Notts County Ladies remain top of the FA Women's Super League table after a 0-0 draw against current champions Liverpool.

The Lady Pies were on top for most of the game in terms of possession and chances and, were it for a little more incisiveness in front of goal, could have found themselves two or three goals to the good.

Chances were at a premium in the opening stages with the game largely dominated by skirmishes in midfield, although Jess Clarke produced a long-range effort that just cleared the crossbar at the quarter-hour mark.

It was not until well beyond the half-hour point that a goalkeeper was tested, Clarke showing great technique from a tight angle and unleashed a long range strike that forced Libby Stout into a smart save.

Liverpool struggled to find a cutting edge throughout the first half, although they did hit the bar through a header from Natasha Dowie, niece of former Crystal Palace manager Iain.

The second half was also a cagey affair with few concrete chances, the consequence of two very evenly matched sides.

In the 65th minute, Dunia Susi had a great chance when she ran clean through after Gemma Bonner was forced into a mistake by Desiree Scott.

Susi powered into the box, but with just Stout to beat, dragged her shot just past the upright.

Clarke then marauded into the box midway through the second half, but her shot was deflected away by Bonner.

Susi then did her best once again to draw first blood when she powered her way into the box after chasing a long ball, but her shot cleared the bar.

The final whistle eventually blew with both sides sharing the spoils - Notts will perhaps feel aggrieved at not being able to take more from the game, but will be happy that they're still in pole position at the top of the WSL table.

Notts County Ladies have risen to the top of Group Three in the FA WSL Continental Cup after seeing off a spirited Oxford United Women side 4-0 this evening at Abingdon United's ground.

The home outfit, currently bottom of the WSL2, matched the high-flying Lady Pies for certain spells of the game, but ultimately succumbed to goals by Caitlin Friend, Jess Clarke and Aileen Whelan.

Notts were quick off the starting blocks right from the start, marauding forward at every opportunity - Friend and Clarke both fired just wide in the first three minutes.

However, the home side could have got themselves on the scoresheet in the 13th minute when Laura Low dispossessed Dunia Susi before squaring to Lauren Allison, but the latter scuffed the ball wide of the post.

The Lady Pies took the lead in the 24th minute as the Oxford defence, caught out by a dangerous free-kick, allowed Friend to get inside the box and steer the ball past goalkeeper Hannah Cox.

United almost responded straight away when Jemma Connor-Iommi's free-kick cannoned back off the post, but Dunia Susi countered with an effort that soared over following a set piece of their own just minutes later.

Shortly after the restart, Notts scored a second goal, and it came courtesy of a hashed clearance - a free-kick taken by the visitors caused havoc in the box, and Sahara Osborne-Ricketts sent her clearance rebounding off Clarke and into the net.

Rachel Colsie appeared to have headed in a third for the visitors when she was first to the rebound after Cox had kept out another effort, but was denied by the offside flag.

However, the Lady Pies didn't have to wait long for the third goal, as just moments later Clarke rose high to head home from yet another dangerous Notts set piece.

The floodgates were well and truly open at this stage, and substitute Whelan, assisted by the talismanic Clarke, arrived late to power a volley into the net at the back post for goal number four.

Oxford could have scored a consolation goal in injury time, but Lauren Allison's speculative effort was not given as the referee played on, and so the final whistle blew on a 4-0 victory to the visitors, who now top their group with two wins and a draw, a point ahead of Birmingham City Ladies.

It had to come to an end at some point. After Notts County Ladies’ excellent start to the season, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Everton sees the Lady Pies fall at the FA Cup semi-final stage and record their first loss of the new campaign.

The home side – kind of – began the game on the front foot, Dunia Susi weaving through a series of Everton tackles, but her tame shot was collected by Toffees goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis.

The visitors took the lead in the 13th minute against the run of play, as Nikita Parris latched onto a corner kick to head past Carly Telford.

Shocked by the early goal concession, Notts strove for an equaliser straight away, and came close to striking back through Jess Clarke and Rachel Corsie.

Things were to get worse for the Lady Pies, sadly. Just before the half-hour mark, Telford’s mistake allowed Parris to poke home for the second goal of the game, both individually and for her team.

It didn’t take long for Notts to have the ball in the back of the net, but Brown-Finnis was pardoned by the referee, who cited “unlawful pressure” for the fact that she dropped a clanger by spilling the sphere into her net.

The Toffees keeper, to her credit, did make a good save at the end of the first half to deny Amy Turner a goal.

The second half saw Notts pull a goal back through Katie Hoyle, who latched onto Katie Holtham’s flick-on just before the hour mark to send the ball into the Everton net.

Clarke, whose scoring record so this season has been outstanding, attempted a long-range effort midway through the second period, but sadly was denied by the post.

The resolute Toffees defence wasn’t to be breached again, and at the final whistle, it was the Merseyside outfit that would find themselves into the FA Cup final at the expense of the beleaguered Notts Ladies.

So, while the men's league season is coming to an end, the women's season has only just begun, and needless to say, Notts County's ladies have gone off to a flying start. Unbeaten in five, having won four games and drawn against Arsenal, today's result was a fantastic 5-0 win against Aston Villa Ladies in the FA WSL Continental Cup (essentially, the Women' League Cup - Continental is the sponsor).

The first goal came after just three minutes, as the Lady Pies broke the deadlock against their WSL2 opponents. Following some good work from Emily Roberts, the ball was threaded through to Jess Clarke, who whizzed down the right-hand flank and sent a cross into the Villa box. The ball was met by Dunia Susi, who subsequently headed home.

Clarke, who in the last few games has been virtually unplayable, continued to threaten immediately after the goal, as she marauded into the box and sent dangerous crosses from the wing on several occasions.

In the 20th minute came goal number two, and the scorer? None other than our 24-year-old starlet Jess Clarke. Katie Hoyle began the move, as she beat her marker and slid the ball through to Emily Roberts. The defender then burst into the area and cut back to Clarke, who found the net from close range.

