This year, 6 teams are in close contention to secure automatic promotion as 3 points separates 2nd from 6th. With about 13 matches to play, this complicated race is going right to the wire.
Walsall
Walsall are the runaway leaders of League 2, currently sitting 7 points clear of second place Bradford City.
The Saddlers went on a magnificent run of 10 wins in 11 league matches across November and December to create their lead. They did lose 15 league goal star striker Nathan Lowe in January as he was recalled from his loan by Championship strugglers Stoke City, but Walsall kept the bulk of their squad together in January and they look set to secure automatic promotion.
Although their red-hot form has slowed down recently, including blowing a 2-0 lead in added time to draw 2-2 with Cheltenham Town, Walsall still have a comfortable lead over the chaos of the chasing pack. Barring complete collapse, Matt Sadler’s side will expect to earn promotion and play League One football for the first time since 2019.
Bradford City
Bradford were relegated with Walsall in 2019, and were a Premier League side as recently as 2001, they may be poised to end their run in League Two this season.
The form of their key men has been pivotal to Bradford’s climb up the table. Antoni Sarcevic, who secured promotion with Stockport County last season, and Bobby Pointon have impressed recently, and The Bantams have 4 wins in their last 5 league games as they have closed in on the promotion favourites.
Having put in an impressive display despite losing their Vertu trophy semi-final at runaway League One leaders Birmingham, Bradford will be hoping to maintain their current form and secure themselves promotion.
Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers ended last season with a ludicrous run of form of 10 wins from their last 11 games to qualify for the playoffs, although they were defeated by Crewe Alexandra on penalties in the semi-finals.
Their impressive form has continued into the new season, and they currently find themselves 3rd in the league table. Mercurial midfielder Luke Molyneux has 11 goals and 6 assists this season, whilst veteran forward Billy Sharp has 7 league goals.
Rovers had an impressive FA Cup run, beating Hull on penalties before being knocked out by Premier League Crystal Palace in the 4th round. They have 6 wins in their last 8 games and, aside from a 5-2 defeat at Chesterfield, they have looked like promotion contenders recently. If they can repeat the form they showed at the end of last season, Doncaster are within striking distance of securing themselves automatic promotion to League One.
AFC Wimbledon
After severe flooding ruined their pitch ahead of a Carabao Cup tie with Newcastle in September, few expected the incredible form AFC Wimbledon would find themselves in ahead of the business end of the season.
The Dons have only conceded 21 goals, the fewest in the division, and they have kept 17 clean sheets across their 32 matches. They are not just a defensively solid team, as they have goal threat Matty Stevens who has 16 goals so far this season since his summer arrival from Forest Green Rovers.
AFC Wimbledon have a game in hand on many of their rivals, and if they win that game, they will leap into the automatic promotion places. They're solidity will be enough to see them win many games between now and the end of the season. If they can win enough games, they'll return to League One.
Notts County
The Magpies started last season very strongly but fell away after Luke Williams departed for Swansea City to ultimately finish 14th. This year they lost star striker Macauley Langstaff to Millwall and key playmaker Dan Crowley to MK Dons, but they have sustained their promotion charge better and are currently firmly in the mix.
County’s key men include Alassana Jatta and Jodi Jones, who has recently returned from injury after breaking the record for most assists in an English league season last year. Notts are on a strong run of form and have only lost one of their last 9 games, so Stuart Maynard’s side will be confident of breaking into the top 3 and earning promotion.
Port Vale
Port Vale had a great start to the season and led the table after matchday 17 before they fell behind Walsall. The Valiants have dropped all the way back into 6th but have at least one game in hand on all of their promotion rivals, and 2 on Bradford and Doncaster.
Ronan Curtis has been a key player for Vale this season, and his goals in both 1-0 wins against Notts County may prove pivotal. Vale haven’t had a single player score more than 7 goals across all competitions this season, and their lack of goal threat has seen them score 41 goals this season, which is less than any of their direct rivals.
Having been relegated from League One last season, Vale are on the right track to secure an immediate return. If they can win their games in hand they will be well placed to do so, but they will need to score more goals to earn their return.
The Race for the Playoffs
The playoffs will be occupied by the teams in 4th place to 7th, meaning 3 of the above sides who miss out on automatic promotion will likely make the playoffs. That leaves one spot up for grabs, which will likely be occupied by Crewe Alexandra, Grimsby Town or Salford City unless a team from midtable makes a Doncaster Rovers esc run.
Crewe were firmly in the race for automatic promotion until a couple of months ago, but they recently went on a run of 6 games without a victory to down to 7th. The Railwaymen lost in the playoff final last season against Crawley Town, but they might get a second chance in the playoffs this time around.
Grimsby Town have won their last 4 in a row, including a 2-1 win at Doncaster Rovers, to close in on the top 7. The Mariners are only 1 point behind Crewe, but with a game in hand, giving them the advantage in the playoff race.
Salford City also have a game in hand on Crewe meaning they are also poised to close the gap. The Red Devils are in the middle of a season defining run, as they have just played and lost to both AFC Wimbledon and Port Vale and are due to host Bradford City and Crewe Alexandra. Securing victories against these sides will be crucial if they are to earn the final playoff place.
Summary
With each team having under a third of their season still to go, the closeness of the table means there is a lot to play for between now and the final match of the season in early May.
Each of the outlined teams will be dreaming of earning promotion and the tightness of the division means each one may realistically achieve their goals. The business end of the League Two season has plenty of twists and turns to come, and it will be one watch over the coming months.
