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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has revealed how Notts County have already identified "three or four" January transfer targets and admits that Meadow Lane is proving a much sought after destination for players.
The Magpies' season is going from strength to strength with the club sitting top of League Two and in the second round of the FA Cup.
It's a far cry from previous seasons, which have tended to degenerate into relegation struggles, and Hardy says the difference in form and club infrastructure has led to much more interest from agents ahead of the new year.
In his weekly Nottingham Post column, the Notts owner wrote: "It’s no surprise to me the manager’s phone has been red hot with agents asking us if we would like to sign their clients. I think it underlines the amazing progress we have made.
"Our position in the league table has undoubtedly helped. People can see we are building something special here and want to be part of our journey.
"It’s a completely different scenario to what we experienced in the last January window, when we missed out on players because of our perilous league position.
"One player who slipped through our grasp is now playing for our league rivals Mansfield Town.
"Having been made aware of his availability, we were hoping to sign him before Mansfield picked up the phone late on.
"You cannot lay any blame at the player’s door because we were second from bottom.
"We had suffered 10 straight losses and could have been playing non-league football this season, whereas Mansfield were safe.
"I would like to think now, if he was making the same decision, he would choose us.
"That is a prime example of how your league position can affect a player who has a couple of clubs to choose from.
"But now, sitting top of the league, a position we hope to be in come the New Year, we have a great platform to see who is out there.
"We have already identified three or four we would like to bring in and, while it’s alright wanting them, it’s whether their clubs will let us have them."
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Joe Jones
Notts County and Stevenage have only ever met 11 times, the first meeting coming on 17 September 2011 at Broadhall Way (known as the Lamex Stadium) - the result on that day was 2-0 to the Magpies.
Our last meeting was on 4 March last season, and it proved a humbling day as Stevenage claimed a 3-0 win at Broadhall Way.
Our head-to-head record is five wins for Notts, five for Stevenage, and one draw. On a knife's edge then.
Stevenage in their current form have only been in existence since 1976, but there have been numerous incarnations of the club that stretch back over a century.
A club called Stevenage FC was formed in 1894, but they soon adopted the name Stevenage Town.
In 1951 the club were founder members of the Delphian League. In 1956 they merged with Stevenage Rangers to form Stevenage FC, before reverting to Stevenage Town four years later.
They had some success in the Southern League but folded in 1967, after which Stevenage Athletic were created in their place a year later. This incarnation again knocked about in the Southern League but went bankrupt in 1976.
Stevenage Borough, formed shortly after Athletic's demise, managed to prosper and work their way up the leagues until finally reaching the Football League in 2010, at which point they took the whole thing full circle by dropping the Borough from their name and becoming Stevenage FC.
Despite their relatively short history, Stevenage have won a number of trophies and competitions, including two FA Trophy cups in 2007 and 2009.
Broadhall Way holds 6,722 people, 3,142 of which can be seated. To put it into perspective, three full houses at Stevenage could fit into the Meadow Lane stands with 45 seats to spare.
The highest attendance recorded at the stadium was 8,040 for a match against Newcastle United in the FA Cup fourth round on 25 January 1998.
On that day a temporary stand was erected behind the away end to increase the stadium capacity to 8,100, enough to satisfy FA requirements.
Two films were set in and around Stevenage: "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" and "Boston Kickout".
"Spy Game", meanwhile, was partly filmed in Stevenage but set in Washington DC.
A number of famous sporting figures were born in Stevenage, the most notable of which are Lewis Hamilton, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young, Ian Poulter, Kevin Phillips and Jason Shackell.
Team news
Joe Fryer, Jack King and Jonathan Smith all missed training on Thursday and are likely to face fitness tests.
Defender Kevin Toner is suspended following his sending off at Yeovil Town, while forward Ben Kennedy is out following knee surgery.
Adam Collin remains sidelined so Ross Fitzsimons is likely to continue in goal behind Nolan's preferred back four of Matt Tootle, Richard Duffy, Shaun Brisley and Carl Dickinson.
Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi will probably start up front while Terry Hawkridge, Ryan Yates, Elliott Hewitt and Jorge Grant are the likeliest midfield four.
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Chris
So after the diversions of the FA Cup (a 4-2 win over Bristol Rovers) and the EFL Trophy (a 2-1 defeat at Lincoln City), Notts County get back to the main task of league football.
The Magpies proudly sit atop League Two and will be hoping to maintain their spot at the summit on Saturday when they take on Stevenage away.
Chris has written up a scouting report for the game and discusses how Notts should line up and approach their opponents at Broadhall Way.
History
Notts County and Stevenage have only ever met 11 times, the first meeting coming on 17 September 2011 at Broadhall Way (known as the Lamex Stadium) - the result on that day was 2-0 to the Magpies.
Our last meeting was on 4 March last season, and it proved a humbling day as Stevenage claimed a 3-0 win at Broadhall Way.
Our head-to-head record is five wins for Notts, five for Stevenage, and one draw. On a knife's edge then.