Just four minutes later came the third goal, much to the joy of the home crowd, who needless to say haven't witnessed many displays of dominance at Meadow Lane this season. Following a corner that was only half cleared, Sophie Walton kept the move alive and sent a cross the way of Caitlin Friend, whose side-footed volley once again beat the beleaguered Villa goalkeeper, Caitlin Leach.

The away side then seemed to experience a small revival, as skipper Chloe Jones fired narrowly wide just before the half-hour, in went goal number four for the Lady Pies, just four minutes before the break. Once again it was Susi to get on the scoresheet and secure a brace, as she drew Leach off her line and rounded her on the left-hand side to fire into the goal, past Jade Richards on the goal-line.

More torment came the way of the Villans, as Notts turned the screw even more in the second half. Susi fired straight at Leach's legs in the 50th minute, while Clarke came off second best when up against the away goalkeeper just six minutes later.

Susi had yet more chances to secure a hat-trick midway through the second half, but her header from eight yards, following a great cross from Clarke on the right flank, flew just wide in the 63rd, while just three minutes later, the flag denied the England star after pouncing on Clarke's rebounded shot.

Eventually, the fifth goal came, with the talismanic Clarke also securing a brace against Villa. Rachel Corsie set the ball rolling after bombing down the right wing and setting up the 24-year-old.

As the final whistle blew on a very satisfying game for the home side, the Black and White Army couldn't hide their delight and being able to call such a wonderful footballing team their own. Even Aston Villa acknowledged County's might, as they wrote on Twitter: "Credit to @Official_NCLFC - Villa won't play many better teams than them this season."

Onwards and upwards for the Lady Pies!

Notts County Ladies have reached the semi-finals of the FA Women’s Cup after seeing off Portsmouth FC Ladies 2-0 at Privett Park, thanks to second-half strikes from Sophie Bradley and Jess Clarke.

The home side, currently plying their trade in the FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division, were on the back foot from the off, and within five minutes, Dunia Susi set up Clarke who powered forward towards goal and forced Portsmouth goalkeeper Sadie Blakely to make a good save.

Just two minutes later, the in-form Clarke sent a cross towards Caitlin Friend who unleashed a powerful half volley on target and forced another stop from Blakely. Then, Susi was next to test Pompey after Friend squared to the 26-year-old, but with the ball bouncing awkwardly, her subsequent effort flew over.

The home side’s first foray on goal was in the 12th minute when Notts conceded a free kick in a dangerous position, but Lucy Quinn’s effort was well cleared by Bradley, while just three minutes later, Notts goalkeeper Carly Telford accidentally cleared the ball to Pompey striker Charley Wilson, but her subsequent effort flew wide of the mark.

On the half-hour mark, the visitors were nearly gifted a goal when a Sophie Walton free kick connected with a Pompey defender and bobbled just past her own post.

The Notts dominance showed no signs of abating in the latter stages of the first half, with Katie Holtham being set up by Susi and blasting the ball just wide of the Pompey post, while in injury time, Susi managed to prod the ball into the net from a woodwork rebound, but the referee flagged her as offside.

Despite the Lady Pies showing their superiority against their smaller opponents, the first half would end (officially) goalless.

It was a case of as you were in the second half, as the Lady Pies continued to exert constant pressure against Portsmouth, save for a chance in the 64th minute that had to be blocked by Amy Turner.

Eventually, Notts managed to break the deadlock, having to wait until the 72nd minute to do so. Following a corner kick, the ball flew to Bradley, and her thumping header soared into the top corner past the hapless Blakely.

Much like buses, when you wait ages for one then two come at once, the second bus… I mean, the second goal, came just three minutes later, as Clarke finally got herself on the score sheet thanks to a calm finish past the onrushing Blakely. Credits go to Friend for setting up the 24-year-old with a well-calculated headed through-pass.

The second goal virtually meant game over, as the beleaguered Pompey Ladies were down and out by this point, and as the final whistle went, the Lady Pies could celebrate their passage to the FA Women’s Cup semi-finals - they will go on to face Everton Ladies, venue to be confirmed.

The tie is due to be played on the weekend of 10/11th May.

Notts County Ladies have secured their first ever win in the Women’s Super League, and rose to the top of the FAWSL1 table, after seeing off Everton 2-0 in today’s game at the Halton Stadium in Widnes.

The game saw early pressure from the Lady Pies, who found themselves dispossessing their opponents within the first minute and launching a speculative cross into the area, which was cleared.

Just three minutes later, Jess Clarke forced a corner, and from the subsequent set piece, broke the deadlock to give the away side the lead, courtesy of a header from Katie Holtham.

The Toffees goalkeeper, Rachel Brown-Finnis, got a touch, but only succeeded in deflecting the ball onto the post and into the back of the net.

The versatile Dunia Susi was a constant thorn in Everton’s side, marauding into the opposition box on several occasions and sending dangerous passes which had to be frantically cleared.

The home side didn’t threaten Notts until the 14th minute, when Nikita Parris broke through the Magpies backline, but goalkeeper Carly Telford did enough to put off the marauding forward, whose lob soared over the crossbar and out of play.

Midway through the first half, Susi managed to beat three Everton players but was thwarted by Gabrielle George in the box before she could cause more havoc.

The Lady Pies then doubled their lead just before half time, much to the disappointment of the home crowd (but to the delight of the visiting fans) when Clarke, arguably one of County’s best players in the Arsenal draw four days ago, applied the finish to a ricocheting corner.

The second half saw Notts threaten within four minutes of the restart, when Clarke broke into the Toffees box and launched a dangerous that was poorly cleared into the path of Laura Jane-O'Neill.

The youngster set up the ever-dangerous Susi, but she was unable to keep the ball down.

After a somewhat quiet spell, Clarke was able to break from the halfway line in the 71st minute, powering forward into the box and firing just wide.

Beleaguered Everton, second best throughout most of the game, were able to fashion a dangerous change when Kelly Jones was clean through on goal having beaten Telford, but O’Neill conjured up a great Liddle-esque headed clearance off the line to bail out her teammate.

The rest of the game was all Notts, who could have run away with the game through dangerous chances from Rachel Corsie, Susi and Clarke, but as the final whistle blew on a 2-0 away win, the Lady Pies could not be happier with the display and the scoreline nonetheless.

