Port Vale manager Neil Aspin has hit out at the penalty decision which helped Notts County claim all three points in a 1-0 win the New Year's Day game at Meadow Lane.

Kevin Nolan's charges had been denied several key decisions by the referee but were given the opportunity to take the lead late on when Marcus Harness's shove on Jon Stead led to the awarding of a spot kick.

From 12 yards out, the veteran striker smashed the ball into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Ryan Boot no chance, to keep Notts well in the automatic promotion positions.

“I have watched it back on the laptop and there is minimal contact. He was already going down," Aspin told the Stoke Sentinel. “For us, it’s a really bad decision and I don’t think we deserved it.

“I can’t fault the effort of the players. We have had a tough run of games and they come out of that with a lot of credit. It is a real shame that the unbeaten run has been ended by a referee’s decision.”

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Brentford manager Dean Smith has revealed that Alan Judge could make his long-awaited comeback from injury against former club Notts County this weekend.

The Irishman, who is back in training and has made several reserve appearances, was left out of the Bees squad for the 3-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Judge suffered a lower double leg fracture in April 2016 from a challenge by Ipswich Town's Luke Hyam and has not played first-team football since.

However, Smith revealed after the defeat to Wolves that the 29-year-old, who is loved at Notts after enjoying a fruitful loan spell in 2010-11 and a permanent stint between 2011 and 2013, may play in the FA Cup third-round tie at Griffin Park.

“I wanted him to train. I didn't think he was going to get on tonight so I thought it was important he stayed back and trained today which he has done," Smith said. “Hopefully, I can get him involved in some way on Saturday.”

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Kevin Nolan has admitted that some of Notts County's fringe players may leave the club on loan this transfer window.

Defender Haydn Hollis and midfielder Curtis Thompson have struggled to get game time and the manager says they are likely to depart Meadow Lane until the end of the season.

“We’ve had a few enquiries for our players, but nothing is set in stone,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “It’s about what is best for them and what is best for Notts County.

“I have spoken with Haydn and he was absolutely magnificent for me since I came here and even this season he’s been brilliant even though he’s not had the minutes he deserves.

“For someone of his age and where he’s at, he needs minutes and we both agree on that.

“He will be one and Curtis will be another. I will probably speak to a few of the other players too because minutes for them will only help us in the long run.”

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Another calendar year comes to an end as 2017 is now officially in the past and 2018 is here.

Notts County's season continues to go from strength to strength, with the Magpies still very much in contention from automatic promotion from League Two.

How did December pan out for Notts? Here is a recap of the biggest stories from the final month of 2017.

December 2

Notts left it late to beat non-league Oxford City, courtesy of Jorge Grant's winner, to claim a 3-2 win at Meadow Lane and win a place in the FA Cup third round.

December 3

Alan Hardy revealed that Notts are paying over £40,000 a month in win bonuses to manager Kevin Nolan and the club's players.

December 4

Notts were drawn away at Championship side Brentford in the third round of the FA Cup.

December 5

Kevin Nolan was nominated for November's League Two Manager of the Month award, the accolade ultimately going to Luton Town boss Nathan Jones.

December 9

Notts County launched Generation 8, a new initiative which aims to generate interest in the Magpies among youngsters with a view to attracting future fans to the club.

The Magpies were tasked with the hardest challenge of the season so far in a fixture away at League Two leaders Luton Town but emerged from the game with a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

December 13

Alan Hardy revealed his hopes of having a new training ground for Notts ready by January 2019.

December 16

Notts maintained their unbeaten home record but lost ground on League Two leaders Luton Town in a 0-0 draw with Grimsby Town at Meadow Lane.

December 22

Notts assistant manager Richard Thomas confirmed that goalkeeper Adam Collin had returned to full training after a lengthy injury layoff.

December 23

Notts fought back from three goals down to claim a 3-3 draw with Cambridge United in Saturday's League Two clash at Meadow Lane.

December 26

Notts returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 win over Morecambe at the Globe Arena.

December 30

Notts County ended 2017 on a sour note as their unbeaten run in League Two came to an end in a 1-0 defeat at Swindon Town.

