.”

And so it goes without saying their chances of ending a five-year exile in League One look highly favourable.
Dan Long

Second leg on Thursday May 15, 8pm – Live on Sky Sports

Saturday May 10, 8pm – Live on Sky Sports

Notts County’s fearsome front two make them favourites

Notts County’s form was patchy at the end of the regular season. In their last 14 games, they won four, drew three and lost seven, with only a three-point cushion between themselves and Salford in seventh.

But what sets them apart – and is no doubt a significant reason as to why they are favourites for promotion – is their fearsome strikeforce, made up of Alassana Jatta and David McGoldrick.

Between them, the pair have 36 league goals and seven assists this season; Jatta has 19 and four, McGoldrick 17 and three. Only Bromley’s Michael Cheek – League Two Player of the Year – scored more (25).

It is worth noting this is Gambia international Jatta’s first full season in English football, following his move from Danish side Viborg in February 2024 – and veteran frontman McGoldrick is only five months away from his 38th birthday.

They will each have their own reasons for carrying that form in the play-offs, too. Jatta was reportedly targeted by Championship clubs in January, while McGoldrick has the chance to secure promotion for his hometown club, who gave him his professional debut 21 years ago.

Wimbledon will need to be at their best to stifle this duo.
Dan Long

Wimbledon aiming for four from four in play-offs

They started the season with four wins from five, but it is only really since the end of 2024 that AFC Wimbledon have been in the promotion mix.

Between Boxing Day and February 22, Johnnie Jackson’s side went on a 12-game unbeaten run, which included eight clean sheets. That propelled them to third and created a six-point cushion between themselves and Grimsby in eighth.

From March onwards, they stuttered. There were chances to climb back into a closely-contested top three, but they were passed up. There were only four wins in the final 14, though one of those did come on the final day.

With just two victories in the last nine, now is the time to draw on the club’s previous experience in the play-offs; in 2007/08, they were promoted from the Isthmian Premier Division, in 2010/11, they were promoted from the Conference and five years later, in 2015/16, they did the same in League Two.

History is important at Plough Lane and getting back to League One after three seasons is non-negotiable.
Dan Long

Second leg on Saturday May 17, 12.30pm – Live on Sky Sports

Sunday May 11, 3.30pm – Live on Sky Sports

Cook heats up back-to-back promotion hopes despite injuries

“Our season was summed up in the second half where it offers so much but ends with so little.”

That was manager Paul Cook’s verdict after Chesterfield’s shock 4-0 defeat to lowly Tranmere at the start of April. It turned out to be their only defeat in their final 13 matches of a season that may well end with so much.

Chesterfield were well backed for another promotion push after coming up as National League champions. Injuries have blighted their season yet now with a more settled side they have shown their true potential.

Attacking midfielder Liam Mandeville has shone while a 33-year-old Will Grigg is their top scorer with 12, scoring in each of the last three games, although a recent injury to forward Armando Dobra has come at a bad time.

Despite the setbacks, their season can still turn into a memorable success.
David Richardson

Do Walsall have grit to salvage promotion?

A 4-2 win over MK Dons on January 18 was Walsall’s ninth in succession. They were 12 points clear at the top of the league, with a game in hand, and a League Two title win looked nailed on.

Their drop-off after that was quite something. In the 21 games that followed, they won just three times, with 10 draws and eight defeats. While the fact Stoke recalled top scorer Nathan Lowe from his loan spell in January played a part, it cannot be put down as the only factor.

Even so, on the final day, they were on course to finish third. Until Antoni Sarcevic’s 96th-minute winner for Bradford against Fleetwood, that was. While Bradford went up as a result, the Saddlers missed out on automatic promotion by a single point.

The question now is whether Mat Sadler’s side can summon the mettle to give this rollercoaster promotion push one last effort.
Dan Long

Second leg on Friday May 16, 8pm – Live on Sky Sports

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