The result means that the Lady Pies climb to the top of the eight-team FAWSL1 on four points, the same as Chelsea and Liverpool but with a superior goal difference.

You heard it first on Pride of Nottingham – Notts County on top of the league, above Chelsea and Liverpool! COYLP!!

Yesterday Notts County LFC kicked off their season at Meadow Lane to Arsenal LFC, over 1,583 fans queued to get into see the ladies play and the overall impression was very impressive. Notts County started off by taking the lead, Jess Clarke perfectly timed a run and scored a good goal.

Arsenal LFC pulled level from Alex Scott.

You can read our full match report - Here. Enjoy the gallery COYLP's!

Mobile Users please visit | Gallery.

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Oskar Papierz for allowing us use of his images, we wish him all the best his photography. Here's his Facebook page and Website.

Notts County's first ever game in the FA Women's Super League finished 1-1, as over 1500 fans at Meadow Lane saw the Lady Pies take on Arsenal, one of the most decorated women's teams ever, and secure a draw and a point after taking them all the way. The game went through the motions in the opening stages, but in the 10th minute, Jess Clarke was able to weave her way through the Arsenal defence before firing just wide.

Clarke would continue to cause havoc in the Gunners back line, curling an effort wide just past the quarter-hour mark before attempting a shot from distance five minutes later.

It wasn’t just the 24-year-old winger who proved a handful for the away side – Emma Mitchell had to be at her best to thwart the marauding Dunia Susi in the 25th minute.

Then came the breakthrough, and much to the delight of the home fans, it fell to Notts, as the ever-dangerous Clarke beat her marker and curled an effort past Emma Byrne for the first goal of the match and the first ever Notts County WSL goal.

Arsenal, one of the league’s strongest teams, were determined to overhaul the deficit, and just after the half-hour mark could have pulled one back, but Kelly Smith’s effort, following good work from Shinobu Ono, soared over the bar.

Towards the end of the first half, Clarke’s free kick fell to the head of Sophie Bradley, but unfortunately the effort flew wide. Nevertheless, the Lady Pies were leading 1-0 at the break.

The Arsenal half time team talk must have invigorated the players, because they were more menacing in the second period. Leah Williamson saw her header tipped away by Notts keeper Carly Telford just four minutes into the half, but worse was to come.

In the 54th minute, Ono’s effort was blocked, but the ball fell to Alex Scott, who then unleashed a fierce volley past Telford to make it 1-1.

From then on it was virtually all Arsenal, as Danielle Carter, Rachel Yankey and Kelly Smith all had chances to score around the hour mark, while in the 72nd minute, Smith’s pinpoint free kick smashed against the underside of the bar before being cleared off the line.

Notts, with their backs to the wall, survived an effort that had goal written all over it with just five minutes to go in the game – Freda Ayisi’s shot was cleared off the line by Bradley, with the rebound falling to Scott whose improvised effort was then deflected onto the bar and subsequently cleared in a flurry of franticness.

That proved to be the last significant action of the game, and as the final whistle blew on a pulsating encounter, the home side surely would have been happy to secure a draw against such tough starting opposition.

As it stands, only four of the eight teams comprising the FA Women's Super League have played their first fixture, and alongside Notts County and Arsenal, Birmingham City and Everton also drew 1-1.

Well its getting close to the 'business end' of the season now as a lot of teams in League One thrust one concerted effort into either staying up or going up in the final few weeks of the season.

In the lower reaches, Notts County have managed stage one of their 'Great Escape' by reaching the dizzy heights of 19th thanks to back to back wins over Colchester, Crewe and Carlisle, giving County fans something to cheer about.

Stage two for them will be to stay out of the relegation zone.

Stevenage have that doomed look about them with just one win in eight games. They have drawn too many of late and have a poor goal difference. Shrewsbury had a similar March as Stevenage with four drawn games.

Crewe's misery continues with just one win from seven and Carlisle complete the last of the drop zone spots who failed to win and didn't even score in four games.

Of the teams above them, Tranmere's only success was against Notts County, Colchester squeezed nine games in-but could only win one of them as did Oldham from their eight.

Crawley obtained three wins and still have four games in hand over most so it looks like they could be safe-eventually. Up in 15th spot Bristol City continued their climb with four wins which included a 5-0 thumping of Port Vale. Gillingham had a steady three wins from six whilst Coventry continued their indifferent form.

Moving into the top half then, Bradford City and Port Vale had mixed fortunes whilst Sheffield United continued their previous month's good form with three wins..but ended March with three defeats!

MK Dons had a terrible month at home with four defeats yet obtained three away victories! The Sorry Saddlers went six games without a win then won their last two so Walsall are still chasing 6th spot.

Swindon had a right old mixed bag as did Peterborough. Rotherham went from strength to strength with five great wins whilst Leyton Orient started the month off well then let it slip a bit. Brentford and Wolves still look likely to go up. Brentford still managed four wins whilst champions-elect Wolves won six from eight and nothing will surely stop them now. April should be very interesting throughout the division.

Saturday the 5^th of April, Notts will be making a trip to Griffin Park to take on Brentford FC. They currently sit 2^nd, a total of 40 points divides both teams, which is the exact amount of points we currently have (40pts). Notts are currently 19th and require a good result and some luck to avoid falling back into the relegation zone.

Notts come into the game having beaten Colchester 2-0. Brentford drawn 0-0 in their last game against Oldham. The Match Officials for Saturdays game against Brentford FC will be referee Charles Breakspear, with his two assistants Ian Cooper and Ian Fissenden. The fourth official will be John Busby.

Match Officials

Referee; Charles Breakspear has taken control of nineteen games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup ties and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 91 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of eight players. He's featured seven times in League One, ten times in League Two and twice in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Charles Breakspear is the referee from our home game against Bristol City, the game which Gary Liddle was injured. The game finished 1-1, thanks to Alan Sheehan's 89^th minute leveler. He booked a total of 8 players, 3 Notts (Leacock, Boucaud, Jamal Campbell-Ryce) and 5 Bristol City players.