December 31

Kevin Nolan confirmed that Rob Milsom will need to see a specialist for his injury, while goalkeeper Adam Collin is now "a couple of weeks away" from a return and captain Michael O'Connor is now back in training.

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Kevin Nolan has suggested that Notts County would be in a strong position to sign Jorge Grant and Ryan Yates should Nottingham Forest put the duo up for sale.

The two youngsters are on loan at Meadow Lane, having moved over the Trent with Mark Warburton's blessing, and have been instrumental in helping the Magpies surge up the League Two table over the last few months.

However, Forest's decision to sack Warburton has led to concerns of a new manager at the City Ground potentially wanting to make use of Grant and Yates, thus recalling them from their loan stints, or even sell them.

Nolan expressed his hopes of being able to hang on to the pair and, if they are put on the transfer list, claimed that Notts may have an advantage over other teams due to having been a great place for them to prosper.

“(Grant and Yates) are thriving and that’s the main thing,” he told the Nottingham Post.

“They will go back to Forest in the summer with lots of confidence which is why you go out on loan.

“You go back to your parent club a different player and you then hope the management team sees that.

“If it’s not meant to be over there then I am hoping we are the club they choose to come to.

“I feel we are in a strong position in that sense but that will be down to Nottingham Forest to make the decision.

“We can’t force that issue. All we can do is have a duty of care for these boys and to Nottingham Forest to make sure we are doing everything we can to look after them.

“Hopefully they can see that because we have a lot of respect for them over the road.

“We want to build a relationship because in a year’s time, who knows, we could be talking about other players thriving in this environment.”

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Well, what a superb year 2017 has been. From a one-way ticket to relegation from the Football League and on the verge of liquidation, Notts County have enjoyed the greatest resurrection since Lazarus over the past 12 months.

Since Alan Hardy took over the club and installed Kevin Nolan as manager, things have been steadily on the up. League Two survival was guaranteed with several games to spare and, as of the New Year, the Magpies sit in the automatic promotion places.

We at Pride of Nottingham are over the moon to see our beloved Notts doing so well, especially given the preceding few years, and we're enjoying every second of the New Era!

As we all know, however, football doesn't operate on calendar years - there's still just under half a season to go, and we're hopeful that Notts will get the job done!

Because of this, we have created a special offer for you to get your 2018 off to a great start while making the most of the current campaign - 18 for 2018!

For the remainder of January, you can become a Pride of Nottingham sponsor for the remainder of the 2017-18 season AND the entirety of the 2018-19 season for just £300!

As the biggest and best Notts County fan site on the internet, PON's site and social media pages are seen by thousands of people each day - this would enable your brand to be given exposure across not only the county, but the whole nation!

Here is how PON can promote your business:

- Putting up a universal banner link promoting your company just above the site's footer (visible across the website)

- Adding your company to our partners page with details about the business, your logo and a clickable link to your website in addition to a 'find out more' link (if services warrant such page) to a dedicated page which talks about the company in further detail and provides contact/location information

- Including your company logo in video content published on PON’s YouTube channel named as sponsor/partner (Meet the Fans, Opposition View, Aftermath, Match Preview, Tactics and Specials)

- Mentioning your company within the PONcast upon rotation

- Publishing an exclusive article on the PON website about your company/services, along with video and potential interview for our site

- Including you in our newsletters as a sponsor/partner

- Two exclusive promotional adverts placed across our popular social media channels (we will also share news/offers for free from our own personal accounts, and may share additional information across PON)

BettaBytz Computers and Notts Driving School are already part of the Pride of Nottingham family - take advantage of this great offer and you can join us in supporting the Magpies for the rest of this season and the next!

But this offer only lasts until the end of January, so don't hesitate to get in touch today!

COME ON BOARD YOU PIES!!!

For more information, check out our designated advertising page, contact webmaster@prideofnottingham.co.uk or drop us a message on the site or on social media today!

Kevin Nolan has hailed his "brilliant" Notts County side for responding to the defeat at Swindon Town with a 1-0 victory over Port Vale.

Jon Stead's late penalty proved the difference between the two sides and stopped Vale from notching up a third win in a row against League Two's big hitters, having beaten Coventry City and Luton Town prior to their visit of Meadow Lane.

"I thought we were brilliant," Nolan told the official Notts site. "I was pleased with the positive nature in how we responded to what was a poor display on Saturday.

