Notts County have recent play-off evidence AFC Wimbledon simply cannot ignore - Wembley is a long way away | OneFootball

The Magpies will be hoping to recreate their incredible semi-final comeback from their days in the National League.

Notts County must channel memories of their incredible 2023 comeback from the National League play-off semi-final in order to turn the tide of their tie with AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

Luke Williams’ side found themselves 2-0 down at home to Boreham Wood at half-time of their semi-final clash, before an Aden Baldwin brace (including a dramatic last-gasp equaliser) drew them level and set them up to go on and win in extra-time.

This year, the Magpies are 1-0 down heading into the second leg, having fallen to defeat to Johnnie Jackson’s men at Meadow Lane on Saturday night.

However, while Wimbledon undoubtedly hold the advantage at this moment in time, Notts’ 2023 turnaround is recent evidence that shows that they are still a long way away from Wembley, despite their slender lead at present.

Notts’ 2023 comeback was incredible

Back in 2022/23, Notts were locked in what would surely be considered the most intense title race that the National League has ever seen.

Up against Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham, the Magpies were simply relentless, and yet still ended up missing out on automatic promotion.

Williams’ charges finished the campaign with a scarcely believable 107 points, a record total for a second-placed side, only for the Red Dragons to finish on 111.

Crucially, Notts fell to defeat away at the Racecourse Ground four games from the end of the season, a result which was just their third defeat of the campaign, but ultimately proved to be their undoing.

As Wrexham celebrated their return to the Football League for the first time in 15 years, Williams’ men were forced to pick themselves up and go again in the play-offs.

However, with the National League’s play-off system comprising solely of one-off games, with no second legs, it was always likely to be a treacherous pathway for Notts.

With a crowd of over 16,000 at Meadow Lane for the semi-final, they came up against a Boreham Wood outfit who had finished some 35 points behind them in the final table.

The unthinkable seemed to be on the cards at half-time, with the Magpies facing a 2-0 deficit and staring down the barrel of another season in non-league. However, what followed was nothing short of incredible.

Just two minutes after half-time, centre-back Aden Baldwin (now of Bradford City) crashed home his first goal of the season, from around 35 yards.

The hosts continued to build pressure as the second half wore on, and that culminated in Ruben Rodrigues seeing a 64th-minute spot-kick saved.

The Magpies maintained their belief, though, and eventually found the equaliser when Baldwin headed home his second deep into stoppage time.

Having saved themselves in unbelievable fashion, Jodi Jones sent Notts to Wembley in the final minutes of extra time, before they ultimately secured promotion under the famous arch.

Notts will need a similar turnaround at the weekend

If the Magpies are to overturn their deficit and secure a second trip to Wembley in the space of three years on Saturday afternoon, then they will desperately need to channel the kind of heart and character shown in that Boreham Wood clash.

Although Stuart Maynard’s side have enjoyed a largely excellent away record this season, there are few tougher assignments in League Two than a trip to Plough Lane.

The Dons have won 13 of their 23 games on home turf, and only Bradford can boast a better home record than Jackson’s men.

With that in mind, while the deficit is only one goal at present, Notts are surely facing a significant uphill battle standing between them and a place in the final.

If they are to book their spot at Wembley, then they will have to overcome what is a torrid record for the club historically. The world’s oldest football league club have beaten AFC Wimbledon just once in their seven meetings, while they failed to win a single one of their six encounters against the Dons in their original guise.

However, if Maynard’s side can snatch the first goal on Saturday, then it could throw the tie right back into the balance. The visitors must surely be hoping to start the game with energy and intensity, knowing that all the pressure is on their hosts.

It’s fair to say that everything is stacked against Notts for their trip to South West London on Saturday lunchtime. However, the play-offs have shown time and again that they can write the most unexpected storylines.