The Sky Bet League One play-offs take centre stage on Friday evening as Portsmouth face Oxford and Fleetwood host Wycombe.
Here, the PA news agency picks out five players who could be key to their side’s success.
Adebayo Akinfenwa – Wycombe
Back 2 Business!!Big week ahead, playoff week.Focused ????? #BMO #Beast20 #Dare2Dream pic.twitter.com/l86lZW9qr0
— daRealAAkinfenwa (@daRealAkinfenwa) June 29, 2020
Cult hero Akinfenwa has been involved in two play-off finals but has yet to start, coming on as a substitute for Northampton in their 3-0 defeat to Bradford in 2013 and scoring a penalty in his last act as an AFC Wimbledon player in the dying moments of their 2-0 win over Plymouth in 2016. Akinfenwa used his post-match interview in that game to tout himself for a move, saying: “I think I’m technically unemployed, so any managers hit me up on Whatsapp and get me a job!” Wycombe swooped that summer, and ‘The Beast’ has gone on to score 54 goals in all competitions for the Chairboys, including 10 this season.
James Henry – Oxford
Back in October James Henry committed to a new long term deal with #OUFC. What a piece of business that was ? https://t.co/xL7prO9c8q
— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) April 24, 2020
Henry had been in scintillating form for the U’s pre-lockdown, scoring three goals in five League One matches. The former Millwall and Wolves winger, 31, has scored 14 times for Oxford in all competitions this term – five of those penalties – and is at the Kassam Stadium for the long term after signing a new two-year deal in October. Henry’s only experience of the play-offs came in 2009 when he featured in Millwall’s semi-final double-header against Leeds.
Christian Burgess – Portsmouth
Paddy Madden – Fleetwood
Bring on the playoffs ?? pic.twitter.com/hvyYpmEOae
— Paddy madden (@Paddymadden) June 9, 2020
When it comes to Football League play-offs, Paddy Madden has been there, done it, and for all we know still wears the commemorative t-shirt. The Irishman, now 30, scored the opening goal at Wembley to help Yeovil seal a place in the Championship for the first time in their history in 2013 and also started for Scunthorpe as they lost 3-2 to Millwall four years later. This season, Madden has 19 goals to his name – including 10 from his first 13 League One matches – and few would back against him breaking the 20-goal barrier.
Simon Eastwood – Oxford