"The reaction I got from the lads today was magnificent. We dominated throughout and got the goal we deserved in the end.

"I am delighted for Steady to get a goal. People may say it's a penalty and it's a freebie but that is never the case. We have missed enough to know that.

"(50 points) is what we were aiming to get to as soon as possible so to be there at the turn of the year is an absolutely fantastic achievement by the lads.

"Now we can reassess and see how far we can go but we know how hard it is and how hard we have had to work to get to that position from being in the bottom two this time last year to top two this year.

"It's not about us getting carried away. We should enjoy it but continue to work hard. Hopefully we are still in the same position come game 46 of the league season."

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Kevin Nolan has provided an injury update on several players ahead of Notts County's home game against Port Vale on New Year's Day.

Jonathan Forte, Shola Ameobi and Richard Duffy will face late fitness tests, while Rob Milsom will have to see a specialist.

The four players did not take part in Saturday's 1-0 loss at Swindon Town and, while Milsom is definitely out, it will be a case of taking it "day by day" with the other three.

Nolan also provided updates on goalkeeper Adam Collin, who is now "a couple of weeks away" from a return, and captain Michael O'Connor, who is now back in training.

“They are five lads who could start in the team,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.

“We’ve just got to play it day by day. It just shows that when I talk about how important the depth of the squad is because you can lose four or five in seven days because of this period.

“Rob has to go and see a specialist, while Shola, Forte and Duffy are touch and go.

“Adam Collin is still a couple of weeks away, while Occy returned to the training pitch this week which was lovely to see him running around the pitch.

“But it wasn’t about the lads who were missing on Saturday. I thought the lads who played deserved to get a draw.

“They did more than enough, but the defeat just came from sloppy defending on our part.”

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Kevin Nolan has acknowledged that Notts County "were below our normal levels" in the 1-0 loss at Swindon Town but believes there wasn't much between both sides.

The Magpies' superb 2017 ended on a sour note as they relinquished their League Two unbeaten run at the County Ground thanks to a Luke Norris goal early in the second half.

"It's disappointing to end the year with a defeat because there was nothing really in the game," Nolan told the official Notts site.

"The conditions were tough and they mastered them a bit better than we did. It spoils games and was a big factor. We couldn't get to grips with it in the first half and we were below our normal levels.

"But I think we more than matched Swindon but conceded a sloppy goal because of poor defending, which we were punished for. They didn't have many chances and hit us on the break.

"We had a good spell at the end where we could have taken a deserved draw but the goalkeeper makes a fantastic save."

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Alan Hardy has described Notts County's 2-1 home win over Crawley Town last season as the game which transformed the mindsets of the players and set the tone for the New Era.

Notts headed into the game on January 28 without a win in 13 league games, having lost 11 of them, and despite Hardy's takeover earlier that month, things still looked dire for the club.

However, County emerged victorious as Jonathan Forte scored a late winner and gave his side their first league win since October and their first league victory at Meadow Lane since September.

In his final Nottingham Post column of 2017, Hardy wrote: "When I try to think of a defining game, I think of those that may not only have gone our way in terms of results, but also signalled a change in mentality and in doing so sparked a new era of belief.

"It would have been tempting to say the Mansfield game last January, considering we had gone into it on the back of 10 straight defeats.

"It was Kevin’s first match in charge too and we ground out a 0-0 draw which stopped the rot and was pretty significant to everybody at the club.

"But the game I believe really set us off on the start of this wonderful journey was actually the second home fixture of my tenure, against Crawley.

"We were down to 10 men after 70-odd minutes when Curtis Thompson was sent off, but then Thierry Audel put us one-up just a few minutes later.

"James Collins equalised late on and for all intents and purposes, it looked like we were heading for another draw.

"But in the 90th minute, Jonathan Forte conjured up a winner which led to all of us going completely mental in the directors’ box.

"We couldn’t believe it was our first home win in the league since September. It set the tone for the never-say-die mentality at this club. We always keep going to the very last. It transformed the mindset of the players."

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Jorge Grant has admitted that speculation over his future may have been at the back of his mind over the last few weeks.

