By Chris
Notts County have climbed to third in League Two and stretched their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions following a 2-0 win over Morecambe.
Dan Jones opened the scoring for the Magpies at Meadow Lane with a 27th-minute free kick which was curled expertly round the Shrimps wall and beyond goalkeeper Barry Roche.
Morecambe launched a fightback but their efforts were to no avail as Notts struck late on through substitute Jonathan Forte as he broke through and rifled home via the inside of the post.
In this piece, Chris has taken an in-depth look at how both sides played, whether the result was fair, and how to move forward.
Was the result fair?
The result was about right for me, Morecambe didn’t look much of a threat on goal and struggled to get a grip on the game. Notts passed nicely at times, created chances and always looked to get forward.
How did Notts play?
It wasn’t a "wow" performance, yet the team spirit again shined and there were several occasions where pieces of play really did entertain us fans. I think we needed to be slightly more direct, along with taking our time when shooting but overall it was a very decent performance.
How did Morecambe play?
Morecambe really struggled, defensively they were quite poor and I felt if Notts created better chances they would have been finished off early. Their midfield wasn’t able to get hold of the game, nor could they change the tempo. This in turn isolated their attack, so it was a typical disconnected performance by a team clearly struggling to get their season going.
Did our tactics work out?
Honestly, I felt that we needed to change things before the game. Make a simple adjustment to the midfield by allowing Rob Milsom to start and perhaps the tweak we all have been wanting up front. The tactics weren’t bad, I just felt it was somewhat flat but it allowed us to control the game and so to a degree it worked. If Morecambe had been more of a threat or the physical team we know they can be – this could have been different, but the balance was about right for us.
How did the referee perform?
I can still hear his whistle, his repeated blowing and lack of control really frustrated me at times. However, I don’t think it had any sort of impact on the game and again I find myself thinking in hindsight that he was just another poor League Two referee.
Who do we play next?
Swindon Town – a team still getting to grips with life back in League Two, although they’re heavily tipped for a return to League One and have several good players. This will be a tougher game on Tuesday for Notts!
How should we play them?
Notts needs to be able to cope with any pace they have, the right-hand side of the defence for me is a concern if Matt Tootle doesn’t start. I think Swindon will know that they have a chance to influence the game by using the flanks so defensively we have to stand tall – whilst ensuring we force them back into the centre of the park.
I would like to see Notts try to hold the ball up, perhaps push Jorge Grant a little forward and let him sit behind whoever starts up front.
Kevin Nolan could perhaps justify reverting to one striker, however I think it might limit our chances – yet it would offer Notts more bulk in the centre of the park where it matters. This would allow us to pass the ball around, whilst offering protection to the defence.
We can’t just sit back and defend however, we must pass the ball and look to maximise the set pieces that we get.
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