Grimsby Town won both of their League Two games against Salford this season and were one of three sides to complete a league double over them, along with Chesterfield and Crewe Alexandra.
Salford City have lost five of their last six matches against Grimsby – all in League Two – with their only win in this sequence coming at Blundell Park in the 2024-25 campaign, a 1-0 victory.
This will be the first time since the 2005-06 season that Grimsby Town have featured in the EFL play-offs, the longest wait of any side to be taken part in this season’s play-offs across the Championship, League One and League Two.
Salford City are taking part in just their second ever EFL play-off campaign – they were eliminated on penalties by Stockport County in 2022-23 after a 2-2 draw on aggregate. They won the first leg 1-0 before losing the second leg 2-1.
Grimsby have lost just one of their prior six EFL play-off matches (W4 D1), a 1-0 defeat to Cheltenham Town in the 2005-06 League Two play-off final.
Only MK Dons (86) scored more League Two goals during the regular season than Grimsby (74), while the Mariners topped the charts for shots on target (219, level with Barnet) and xG (75.6) and were second for overall shots (637) and touches in the opposition box (1,308).
The only player to register double figures for both goals and assists in League Two this season was Grimsby’s Charles Vernam (10 goals, 10 assists). He had 85 shots and created 70 chances (155 in total), with only Mitch Pinnock having more combined (208 – 71 shots, 137 chances created).
Salford’s Jorge Grant ranked first among his teammates for chances created (58), tackles (74), interceptions (42) and possession won (187) in League Two this season.