The 23-year-old continues to impress for Notts County, taking his tally for the season to 16 with a brace in the 4-1 win at Morecambe on Boxing Day.

Prior to the two goals at the Globe Arena, Grant had not scored in the league since a two-goal haul against Cheltenham Town on November 11.

Grant's impact has been so significant at Meadow Lane that the rumour mill has gone into overdrive regarding whether he might return to parent club Nottingham Forest or get sold on.

Although Forest have stressed that the attacker is not being recalled in January, speculation continues to circulate about his immediate future.

“I haven’t been playing as well as I have done recently,” Grant told the Nottingham Post.

“The goals were not coming as frequently as they were before, maybe that’s been the stuff off the pitch I’m not too sure.

“I’ve been working just as hard and I’ve been concentrating on my football just as much but maybe in the back of your mind you do think about stuff like that.

“But the gaffer and I sat down this week and we got everything off our chests.

“I have that relationship with him where he says if you want to come and have a chat then you can do. He’s really good like that.”

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Swindon Town captain Olly Lancashire has expressed his confidence in getting a result against Notts County.

The League Two fixture at the County Ground is the reverse of that at Meadow Lane on September 12, when Jon Stead's penalty sealed a 1-0 win for the Magpies.

The Robins go into Saturday's game on the back of a heavy 5-0 home loss to Luton Town but Lancashire is convinced his side will "go out fighting" against Notts.

"We've played against Notts County before this season, it was a close game and we lost to a penalty in the end," he told the official Swindon site. "We've got to approach it as a new game.

"We've been in all week and we've been working on a game-plan to try and get a result. We're confident of doing that.

"I remember four weeks ago we were top of the form table and everyone was buzzing after seven wins in eight games.

"Football is full of highs and lows and you've got to take it - we're feeling it in there.

"You can either sit down and feel sorry for yourself or you can go out fighting and we'll certainly be fighting.

"We've got 35 points at the halfway point of the season, it isn't a terrible position to be in and we're ready to attack the second-half of the season and try to get into the promotion positions."

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Kevin Nolan has urged Notts County to maintain the level achieved against Morecambe when they head to Swindon Town on Saturday.

The Magpies beat the Shrimpers 4-1 at the Globe Arena but League Two leaders Luton Town handed the Robins a hammering of their own, winning 5-0 at the County Ground.

With Swindon manager David Flitcroft accusing his charges of capitulation, Nolan is aware they will be a wounded animal ready to fight back.

“They are going to be looking for a reaction,” the Notts boss told the Nottingham Post.

“That’s going to be tough on us, but look, there are not going to be any easy games from now until the end of the season.

“But if you look at how we played against Morecambe, we handled them brilliantly, because they are no mugs and no pushovers.

“We were thoroughly better than them which is why we got the win.

“And what we have to do now is to go Swindon on Saturday and replicate that performance.”

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Kevin Nolan has admitted that speculation surrounding Jorge Grant's future has affected the attacker's form.

The 23-year-old continues to be on form for Notts County, taking his tally for the season to 16 with a brace in the 4-1 win at Morecambe on Boxing Day.

Prior to the two goals at the Globe Arena, Grant had not scored in the league since a two-goal haul against Cheltenham Town on November 11.

Grant's impact has been so significant at Meadow Lane that the rumour mill has gone into overdrive regarding whether he might return to parent club Nottingham Forest or get sold on.

Although Forest have stressed that the attacker is not being recalled in January, speculation continues to circulate about his immediate future.

“There has been a lot of speculation about Jorge and I really do feel it has affected him,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.

“People have got to realise that he is a young lad still making his way in the game.

“We’ve had numerous chats over the last week or so. I said let’s not worry about anything that’s going on.

“Just worry about what you do on the pitch and when he plays with that freedom, as we saw at Morecambe, some of the stuff he does was absolute quality.”

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What's been happening in League Two over the last week?

Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days.

- Port Vale confirmed that they have extended the contract of Adam Yates until the end of the season following the defender's reconstructive facial surgery after a freak collision during a game last month, despite reports from Sky Sports suggesting that he was going to be let go upon expiry of his contract at the end of the month.

