Grimsby have won three of their last five away matches
Salford have failed to score in three of their last six games
Recommended bet: Grimsby to qualify
Grimsby had to play catch up for large parts of the season and they will be attempting another rescue mission when they take on Salford in the second leg of their League Two play-off semi-final tie at the Peninsula Stadium on Friday.
The Mariners went nine league games without a victory between late October and the end of December, but they came on strong in the second half of the season, gathering 50 points from their final 24 league fixtures.
Grimsby forced their way into the play-offs with the help of impressive away wins at Gillingham (4-1) and Cambridge (2-1) and they will be targeting another big performance against Salford, who have the upper hand after Sunday’s opening leg at Blundell Park.
Salford missed an opportunity to seal automatic promotion when drawing 0-0 at Crawley in their final game of the regular season.
But they refocused in preparation for the play-offs and showed great character against Grimsby, who had got their play-off push off to the perfect start with Reece Staunton’s first-minute strike.
Goals from Kallum Cesay and Adebola Oluwo turned the game around for the Ammies, who are favourites to seal a spot at Wembley for the fourth-tier final.
The latest Salford vs Grimsby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Salford’s Kelly N’Mai (hamstring) made his first start for over two months in Sunday’s opening leg while Ben Woodburn shook off a recent injury to feature as a substitute.
However, there was no involvement for injured defender Zach Awe and midfielder Ossama Ashley, who have been out of contention since March.
First-team regulars Reece Staunton, Harvey Rodgers and Jaze Kabia returned to Grimsby’s starting XI last weekend and should keep their places. Talented attacker Charles Vernam (Achilles) is among the options should Mariners’ manager David Artell decide to freshen things up, but Doug Tharme (hamstring) is a long-term absentee.
The latest Salford vs Grimsby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
The stats
Grimsby have won seven of their last 11 matches.
The Mariners have scored in each of their last 11 games.
Grimsby have won five of their last seven matches against Salford.
Grimsby have started the scoring in each of their last five fixtures.
All of Salford’s last nine matches have generated less than four goals.
The latest Salford vs Grimsby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Grimsby have had some ups and downs during a rollercoaster campaign and they can produce another twist by coming from behind to defeat Salford in their play-off semi-final.
David Artell’s side often seem to deliver in the toughest of circumstances
They famously overcame Manchester United in the EFL Cup second round and, more recently, delivered a 2-1 victory away to Cambridge, who experienced their first home league loss since September.
Salford performed well last Sunday but they are far from invincible on home soil.
The Ammies have suffered three home losses in 2026 and could fall short against Grimsby, who defeated them twice over the course of the fourth-tier campaign.
Back Grimsby to qualify at 3/1 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Salford vs Grimsby odds are available on LiveScore Bet