Assistant Referees; Ian Cooper has been the 1^st assistant seventeen times so far this season. He's been the 2^nd assistant four times and the fourth official seven times. The majority of league games come from League One, whilst he's featured 10 times in the Championship and seven times in League Two.

Ian Fissenden has featured as the 2^nd assistant six times, he has been the 1^st assistant nine times and he currently has featured as the fourth official four times within the 2013/2014 season. Four of these games have taken place in the Championship, a further four more within League One. Again four within League Two, the rest are from cup appearances.

Interesting Fact – Ian Cooper originally started out in the Sunday League as a player, he told sabotagetimes “I played in a few Sunday League teams with my mates and wasn’t as good as them,” says Ian Cooper, a 26-year-old car bodywork repairer from Kent. “So I thought if I can’t make it at the top level as a player maybe I can do it as a referee.”. (please note the source is trying to be amusing here).

Fourth Official; John Busby has featured five times as the fourth official so far this season. He's featured eleven times as the 1st assistant and a total of three times as the 2nd assistant. He's featured five times within the Championship, ten times within League One and four times within League Two.

Interesting Fact – John Busby was an English-born surveyor and civil engineer, active in Australia. Oh wait, Oppps... I have the wrong John here! Sadly I couldn't anything worthy of mentioning regarding John Busby, however I did manage to locate this interesting snippet of news. "It was a great day for County who comprehensively outplayed the league leaders to earn a richly deserved success on a Spytty surface that fully justified the work of the ground staff and the judgement of match referee John Busby who declared it fit." This is from Newport County dated 11th of April 2010, let's hope our County can replicate this.

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread

Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.

Notts County are looking to strike a positive note with fans by offering trials to two of the nation’s hottest musical talents, it has been reported.

Jake Bugg, arguably the biggest artist to come out of Nottingham in years, is expected to arrive at Highfields later today to train with the first team, according to sources close to the club.
 

Meanwhile, One Direction singer Niall Horan is scheduled to visit the training ground tomorrow morning to show the Magpies if he can light up their world like nobody else.

The Irish heartthrob is said to have been inspired by bandmate Louis Tomlinson’s affiliation with his local club Doncaster Rovers, which led to the 22-year-old joining the Championship club on a non-contract basis.

Should either or the two youngsters be deemed good enough to play for the club, it is expected that they will put pen to paper on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

20-year-old Bugg, from Clifton, is a proud Notts fan, and has previously stated that the Meadow Lane outfit “should just bang me in the team.”

Meanwhile Horan, also 20, is an avid Derby County fan, but is allegedly open at the idea of playing for the Magpies, given the warm relationship between the two clubs and the common rivalry they share with Nottingham Forest.

Were the duo to turn out together on the pitch, it could also signal the end of the long-running rivalry between Bugg and 1D that has seen both entities slate each other in public.

Pride of Nottingham introduces 'On The Table', a new weekly feature which will focus on how the League One table has changed, which teams have made the most movement and their results.

The top half of the third tier, from the 1^st place to 6^th, hasn't seen any changes. However, Leyton Orient, Rotherham United and Preston North End have all moved closer to each other. Wolves currently lead the division by 6 points, whilst Orient are 4 points behind Brentford.

Let's see how the League One table compares now!

MK Dons have fallen from 7^th to 9^th after losing at home 0-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Swindon Town have moved up from 8^th to 7^th, they beat Sheffield United 2-1. Walsall FC who came in at 9^th before yesterdays narrow 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town. This was their second back to back win since having beaten us 5-1 at Meadow Lane.

Sheffield United remain 10^th after losing to Walsall.

Port Vale also remain at 11^th, they drew 1-1 to Stevenage FC.

Gillingham have fallen from 12^th to 14^th due to not playing. Bristol City have moved from 13^th to 15^th, they lost 2-1 to Rotherham United.

Crawley Town have fallen from 14^th to 16^th, they lost narrowly by 1 goal to Preston North End.

Bradford City have moved up from 15^th to 12^th after beating 3^rd place Leyton Orient, the final score ending with 1-0 away win for the Bantams.

Colchester United have fallen from 16^th to 18^th, they're now only 3 points off safety and are back in danger after being beaten by us at Meadow Lane.

Oldham Athletic remain at 17^th, they drew to Brentford 0-0 which is exactly the outcome Pride of Nottingham is hoping for (or better) this upcoming Saturday, as we take them on away from home.

Coventry City have moved up from 18^th to 13^th, the Sky Blues enjoyed a 2-1 win over Crewe Alexandra – who fell from 19^th to 22^nd as a result of the Sky Blues win.

Tranmere Rovers remain 20^th after drawing to Carlisle 0-0.

Carlisle United also remain in the same position - 21^st after they didn't manage to score against Tranmere Rovers.

Shrewsbury Town have fallen from 22^nd to 23^rd, they suffered that narrow 1-0 defeat to Walsall FC.

NOTTS COUNTY who's unlikeliest of results, 3 wins, back to back – have seen our club move from 23^rd to 19^th. A much healthier position, however before we all get excited. Please remember we take on Brentford! However, if Oldham can draw to them, why can't we? Notts enjoyed a 2-0 win at Meadow Lane over fellow struggler’s Colchester United.

Stevenage FC remain bottom, they haven't managed to move but they have a game in hand.

The 'Race for Survival' clearly isn't finished, as many teams continue to battle for their safety. Whilst others are trying to fight their way into the automatic positions and play-off zone. Pride of Nottingham is just glad to see us reunite, our next six features are bigger than ever.

In our next three games, Notts will be playing Colchester United at home. They will then be travelling to play Brentford away from home, upon the return the following game is again at Meadow Lane, this time it will be against Port Vale. This will leave us with the final run down of fixtures, only four remaining for the fight of survival. These three fixtures will be what makes the grades for Notts, without good results here then the previous two wins will be for almost nothing. The interesting factors are the two home games, both teams are in poor form and are sides we could get results over. The partnership of Murray and Spencer, especially any goals from Ronan Murray will be vital to our great escape.