- Cheltenham Town manager Gary Johnson could have died within 36 hours after complications following emergency heart surgery earlier this year, his son Lee has revealed. However the surgeon - the father of Bristol City defender Joe Bryan - spotted the development of Guillain-Barre syndrome in Johnson Sr and had him treated accordingly.

- Chesterfield signed keeper Jake Eastwood on an emergency loan from Sheffield United following loanee stopper Cameron Dawson's return to Sheffield Wednesday, as well as agreeing a deal for full-back Drew Talbot to be completed on January 1.

- Luton Town forward Aaron Jarvis joined National League side Boreham Wood on a month's youth loan.

- Newport County are investigating claims suggesting Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley was hit by coins thrown from the crowd at Rodney Parade during their 0-0 draw with Newport County.

- Stevenage accepted an undisclosed bid from Guiseley Town for striker Rowan Liburd.

- Colchester United confirmed that Sanmi Odelusi will leave the club when his contract expires on December 31, the striker playing in a reserve game for Cheltenham.

- Bristol City confirmed that Taylor Moore and Joe Morrell will remain with Cheltenham on loan for the rest of the season.

- Coventry City boss Mark Robins says Josh Barrett will be joined at the club by another signing which is "imminent", though no names or clues have been given.

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Kevin Nolan should find out today if Shola Ameobi, Jonathan Forte and Rob Milsom will be available for Saturday's game with Swindon Town.

The trio all missed the 4-1 win over Morecambe on Boxing Day with knocks but Nolan has been monitoring their fitness over the last two days.

Notts will be hoping to build on the victory at the Globe Arena to further entrench their position in the top three of League Two.

“I am hoping they are all going to be available,” he told the Nottingham Post on Wednesday. “I will know more on Thursday if they are going to have a chance of making the game.

“We are hopeful some of them will be back but, as you saw against Morecambe, the lads who came in did a fantastic job.

“They will be expecting not to lose their place because of it. That’s why we built the squad we have because it enables us to make changes in what is a very unforgiving league.”

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Lewis Alessandra has stressed that Notts County will not lose focus over the busy festive period and will look to build on their Boxing Day 4-1 away win over Morecambe.

The 28-year-old scored a goal in each half at the Globe Arena, along with Jorge Grant's brace, to help keep the Magpies entrenched in the top three, while Callum Lang claimed a late consolation for the hosts.

Up next for Notts is the weekend trip to Swindon Town and the New Year's Day home game with Port Vale, and Alessandra says the players and staff are being "thoroughly professional" during this period.

“I’ve been a professional player for 10 years now and Christmas is always the same,” he told the official Notts website.

“It’s all the sweeter when you come away from home and get a win and a couple of goals, as I have done today.

“The games come thick and fast over the Christmas period and the gaffer reiterated to us that he wants us to detach ourselves from third and fourth.

“He wants us to be thoroughly professional and you will get that from all the lads.

“It’s about recovery now, then we’ll do game preparation for Swindon, looking at them in detail as we do for all our opponents. We’ll be looking to go there and put in a performance to keep this unbeaten run going.”

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Kevin Nolan has praised his Notts County players for their superb 4-1 win away at Morecambe and said it was important to build momentum after three draws and ahead of another busy spell.

Jorge Grant and Lewis Alessandra scored a goal in each half to help keep the Magpies entrenched in the top three, while Callum Lang claimed a late consolation for the hosts.

Up next for Notts is the weekend trip to Swindon Town and the New Year's Day home game with Port Vale, and Nolan was delighted with how his changed side performed at the Globe Arena.

“It was a professional away performance," he told the official Notts site.

“I made a few changes because of the number of games we have coming up so for the lads to produce what they did this afternoon, I’m absolutely delighted.

“We handled Morecambe well and stamped our authority on the game. We scored some quality goals with some lovely movement, which we have worked on on the training field. It was nice to see that come off today.

“The front four were exceptional. Some of the movement, interchanging and quality of play was great but we can still get better.

“It was important to back up the three draws we have had lately with a performance like that going into two games in 48 hours later in the week.”

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Jon Stead has admitted he would have liked to score more goals than he has done so far this season, although he's happy with his general play.

The 34-year-old has scored five times in this campaign but has nonetheless put in good performances to help Notts County to second in the League Two table.

“I think my all-round game has been some of the best of my career this year,” Stead told the Nottingham Post.