Run-down of their last six features
Saturday 30th September – Stevenage 2 Port Vale 0
Saturday 7th October – Crewe Alexandra 1 Stevenage 0
Saturday 14th October – Luton Town 7 Stevenage 1
Tuesday 17th October – Stevenage 3 Accrington Stanley 2
Saturday 21st October – Stevenage 1 Forest Green Rovers 2
Saturday 28th October – Yeovil Town 3 Stevenage 0
The Players – Fact Sheet
Highest Goal Scorers: Matt Godden 8, Danny Newton 6, Jonathan Smith 4 and Ben Kennedy 4.
Persistent Foulers: Jonathan Smith 5 yellow cards, Dale Gorman 3 yellow cards and 1 red card, Luke Wilkinson 2 yellow cards and 1 red card and Joe Martin 2 yellow cards.
The Key Players
Matt Godden is a very confident striker at this level, he enjoys working off the opposition defence and has the ability to find time within key areas due to his exceptions understanding of the game. His ability to read the game is what makes him stand out along with his natural shooting ability.
His strike partner Danny Newton is also a threat due to his knack of shooting from distance. He’s more of a standard player, yet his non-league days have aided his work-rate as he is a very hard worker both on and off the ball.
Joe Martin and Thomas Pett provide the creativity within midfield, they have goals within themselves but also are key to Stevenage’s attacks.
Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Stevenage build using simple passing which allows them to build whilst having options to pack out in order to cause difficulty in terms of defending from an opposition point of view.
They play the ball quite well on the ground when allowed, however they can revert to route-one football and look a very capable side within the same process.
Attacking-wise they have a real time spirit, which allows them to have a good understanding on how best to use the ball.
On the ball their organisation is quite good, but when pressured at the back, the defence tends to create their own problems.
At the back they are a very physical team which can draw fouls, however they allow their midfield to be the creative side and as such defensively they are quite reliable.
I do feel that drawing free-kicks from their defenders will be a way whereby Notts can get the ball into effective areas, whilst any player confident to have a go at goal will surely have them being mindful.
Notts simply have to play the ball on the ground, move within space and just overload their back line with our pace and aerial ability.
Hoofing the ball will only play into their hands, which will allow them to dictate the tempo and take hold of the game – so we must be confident within possession and understand that they will get wary when pressure is asserted onto them from a defensive point of view.
Playing with an attacking mind will take the edge of the game and allow it to open up, so let’s hope that players such as Jorge Grant, Shola Ameobi and Matt Tootle can find the space to influence the game.
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Joe Jones
Notts County assistant manager Richard Thomas has stressed that the club's players and staff have not forgotten last season's hammering at Stevenage and will be eager to put things right tomorrow.
On 4 March 2017, the Magpies travelled to Broadhall way and were beaten 3-0, with Matt Godden bagging a brace in a result that kept the visitors just five points from the drop zone.
Notts are an entirely different proposition this season, currently sitting top of the table, but Thomas insists the heavy beating there has not been forgotten and hopes his players will put in a performance to make up for it.
"We were walloped 3-0 down there last season and we've not forgotten that," Thomas told the Nottingham Post. "We want to get a bit closer to them this time around.
"I know Darren Sarll well, we've been friends for a long time. He will want to combine unbelievable hard work with good football, which is not a good combination to come up against.
"We've watched plenty of footage and I know they're a good side with plenty of threats."
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Joe Jones
Stevenage manager Darren Sarrl has claimed that his side's League Two encounter against Notts County at Broadhall Way will be a tight affair.
The hosts currently sit 11th in the table but with things as tight as they are they are just three points off the playoffs.
Notts, meanwhile, top the standings and will be eager to build on their impressive wins over Newport County and Bristol Rovers.
“Notts County are a very decent side in League Two," Sarll told the official Stevenage site. "It will be a tough game and they will have a strength about their play, just like I hope Kevin has identified a strength about our play.
"On the day if we are as good and enthused as we were on Tuesday night, we will have no problems. I still state we are a very good side in this league and we are playing against another.
"These games should be quite tight with very few opportunities. It is very much like that and there has obviously been a big improvemnt at their football club and their stability under new ownership that makes them very competitive."
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Joe Jones
Terry Hawkridge has claimed that Notts County will need to be smart and strong to remain top of League Two, while every player, from the indispendables to the back-ups, must play their part.
The Magpies' league campaign was put on hold as the team competed in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy, but on Saturday it resumes with a trip to Stevenage.
“We just have to be smart,” Hawkridge told the Nottingham Post. “We know teams are going to want to beat us just because we are top of the league.
“It’s all about being professional in your job and taking each game as it comes. We have to do our own thing and be strong.
“Obviously I have been there with Lincoln and we dealt with it really well.
“The manager there told us we were only as good as our last game. And I just think the squad here is going to have a major part to play.
“You need to be able to rotate and we’ve got that. We’ve had players coming off the bench scoring winners and I think the squad is big enough to do the job.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County loanee Ryan Yates has claimed that scoring four goals in his last five games has been beyond his wildest expectations and is hoping to weigh in with more contributions.