Pride of Nottingham's last edition mentioned how I saw our side potentially pick up between 4 and 9 points. Notts managed to pick up 7, we also mentioned how 'great escapes don't always go to plan'. Something which upon reflection seems to be very true, as we have once again placed ourselves back within a good chance of surviving. A lot will go down on these next three games, it is now do or die time.

Colchester play with a similar system to us, they're a side which can create chances but often fail to make them count. Although they're struggling now, they did start the season off fairly well.

Jabo Ibehre is their highest goal scorer with 8 goals so far this season, Freddie Sears is not far behind with 7, whilst Marcus Bean is their 3^rd highest goal scorer with just 4 goals. Craig Eastmond is their most persistent booked player, he currently stands on 9 yellow cards. Brian Wilson and Marcus Bean share 8 each. Three players share a single red card, these being Sanchez Watt, Magnus Okuongae and Daniel Pappoe.

In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 4 points. They narrowly lost by one goal to Crawley Town, against Shrewsbury they managed to win 1-0, a 2-2 draw is all they could muster against Bristol City and they lost 4-2 last Saturday to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Brentford are a very capable League One team, they possess a lot of fire power and on their day they can play some very crisp football.

Clayton Donaldson is their highest goal scorer with 17, Marcello Trotta is their second highest goal scorer with 13 goals to his name. Harlee Dean and George Saville share 8 yellow cards each, whilst Tony Craig and keeper David Button are they only two bee's players to be sent off.

In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 9 points. Their form is very impressive, as to be expected with a side competing for an automatic place. They beat Tranmere Rovers 2-0, overcame the Orient by winning them by 1 goal, they cruised past Coventry City 3 goals to 1 and stumbled to our friends Rotherham United (great result for you BradtheMiller).

Port Vale are surprising me this season, however they're now without former County marksman Lee Hughes. This is great for me, as I wouldn't want to see him score against us! They're a good side on the day, however they often come very in-complacent.

Tom Pope is their highest goal scorer with 15 goals, Jennison Myrie-Williams is their second highest marksman with 9 goals. Carl Dickinson is their most persistent fouler with 13 yellow cards to his name, whilst Chris Lines is on 9. Chris Lines is also the only Vale player to be sent off once.

In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 4 points. They lost 2-0 to Leyton Orient, drew 2-2 to Coventry City, beat Tranmere Rovers 3-2 but received a whipping of their own last Saturday against Bristol City who score 5 goals against them.

I see Notts picking up 4 points, with our current form we might be able to get 6 to 7 points. Stranger things have happened, prior we was sunk and renewed hope keeps our battle going! Could we beat Brentford?

My key game is against Port Vale – this game will help us see if we can or can't survive the drop, however knowing Notts it will leave us setup like a tv cliff hanger. Colchester United are clearly beatable, Brentford will be a tough test but we could get something. Port Vale at home, without Lee Hughes will certainly be more promising and they're a side we could get something from. A win would be fantastic, which should be our aim.

COYP!!

Saturday the 29^th of March, Notts return to action at Meadow Lane against Colchester United. They currently sit 17^th, four points off the relegation zone and six points above Notts County. However, we have already beaten Colchester United earlier away from home this season.

Notts come into the game having beaten Crewe 3-1. Colchester lost 4-2 in their last game against Wolves. The Match Officials for Saturdays game against Colchester United will be referee Lee Collins, with his two assistants David Avent and Mark Russell. The fourth official will be Neil Hair.

Match Officials

Referee; Lee Collins has taken control of twenty-one games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup ties and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 57 yellow cards, whilst he's only sent off a total of three players. He's featured eleven times in League One, nine times in League Two and once in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Unlike Uncle Colin's claims last Tuesday regarding our last match official, this is spot on. Lee Collins sent off Danny Haynes in our away game against Coventry City. He issued 4 yellows and a single red card, however I personally feel the scissor kick on Greg Tempest not long after deserved the colour red.

Assistant Referees; David Avent has been the 1^st assistant five times so far this season. He's been the 2^nd assistant once and the fourth official three times. The majority of league games come from the Championship, whilst he's featured five times combined in League One and Two.

Mark Russell has featured as the 2^nd assistant six times so far, he has been the 1^st assistant three times and he currently hasn't featured as the fourth official so far within the 2013/2014 season. Four of these games have taken place in the Championship, a further four more within League One. None have taken place in League Two, however Mark Russell has made an F.A Cup appearance.

Interesting Fact – This one is for Super Ram, both assistants have featured in both home and away ties for Derby County against QPR. On the 10/02/14 David Avent was the 1st assistant in Derby's 1-0 home win over QPR. However Mark Russell featured as the 2nd official on the 02/11/13 in QPR's 2-1 over Derby County.

Fourth Official; Neil Hair hasn't yet featured as the fourth official so far this season. He's featured once within the Championship, three times in League One and twice in League Two. Neil Hair has been the referee in four conference games, all of which have been high scoring games - 1-4, 3-2, 5-3 and 3-3.

Interesting Fact – Neil Hair has recently stepped up within the 2013/2014 season, after officiating numerous U21's matches within the highest division at U21's level. In the 3 games Neil's officiated at the U21 level, within this season. He hasn't booked or sent off a single player!

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread

Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.

Tuesday the 25^th of March, Notts will make their way to Gresty Road to play Crewe Alexandra. They currently sit 19^th, one above Tranmere and two above Carlisle. They're two points off the Carlisle and only 1 between Tranmere. However, we beat Crewe Alexandra 4-0 at home earlier in the season.

Notts come into the game having beaten Carlisle United 4-1. Crewe enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Gillingham. The Match Officials for Tuesdays game against Tranmere Rovers will be referee Sebastian Stockbridge, with his two assistants Amy Fearn and Ken Haycock. The fourth official will be Alan Clayton.

Match Officials

Referee; Sebastian Stockbridge has taken control of eighteen games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup ties and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 72 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of six players. He's featured eight times in League One, nine times in League Two and once in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Sebastian Stockbridge was the match official in our home game against Tranmere Rovers which ended 2-0 to us. He issued 4 yellow cards in that game, two a piece to each team. Leacock and Labadie were the players of ours to be cautioned.

