Nothing much changes. Northampton win again, making it thirteen games unbeaten and Notts lose again making it six games since a win. It was different at Dagenham & Redbridge as their 1–0 win over York gave the Daggers their first home win since last April.

Here are the League Two results for the weekend:

Saturday 5th March 2016

Wimbledon 0–0 Accrington
Barnet 1–3 Hartlepool
Cambridge 0–1 Exeter
Carlisle 1–4 Northampton
Crawley 1–1 Morecambe
Dagenham & Redbridge 1–0 York
Leyton Orient 0–1 Luton
Mansfield 0–1 Yeovil
Newport 1–0 Wycombe
Notts County 0–2 Bristol Rovers
Plymouth 2–2 Oxford United
Stevenage 0–2 Portsmouth

Today there were 2 home wins, 7 away wins and 3 draws.

League Two Update

There's no change to the top 6 places in League Two but Wimbledon's 0–0 draw with Accrington was enough to see them replace Leyton Orient in the final play off place at 7^th with 53 points but only on goal difference.

Northampton are in 1^st place with 78 points and are now 13 points clear of 2^nd placed Oxford and 3^rd placed Plymouth who each have 65 points. Furthermore the Cobblers are a massive 21 points ahead of 4^th placed Accrington who have 57 points.

Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers are at 5^th and 6^th and occupy the other play off places with 56 points each.

Cambridge's 0–1 home loss to Exeter sees them fall to 13^th with 50 points while the Grecians climb to 14^th with 48 points and only 5 points away from the play offs.

Wycombe, Mansfield, Carlisle and Luton complete the teams between Exeter and Wimbledon.

There's no significent change at the bottom though the Daggers are 24^th and have 24 points and have closed the gap to 23^rd placed York to 2 points.

Hartlepool's 3–1 away win at Barnet keeps them at 22^nd with 31 points and 5 points above the drop.

Stevenage's home loss to Portsmouth sees them drop to 21^st but with 34 points.

Yeovil lift themselves to 20^th with 35 points after winning 1–0 at Mansfield.

Notts are now 17^th with 40 points and 14 points clear of the dreaded drop.

Upcoming Fixtures

Tuesday 8th March 2016

Accrington v Portsmouth
Bristol Rovers v Wimbledon
Dagenham & Redbridge v Carlisle
Newport v Barnet

A Newport win on Tuesday will see Notts drop to 18^th. The 14 point cushion shouldn't worry Magpie fans too much, only the fact that Notts are where they are and not much higher up League Two!

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Being a Notts County fan is never an easy role. We’ve had more ups and downs at Meadow Lane than a rollercoaster for the majority of our history. But it’s safe to say that, like many fellow supporters, I’ve reached the end of my tether here.

Just this week, a Facebook “memory” from four years ago appeared in my feed where I’m proudly declaring that the Magpies had “played four, won four, scored five goals, conceded zero, and will take on Charlton Athletic (top of League One), Sheffield Wednesday (third) and Sheffield United (second) in the next 11 days.” The post ends with “challenge accepted”.

Fast-forward four years and we’re in League Two, losing against the likes of Oxford United, Morecambe, Accrington Stanley, and Cambridge United, failing to beat Dagenham & Redbridge, and perhaps worst of all, being brought down by SALFORD CITY in front of a national audience.

Oasis once sang “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, but how can we not see where we were just a few years ago and not feel anger, resentment and bitterness at where we are now? 

It should have never come to this. At the end of the 2011-12 season, we finished seventh in League One, missing out on the playoffs by goal difference.

Then it all went pear-shaped. Despite having a squad well equipped to push for the playoffs, Ray Trew abruptly decided to decrease funding, and was quoted by BBC Sport on 9 January 2013 as saying: "I am not prepared to increase that sum (said to be £12m since taking over in 2010)."

He added: “The only way I will inject further monies is in the form of loans. If I am being totally honest I am not motivated to even do that currently because I am not being supported by you, the fan base."

Keith Curle left and was replaced by Chris Kiwomya, the first of four consecutive managerial appointments with no English league experience. The likes of Lee Hughes, Alan Judge, Neal Bishop and Jeff Hughes would all be out of the door by the summer, and most of the replacements – save for loanees Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor – were simply not up to the same standard.

We went from fighting for promotion to fighting against relegation, and even though we survived at the end of the 2013-14 season on the final day, the following season was just as much of a slog, though lightning did not strike twice as relegation to the bottom tier was finally confirmed – the marvellous achievements of the 2009-10 season and subsequent hard work were all undone in the space of two seasons.

Although Ricardo Moniz was a decent enough proposition on paper, he simply was not cut for the slog of the English fourth division. The start of the season was difficult enough, and Moniz was rightly, in my opinion, dismissed. 

Now comes the point in this sorry tale which just defies all logic. A team scrapping in the bottom tier of English professional football, and not having a particularly good time of things at that, should be looking to hire a manager with knowledge of the English lower leagues – it’s not like there aren’t many knocking about – to drag this club back up the pyramid, in the words of former Manchester City defender Andy Morrison, “kicking and screaming”.

Instead, what do we get? An Under-21 manager with no experience of the English leagues.

Like many other fans, that was the final straw for me. No amount of PR could sell Jamie Fullarton as a good choice of manager to a group of fans that have seen their club endure a deterioration of health since 2013 to the point that it’s now on its last legs, with three equally unqualified and inexperienced managerial choices preceding it.

Much talk is made of “fair-weather” fans that only turn up for the good times and stay away during the bad times. This is a discussion that takes place among fans every matchday at the pubs and bars in and around Meadow Lane, in the stands, on forums and on social media.

“If you were a proper fan, you’d carry on supporting your club,” an ever-decreasing amount of people will say.

However, it has now reached the point where many fans have just had enough. The decline from League One playoff contenders to League Two relegation threats. The illogical managerial appointments. The public fallouts between fans and boardroom, fans and manager, manager and boardroom, and player and club. The revolving door of players through the Meadow Lane doors. Boardroom members resigning. And of course, the culmination of all this turmoil on the pitch – football that the likes of Mark Stallard have described as ‘not suitable for League Two’ live on air.

I admit I cannot wait for this season to be over and put Notts to the back of my mind for a few months. The club is in a perilous state of affairs, and no amount of emotional blackmailing from anybody over “supporting the club” will convince me otherwise.

Like many other fans, I will support my club in the lower reaches of the Conference if need be, playing derbies against Carlton Town and Alfreton Town. But all I ask for is a team with passion, a manager who knows what he’s doing, and a little bit of harmony behind the scenes. Not utopian perfection, but enough to give the fans reassurance that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.

And at the moment, none of this seems to be the case at Meadow Lane. 

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There’s much to be said about being a Notts County supporter, the togetherness I have witnessed and been a part of has really resonated with me. From the first time I witnessed a fan actually using the Pride of Nottingham site, to the friends I have made from within the community, it’s something I am very proud of.

Truth be said, this club is much better than most probably realise and the years of struggling has only brought people together.

