Grimsby Town 
Salford City League Two Play-Off Semi-Final: Grimsby vs Salford City
Blundell Park hosts a genuinely tasty League Two play-off semi-final on Sunday afternoon, with Grimsby welcoming Salford City to Cleethorpes. The hosts finished seventh, three points behind their opponents who came in fourth. On paper, Salford have the edge in terms of the regular season. On current form, though, Grimsby look like the more dangerous side right now.
Form
Grimsby have been flying. Four wins from their last five, including a 4-0 demolition of Swindon at home and a 4-1 win away at Gillingham. They've scored 12 goals in those five matches. That's not a team that rolls into a play-off semi-final on empty. The only blot was a 2-1 defeat at Chesterfield, and even in the draw at Tranmere they shared the goals. This is a side with real attacking momentum heading into the biggest game of their season.
Salford, by contrast, have been grinding it out. Two wins, two draws, one defeat across their last five, scoring just four goals. They beat Bromley 2-0 at home and nicked a 2-1 win at Oldham, but the goalless draws against Crawley and Gillingham suggest they can go quiet in front of goal. They've conceded only twice in that run, so the defensive structure is there, but Grimsby's attack will test that far more seriously than Crawley or Gillingham did.
Key Players
Grimsby's firepower is no secret. J. Kabia leads the charts with 17 goals this season, and K. Green has contributed 13 goals and five assists in 42 appearances. C. Vernam adds another dimension with 10 goals and 10 assists across 40 games. That's a front line with goals spread throughout, not just reliant on one man. Salford's top scorer D. Udoh has nine goals and seven assists in 35 appearances, and K. N'Mai has chipped in with five goals from 26 games, but the attacking output simply doesn't match up to what Grimsby can produce.
Both squads are expected to be fully available, with no notable absences heading into this one.
Head-to-Head
The recent H2H record leans firmly in Grimsby's favour. They won the last meeting 3-1 at Blundell Park back in March, and before that beat Salford 2-0 away in October 2025. Go back further and Grimsby took a 2-1 win at Salford in 2024/25 and a 3-0 win there the season before. Salford's only win in the last five came at Blundell Park in March 2025. Overall, four wins from five for Grimsby in this fixture, including the most recent encounter. That history carries weight in a one-off knockout context.
The Betting Angle
Salford's league position and home record over the season make them the bookmakers' slight fancy, which is why Grimsby at 2.2 looks like genuine value here. Grimsby are the better team on current form, have the superior head-to-head record, and are playing at home in front of their own supporters. Salford's away form in the regular season was shaky too, winning 11 but losing 10 on the road. Grimsby at home have been solid: 12 wins, five draws, six losses.
Goals are interesting at 1.85 either side of the 2.5 line. Grimsby's attacking output strongly suggests Over 2.5, but Salford's recent defensive resilience means it could go either way. The value play is backing the home side to win.
Odds: 2.2 โ BoyleSports
Grimsby arrive in the form of their season, with 12 goals across their last five matches and a head-to-head record that shows four wins from the last five meetings with Salford. Playing at Blundell Park, with Kabia, Green and Vernam all capable of decisive moments, the hosts look the side more likely to advance. The price at 2.2 underestimates them.