Assistant Referees; Amy Fearn has been the 1^st assistant once so far this season. She's been the 2^nd assistant twice and the fourth official once. The majority of league games come from League One, whilst she's featured five times in the conference division(s) as a referee.

Ken Haycock has featured as the 2^nd assistant once so far, he has been the 1^st assistant six times and the fourth official twice. Six of these games have taken place in League Two, whilst he's only featured so far once in League One. Two games however fall within the Championship, one as the 1^st assistant and the other as the fourth official.

Interesting Fact – In November 2006, Amy officiated games under her maiden name which was Raynor. After a Non League game, Mike Newell made controversial comments about Rayner by saying "It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems". Mike Newell was fined £6,500 and warned by Luton Town. On a more positive note, Amy became the first female referee within the Football League back in 2010.

Fourth Official; Alan Clayton has been the fourth official three times so far this season. He's featured four times within the Championship, three times in League One and twice in League Two. Alan Clayton has featured equally within three match official roles - 1^st official 3 times, 2^nd official 3 times and the fourth official 3 times.

Interesting Fact – Alan Clayton has officiated four games which have ended in being a draw, two games ending with home wins and three games with an away win. Hopefully after the 25^th, it will be four away wins.

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread

Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.

Saturday the 22nd of March, Notts will be defending all the points at Meadow Lane, as we welcome Carlisle United. They currently sit 20^th, one position above the relegation zone. However, they're seven points above us and one above Stevenage who sit on the 21^st position. This game will literally be do or die.

Notts come into the game having lost to Tranmere Rovers 3-2. The Match Officials for Saturdays game against Carlisle United will be referee Graham Scott, with his two assistants Joe Clark and Richard Wigglesworth. The fourth official will be Nigel Smith.

Match Officials

Referee; Graham Scott has taken control of twenty-two games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup ties, one Capital One Cup game and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 87 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of ten players. He's featured seven times in League One, three times in League Two and twelve times in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Here's something different. In the seven games Graham Scott has officiated in League One, the only home team to win is Wolverhampton Wanderers. They beat our friends Tranmere Rovers 2-0. Whilst 4 games have all ended up as 0-1 wins for the away team, the two other games resulted in 1-1 draws. Hopefully we can break this pattern!

Assistant Referees; Joe Clark has been the 1st assistant seven times so far this season. He hasn't featured as the 2nd assistant in the football league and he's been the fourth official three times. The majority of games equally come from League One and Two at 5 a piece, whilst he hasn't featured at all within the Championship.

Richard Wigglesworth has featured as the 2nd assistant four times, he's been the referee five times within the conference and the fourth official once in League Two. The majority of games have been as the match official within the Conference, whilst two each come from League One and Two.

Interesting Fact – This is not the English rugby union star or a children's entertainer (which with the last name you'd expect as a fictional character to please children). Who infamously sent off Marcus Maddison, in a game Lee Hughes scored from the penalty spot.

Fourth Official; Nigel Smith has been the fourth official three times so far this season. He's featured five times within the Championship, three times in League One and twice in League Two. Nigel Smith has featured more times as a ^2nd assistant than any other match official role.

Interesting Fact – He featured as the fourth official in our 1-1 draw against Bristol City, so some blame for the unpunished challenges on two of our players – more importantly the crucial injury to Gary Liddle falls on Nigel Smith's shoulders as he should have seen it!

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.

Notts County endured a disappointing February with 0-2 defeats at Preston and Wolves and a 2-3 reverse at Shrewsbury but did chalk up a 3-0 home success over Coventry City. Shrewsbury only had that win V. Notts County to shout about with a draw and two defeats to complete their month. Crewe excelled themselves with two wins which were against Sheffield United (3-0) and at Port Vale (3-1). Meanwhile Stevenage and Tranmere had similar months with both teams chalking up two wins apiece. Carlisle suffered three 1-2 defeats but managed to take three points of Bradford City and Coventry. Oldham recorded two wins and a draw but were defeated twice and Bradford City has a mixed bag by winning two, drawing two and lost two.

Crawley only played two games all month which were both away due to games being postponed on their own pitch but were unbeaten with a win at Walsall and a draw at Swindon. Colchester had a quite terrible month with just one point and one goal scored in their five games.

There was two wins in the month for Gillingham as was the case for Bradford City. Coventry had a bad February with just one win to show for their efforts however it was a different story for ever-improving Sheffield United with four wins from five which rightfully earned Nigel Clough the manager of the month award.

Port Vale suffered a disappointing February with just a single win. Walsall played just three games which resulted in two defeats and a draw at Peterborough.

Swindon could only muster a single victory from their five games and it was a mixed bag for MK Dons whilst Peterborough won two of their three games.

Rotherham's fine form continued with three wins and a draw and Preston's three wins and three draws cemented their play off dream would continue.

Brentford only played three games and only won the once whilst Leyton Orient stuttered a little but still secured two more wins. Wolves won their three games with out conceding a goal and look good bets for an automatic place.

Saturday the 15th of March, Notts will make their way to Prenton Park to play Tranmere Rovers. They currently sit 21st, one position inside of the relegation zone. However, they share the same amount of points as Stevenage FC. This encounter will perhaps be a typical relegation class, with Notts desperately needing the points.

Notts come into the game having drawn to Leyton Orient, however they lost 3-1 to MK Dons. The Match Officials for Saturdays game against Tranmere Rovers will be referee Keith Stroud, with his two assistants Paul Graham and Scott Oldham. The fourth official will be Nicholas Gibbons.

Match Officials

Referee; Keith Stroud has taken control of twenty-three games, he's been the referee in three F.A Cup ties, three Capital One Cup games and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 135 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of seven players. He's featured six times in League One, five times in League Two and twelve times in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Keith Stroud is the man who officiated our opening game against Sheffield United, it finished 2-1 and Gary Liddle saw straight red. This was all shown live on sky, whilst 17,944 fans packed into Bramall Lane.

