League One Play-Offs 2021 : Mon Aug 30, 2021 3:00 pm  

This is how I believe the 2021 play-offs in League One look:

The top team in League One is automatically promoted with teams two to six playing off for the other promotion spot.

The play-offs will start on the weekend of 17th September. The games are being shown on Our League.

Week One: Elimination Final (EF): Team Five v Team Six (the loser plays no further part)
Week One: Qualifying Final (QF): Team Three v Team Four (neither side is eliminated)
Team Two goes through to Week Two without playing.

Week Two: First Semi-Final: Loser of QF v Winner of EF (loser eliminated, winner plays in Week Three)
Week Two: Second Semi-Final: Team Two v Winner of QF (winner at home in the final, loser plays in Week Three)

Week Three: Preliminary Final (PF): Loser of Second Semi-Final v Winner of First Semi-Final (loser eliminated)

Week Four: Winner of Second Semi-Final v Winner of PF

The first named team has home advantage in each of the fixtures. The team finishing second can win the play-offs in two matches, both of which would be at home. If they lose their first game, they wouldn't be at home should they reach the final.

If we can finish third, we'd be at home in Week One; finishing fourth would mean we'd be away. The loser gets another chance. Finishing fifth or sixth gives a tough route through the rounds.

No team seems to have any cancelled games re-arranged so it appears there are just two rounds left to play. This is how it stands on Monday 30th August with possible points percentages listed based on whether teams win two, one or no games:

Barrow: 76.67% Two Wins 79.41, One Win 73.53, No Wins 67.64
Workington: 73.08%, Two Wins 73.08, One Win 70.00, No Wins 63.33
N Wales: 66.67%, Two Wins 70.50, One Win 64.71, No Wins 58.82
Dons: 63.33%, Two Wins 67.64, One Win 61.76, No Wins 55.88
Keighley: 59.38%, Two Wins 63.88, One Win, 58.33, No Wins 52.77
Hunslet: 53.13%, Two Wins 58.33, One Win 52.77, No Wins 44.73
Rochdale: 50.00%, Two Wins 55.88, One Win 50.00, No Wins 44.11

Remaining Games:

Barrow: Rochdale (A), West Wales (H)
Workington: Skolars (A), Hunslet (H)
N Wales: Keighley (A), Skolars (H)
Dons: Coventry (H), Keighley (H)
Keighley: N Wales (H), Dons (A)
Rochdale: Barrow (H), Coventry (H)
Hunslet: West Wales (H), Workington (A)

Theoretically, the Dons could be tied for top with Barrow if we win our last two and Barrow lose both but they've got W Wales at home in their last match! If Workington win against either Skolars (A) or Hunslet (H), we can can't catch them.

We appear to be in a battle for third, fourth, and fifth with N Wales and Keighley.

If Keighley beat N Wales next weekend, two Dons' wins would mean we'd finish third, although this would also mean we'd have to beat Keighley in the last match to stay above them. If N Wales beat Keighley, a win for us against Coventry would mean Keighley couldn't catch us, so we couldn't finish lower than fourth.

I will update these details after the next round of games.

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sat Sep 04, 2021 5:13 pm  

Workington win 35 -18 in London.

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 4:17 pm  

N Wales lost at Keighley today. Dons are now in third place. I'll update the thread with options/possibilities with one round left to play later this evening.

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:32 pm  

This is how things stand with one round left to go:

If Barrow beat West Wales next Saturday, they’ll be champions and will be promoted automatically.

Workington can’t be caught for second even if they lose their last match. Everyone else is playing for positions three to six.

If we beat Keighley, we’re guaranteed to be third.

If we lose to Keighley, Keighley will definitely finish above us.

If we lose and North Wales beat London Skolars, they will also finish ahead of us.

If Hunslet beat Workington, who probably won’t have anything to play for as Barrow play on Saturday, Hunslet could also finish in front of us too, if we lose to Keighley.

The best case scenario for the Dons is that a win next week means we will be third regardless.

If we lose, we could finish fourth, fifth or six depending how the other results go.

If we lose and N Wales win, we'd finish fifth providing Hunslet don't beat Workington. If Hunslet beat Workington, we would finish sixth.

We can’t finish below sixth so a play-off spot is guaranteed.

We need to get the third spot to be at home in the play-offs.

Finishing fifth or sixth gives a difficult play-off route although fifth spot would mean a home tie against sixth in week one.

Keighley will certainly be up for it next week as they know a win will mean they will finish fourth at worst and will avoid the awkward route faced by teams five and six.

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:44 pm  

BIIIIIG game Mike.

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:53 pm  

Lets hope 1 of the half backs return from injury.

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:58 pm  

weighman wrote:

Lets hope 1 of the half backs return from injury.

That could be massive. I hope so

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:59 pm  

Rob Nash wrote:

BIIIIIG game Mike.

Certainly is a big one, Rob!

We didn't seem to have quite the same intensity in the Coventry game as we'd had in the previous two games.

With all the ex-Dons' players on the scene next week, it won't be a place for the feint-hearted!

I can't wait!

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sun Sep 05, 2021 7:40 pm  

Horses for courses Mike. Today was a strange one. I hope Zach is fit next week. I don't think he came back on. Ross needs to step up. If they're both available I'd expect them to take it to Keighley. Aside from that the halfback situation is absolutely key. I (again) wait with baited breath the squad announcement.

Re: League One Play-Offs 2021 : Sun Sep 12, 2021 4:15 pm  

The play-offs now look like this:

Week One: N Wales v Keighley & Dons v Hunslet (loser is eliminated)

Week Two: Loser of N Wales v Keighley plays Winner of Dons v Hunslet (loser is eliminated)
Week Two: Workington v Winner of N Wales v Keighley (loser gets a second chance)