Kevin Nolan eager to keep momentum going against Everton Under-23s

Despite the controversy surrounding the Checkatrade Trophy ahead of Notts County's game with Everton Under-23s, Kevin Nolan insists he wants to go for a win nonetheless to build on the momentum from Saturday's 2-0 defeat of Chesterfield - as well as getting one over on his beloved Liverpool's Merseyside rivals.

The vast majority of people who support teams in the EFL are plotting to boycott the competition due to the Premier League's academy teams entering teams in an EFL competition - seen as many as the big fish of the top flight imposing their will on the smaller divisions.

Nolan, who acknowledged the criticism of the competition, told the Nottingham Post ahead of Tuesday's game at Meadow Lane: “We want as many clean sheets as possible from now until the end of the season because it gives you a great opportunity to win games.

"It also promotes a winning mentality within the group to make sure that we keep getting better and better as the games come thick and fast. We want it to get to a stage where you get that feeling of invincibility when you are out on the pitch.

“They are a good outfit. David Unsworth is somebody I’ve played against a lot during my career and it will be good to see him. I hope to get one over him because it’s Everton isn’t it?! I will have a lot of friends coming to watch too and they are all bluenoses.

“We actually looked at a lot of Everton’s young players in the summer and in the window last January about the potential of bringing them here on loan. A few of them have since gone to higher divisions. But we’ve got quite a bit of info about them and the analyst Jimmy has worked really hard to get as much data on them as possible.

“I know there has been a lot of criticism of the competition because not every team in the Premier League has bought into it. But we have a job to do and we will put a really strong team out against an Everton Under-23s team who won their league last year.

“It is not going to be a rollover. We are taking it seriously so we are hoping to get off to a good start and get into a run of winning games. I am just really looking forward to it, because it’s the first time I’ve been involved with the competition. It presents the most realistic chance of us getting to Wembley and giving the fans a great day out. All we can do is go at it in a positive manner and enjoy it.”

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