Notts County v Chesterfield National League Play-off Final: Back Langstaff in 12/1 treble

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The showpiece event

The National League play-off final is the bookend to an incredible campaign in non-league's top tier that has seen a team relegated with 50 points, a play-off scrap that went down to the wire and a record breaking title race.

It promises to be another electric occasion as Notts County and Chesterfield do battle in front of around 40 thousand fans on the grandest stage in a bid to return to the familiarity of the Football League after spending what they feel has been far too long in non-league.

Notts County come into this as favourites having been involved in a title race like no other, finishing as runners-up despite breaking for the record for most goals scored and drawing level for fewest games lost.

Had it not been for Wrexham, Luke Williams' side would have also attained records for most points and most wins too.

Another record broken was biggest gap between second and third, Paul Cook's Chesterfield finishing an incredible 23 points behind their local rivals.

However, all those records go out of the window with just 90 minutes separating the two teams and promotion.

National League play-offs means goals

For the 2017-18 season, the National League introduced a new play-off format that saw six teams compete in one-off matches for a place in the final.

The idea behind it was to increase jeopardy for the final weeks of the season and give more advantage to the sides that finish higher in the league table.

It has worked out brilliantly with high stakes, high drama and a high number of goals. Both sides have scored in 14 of the last 15 play-off matches overall, including all four of this year's match-ups, and four of the last five finals.

There is plenty of reason to believe we will see the same in the final. Both Notts County and Chesterfield reached the final on the back of 3-2 victories secured after extra time, continuing an approach that saw over 60% of their league matches finish with both teams finding the net.

Battles between the two sides this season finished 2-2 and 2-1 in open, attacking affairs and followed a trait for Notts who saw both teams score in ten of their 12 league matches against fellow top seven opponents.

Langstaff the man to back

Despite the Spireites side being the most dangerous opposition in the play-offs for Luke Williams' men, I'm backing the Magpies to secure their return to the EFL come the final whistle.

They've shown an elite mentality this season, as proven in their semi-final comeback against Boreham Wood, that should carry them through in the final.

If they are to win the game, they will need talisman Macaulay Langstaff on song. The 41-goal striker and National League Player of the Year has often set the tone, scoring the first goal on 20 occasions this season - almost half of the games he has played.

Langstaff didn't find the net last weekend but was close on a couple of occasions, narrowly missing the target twice with curling efforts and firing over with a snapshot from a deflected cross.

No player has had more touches in the opposition area, more shots per 90 minutes or accrued a higher xG than the ex-Gateshead man.

It wouldn't be the first time he has hurt Chesterfield this season, scoring three goals in two outings.

Chesterfield haven't learned their lesson either, leaving Adam Marriott and Michael Cheek free in the area to score from close range in the semi-final.