Summary

  • FT: Salford 1-0 Stockport in League Two semi-final first leg

  • Smith bundles in first-half winner to give Salford edge in tie

  • FT: Sunderland 2-1 Luton in Championship semi-final first leg

  • Adebayo gives Hatters lead but Diallo & Hume reply for hosts

  • FT: Bolton 1-1 Barnsley in League One semi-final first leg

  • Tykes lead through Cadden but Charles levels for Wanderers

  • Get involved using #bbcefl

  1. 'Good tempo from both sides'published at 15:14 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    Bolton 0-0 Barnsley

    David Preece
    Former Barnsley keeper on BBC Radio Sheffield

    If this first 10 minutes is anything to go by this is going to be one hell of a battle between Bolton's Conor Bradley and Barnsley's Nicky Cadden.

    There's a good tempo from both sides, pressing high.

  2. Postpublished at 11 mins

    Bolton 0-0 Barnsley

    Bolton striker Dion Charles will want this one back!

    The Northern Ireland international shows good movement to get free around the penalty spot but he slashes his shot from Elias Kachunga's low cross high and wide.

  3. Postpublished at 8 mins

    Bolton 0-0 Barnsley

    Bolton v BarnsleyImage source, Rex Features

    Both teams zipping the ball about with real purpose in these opening minutes.

    The away team win a corner, their first, but the home side get it away from danger.

  4. Postpublished at 5 mins

    Bolton 0-0 Barnsley

    Northern Ireland interneational Conor Bradley has been a revelation on loan at Bolton from Liverpool.

    Reds gaffer Jurgen Klopp has said the intention is for him to be involved with the first team at Anfield next season.

    He's made a lively start today down the home side's right.

  5. Postpublished at 2 mins

    Bolton 0-0 Barnsley

    Bolton missed chanceImage source, Rex Features

    Bolton win an attacking free-kick down by the corner flag in the opening 20 seconds for a foul on Conor Bradley.

    The ball's swung into the middle and it comes off a couple of Trotters players and goes wide.

    That could have gone anywhere!

  6. KICK-OFFpublished at 15:01 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    Bolton 0-0 Barnsley

    Michael Duff and Ian EvattImage source, Rex Features

    What a day for some play-off football this is.

    Game one of three is under way, let's hope it's another cracker.

    Off we go!

  7. get involved

    Get Involved using #bbceflpublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    What's the maddest play-off game you remember?

    This season's EFL play-offs started in style last night with that shock 4-0 thumping of Sheffield Wednesday by Peterborough.

    But can you remember a play-off tie that was *even crazier* than that?

    Send us your suggestions using #bbcefl on Twitter and we can take a trip down memory lane.

  8. Summer, summer, summertimepublished at 14:55 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    Bolton v Barnsley (15:00 BST)

    Tom Gayle
    BBC Radio 5 Live commentator at the University of Bolton Stadium

    Bolton v BarnsleyImage source, Rex Features

    Arriving at the University of Bolton Stadium, if I was to pick an appropriate backing track it would have been Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.

    Shades, shorts and short sleeves are the standard uniform, and the fan zone is packed - so to the nearby beer garden.

    Home fans out in force.

  9. Tale of the tapepublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    Bolton v Barnsley (15:00 BST)

    Bolton celebrateImage source, Getty Images

    It's honours even across the three meetings between the sides this season.

    The teams drew 0-0 in the league meeting in Lancashire back in October before the Tykes claimed a 2-1 away win in an FA Cup first-round tie the following month.

    The Trotters got their revenge in January with a 3-0 win at Oakwell, after the home side had skipper Mads Andersen sent off after 10 minutes.

    If you care to go a bit further back then it's certainly advantage Bolton in terms of the past 30 years.

    Barnsley haven't beaten Wanderers in a league game since a 2-1 win over them in the Premier League in 1997-98, and their last away win at Bolton in a league game was at their old Burnden Park home way back in 1994.

  10. Can Tykes rediscover top form in time?published at 14:50 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    Bolton v Barnsley (15:00 BST)

    Andy Giddings
    Sports Editor, BBC Sheffield

    Barnsley playersImage source, Rex Features

    “I’ve been looking forward to this for three weeks” - the opening words at the press conference from Barnsley boss Michael Duff before their fascinating play-off tie with Bolton.

    Those words nod to the only concern - after a great season - that some momentum may have been lost in the closing stages. But they’ve been comfortably fourth for a long time and proven they are a very good side.

    Few were expecting the Reds to be play-off contenders this year after their chaotic relegation from the Championship in 2021-22 but Duff has assembled a talented, balanced squad, with good competition for places.

    If they can rediscover their top form they’ll be great to watch, full of energy, and out to prove they’ll be the team no-one wants to face in the play-offs.

  11. Team Newspublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    Bolton v Barnsley (15:00 BST)

    Bolton boss Ian Evatt makes six changes from the side that started their final game of the regular season at Bristol Rovers. Leading scorer Dion Charles and goalkeeper James Trafford are among the half-dozen recalled.

    Barnsley make just two changes from their final day reverse to Peterborough that saw Posh clinch a play-off spot. Skipper Mads Andersen returns from injury and striker Slobodan Tedic gets the nod up top.

    Bolton XI: Trafford, Johnston, Santos, Toal, R Williams, Morley, Dempsey, Bradley, Sheehan, Kachunga, Charles.

    Subs: John, M Williams, Nlundulu, Lee, Thomason, Adeboyejo, Jerome.

    Barnsley XI: Isted; B Thomas, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Kane, Connell, Phillips, Cadden; Cole, Tedic.

    Subs: Collins, Russell, Norwood, Benson, L Thomas, Larkeche, Watters.

  12. The day after the night beforepublished at 14:43 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    FT: Peterborough 4-0 Sheff Wed

    Peterborough celebrateImage source, PA Media

    Fans of Peterborough and Sheffield Wednesday could have been forgiven for waking up this morning and asking, for very different reasons, 'did that really happen?'

    It was a truly remarkable night of play-off football in Cambridgeshire as Posh ran out 4-0 winners over a shell-shocked Wednesday.

    The Owls had finished three places and 19 points above Darren Ferguson's men but for them it was a night where everything that could go wrong, did.

    Goals from Jack Taylor and Joe Ward put the home side 2-0 up at the break and Kwame Poku and top-scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris added the icing to the cake after the interval.

    No team in play-off history has ever overcome a three-goal first-leg deficit so it doesn't seem unfair to say that it looks like the Owls are facing mission impossible in the second leg at Hillsborough on Thursday.

  13. Here we go again...published at 14:40 British Summer Time 13 May 2023

    #bbcefl

    What an introduction we had to this season's EFL play-offs last night!

    Peterborough stunned Sheffield Wednesday to cruise to a thumping 4-0 win over the Owls and leave themselves in a great position to reach Wembley.

    Can today's three play-off matches live up to that kind of drama?

    First up we've got the other League One match-up as Bolton host Barnsley, then it's up to the North East for the Championship semi-final between Sunderland and Luton and we finish in Salford for their League Two derby with Stockport.

    The sun is shining and let's hope the football is just as sweet.

    Let's get cracking!

    Bolton playersImage source, Rex Features
    Image caption,

    Different strokes for different folks. Bolton's players have turned up suited and booted for the occasion...

    Michael DuffImage source, Rex Features
    Image caption,

    But Barnsley gaffer Michael Duff is sticking with the tracksuit look