National League playoffs: who will be promoted to the EFL?

TV: starts BT Sport 1, 7pm Wednesday

After the season came to a close last weekend, Wednesday sees the beginning of the National League playoffs with six teams vying to join Leyton Orient in the Football League.

Fylde host Harrogate and Eastleigh travel to Wrexham in the quarter-finals, while Salford and Solihull await the winners of those at the weekend.

It’s difficult to see Eastleigh progressing very far after they failed to win their last four away matches and conceded a shocking 12 goals across those fixtures, while Harrogate are in a similar boat with two wins from their last nine.

Wrexham boast the best home record in the league and conceded just 13 goals at the Racecourse Ground all season. Four defeats in five during March wrote off their hopes of automatic promotion, but Bryan Hughes’s side have since returned to form and there are certainly worse 6-1 shots out there.

Fylde meanwhile have reached the playoffs for the second successive season and boast dangerman Danny Rowe, the league’s top scorer with 27 goals this term, among their ranks.

Solihull have been solid throughout and Tim Flowers has arguably been the manager of the season across England’s top five divisions, taking the west Midlands club from an expected relegation battle to finishing just three points off top spot.

However, lack of experience may get the better of them and they could be vulnerable if things don’t go their way early on.

Salford understandably are favourites for promotion and went on a run of nine wins and a draw through March and April. But they rounded off their campaign with two defeats and look too short to back considering the quality they are up against.

Fylde look the value to earn promotion, especially when factoring in that they defeated Salford at the Peninsula Stadium just over a week ago. The Coasters also did the double over Solihull this season, and should continue their fearless approach during the playoffs.

In the National League North playoffs, Chorley were incredibly unlucky to miss out on automatic promotion, and that may haun. Brackley are the pick to progress.

Last season’s FA Trophy winners have been in phenomenal form since the New Year, winning 14 of their 19 league games, and look the team to beat.

National League final standings

Recommendations
AFC Fylde to be promoted from National League
2pts 6-1 bet365, Ladbrokes
Brackley to be promoted from National League North
1pt 9-4 bet365

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport