Championship Playoff Semi-FInal First Leg Facts

Ipswich v Norwich

Ipswich have lost each of their last four derbies against Norwich, their worst ever run against their rivals.

Lewis Grabban netted in both regular season matches against the Tractor Boys this season.

Ipswich haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 10 home matches against Norwich.

The Canaries have scored 12 times in their last four games against Ipswich, averaging three per game.

Ipswich have won the Championship playoffs once (in 1999/2000). Their other six appearances have ended at the semi-final stage, last making the playoffs in 2004/05.

Norwich have been in the Championship playoffs once before, losing on penalties to Birmingham in the 2001/02 final.

Daryl Murphy has scored the opening goal more often than any other Championship player this season (11).

No midfielder has scored more goals in the Championship this season than Bradley Johnson (15, level with Bakary Sako and Matt Ritchie).

Freddie Sears has scored five times in his last four at Portman Road.

Only champions Bournemouth (573) had more shots in the Championship than Norwich this campaign (570).

Mick McCarthy's previous two playoff campaigns have ended at the semi-final stage, losing on penalties to Crystal Palace with Sunderland in 2003/04 and being beaten by West Bromwich Albion in 2006/07 with Wolves.

League One

Chesterfield v Preston

Preston won 2-0 in their previous meeting with Chesterfield at the Proact Stadium this season, with the other match ending 3-3.

Chesterfield have failed to score in four of their last five league meetings with Preston.

Joe Garner scored three goals in his two games against the Spireites this season.

The Spireites have lost each of their last four home games with Preston, failing to score in each one.

Preston have made the play-offs nine times in the past, losing each of the three times they reached the final. However, they've never reached the final of the third-tier play-offs.

This will be Chesterfield's third play-off appearance, and first since 1995. They've reached the final on both of their previous appearances, losing to Cambridge in 1990 and beating Bury in 1995 (both fourth tier).

North End's defeat at Colchester on the final day was the first time they'd failed to score in a league match since November, finding the net in 29 consecutive games.

Chesterfield have not been in the second tier of English football since 1951.

 

Sheffield United v Swindon

Both teams have a win each in matches against each other this season, with both going to the home side.

Swindon have kept just one clean sheet in their last 16 league meetings with Sheffield United.

Jamie Murphy scored twice as the Blades won 2-0 at Bramall Lane against Swindon in January.

The Robins have not won at Bramall Lane since February 1970, drawing twice and losing 12 since then.

The Blades have made the League One play-offs in three of the last four seasons including this year, losing in the 2012 final on penalties to Huddersfield and in the semi-finals to Yeovil a year later.

This will be Swindon's eighth appearance in the play-offs, reaching the final four times and getting promoted on three occasions. They last made the League One play-offs in 2013, losing in the semi-finals to Brentford.

Sheffield United scored more than a third of their goals in the final 15 minutes in League One this season (23/66 - 35%).

The Robins failed to win any of their last five league games this season (D3 L2).

League Two 

Plymouth v Wycombe

Wycombe have won their last three away trips to Plymouth, keeping a clean sheet in each game.

Plymouth last kept a clean sheet against the Chairboys at home in May 2003 (a run of six games).

The away side has won each of the last five between these two, with the home side failing to score.

Plymouth have featured in playoffs twice before, losing in the third tier semi-finals in 1993/94 and winning the fourth tier playoffs in 1995/96.

Wycombe won the fourth tier playoffs in 1993/94, but have fallen at the semi-final stage in their two most recent appearances (2005/06 and 2007/08).

Only Matt Tubbs (21) and Jamie Cureton (19) scored more goals in the regular season than Reuben Reid managed (18).

Wycombe's 84 points is the highest they've recorded in a Football League season. Only one side has failed to be promoted from this tier with that high a tally (MK Dons in 2006/07).

No player has recorded more assists than Bobby Reid in League Two this season (10). Wycombe's Paul Hayes also has 10.

 

Stevenage v Southend

Stevenage's 4-2 win over Southend in February was their first in all competitions over them (D1 L3).

Southend have never failed to score against Stevenage in those five previous meetings.

This is the third season in five that Stevenage have been involved in the playoffs. They were promoted from League Two in 2010/11 by beating Torquay, but lost in the League One playoff semi-final to Sheffield United the following season.

Southend haven't been promoted in the last three appearances in them (2007/08, 2011/12 and 2013/14), since their triumph in the fourth tier over Lincoln City in 2004/05, falling at the semi-final each time.

Stevenage scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes of the regular League Two season than any other side (12).

Phil Brown led Hull to Championship playoff success in 2007/08 over Bristol City, but lost to Burton in the semi-finals of the League Two playoffs last season.

Stevenage scored 32 times through their midfielders this season, a League Two-high.

Only once have Southend picked up more points from a league season (85 in 1990/91) than they have this campaign (84).

Barry Corr has scored in three of his four league appearances against Stevenage.