Supporting a local club like Notts is all about the ups and downs, which we have mostly experienced but there have been good times – I’d like to see these return and for my own children to witness some of the success I have during my childhood.

Naturally, this isn’t always the case but as with anything in life – it’s about making the most of what you have.

For this reason, I hope to see the word we crave to return to Meadow Lane and that is ‘stability’.

I have said a lot about my reaction to hearing official news from the club, which makes a change because for a while now it’s been going around the rumour mill. However, it really is time for all Notts fans to stand together and show that we care passionately about the club we support – as this small difference could have a huge impact on the field.

Hopefully Jamie Fullarton will think about implementing missing players, who he hasn’t yet given a fair chance in my opinion but regardless, I will be cheering the lads on tonight and I hope others join in.

I would just like to see the depressing atmosphere disappear in and around Notts, for Meadow Lane to return to what we all know it can be – I know it hasn’t quite felt the same and even the players can do their part by encouraging the support by being positive themselves. I hope to see them run out, warm up, and show us some passion.

Because when you hear local reporters talk about other clubs, such as the likes of Leicester City – having a real buzz, it makes me want to try think on the positive side, rather than allowing their comments about us not having it sink in.

As I genuinely do not believe Notts will get relegated, yet whilst it feels like this – it won’t make things easy.

Let’s try to make a difference tonight, at least as fans we can try and get behind our club. Are you up for it?

Below if you stick around, you find a video which is one of the most inspirational featuring NCFC - look in the comment section.
C’mon YOOOOOUU PIIIESS!!

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A promising performance by Notts but ultimately another disappointment.

Here are the League Two results for the weekend:

Saturday 27th February 2016

Accrington 2–2 Barnet
Wimbledon 1–2 Oxford United
Dagenham & Redbridge 0–1 Yeovil
Hartlepool 0–0 Northampton
Leyton Orient 2–0 Crawley
Morecambe 1–2 Carlisle
Newport 1–0 Mansfield
Plymouth 1–0 Notts County
Portsmouth 2–1 Cambridge
Stevenage 0–2 Exeter
Wycombe 1–0 Bristol Rovers
York 2–3 Luton

Today there were 5 home wins, 5 away wins and 2 draws.

League Two Update

The top four places in League Two stay unchanged.

Northampton failed to add to their 10 consecutive wins after only drawing 0–0 at lowly Hartlepool. The Cobblers have 74 points and are still 10 points clear of 2^nd placed Plymouth who are on 64 points after beating Notts 1–0. The defeat at Plymouth keeps Notts at 16^th on 39 points.

Hartlepool meanwhile drop to 22^nd with 28 points.

Oxford stay 3^rd on 61 points thanks to a 2–1 away win at Wimbledon who drop out of the play off places to 8^th on 51 points.

Accrington remain 4^th on 56 points after conceding a 90 minute equaliser and ending 2–2 against Barnet who stay 15^th on 40 points.

Portsmouth's 2–1 win over Cambridge lifts them to 5^th sharing 52 points the same as 6^th placed Wycombe and 7^th placed Leyton Orient.

Cambridge however drop to 12^th with 47 points.

Wycombe climb to 6^th but send Bristol Rovers down to 10^th on 50 points after beating them 1–0 while Leyton Orient's 2–0 win over Crawley sees the latter remain 17^th and on 38 points.

Newport's late goal gave them a 1–0 win against Mansfield and lifts them to 19^th on 34 points but the Stags slip to 9^th with 51 points, the same as Wimbledon who have two games in hand.

Carlisle have still played only 31 games and move up to 11^th with 49 points after winning 2–1 away at Morecambe who remain 18^th with 36 points.

Luton and Exeter both won away but remain 13^th and 14^th respectively sharing 44 points. Luton's last gasp extra time goal gave them a 3–2 win at York who are still 23^rd on 26 points.

Exeter's 2–0 away win at Stevenage sees the latter remain 20^th on 34 points.

Yeovil came out on top in the basement battle winning 1–0 away at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Yeovil lift themselves to 21^st and on 29 points but add to Dagenham & Redbridge's plight at the very bottom of League Two on 20 points.

Notts slip to 15^th and are now 13 points away from the play offs, while the gap to the bottom end has dropped to 13 points.

Upcoming fixtures

Tuesday 1^st March 2016

Barnet v Plymouth
Bristol Rovers v Hartlepool
Cambridge v Wycombe
Carlisle v Leyton Orient
Crawley v Newport
Exeter v Portsmouth
Luton v Morecambe
Northampton v Wimbledon
Notts County v Dagenham & Redbridge
Oxford United v York
Yeovil v Accrington

Can Jamie Fullarton's Notts follow up the encouraging performance away at 2^nd placed Pymouth with a much needed home win against bottom club Dagenham & Redbridge?

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Northampton continue their seemingly inevitable march to League One but who will join them and what about the teams fighting to hold on to their Football League status?

Once again the fixture list for Saturday and Tuesday has thrown up some interesting games, the results of which will help clarify how the final League Two table will look.

This week I've highlighted five games from another busy week and probably for the last time this season I've made Notts' the key games.

*Important Game ** Key Game

Saturday 27th February 2016

Accrington v Barnet – Kick Off 1:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Wimbledon v Oxford United – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-0)
*Dagenham & Redbridge v Yeovil – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Hartlepool v Northampton – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-3)
Leyton Orient v Crawley – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Morecambe v Carlisle – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-2)
*Newport v Mansfield – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-3)
**Plymouth v Notts County – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Portsmouth v Cambridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)
Stevenage v Exeter – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
*Wycombe v Bristol Rovers – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-2)
York v Luton – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

Tuesday 1st March 2016

Barnet v Plymouth – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-1)
Bristol Rovers v Hartlepool – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (2-2)
Cambridge v Wycombe – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
Carlisle v Leyton Orient – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-0)
Crawley v Newport – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Exeter v Portsmouth – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
Luton v Morecambe – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Northampton v Wimbledon – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (3-1)
**Notts County v Dagenham & Redbridge – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Oxford United v York – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (3-1)
Yeovil v Accrington – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

My first game sees 5^th placed Wimbledon trying to follow up their 1–0 victory over Carlisle. They host 3^rd placed Oxford on 58 points and who also won 4–1 away at 14^th placed Exeter on Tuesday.

My second game is a basement battle between bottom club Dagenham and Redbridge playing 3^rd from bottom Yeovil who are only just outside a relegation place on goal difference, having changed places with York who lost 1–2 at home to tabletoppers Northampton last Tuesday.

Next I've got 20^th placed Newport hoping to pull away from the lower end of League Two hosting 6^th placed Mansfield who in turn are trying to keep in the play off places.

Then I've got 8^th placed Portsmouth on 49 points up against 11^th placed Cambridge who are only two points behind on 47 points.

Lastly I've picked another clash between two more playoff hopefuls featuring 9^th placed Wycombe on 49 points playing Bristol Rovers who are two places higher at 7^th and  with 50 points, only one point better off.

