Grant: Newcastle will be buoyed by promotion

Peter Grant wants Fulham to prevent Newcastle United from emulating their senior team’s success as they chase a promotion double of their own, starting with tonight’s Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off semi-final at St James’ Park.

Just two days after Newcastle celebrated promotion to the Premier League as Championship winners at the same venue, Fulham, who finished fourth in PL2 Division 2, face the side who ended one place and four points above them.

Fulham’s senior team are in the Championship play-offs themselves and Grant, their PL2 head coach, told fulhamfc.com: “We know Newcastle are a very good side, and we know their young boys will be cock-a-hoop with the first team having been promoted.

“There will be a party atmosphere and that plays its way down into the younger boys. They will be wanting to be part of that as well and trying to make it two promotions. We will try make sure we don’t allow that but we will have to play at our best.”

 Wolverhampton Wanderers host West Ham United in the other PL2 Division 2 play-off semi-final, also at 7pm BST tonight. Both are one-off ties, decided by extra-time and penalties if the match is level after 120 minutes.

See: Premier League 2 format explained