Notts County head coach Martin Paterson praised his side’s resilience and winning mentality after a narrow 1-0 victory over Fleetwood Town extended their unbeaten run to four games.
The Magpies, missing winger Jodi Jones through international duty with Malta, relied on a decisive moment between their strike partnership. Alassana Jatta’s well-timed assist set up Matthew Dennis to score the only goal of the game at Meadow Lane.
Reflecting on the performance, Paterson admitted that his side had not been at their fluent best but highlighted the importance of grinding out results. “We didn’t play great football today. Absolutely not. But we played winning football at moments and we defended the box ever so well,” he said. “There’ll be days when we’re not great, but you must take points.”
Fleetwood’s organised approach forced Notts to adapt their style. Paterson explained the challenges his players faced. “Fleetwood came, organised, sat off a little bit and then almost asked us questions: okay, what are you going to do now? Sometimes at this level you have to play forward and stress back lines. I’m not embarrassed about doing that, I think it’s a really good pass.”
Paterson revealed he had been frustrated at half-time, demanding more direct play from his forwards. “I’ve got two centre-forwards on the field for a reason,” he said. “In the second half we started to be a bit more positive with our passing and decision making.”
The Notts boss was also quick to underline the significance of substitutions. Jatta and Dennis were both withdrawn as the second half wore on, with energy and fresh legs needed to see the game out. “Big AJ’s not match fit and Matthew’s been brilliant for us but he needs a rest,” Paterson explained. “I’ve got no fear of taking big names off because sometimes you need to bring energy on to secure the game. Conor Grant came on, got hold of the ball and won important fouls and throw-ins. That’s the dark arts. That’s where we were at.”
While the Magpies created chances to extend their lead, including a Jatta one-on-one and a goal-line clearance, Paterson admitted his team had not been clinical. “We should have scored more in the early part of the second half. We should have put the game to bed,” he said. “It wasn’t beautiful football, it was playing forward and running forward. Now we have to find that balance between earning the right and then playing.”
The clean sheet was another source of satisfaction for Paterson, who has been keen to see improvements in his team’s defensive resilience. “A clean sheet is something that I’ve been banging on to my staff and the players about. There is a requirement to do things at this level,” he said. “I saw a doggedness and a desire to defend the box.”
Paterson stressed the importance of turning solid performances into victories. “We’ve played better than that and lost this season,” he said. “The key thing why we won today is because at half time we decided we’d come out and do what was required in that moment. We played winning football and wasn’t at our best, but got out with three points.”
Looking ahead, Paterson called for further progress despite the recent unbeaten run. “Four is a mini-run. We need to continue to get better,” he said. “I’m really pleased with the group, but they’ll know come Monday there’s things inside that I am not happy with. Sometimes you’ve got to give them a well done for getting over the line. It was a big win.”
The win puts Notts County in a strong position heading into their next fixture against Gillingham, but Paterson insists there is no room for complacency. “When I wake up tomorrow I’ll be thinking about Gillingham and then it will all start again,” he said.
At Meadow Lane, the points mattered more than the performance. For Paterson, the sight of his team standing firm under pressure was proof of their growing resilience. “They were excellent in playing proper football to win a game,” he concluded.
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