AFC Wimbledon vs Walsall: League Two Play-Off Final Preview

Wimbledon arrive at Wembley having dispatched Notts County with identical 1-0 wins home and away. A goal in each leg – from Riley Harbottle and Josh Neufville respectively – saw the Dons reach their first play-off final since 2016, when they famously overcame Plymouth Argyle to earn promotion. Johnnie Jackson's side have now recorded three consecutive 1-0 wins without reply and will take confidence from a defence that conceded the fewest goals (35) in League Two this season.

That said, goal-scoring has been an area of concern. Wimbledon have not netted more than once in any of their last 10 matches, although they’ve managed to find the net in each of their five EFL play-off fixtures in club history. Matty Stevens, the club’s 20-goal top scorer, will be hoping to end a 10-game drought and deliver when it matters most.

Walsall’s route to Wembley has been a tale of redemption and resilience. After leading the division by 12 points midway through the season, a collapse in form – not helped by the mid-season recall of talisman Nathan Lowe – saw them miss out on automatic promotion on the final day. A last-gasp winner for Bradford City elsewhere consigned the Saddlers to a fourth-place finish.

However, Mat Sadler's side responded superbly, defeating Chesterfield 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, thanks to a 2-0 away win and a 2-1 home success. Charlie Lakin and Levi Amantchi were both on the scoresheet in the second leg, but are expected to start on the bench again, with Sadler set to name an unchanged XI for a third straight game.

This is Walsall’s first play-off final appearance since 2001, when they beat Reading to gain promotion to the Championship. They’ll be hoping history repeats itself as they aim to end a six-year stay in the fourth tier. The Saddlers also boast the best attacking record in League Two this season, and they’ll take further encouragement from their head-to-head record against Wimbledon, having taken four points off the Dons during the regular season – including a 1-0 win at Plough Lane.

In terms of absentees, Wimbledon remain without veteran defender Sam Hutchinson following heart surgery earlier this month, but Jackson is expected to stick with the same setup that delivered back-to-back clean sheets in the semi-finals.

For Walsall, defensive duo Priestley Farquharson and Oisin McEntee, as well as forward Ellis Harrison, remain fitness doubts. Jack Earing is also racing to be available, but may not be risked from the start.

Stat to watch: Five of the last six League Two play-off finals have been won by a side scoring exactly twice in regulation time – a trend worth noting in what could be a tense, low-margin affair.

Both clubs stand just 90 minutes away from promotion – for Wimbledon, it would be a return to League One after three seasons; for Walsall, a culmination of an ambitious rebuild. Wembley awaits.