Assistant Referees; Paul Graham has been the 1st assistant ten times so far this season. He's been the 2nd assistant eight times and the fourth official fourteen times. The majority of games come from the Championship, whilst he has featured thirteen times in League One and eleven times in League Two.

Scott Oldham hasn't featured as the 2nd assistant so far, he has however featured as the fourth official three times. These games are a mix of games throughout the English leagues and he has featured as a lower league referee in a number of games.

Interesting Fact – Paul Graham's featured in quite a few high profile Midland games – Notably (especially for Super Ram) is Derby's 5-1 victory of Blackpool. He was also the fourth official at our away game against Shrewsbury Town that ended 1-0 in the favour of the Shrews.

Fourth Official; Nicholas Gibbons has been the fourth official four times so far this season. He's featured twice within the Championship, six times in League One and twice in League Two. Nicholas Gibbons has featured more times as a 1^st assistant than as a fourth official but the majority does fall within League One.

Interesting Fact – He featured as the 1^st assistant in my very first away game, which was our 2-1 defeat away from home (under Keith Curle) against Hartlepool United. This was on the 02/02/2013, a game I apologise for bringing up.

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread

Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.

Tuesday the 11^th of March, Meadow Lane hosts League One side MK Dons. They currently sit 7^th, one position outside of the play-offs. However, MK Dons are currently 6 points behind 6^th place Peterborough united. All is to play for, as a side who's been aiming for promotion consecutively in recent years play Notts.

Notts of course come into the game having been defeated away from home to Rotherham United, yet managed to draw against 2^nd place Leyton Orient. The Match Officials for Tuesdays game against MK Dons will be referee Geoff Eltringham, with his two assistants Nick Greenhalgh and Paul Thompson. The fourth official will be Mick Russell.

Match Officials

Referee; Geoff Eltringham has taken control of twenty games, he's been the referee in one F.A Cup tie and one Capital One Cup game. During these games he's issued a total of 70 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of four players. He's featured five times in League One, six times in League Two and nine times in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Three of the four red cards have taken place within Championship games, the fourth happened in a League One tie as Port Vale 2-2 to Stevenage FC (also to note a total of 7 yellow cards were also seen).

Assistant Referees; Nick Greenhalgh has been the 1st assistant five times so far this season. He's been the 2nd assistant three times and the fourth official twice. The majority of games come from the Championship, whilst he has featured in the League One and League Two a total of five times combined.

Paul Thompson has been the 2nd assistant eight times so far, these games feature four within League Two, once in League One and three times in the Championship. He hasn't featured with any of the competitive cups within the 2013/2014 season.

Interesting Fact – The highest amount of goals within one game for Paul Thompson stands at six, surprisingly all were scored by Charlton Athletic as they cast aside Barnsley. The highest amount of goals within a single game Nick Greenhalgh officiated was 3-1 Birmingham City win over Huddersfield Town.

Fourth Official; Mick Russell has been the fourth official once so far this season. He's featured as a referee four times within the Championship, twice in League One and twice in League Two. During these games he's officiated as the referee he's issued 22 yellow cards and avoided sending off a single player.

Interesting Fact – On Saturday 29^th December 2012, Mick Russell made a staggering error as he booked Sheffield Wednesdays Jeremy Helan twice but failed to send him off! Are you thankful he's not the referee? Read about it here.

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread

Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.

On the 8^th of March this Saturday, Notts County will be taking on 2^nd position Leyton Orient. They will be seeking this opportunity to keep within distance of Championship chasing Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leyton Orient have picked up 10 points in their last 5 games, they have David Mooney and Kevin Lisbie partnering successfully – a key aspect to their progression this season.

Notts will have to put aside the disappointment of being slaughtered by Rotherham United. We have some key games coming up, one's which we should win regardless and the home matches will be vital.

The Match Officials for Saturday's game at the Meadow Lane Stadium will be referee Graham Salisbury, with his two assistance Andrew Fox and Stephen Ross. The fourth official will be Danny Gratton.

Match Officials;

Referee; Graham Salisbury has taken control of nineteen games, he's been the referee in one F.A Cup tie and two Capital One Cup games. During these games he's issued a total of 61 yellow cards, whilst he's only sent off one player. He's featured seven times in League One, seven times in League Two and five times in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Graham Salisbury is now in his 13th season as a Football League referee and he's been joined by his son Michael, who's also an assistant referee within the Football League.

Assistant Referees; Andrew Fox has been the 1st assistant three times so far this season. He's been the 2^nd assistant 5 times and the fourth official twice. The majority of games come from League One, although equally are the amount of times Andrew Fox has featured in the Championship and League Two a total of three times each.

Stephen Ross has been the 2nd assistant four times so far, these games feature two within League Two, once in League One and once in the Championship. He's refereed several lower division games, including the F.A Trophy.

Interesting Fact – If you swapped Stephen Ross's name around, you would find a player with the exact name playing in the Welsh league with Prestatyn Town. If the end assistant is poor on Saturday, sadly this is not the reason!

Fourth Official; Danny Gratton has been the fourth official twice, once within the Championship as Wigan Athletic beat Charlton Athletic 2-1 and again in League One as Rotherham United beat Shrewsbury Town 3-0. He's featured as the 2nd assistant three times and the 1st assistant four times.

Interesting Fact – Sadly I couldn't track down anything interesting with regards to Danny Gratton, I did however learn a lot about a person with a similar name. However, this wouldn't be beneficial for this feature!

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread

Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.

In our next five games, Notts will have to face the following League One teams – Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United and Crewe Alexandra. A real mixed bag of fixtures, as this covers teams in various positions. Notts County head into the first fixture at home, it's very important that Shaun Derry uses the home advantage. Last time around Notts managed to pick up 6 points, both of which were home wins against Tranmere Rovers and Crewe Alexandra. The capture of Nathan Tyson might play an important role, however this is just an emergency loan for 1 month.

Pride of Nottingham's last edition mentioned how I saw our side potentially pick up between 7 and 5 points. However, just like all great escapes thing's don't always go to plan. This couldn't be any more true, as we only managed 3 points! Almost 6, had James Spencer not been sent off in the game against Shrewsbury Town.

