Kevin Nolan: 'Jonathan Forte not unlucky to have been named on bench'

Kevin Nolan has hinted towards Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi remaining the first-choice strike partnership at Notts County, claiming that Jonathan Forte was not unlucky to have been named on the bench for the 2-2 draw with Accrington Stanley.

Forte had scored in his previous two appearances before Friday’s League Two fixture at Meadow Lane, but was nonetheless not picked in the starting XI as the Magpies shared the spoils with Stanley.

“I don’t think he (Forte) was unlucky. I explained the reasoning to him on Thursday why he didn’t start and he took it on the chin,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.

“We played so well in the first half at Wycombe. We’ve got three good strikers in good form.

“I just feel that we beat Chesterfield and won at Wycombe. I don’t feel we needed to change. The two lads have done a fantastic job upfront. It’s my decision. That’s it.

“Sometimes you can get carried away when lads have played well. Forte scored a great goal against Everton Under-21s and scored at Wycombe.

“It could have happened again for him off the bench against Accrington, but we didn’t produce for him. We didn’t give him the ammunition.

“I’m delighted with all three of them. They did the right things at the right time but we didn’t feed them properly.

“Steady is off the mark which is great for us. Shola is yet to get off the mark, but their keeper has made some fantastic saves. That said, it’s not good enough us saying their keeper has played really well.”

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