My Key Games

On Saturday Notts, who have now slipped down to 16^th with 39 points are away at 2^nd placed Plymouth who have 61 points. Argyle beat Notts 2–0 at Meadow Lane back in October.

On Tuesday Notts are at home to Dagenham and Redbridge. The Daggers are at 24^th and bottom of League Two. They have lost 5, drawn 1 and only won 2 of their last ten matches. The reverse fixture was a 1–1 draw last September.

I don't hold out much hope for Notts on Saturday and have predicted a 2–0 defeat. However Tuesday's game gives Notts another chance to climb the table but I think It's already too late and Magpie fans may be looking anxiously at the wrong end of the table after these next round of games. I really hope I'm wrong.

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Notts County put on a brave fight in the second half of their League Two game at Accrington Stanley but after conceeding three goals in the first half, the Magpies' could not undo the damage as John Coleman's side claimed all three points - the final score 3-2.

Billy Kee put Stanley ahead after firing past Roy Carroll, and Rommy Boco then carefully timed his header to make it 2-0, after connecting with Piero Mingoia's cross to double the advantage shortly after.

Boco then scored a brace after lobbing Carroll, yet in the second half after Jamie Fullarton's side made changes - Ronan Murray placed a well positioned shot from 12 yards which gave County hope. Adam Campbell then slotted in from the edge of the area, but the Magpies' was unable to score a late equalizer.

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The home woes continue for Notts. I wish I could offer some crumbs of comfort. Ah well, life goes on.

Here are the League Two results for the weekend:

Saturday 20th February 2016

Exeter 1–1 Newport
Barnet 1–2 Wimbledon
Bristol Rovers 2–1 Morecombe
Cambridge 3–1 York
Carlisle 1–0 Stevenage
Crawley 1–1 Plymouth
Luton 2–1 Hartlepool
Mansfield 3–2 Dagenham & Redbridge
Northampton 1–0 Wycombe
Notts County 0–1 Leyton Orient
Oxford United 1–2 Accrington
Yeovil 1–1 Portsmouth

Today there were 6 home wins, 3 away wins and 3 draws.

League Two Update

The top four places remain unchanged.

Northampton extend their lead at the head of League Two to 10 points. They now have 70 points after winning 1–0 at home to Wycombe who fall out of the play off places to 8^th on 49 points, while 2^nd placed Plymouth have 60 points and only managed a 1–1 draw at 16^th placed Crawley who are on 38 points.

Oxford United stay 3^rd on 55 points despite losing 2–1 at home to 4^th placed Accrington who are close to within 3 points of automatic promotion with 52 points and also have two games in hand.

Mansfield climb to 5^th on 51 points after coming back from a goal down and hanging on to beat bottom placed Dagenham & Redbridge 3–2. The Daggers are now 5 points adrift in 24^th place and on 20 points.

Bristol Rover's 2–1 home win over Morecambe lifts them to 6^th on 50 points. Morecambe stay 17^th with 36 points.

Portsmouth drop to the final play off place at 7^th after drawing 1–1 at next to the bottom Yeovil who are on 25 points.

Leyton Orient's 1–0 win at Meadow Lane puts them level with Wycombe on 49 points but one place lower at 9^th.

Wimbledon 10^th, Cambridge 11^th and Carlisle at 12^th all won and keep an unchanged league position with 48, 47 and 46 points respectively.

Luton's 2–1 win over Hartlepool lifts them to 13^th on 41 points. Pools stay 21^st with 29 points.

Exeter drop to 14^th on 41 points after drawing 1–1 with 20^th placed Newport on 31 points.

Notts fall to 15^th on 39 points.

All league placings below Notts remain unchanged.

Notts are 10 points away from a play off place.

Notts' cushion from the bottom end has risen to 14 points and still with a game in hand.

Upcoming fixtures

Tuesday 23rd February 2016

Accrington v Notts County
Wimbledon v Carlisle
Barnet v Portsmouth
Exeter v Oxford United
Yeovil v Plymouth
York v Northampton

Notts have two very difficult away games coming up. First at 4^th placed Accrington on Tuesday and then on Saturday at 2^nd placed Plymouth.

Can Notts get anything from these two games and can Notts then win their next home game against bottom club Dagenham & Redbridge?

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At the moment automatic promotion would seem assured for the top three clubs; Northampton, Plymouth and Oxford, but it's very different for the chasing pack near the top of League Two and also uncertain for the teams at the bottom trying to avoid the drop.

This week I've picked out four games that are important to teams in the promotion mix and the relegation struggle. Thanks to the away win at Hartlepool keeping the season going I've decided yet again to make both the Saturday and midweek Notts County games my key games.

*Important Game ** Key Game

Saturday 20^th February 2016

Exeter v Newport – Kick Off 1:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Barnet v Wimbledon – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
Bristol Rovers v Morecambe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Cambridge v York – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Carlisle v Stevenage – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Crawley v Plymouth – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-2)
Luton v Hartlepool – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Mansfield v Dagenham & Redbridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Northampton v Wycombe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-1)
**Notts County v Leyton Orient – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
*Oxford United v Accrington – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Yeovil v Portsmouth – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

Tuesday 23^rd February 2016

**Accrington v Notts County – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
Wimbledon v Carlisle – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Barnet v Portsmouth – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
Exeter v Oxford United – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-2)
Yeovil v Plymouth – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
York v Northampton – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-3)

Mansfield at 7^th and on 48 points have a great opportunity to strengthen their playoff chances against new bottom club Dagenham & Redbridge,  League positions mean nothing though as Notts fans know from last week.

Northampton are virtually unstoppable at the moment and after winning 1–0 at 3^rd place Oxford and increasing the gap at the top of League Two to 8 points, will hope to continue their current form against 5th placed Wycombe.

Meanwhile Oxford have 55 points and will be hoping to recover from their home defeat to table toppers Northampton as they play 4^th placed Accrington, who drew 1–1 with Carlisle on Tuesday night.

My final choice of an important game is between relegation threatened Yeovil who lie at 23^rd with 24 points against 6^th placed Portsmouth who have 48 points.

My Key Games

If the results go against Notts then it's a mid table finish at best but if Notts win and other results are favourable.... well?

On Saturday Notts host Leyton Orient in 9^th place who have 46 points but they've played two more games than Notts. A win for The O's will open up a 10 point gap but a Notts win will close the gap to just 4 points.

Notts lost 3–1 at Orient back on the 3^rd of October earlier this season.

On Tuesday Notts are away at 4^th placed Accrington who have 49 points. The last meeting with Accrington was earlier this season on 22^nd August resulting in a 1–1 draw at Meadow Lane.

So what's it going to be for Notts? What are your thoughts on these upcoming games.

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Not what Magpie fans were hoping for with a return to a disappointing performance and result.

Here are the League Two results for the weekend:

Saturday 13th February 2016

Newport 1–0 Carlisle
Accrington 4–1 Crawley
Wimbledon 4–1 Luton
Dagenham & Redbridge 0–2 Barnet
Hartlepool 2–1 Yeovil
Leyton Orient 0–4 Northampton
Morecambe 2–4 Oxford United
Plymouth 3–0 Mansfield
Portsmouth 3–1 Bristol Rovers
Stevenage 2–0 Cambridge
Wycombe 1–0 Exeter
York 2–1 Notts County

Today there were 9 home wins, 3 away wins and 0 draws.