“But I’ve ended up sacrificing goals and that’s been disappointing.

“I think I’ve got five for the season so far and that isn’t enough. It’s something that I want to improve and I’ve still got a chance of getting the kind of totals of the last two seasons.

“But I look at the games we have played this season and I do think I’ve played a major part in that during the time I’ve been on the pitch.

“So in many respects I am happy with that but as a striker you are judged on goals.

“For me, I would rather have 10 top performances and a couple of goals rather than eight goals and poor performances.

“I have prided myself on my all-round game throughout my career but if I get more goals then I would be very happy.”

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Kevin Nolan has revealed that Shola Ameobi and Jonathan Forte face fitness tests after picking up knocks in Notts County's 3-3 draw with Cambridge United on Saturday.

Ameobi signalled to the bench to come off in the second half of the game, but had to remain on the pitch as the Magpies had already made all three substitutions.

Forte, meanwhile, took a blow to the hip after coming on as a sub and was visibly struggling to stay on his feet after scoring the injury-time equaliser which completed the remarkable comeback.

“Shola is going to be a worry with all the games coming up,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post ahead of the Boxing Day visit of Morecambe.

“Hopefully it’s only a tight hamstring, but we will assess him over the next 48 hours.

“Forte took a really bad knock when he came on so for most of the game we had nine men.

“But it was a testament to what they showed all year round that they kept going.”

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Kevin Nolan has hailed Notts County's team spirit after the team came from three goals down to draw 3-3 against Cambridge United at Meadow Lane.

Uche Ikpeazu and Jevani Brown's brace appeared to have given Shaun Derry's side an unassailable advantage heading into the latter stages of Saturday's League Two encounter.

However, goals from Lewis Alessandra, Shaun Brisley and Jonathan Forte rescued a point against all odds and ensured that the Magpies would remain unbeaten at home this season, as well as having lost just once at the Lane this calendar year.

"We're delighted to get a draw in the end but I don't think we deserved to be 3-0 down at any point in the match," Nolan told the official Notts site. "They took their three goals really well and I can't criticise my goalkeeper or defenders for what happened.

"We did a lot of things we worked on on the training ground - not rushing things, not throwing aimless balls into the box, putting quality balls in - and put Cambridge under enough pressure to eventually crack and get our just rewards.

"I am so proud of my lads because none of them stood there with their hands on hips, giving up. They stuck together.

"You talk about team spirit, unity and camaraderie but I don't think I need to speak about it any more because the players have shown exactly what they have got in abundance.

"It shows everyone around the city and the Notts County supporters what they deserve. They have a team who will fight tooth and nail until the end to do everything they can for the shirt.

"The fans were terrific, even at 3-0 down because they could have turned easily but they didn't. They understand we are still not out of a game no matter what.

"I'm disappointed we couldn't get a win in our final home game of the year but I can't put into words what we have achieved over the year."

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Shaun Derry has spoken fondly of the "class" relationship he had with the Notts County fanbase and is looking forward to returning to Meadow Lane.

The 40-year-old began not only his playing career at Notts, but his managerial career too, taking the reins in 2013.

Derry masterminded the Great Escape, helping the club stay up in League One in 2014, but was dismissed in March 2015 as the Magpies could not repeat the feat the following season.

Now managing Cambridge United, who visit Meadow Lane today, Derry reminisced about his time at Notts and expressed his eagerness to be back in front of the "terrific" fans.

“I was immensely proud of what we achieved in keeping the club up,” he told the Nottingham Post.

“Everybody had written us off but everybody pulled together and we managed it against all the odds.

“We then carried that momentum into the next season, when despite it being quite precarious behind the scenes, we got into the top four.

“But myself and Greg knew that we were hitting crazy heights and the expectation to keep that going just wasn’t realistic.

“Then in the January window, we lost four quality loan players and they just weren’t replaced in terms of like for like.

“But, even then, at no point was the club in danger of being relegated and that happened after I left.

“Still, it was a massive learning experience for me and the relationship I have with the fans there was a different class.

“When I’ve been back they’ve always afforded me a terrific ovation and I am looking forward to seeing them again.

“There are lots of Notts fans among my family and friends and they will be at the game on Saturday."

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