NATIONAL LEAGUE: THE PLAY-OFFS BEGIN - PREVIEW & OPINION

The 2023/24 National League season has officially concluded and we now shift our focus onto the upcoming play-off battles in the three divisions, but what should supporters and neutrals expect over the coming weeks?

Due to the current format, the National League (NL), NL North and NL South will begin with the play-off quarter-finals which involve the sides that finished between fourth and seventh in their respective divisions, with the two winners facing second and third in the semi-finals.

However, in the National League, the standard practice has been shifted entirely with confirmation that Gateshead won’t be eligible to compete in the playoffs due to an issue involving the club’s stadium and the current EFL regulations.

This originally gave Solihull Moors an automatic bye into the semi-finals where they would travel to Barnet, leaving Altrincham to face FC Halifax Town. This was then changed again as the National League went back on their word, removed the bye off Solihull Moors and awarded it to Altrincham, leaving Solihull to face Halifax instead.

With that being stated, let’s dive into each of the three divisions ahead of Tuesday’s play-off quarter-finals…

National League

Following the controversy surrounding Gateshead, there is now only one National League quarter-final taking place, which is on Wednesday (24th) as Solihull Moors host FC Halifax Town. Andy Whing’s side finished fifth in the table but have the 14th-best home record in the entire division and face a Halifax side that secured their spot on the final day of the season.

The winner of the match on Wednesday will have less than 72 hours to prepare, ahead of their play-off semi-final trip to Barnet who finished second in the table. Meanwhile, Altrincham’s bye means they automatically qualify for Sunday’s semi-final away to Andy Woodman’s Bromley.

Unsurprisingly, the winner of the two matches will face off at Wembley Stadium for an opportunity to make it into the EFL alongside Chesterfield next season.

Who do I think will get promoted?

Once again the National League continues to improve in quality within each given season and it is genuinely difficult to call. Altrincham play some of the best football in the entire division and have the division’s best footballer in Chris Conn-Clarke. Barnet and Bromley have been excellent all season, with the former having EFL experience as recently as the 2017/18 campaign, whilst FC Halifax Town are heading into the playoffs as the underdogs.

However, I have to back Solihull Moors based on their experience and never-say-die attitude, although they will need to maximise all of their strengths to even make it to the grand final at Wembley Stadium.

National League North

Tuesday will see the first of two quarter-finals in the NL North as Alfreton Town host Boston United, before Chorley host Curzon Ashton 24 hours later. There have been 12 goals in the previous three matches between Alfreton and Boston, with six points and eight goals going to Alfreton. Meanwhile, Chorley narrowly missed out on the top three and face a Curzon side that have lost back-to-back matches against the Magpies, scoring zero and conceding five.

The winner of Tuesday’s match will travel to Scunthorpe United on Saturday in the hope of pulling off a big upset, whilst Wednesday’s clash will see the winning side travel to an in-form Brackley Town who have been scoring goals for fun heading into the play-offs.

After the two winners have been decided, they will meet in the play-off final on Saturday 4th May with a place in the National League up for grabs.

Who do I think will get promoted?

In competitions such as the play-offs, you need your side to have form and belief and this is something that a couple of these sides have. Scunthorpe United are by far the biggest club in the competition but their recent form has massively suffered. Alfreton, Curzon and Chorley are all strong sides whilst Boston United have a well-drilled side.

However, Brackley Town are my pick to win the play-offs. The club added plenty of National League experience over the summer as well as posing excellent attacking options such as Danny Newton and Connor Hall and I think they’ll be too strong for the other teams.

National League South

Following a similar pattern, Tuesday will also see the first NL South quarter-final as Braintree Town host Bath City in what is expected to be a closely fought match between two strong sides. Wednesday will see FA Cup giantkiller’s Maidstone United host an in-form Aveley side who are pushing for back-to-back promotions.

The winner of semi-final ‘A’ will travel to Chelmsford City on Saturday in what is expected to be another excellent battle for a place in the grand final. Meanwhile, Wednesday’s winners will face a difficult task against Worthing who hold some of the division’s best attackers including Danny Cashman and Ollie Pearce.

However, unlike the NL North, the two winning sides will face off on Monday 6th May for the opportunity to join the National League line-up for the 2024/25 season.

Who do I think will get promoted?

To be brutally honest, I believe the NL South is the toughest playoff competition in this article. Several teams pose similar runs of form and each one has their unique traits that will help them break into the National League. Aveley pulling out all the stops to ensure they continue their charge for back-to-back promotions and deserve a huge sense of credit for their efforts. Worthing are likely to be many people’s favourites and although I can understand why, their defence has a habit of conceding a lot of goals.

However, despite Maidstone having all the belief from their famous FA Cup run, I have a gut feeling that Chelmsford City will turn up the heat when it matters. The club have lost just four of their last 22 league games and in-form talents like George Alexander and Jermaine Francis will be desperate to help their side reach the National League.

Which side are you most looking forward to watching and also which side do you want to see promoted in each of the three divisions? Let us know on Twitter @TheSportsDeckUK or @CallumTDUK.

The post National League: The Play-Offs Begin – Preview & Opinion first appeared on The Deck.

2024-04-23T08:30:30Z dg43tfdfdgfd