League Two Update

The top three teams all won and their league positions remaining the same.

Northampton's 4–0 away win over Leyton Orient keeps them comfortably in first place with 64 points from 29 games.

The O's slip to 9th with 46 points from 31 games.

Plymouth are 5 points behind from 30 games and are in second place after their 3–0 demolition of Mansfield.

The Stags drop to 7th but still in the play off places with 48 points from 32 games.

Oxford occupy the third automatic promotion place thanks to a 4–2 away win at Morecambe with 55 points from 29 games.

Morecambe stay 16th with 36 points from 31 games.

Wycombe move up to 4th on 49 points from 30 games after beating Exeter 1–0.

Portsmouth's 3–1 home win over Bristol Rovers lifts them to 5th and also on 48 points but from 29 games.

Rovers drop out of the top 7 to 8th with 47 points from 30 games.

Accrington with games in hand, having played only 27 are now 6th and also share 48 points after beating Crawley 4–1.

Wimbledon's 4–1 win over Luton lifts them to 10th with 45 points from 29 games.

At the bottom end of League Two Dagenham & Redbridge drop into last place after losing 2–0 at home to Barnet and stay on 20 points from 30 games.

Barnet move up to 17th after 29 games sharing 36 points with Morecambe and Notts County.

The Magpies drop to 18th from 28 games thanks to their 2–1 away defeat by York who move off the bottom to 23rd with 23 points from 29 games.

Yeovil fall to 22nd with 24 points from 30 games after losing a vital relegation battle at Hartlepool who move up to 21st on 27 points from only 27 games.

All other team positions stay unchanged.

Mansfield are in the final play off place at 7th with 48 points from 32 games and are 12 points clear of 18th placed Notts who have 36 points.

Carlisle are at 12th with 42 points and have played a game less than Notts County.

Notts' cushion from the bottom end falls to 13 points but still with a game in hand.

Upcoming fixtures

League Two - Tuesday 16th February 2016

Accrington v Carlisle
Hartlepool v Notts County
Oxford United v Northampton
York v Exeter

Notts away game at 21st placed Hartlepool on Tuesday gives the Magpies an immediate opportunity to make up for Saturday's let down, It could also see the end of any play off hopes and with some difficult games coming up it could set up an anxious end to the season.

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Tomorrow Notts will play The Minstermen at the Bootham Crescent Stadium, whilst the home side York City will hope to have the advantage from their form found playing in front their own spectators. However, York are currently glued to the footer of the table at 24th, with tomorrows game presenting them a chance to secure points to push closer to safety.

York City have only won once within their last six league fixtures, having drawn two and lost the other fixtures.

The Match Officials for the game will be referee Mark Haywood, assistants Nick Greenhalgh and Jason Whiteley, and fourth official Helen Byrne.

Referee: Mark Haywood
From: West Yorkshire

His matches involving Notts County within the last four seasons;

League One – Saturday 18^th January 2014 – Stevenage 0-1 Notts County
JPT – Tuesday 2^nd September 2014 – Notts County 2-0 Mansfield Town

Run down of his last three games:

League One – Saturday 2^nd January 2016 – Crewe Alexandra 0-5 Coventry City (no cards)
League One – Saturday 16^th January 2016 – Bury 2-3 Walsall (2 yellow cards, no reds)
League Two – Saturday 30^th January 2016 – Accrington Stanley 1-Bristol Rovers (no cards)

In his last three games 2 yellow cards have been issued and not a single red card.

So far this season in total of twenty-two games, he has shown fifty-four yellow cards and five red cards - 2.4 yellow cards per game.

Assistant Referee: Nick Greenhalgh
From: Lancashire

Last three games:

League One – Saturday 19^th December 2015 – Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Fleetwood Town
Championship – Wednesday 13^th January 2016 – Hull City 2-0 Cardiff City
Championship – Saturday 16^th January 2016 – Rotherham United 0-3 QPR

Assistant Referee: Jason Whiteley
From: West Yorkshire

Last three games:

National League – Saturday 28^th November 2015 – Gateshead 1-0 Chester
National League – Tuesday 26^th January 2016 – Altrincham 3-1 Working
National League – Saturday 30^th January 2016 – Tranmere Rovers 2-1 Torquay United

Fourth Official: Helen Byrne
From: Liverpool

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There are quite a few stand out games this coming week. From Saturdays fixtures I've chosen three from the top end of League Two – Leyton Orient at home to Northampton, Plymouth against Mansfield and Portsmouth versus Bristol Rovers.

Then on Tuesday Oxford United host Northampton.

I've also picked out three games on Saturday featuring teams playing catch up – Accrington, Carlisle and Hartlepool have all played only 26 games. They also play on Tuesday.

Notts have only played 27 games and still have an outside chance of making the playoffs so I've made both their Saturday and Tuesday fixtures my key games.

*Important Game ** Key Game

Saturday 6^th February 2016

*Newport v Carlisle – Kick Off 1:00pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
*Accrington v Crawley – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Wimbledon v Luton – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)
Dagenham & Redbridge v Barnet – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
*Hartlepool v Yeovi l– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
*Leyton Orient v Northampton – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
Morecambe v Oxford United – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-3)
*Plymouth v Mansfield – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Portsmouth v Bristol Rovers – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-2)
Stevenage v Cambridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)
Wycombe v Exeter – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
**York v Notts County – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

Leyton Orient are at 7^th and on 46 points, will be hoping to recover from their last game when they lost 0-1 at home to fellow play off hopefuls Portsmouth. Their opponents on Saturday are runaway leaders Northampton who have 61 points.

Second placed Plymouth have 56 points and also lost their last league game at home 0-1 to Wycombe, entertain 4^th placed Mansfield on 48 points who drew 2-2 midweek against 3^rd placed Oxford.

Portsmouth are 8^th and have 45 points, will want to return to winning ways as will their opponents Bristol Rovers who are 5^th place on 47 points.

Newport are relatively safe at 20^th with 27 points and they host 12^th placed Carlisle playing only their 27^th game and hoping to add to their 42 points.

Accrington are at 9^th and on 45 points, could climb into the play off places if they beat 15^th placed Crawley who have 37 points on Saturday.

Hartlepool in 22^nd place will hope to see their games in hand lift them up the table starting against 21^st placed Yeovil.

Tuesday 16^th February 2016

*Accrington v Carlisle – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
**Hartlepool v Notts County – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-1)
*Oxford United v Northampton – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
York v Exeter – Kick Off 7:45pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

Accrington against Carlisle on Tuesday depending on results could become a very important game.

Oxford 3^rd and 1st placed Northampton play each other on Tuesday night.

My thoughts on Notts v York & Hartlepool

On Saturday Notts visit bottom club York who were beaten 1-0 at Meadow Lane back in September.

