Notts County beats Salford 3-0 to secure League One

Notts County secured a return to League One for the first time in 11 years with a commanding 3-0 victory over Salford City in the League Two playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Monday, May 25. The win, achieved in sweltering temperatures that neared 37 degrees Celsius, capped a remarkable four-year journey for the world's oldest professional club from non-league football back to the third tier.

The Magpies controlled the match from the outset against a Salford side that had finished one point and one place above them in the regular season. Notts County opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when Jodi Jones played a precise through-ball for Alassana Jatta, who finished calmly for his 17th goal of the campaign. The lead was doubled just before halftime as Lucas Ness rose highest to head home from a set-piece delivery.

Salford, co-owned by a group including Sir David Beckham and Gary Neville, struggled to mount a sustained response despite a few second-half chances. The result was sealed in the 70th minute when substitute Conor Grant cut the ball back for Jones to slot home, confirming County's promotion. An official attendance of 30,851 was heavily dominated by Notts County supporters.