This leaves the task at hand for Shaun Derry and Greg Abbot nearly impossible, any further slip ups and any hope will surely be halted.

Leyton Orient are not a side to be easily dismissed, earlier in the season they beat us 5-1. Danny Haynes almost put us back into the game, however several mistakes and quick breaking resulted in our downfall. They're a side who's eagerly impressed so far this season!

Dave Mooney is their highest goal scorer with a total of 18 goals. Kevin Lisbie's scored 14, whilst Dean Cox has netted 11 so far. Romain Vincelot is Orients most persistent fouler with 11 yellow cards. Dave Mooney is their only player to see the colour red, who has been sent off only once.

n their last four games, they've picked up an impressive 10 points after first originally losing to Bristol City, drawing to Preston North End, beating Stevenage 2-0, beating Stevenage 2-0 and beating Colchester United 2-1.

MK Dons have been fairly average this season, they're however a side which can pick sides apart and leave vulnerable defences exploited.

Ben Reeves is their highest goal scorer with a total of 10 goals, Izale McLeod is not far behind with 7 – However, MK Dons next highest goal scorer is only on a total of 3 goals. Stephen Gleeson and Darren Potter share an equal 8 yellow cards each and Tom Flanagan is their only player to be sent off once.

In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 7 points. Their current form is a little iffy with a narrow win over Oldham Athletic 2-1, a bore draw against Preston North End 0-0, losing narrowly to Bradford City 1-0, they then beat Oldham Athletic away from home 2-1 and they recently lost to Sheffield United by 1 goal to nothing.

Tranmere Rovers are not the same side they were last season, they are currently a very average and boring side. A team we beat earlier within the season, they also appear destined for League Two.

Ryan Lowe is their highest goal scorer with a total of 18 goals. Ryan Lowe is also their most persistent fouler with 6 yellow cards and Andy Robinson slightly behind with 5 yellow cards. They have four players all on equal red cards – James Wallace, Ian Goodison, Danny Holmes and Ash Taylor.

In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 8 points. This might be their shinning light, with their result form and ability to seek out much needed points. They beat MK Dons 1-0, lost 2-1 to Preston North End, draw 2-2 to Bristol City, they beat Coventry City 3-1 and drawn 2-2 to Oldham Athletic.

Carlisle United is another one of our misfortunes, very average League One side who should be able to be cast a-side within our home encounter.

David Amoo is their highest goal scorer with a total of 11 goals, Lee Miller's scored 7 and Matty Robson's scored 6. Liam Noble's seen 8 yellow cards, whilst Kenny Miller's seen 2 red cards.

In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 7 points. They lost 2-1 to Gillingham, beat Bradford City 1-0, beat Coventry City 2-1, lost to Rotherham United 2-1 and drawn to Brentford Town 0-0.

Crewe Alexandra are very similar to ourselves, they've relied on bringing youngsters through and they have a very good youth system at this level. They're a side which can be very impressive on the day, however inconsistent and awful on others.

Chuks Aneke is their highest goal scorer with a total of 11 goals. George Evans has seen 6 yellow cards, team mates Kevin Mellor (5) and Abdul Osman (4). They have yet to see a player sent off!

In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 5 points. They drew 3-3 to Bradford City, lost 3-1 to Brentford Town, beat Port Vale 3-1, lost 1-0 to Stevenage and drawn to Swindon Town 1-1.

I see Notts picking up 6 points, with our current recent form who knows but there's between 4 to 9 realistically available.

My key game is against MK Dons – they're a side we often fail to win against, to set things right this game would go along way towards that. Tranmere Rovers and Carlisle United are games which strike me as 'winnable', we need not slip up against either and Crewe Alexandra is a really possibility.

COYP!!

On the 1^st of March this Saturday, Notts County will be taking on Rotherham United. They've risen from League Two and are currently one of the top teams on form in this league. If we based the league on the last six games they would be positioned 2^nd. However, if we stretched to four games making it 10, they would be one position lower at 3rd.

Notts will be seeking to pick themselves up after back to back defeats.

The Match Officials for Saturday's at the New York Stadium will be referee Tim Robinson, with his two assistants Jason Whiteley and Ollie Yates. The fourth official will be David Richardson.

Match Officials;

Referee; Tim Robinson has taken control of eighteen games, he's been the referee in one F.A cup tie, one Capital One Cup game and one JPT encounter. During these games he's issued a total of 66 yellow cards, whilst he's only sent off three players. The majority of them have been League Two standard, a total of 8 games. He's featured seven times in League One and three times in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Mark Cooper, Swindon Town's manager hit out with regards to the level of referring standards when Tim Robinson took charge in a game back at the start of this month (February), however this could be due to the fact his side was beaten by Oldham Athletic and Tim Robinson red carded Swindon's Archibald-Henville after a second bookable offence - Make up your own mind by reading this.

Assistant Referees; Jason Whiteley has been the 1^st assistant once so far. He's been the referee five times within the Conference Division and the 2^nd assistant four times. During the games he's been the referee, he has yellow carded a number of 12 players and has only sent off one player.

Oliver 'Ollie' Yates has been the 2^nd assistant eight times so far, these games feature four within the Championship, two in League One, three in League Two and one F.A Cup game. Oliver Yates has been the fourth official twice.

Interesting Fact – Jason Whiteley was the 2^nd assistant in Rochdale's win over Mansfield 3-0, while Oliver Yates was the fourth official in Mansfield's 1-0 narrow win over Fleetwood Town.

Fourth Official; David Richardson has been the fourth official twice, once within the Championship as Leeds United draw 1-1 to Ipswich Town and again in League Two Rochdale beat Bristol Rovers 2-0. He's featured as the 2^nd assistant three times and the 1^st assistant once. These range from the Championship, Leagues One/Two and the Conference N/S.

Interesting Fact – 27 goals have been scored within the games David Richardson's officiated. The most amount of goals is 9, as Gainsborough Trinity beat Altrincham FC 5-4. The second highest game was when Sheffield Wednesday saw off Macclesfield Town 4-1 in the F.A Cup. The least was 1-0, Burton Albion winning away from home against Morecambe.

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread

Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.