On Tuesday Notts are again away this time at lowly Hartlepool who Notts should have played last Saturday.

At the moment Notts are 10 points away from a playoff place but must make the games in hand count.

I hope I'm correct with my forecast and 2 wins sees Notts climb up the table.

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Notts County v Hartlepool was one of 5 League Two games postponed this weekend thanks to our lovely British weather.

Here are the League Two results for the weekend:

Saturday 6th February 2016

Bristol Rovers P–P Wimbledon
Cambridge 1–0 Dagenham & Redbridge
Carlisle 2–0 Accrington
Exeter P–P Oxford United
Mansfield 2–1 Morecambe
Newport P–P Barnet
Northampton 2–0 York
Notts County P–P Hartlepool
Portsmouth 0–1 Leyton Orient
Stevenage 0–1 Crawley
Wycombe 0–1 Luton
Yeovil P–P Plymouth

Today there were 4 home wins, 3 away wins, 0 draws and 5 postponements.

League Two Update

Northampton were the only team in the top four with a game this weekend. The Cobblers have 61 points from 28 games and are now 5 points clear of 2^nd placed Plymouth who have played 29 games.

Oxford United remain in 3^rd place and 10 points off the top with 51 points from 27 games.

Bristol Rovers also stay unchanged in 4^th place with 47 points from 29 games.

Mansfield conceded in the first minute at home to Morecambe but recovered to win 2–1 and move up to 5^th with 47 points from 30 games.

Leyton Orient move up to 6^th with 46 points from 30 games after winning 0–1 away at Portsmouth who now drop 7^th on 45 points from 28 games.

Accrington slip out of the play off places down to 8^th after losing 2–0 away at Carlisle though they have 45 points, the same as Portsmouth but have only played 26 games.

Cambridge's 1–0 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge lifts them to 9^th with 44 points from 30 games.

Wycombe lost at home 0–1 to Luton and drop to 10^th with 43 points from 28 games.

Wimbledon didn't play and they drop to 11^th with 42 points from 28 games.

Carlisle rise to 12^th after beating Accrington also on 42 points but from only 26 games.

Exeter were another team not playing and fall to 13^th with 40 points from 28 games.

Luton's 1–0 away victory at Wycombe sees them climb to 14^th on 38 points from 30 games while Crawley's 1–0 away win at Stevenage lifts them to 15^th with 37 points from 30 games.

Morecambe's loss to Mansfield lowers them to 16^th after 30 games and with 36 points.

Notts County's inactivity sees them fall to 17^th with the same 36 points as Morecambe but from only 27 games.

The bottom 7 places remain unchanged.

Barnet didn't play but stay 18^th on 33 points from 28 games.

Stevenage's home loss to Crawley keeps them at 19^th with 28 points from 30 games.

Newport's game was postponed and they are 20^th with 27 points from 28 games.

Yeovil at 21^st and Hartlepool at 22^nd were also victim's of the weather and stay on 24 points. Yeovil have played 29 games but Hartlepool only 25.

Dagenham & Redbridge along with York suffered away defeats and remain 4 points adrift in the relegation places on 20 points and both having played 28 games.

The gap between 7^th placed Portsmouth who are on 45 points and 17^th placed Notts with 36 points is now back up to 9 points. Portsmouth have now played a game more than Notts.

Notts' cushion from the bottom end remains 16 points and with a game in hand.

Upcoming fixtures

League Two -Tuesday 9th February 2016

Dagenham & Redbridge v Wycombe
Hartlepool v Stevenage
Oxford United v Mansfield

Notts' have another 5 games to play this month with only one of them being at home. Next up is a visit to York City on Saturday 13^th February 2016 with a 3:00pm kick off.

York have 20 points from 28 games and are rock bottom at 24^th place.

Can Mr Fullarton make it a hat trick of away wins? It's still all to play for.

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Hartlepool United presents Jamie Fullarton an excellent opportunity, as does the run of fixtures taking place within February. Yet, it’s tricky in a sense because we feature the Pools twice within recent weeks of each other and those games are quite hard for teams struggling to insert themselves on the field – especially when the first game is at home.

York City, Leyton Orient and Accrington Stanley are games coming up.

We also face a difficult Plymouth Argyle towards the latter part of the month. York and Accrington are games which I feel we can secure points; it is aided by the fact that Jamie has restored faith in the away performances.

So tomorrow we face the challenge which a struggling Hartlepool United presents and the conversations within our match discussion has instantly raised concerns regarding both midfields.

I don’t think they will sit back, it’s not the style of play they try to incorporate into their tactics.

Most likely, they will build with patience or result to keeping the ball in the air, so that this breaks the game up and allows them to edge closer to playing it on the ground within the final third. They will want to involve their wingers as much as possible, with so many young and eager players and a packed midfield this could make it hard for us to break them down.

Which will be a test of character for Notts to enable play to break them down.

With York City also being a side which struggle, I think this will be the game that could entice confidence from our own attacking play.

Orient are a different scenario, we know that they will look to play with confidence and aggression – whilst Accrington are just your typical League 2 team.

Plymouth being the final fixture of February, will rely on the morale and confidence picked up from the previous five games.

I think picking 10 points could happen; it’s the mid-range of what I would predict personally and much depends on our home performances’ that break up the away games.

I don’t dismiss that there will be tests, yet for us to finish as high as possible (forgetting about the play-offs for now) – we will need to acquire much of the points here, as March could be a month where we could seal further victories.

It may seem negative to think about this now, but I have thought about comments made about next season. Surely re-building in the summer will allow us to focus on challenging wisely for promotion from League 2?

C’mon You PIES!!

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This week's fixture list has thrown up some very interesting games and every one is important for all the teams, whether trying to avoid relegation or aiming for promotion. So this week I'm going through each game individually and the importance of each game will become apparent. I've made Notts County v Hartlepool my key game.

*Important Game ** Key Game

Saturday 6^th February 2016

*Bristol Rovers v Wimbledon – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Cambridge v Dagenham & Redbridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-0)
Carlisle v Accrington – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
*Exeter v Oxford United – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
Mansfield v Morecambe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction(2-0)
Newport v Barnet – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
Northampton v York – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-0)
**Notts County v Hartlepool – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Portsmouth v Leyton Orient – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)
Stevenage v Crawley – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
*Wycombe v Luton – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Yeovil v Plymouth – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

The first game on Saturday sees 4^th placed Bristol Rovers striving to strengthen their place in the playoffs playing Wimbledon at 10^th who are trying to join them.

Next comes 11^th placed Cambridge on 41 points aiming to keep their own promotion hopes going while further damaging 23^rd placed Dagenham & Redbridge's survival hopes.

Carlisle at 13^th and Accrington at 6th have games to catch up having both only played 25 games, so this game is obviously important for these two teams.

Exeter at 12^th and with 41 points will be trying to stay in touch with the chasing pack while denting 3^rd placed Oxfords automatic promotion hopes.

Mansfield at 7^th with 44 points are another team trying to stay in the playoff mix playing Morecambe at 14^th with 36 points.

Newport at 20^th with 27 points take on Barnet in 18^th place with 33 points with these two teams trying to distance themselves from the relegation places.

Next comes top of the table Northampton at home to bottom club York.

Skip to 5^th placed Portsmouth in the playoff places on 45 points playing Leyton Orient at 9^th and with 43 points only one point outside the playoffs.

Stevenage at 19^th with 28 points playing Crawley at 17^th with 34 points sees another game with both teams hoping to pull away from the lower reaches of League Two.

Wycombe at 8^th with 43 points are yet another team well in the promotion race playing Luton at 16^th with 35 points.

Yeovil at 21^st with 24 points have a difficult game at home to 2^nd placed Plymouth who have 56 points.

Tuesday 9^th February 2016

Dagenham & Redbridge v Wycombe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
Hartlepool v Stevenage – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
*Oxford United v Mansfield – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)

Tuesdays fixtures continue the important game trend with currently 23^rd placed Dagenham & Redbridge playing currently 8^th placed Wycombe.

Notts' Saturday opponents Hartlepool take on 19^th placed Stevenage at the bottom end of the table while at the other end 3^rd placed Oxford entertain 7^th placed Mansfield.

My thoughts on the Notts game.

Notts with 36 points and placed 15^th from 27 games host 22^nd placed Hartlepool whose 25 games have yielded 24 points.

Notts haven't played Hartlepool yet this season and the return fixture takes place later this month on Tuesday the 16^th.

The last time the teams played each other was in the FA Cup on 9/11/2013 when pools won at their place 3–2. The last league meetings between the two teams were in 2012/13 in League One when Hartlepool won 2–1 at their place with Notts winning 2–0 at Meadow Lane.

Notts are only 8 points off the playoff places but need to return to winning ways at home to back up the two recent away wins under Jamie Fullarton.

I got my forecast hopelessly wrong a fortnight ago and the Notts performance was hopeless too. I hope my 2–0 prediction doesn't put a jinx on the result this time and that all Pie fans are happy come Saturday teatime.

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Well, what a pleasure it is that, after last week’s awful performance, I am now commenting on a second consecutive away win for Notts under Jamie Fullarton’s leadership. Also this time by all accounts it was a thoroughly deserved win.

Here are the League Two results for the weekend:

Saturday 30th January 2016

Accrington 1–0 Bristol Rovers
Wimbledon 2–3 Yeovil
Crawley 0–1 Mansfield
Dagenham & Redbridge P–P Carlisle
Hartlepool 0–2 Exeter
Leyton Orient 1–3 Cambridge
Luton 0–2 Notts County
Morecambe 1–2 Newport
Plymouth 0–1 Wycombe
York 2–1 Stevenage

Today there were 2 home wins, 7 away wins, 0 draws and 1 postponement.

League Two Update

Northampton had no game but remain top of League Two with 58 points from 27 games.

Plymouth could have gone top due to Northampton's inactivity but lost at home 0–1 to Wycombe and stay in 2nd place with 56 points from 29 games. Wycombe move up to 8th on 43 points from 27 games.

Oxford lost 3–0 at home to Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup but remain 3rd with 51 points from 27 games.

Bristol Rover stay 4th on 47 points from 29 games despite losing 1–0 away at Accrington who move up to 5thwith 45 points and still have games in hand, having played only 25.

Portsmouth put in a very plucky performance in the FA Cup losing 2–1 at home to Premiership side Bournemouth but drop to 6th with 44 points from 26 games.

Mansfield's 1–0 win away at Crawley lifts them into the final play off place at 7th with 44 points from 29 games, with Crawley dropping to 17th on 34 points from 29 games.

There are no positional changes below Crawley at the basement end of the League Two table with York, although beating Stevenage 2–1 remain 24th and bottom with 20 points from 27 games.

Notts County win leapfrogs them over Morecambe, Luton and Crawley and up 3 places to 14th with 36 points from 27 games.

The gap between 6th and 7th placed Portsmouth and Mansfield, who are both on 44 points and 14th placed Notts County with 36 points is now down to 8 points. 

Portsmouth have played a game less than Notts County but Mansfield have played 2 more.

Notts County's cushion from the bottom end has increased to 16 points.
 
Upcoming fixtures

League Two – Tuesday 2nd February 2016

Luton v Yeovil
Morecambe v Portsmouth

Notts' next game is at home on Saturday 6th February 2016 against Hartlepool United with a 3:00pm kick off.

Hartlepool at 21st are 7 places and 12 points worse off than Notts and will host Notts in the return League Two fixture on Tuesday 16th February 2016.

The sacking of Ricardo Moniz and surprise appointment of Jamie Fullarton has created concern, unrest and to a degree a split amongst the Notts faithful. A win with a good performance will go a considerable way to restoring Notts fans belief and hopes for the future. 

This season could still turn out to be memorable for the right reasons.

Share your thoughts on this week's League Two action on the Pride of Nottingham forum.

Here I go again, with a look at the upcoming games in League Two. Again I've highlighted a few games I think are important, although every game is important in one way or another. I've made Luton v Notts my key game.

*Important Game ** Key Game

Saturday 30^th January 2016

*Accrington v Bristol Rovers – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-2)
Wimbledon v Yeovil – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)

League Two Preview Saturday 30^th January 2016

Crawley v Mansfield – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
Dagenham & Redbridge P – P Carlisle
Hartlepool v Exeter – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Leyton Orient v Cambridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
**Luton v Notts County – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
Morecambe v Newport – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Plymouth v Wycombe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-1)
York v Stevenage – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-1)

Tuesday 2^nd February 2016

*Luton v Yeovil – Kick Off 19:45pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Morecambe v Portsmouth – Kick Off 19:45pm – Score Prediction (2-2)

My first game features 6^th placed Accrington against 4^th placed Bristol Rovers. Accrington have games in hand having only played 24 games and have 42 points while Rovers have played 28 games, 4 more than Stanley but have 47 points so points are vital to both these teams in their quest for promotion. I've gone for a 2-2 draw.

My second important game is 2^nd placed Plymouth at home to 9^th placed Wycombe. Argyle will go top with a win as current leaders Northampton don't have a game this week. Wycombe at 9th with a win and favourable results, could climb into the play off places. My prediction is a 3-1 win for Plymouth.

Luton feature twice in my highlighted games as they have a midweek game as well as hosting Notts on Saturday. On Tuesday they are again at home, this time to Yeovil who are struggling in 22^nd place. I've gone 2-0 for this one.

Once again I feature Notts as my key game.

**Luton v Notts County

Luton are at 13^th and are 2 places and one point better off than Notts. They have also played one more game than Notts' 26.

Earlier this season on 12/9/2016 Notts beat Luton 3-2 at Meadow Lane.

Notts still have 20 games to make an impact on League Two but Jamie Fullarton really needs all 3 points to make up for last weeks let down and to stop Notts' season fizzling out completely.

Sorry folks but I've gone for a 1-1 draw.

As the weekend’s game against Luton Town quickly approaches, Pride of Nottingham felt it would be a good idea to get the views from within our own camp ahead of the match. Notts-Joe has taken the time to put several questions to Jaymee Comrie, a loyal Notts fan and follower of PON.

Here’s what he had to say to the following six questions. You Pies!!

How do you feel the season has gone so far and which players have made a difference for Notts?

Before this season begun I had nothing but resounding confidence and pessimism. A great pre-season (apart from the last couple of games) and a fantastic budget from the sponsorship that was announced, along with the list of players coming in - overall such confidence was buzzing from around the club itself.

Most excited I've been for a season to start for couple year now even with the fact that we'd be starting in a lower division. I got my season ticket and the first away game at Stevenage was one I wasn't going to miss. It couldn't have started any better really, BUT very soon after that the wheels had well and truly fell off.

Disappointing result after result saw us slowly creep further and further from our overall objective, nevertheless I stuck it and kept going for the team. This season so far as a whole has been a bizarre one to say the very least.

At home we had some fantastic results and some great performances from the players. Moniz had assembled a team that were more than capable of competing with the big boys AT HOME. However, with only 1 win away since that fantastic afternoon in Stevenage, it seemed Moniz hadn’t got a clue about how to continue his success at home. It always seemed one step forward and two steps back, which is the answer to the question really, this season has been nothing but step back after step back.

Disappointing as it may be have some players that still fill me with excitement every time I see the ball at their feet. Stanley Aborah, Curtis Thompson, Graeme burke, Adam Campbell to name a few. We do have some good players but these always seem to be coupled with the bad, which we just seem to be missing the experience to bring them all together really.

Which opposition has impressed you the most and why?

No team really stands out, most teams have been able to pass the ball comfortably and dazzle us with good attacking football.

If I'm pushed it would have to be AFC Wimbledon. A team I certainly underestimated as well did Notts, but couldn't be happier for them to be where they are after everything that had happened to them.

What tasks do you feel Jamie Fullarton will need to carry out to ensure we start to play football that is more creative?

I would like to see more attacking minded line-ups to be fair. I'd rather lose to a team whilst trying to make a go at it, than fielding a 4-5-1 team with the sole mentality to counter at home. No fan should have to witness the scenes from last Saturday ever again.

Overall I'll be happy if he shows attacking intent with some additions that everyone wants to see, so Snijders, Da Silva, Murray etc.

Which former player is your all-time favourite and how can the current 2015/16 squad learn from him?

Bishop for me, I know there's an endless list to choose from, but he always comes to mind when I think of a strong hold up player with fantastic leadership skills. Okay, he was a bit of a hot head but I would kill for a player of his quality at the lane now, certainly something we desperately need.

Which players will be key for County against Luton Town?

I'm really not expecting much against Luton, which is why I wouldn't mind Jamie to have a 'Hail Mary' crack at them and try to throw them off a bit. Bang all our small, pacey players on, Campbell & Burke on the wings, Murray & Spencer upfront and Aborah and Thompson in CM and just run at them.

So what if we concede 4 or 5, what else have we got to lose.

What do you think the score and scorers will be?

If we play how we've played all season from home and the new gaffer doesn't plan to mix things up then 2-0 or 3-0 to Luton I'm afraid.

Sheehan to bag all of them just because it’s County.

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Hello and welcome to episode 21 of the Pride of Nottingham PONCast, Notts County’s number one podcast.

In this episode we analyse our last game, Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat against AFC Wimbledon.

We also discuss comments made by new manager Jamie Fullarton over his transfer window plans, the lack of injury updates, and Leigh Curtis’s thoughts on Stanley Aborah.

Remember you can subscribe to our PONcast.

You can do so by using iTunes for IOS devices, downloading any of the main podcast apps from the Google play store or even listen to show using the TuneIn Radio app.

As always, let us know your thoughts on this week’s PONcast on the forum or on the Facebook page, and once again, thank you for joining us.

Regular playback (including direct download).

Website
http://poncast.co.uk/

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So, what can be said about the once voted 'most stressful club' some years ago? Well, the last few years have brought us relegation battles, false promises from rich owners, and more managers than Betty has made hot pots.
 
It's been a season so far of ifs and buts, hasn't it? It certainly has for me. What if Ricardo Moniz was given sole responsibility for player recruitment? What if he was allowed to choose his own backroom team? What if Izale McLeod was given a strike partner instead of putting his perfect match on the left wing? 

Maybe things would be better - maybe they would be worse? Who knows? The most alarming and most frustrating element of the season is: what is our agenda? What direction and philosophy is the club trying to follow? We were promised a quality core of players surrounded by up and coming talent – yet the opposite has happened.

These questions haven’t been answered - which is probably the most frustrating thing for every Notts fan that 'packs' out Meadow Lane every other Saturday afternoon.

There has been an evident divide among Notts fans regarding the chairman, Ray Trew. It’s hugely apparent that he does have the ambition to take this club forward, by substantially backing Moniz in the summer with quality acquisitions in McLeod, Jon Stead, Scott Loach and of course, the foreign contingent which everybody was so excited about. 

However, it’s fair to say that performances have been inconsistent at best. We've had truly awful performances against teams we should be competing with on all levels - Carlisle, Wimbledon, Cambridge, Mansfield and of course the horror show at Salford. But on the flip side, we have seen the best attacking football seen for years against Barnet, Huddersfield, Crawley, Luton and Premiership side Aston Villa.
 
So what have we learnt from the squad we have? How can we describe the quality of players we possess? Personally, we potentially have one of the best XI in the division with one of the division’s most lethal finisher, arguably the best goalkeeping duo and quality across the middle in the shapes of Stanley Aborah, Liam Noble, Robert Milsom and Curtis Thompson.
 
We have good quality in both youth and depth that very rarely challenge the starting XI with Genaro Snijders, Wes Atkinson, Rhys Sharpe, Lartey Sarpong, Scott Loach, Jimmy Spencer, Ronan Murray, Graham Burke, Gill Swerts, Kyle de Silva and Filip Valencic all warming their cobbles on the bench with a hot cup of the Kop’s famous Bovril.
 
So why the poor league position? Why another manager that couldn't last a season? Does it come from above? Are Trew and Winter getting involved into footballing affairs instead of letting the manager do his job? And on that note we welcome Jamie Fullarton - is he the 'Yes Man' that RT has been after? Maybe. Or maybe, RT has seen something in Fullarton that no one else has. 

Sacked from Bolton for 'mismanagement' of the youth team and known for his aggressive and disciplinarian management style. Not the appointment Notts fans were shouting about when the shortlist consisted of proven high quality managers with names of John Sheridan, Mark Cooper and Lee Clarke who have all been successful at this level. To say Jamie needs to win over the fans quick is the understatement of the season.
 
Fullarton is up against it already with his bizarre team selection and awful defensive tactics on Saturday accompanied by the worst performance of the entire season. Now we go to Luton, another team in this division that should be challenging the top 6. 

Myself, and 8 others, will be checking into the Comfort Hotel and no doubt come 3:45pm, be moaning and groaning at another bemusing team selection and awful first half of football. Or knowing Notts, be 3-0 up with the best attacking and fluid football we have seen for years. Who knows! It is Notts after all…
 
See you all Saturday.

COYP

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Ah well, back to square one as Jamie Fullarton's first home game in charge of Notts ends in a very disappointing 2–0 defeat to Wimbledon.

Here are the League Two results for the weekend:

Saturday 23^rd January 2016

Bristol Rovers 1–1 Plymouth
Cambridge 1–1 Hartlepool
Carlisle 1–1 York
Exeter 2–1 Accrington
Mansfield 0–2 Luton
Newport 2–2 Dagenham & Redbridge
Northampton 3–1 Morecambe
Notts County 0–2 Wimbledon
Portsmouth 0–1 Oxford United
Wycombe 0–2 Leyton Orient
Yeovil 2–1 Crawley

Today there were 3 home wins, 4 away wins and 4 draws.

League Two Update

Northampton's 3–1 home win over Morecambe sees them open up a 2 point lead at the top of League Two with 58 points and a game in hand, over Plymouth who drop to 2^nd, on 56 points after drawing 1–1 with 4^th placed Bristol City, while Oxford remain 3^rd with 51 points after winning away at 5^th placed Portsmouth who have 44 points.

Accrington lost 2–1 to 13^th placed Exeter but stay 6^th from only 24 games on 42 points. The same total as 7^th placed Wimbledon who won 2–0 away at Notts County, who have played 27 games.

Leyton Orient move up to 8^th from 27 games and level on 40 points now with 9^th Wycombe where they won away 2–0 this weekend.

At the other end of the League Two table York stay bottom with 17 points from 26 games despite getting a 1–1 away draw at 10^th placed Carlisle who remain just outside the play off places with 39 points from 25 games.

A 2–2 draw between Newport and Dagenham & Redbridge sees the latter club fall into the other relegation spot at 23^rd with 20 points from 27 games with the former club remaining 20^th with 24 points from 26.

Yeovil move out of the relegation zone up to 22^nd with 20 points from 22 games after beating Crawley 2–1, who fall to 16^th with 34 points from 28 games.

Hartlepool have 24 points, the same as Newport but are 1 place lower at 21^st from 24 games after drawing 1–1 at 12^th placed Cambridge on 38 points from 28 games.

Notts County have dropped down to 17^th with 33 points the same as 18^th placed Barnet who have played 28 games, which is two more than The Magpies.

The gap between 7^th placed Wimbledon with 42 points and 17^th placed Notts is now 9 points although The Wombles have played an extra game. Notts also have a 13 point cushion from the bottom end.

Upcoming fixtures

League Two – Tuesday 26^th January 2016

Leyton Orient v Newport
Morecambe v Mansfield

Notts' are next in action on Saturday 30^th January 2016 away at Luton with a 3:00pm kick off.

The Hatters are two places higher and have 34 points, only one point ahead of Notts, so a must win game if Notts intend to seriously push on for promotion.

Will there be any changes to The Magpies personnel before the transfer window closes? Can Jamie Fullarton come up with another away victory?

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A lot has been said during the period whereby Alan Smith was rumoured to be joining Plymouth Argyle, which I must admit I wasn’t all that bothered about. However, I do think Smith will be a great coach and someone ideal to have around as a backroom member of staff.

It’s just hard to envision him playing week in and out for Notts, perhaps as a part player who can make an impact in the important games – whereby a little grit in midfield will help Notts in those tough matches?

I do believe we can afford to allow players who will feature less this season permission to leave the club.

Yet at the time, I made the point about how a player like Alan Smith is important to have around other players such as Curtis Thompson – young hungry players looking to establish themselves and their careers.

He may also be an asset to Jamie Fullarton, who will require all the experience and help he can find.

As a new manager looking to gain managerial experience after a wealth of experience working with young players, it seems ideal to have someone who has been at the top and remained there for the majority of their career.

I’ve made it no secret that I believe Jamie Fullarton should have his own assistant, I still hope to see news filter out about this but in the meantime, I am sure the new Notts manager Jamie Fullarton will have other people to help him.

I honestly feel the majority of fans will realise it’s important for him to have his own No.2 and someone who he feels can guide him with the day to day tasks of football management.

Can Alan Smith be someone who can temporarily fill this gap, along with Richard Dryden?

Both Ricardo Moniz and Shaun Derry struggled during the tough tests faced, yet on paper, both had very good support in Dave Kevan and Greg Abbott. It’s for that reason why I feel it’s of vast importance but in the meanwhile – since Notts will be looking to gain a form of stability.

Maybe, just maybe Alan Smith will be more assistance off the field than on it.

There’s no doubt that he brings many different types of benefits, from interest due to his playing career, to his personality and passion for the game.

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Once again a full programme with plenty of interesting fixtures. I've highlighted a few and also made Notts County v Wimbledon my key game of the week. See what you think!

*Important games **Key Game

Saturday 23^rd January 2016

*Bristol Rovers v Plymouth – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
Cambridge v Hartlepool – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Carlisle v York – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-0)
Exeter v Accrington – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)
Mansfield v Luton – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Newport v Dagenham & Redbridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)
*Northampton v Morecambe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
**Notts County v Wimbledon – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Portsmouth v Oxford United – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-2)
Stevenage v Barnet – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)
Wycombe v Leyton Orient – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Yeovil v Crawley – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)

Tuesday 26^th January 2016

Leyton Orient v Newport – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
*Morecambe v Mansfield – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

The first game I've highlighted gives 4^th placed Bristol Rovers, on 46 points, a chance to get into the automatic play off places, while their opponents, top of the table Plymouth, will be hoping to add to their 55 points.

My second game is at the other end of the table where 20^th placed Newport, on 23 points, will be hoping to pull away from 22^nd placed Dagenham & Redbridge who have 19 points. Newport also play midweek, on Tuesday, when they are away at Leyton Orient which is another team still with playoff hopes.

The 3^rd highlighted game sees Northampton, who are second with the same points as Plymouth but with a game in hand, playing 13^th placed Morecambe who with 35 points still hope to get to the playoff places.

Next comes an obviously important game with 5^th placed Portsmouth, on 44 points, taking on Oxford placed 3^rd with 48 points.

My final important game is played on Tuesday when currently placed 13^th and mid table, Morecambe play currently 9^th placed Mansfield.

Yet again I feature Notts as my key game.

** Notts County v Wimbledon

Notts are now 16^th with 33 points from 25 games and 7 points below 7^th placed Wycombe, occupying the last play off place, on 40 points. Opponents Wimbledon are 8 places higher than Notts and with 39 points only one point outside the playoffs from 26 games.

Notts lost at Wimbledon 2-1 earlier this season 19/9/2015.

This is the first game at Meadow Lane for Notts with Jamie Fullarton at the helm. Can Notts build on last weeks win away at Crawley? Will JF continue with the attractive attacking style of play seen in home games under the previous manager but with some much needed defensive quality added to Notts' game? Is a promotion push still on? There are still 21 games (63 points) for Notts to play. Interesting!

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