The 19-year-old's brace was crucial in the FA Cup first-round turnaround against Bristol Rovers and also chipped in with goals against Barnet and Carlisle United in November.
"Since the start of the season I've been telling Mark Crossley, who organises our set-pieces, to get me in the box!" Yates, speaking to the Notts official site, joked.
"My role is about keeping things simple but I'm still young, raw and learning. I would like to add goals to my game and keep chipping in with them.
"To get four goals in five games has been beyond my wildest expectations but I just have to keep having the knack of being in the right place at the right time.
"I have to give credit to the balls being put into the box. They're unbelievable. I've never known a team to be so good at set-pieces - we've scored so many goals from them already this season.
"When Carl Dickinson is standing over a free-kick I know it's going to be worrying for the goalkeeper but there are six or seven of the lads who put them in the top corner on a regular basis in training. It's unbelievable."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has urged Notts County not to take Oxford City lightly when they meet in the FA Cup second round because the non-league side has "absolutely nothing to lose".
The Magpies navigated a tricky first-round encounter against League One outfit Bristol Rovers in marvellous fashion and were rewarded with a seemingly kind tie against the National League South side.
However, City claimed the scalp of Colchester United in round 1 and the players were excited to be drawn away at Meadow Lane, with Nolan insisting that they will be a tough nut to crack.
“They have absolutely nothing to lose,” he told the Nottingham Post. “They are going to come here, enjoy the day out, work hard and play the best game of their lives.
“What we have to do is make sure we are on top form because if we start underestimating them then we will receive a big bite on the backside.
“They have already given one to Colchester, so we will be as professional as we can be.
“We are going to make sure they are watched and we will set up as if it was a League Two game.
“The lads will be focused and ready. They will be told of all their strengths and weaknesses and hopefully we can perform on the day and get through to the next round.
“All the big boys come in then and you are hoping you draw one of them either home or away.”
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Chris
The way November's fixtures have been structured, League Two's first matchday this month isn't until the 11th.
Notts County have coasted into the second round of the FA Cup and been eliminated (thankfully, some will say) from the EFL Trophy, so now it's back to the small task of trying to remain top of the league standings.
Up next is Stevenage away and, ahead of Saturday's fixture, Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Boro fan George Adkins (Twitter: george__adkins) to get an insight on the opposition.
Q1: Stevenage is a fairly new club, being formed in 1976. What's been your best club memory so far?
My best memory has to be when we beat Newcastle in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in 2011, it was the first year I started to go to Stevenage every game so to go into the next round was amazing.
Q2: How does it feel to have been the first team to have won a competitive final at the new Wembley in 2007?
It’s a good achievement for the team because they were the first to win at the new Wembley, showing other teams that it’s possible to get to finals at Wembley and win.
Q3: You've had a good pedigree in the FA Trophy, having won two and finished runners-up since the turn of the century - which do you feel was the better win?
I feel the Kidderminster 2007 was the better win because it was our first win in a cup, it was also at the new Wembley which makes it even more important.
Q4: Who would you say are Stevenage's biggest rivals?
Luton Town are probably our biggest league rivals because they are the closest team to Stevenage in the Football League.
Q5: Who are your team's danger men?
Stevenage’s danger men are Danny Newton and Matty Godden, they have both come from non league and have continued to score many goals for their club.
Q6: Score/scorer prediction
1-0 Stevenage - Matt Godden
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Joe Jones
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.
- Newport County won their appeal against Dan Butler's red card for his elbow on Matt Tootle in the 3-0 loss at Notts County last weekend.
- All 72 EFL clubs agreed to implement three-year bans for supporters found using smoke bombs, flares and fireworks in a bid to “put an end to the dangerous use of pyrotechnics”.
- Chesterfield goalkeeper Tommy Lee has been forced to retire at the age of 31 because of a long-term shoulder injury.
- Newport were told new signing Paul Hayes cannot play until January 2018 due to registration regulations, the EFL saying the application cannot be formally processed until the opening of the transfer window.
- Port Vale signed midfielder Chris Regis - a former youth player with Arsenal and Southampton - on a contract to the end of the season.
- Forest Green Rovers striker Shamir Mullings joined National League side Macclesfield Town on a two-month loan deal.
- Luton Town boss Nathan Jones reached 100 games in charge of the club during Saturday’s home defeat to Coventry City.
All news stories sourced from BBC Sport and Sky Sports.
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Joe Jones
Hello and welcome to episode 31 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast, presented by Chris and JJ.
In this week's episode we discuss Notts County's superb win over Bristol Rovers in the first round of the FA Cup, and look ahead to the second-round tie with non-league side Oxford City.
We also assess the Magpies' exit from the EFL Trophy at the hands of Lincoln City and ask whether being knocked out of the competition is in fact a good thing, or whether Notts should have taken it more seriously.
Other topics covered include the upcoming League Two clash with Stevenage and whether Kevin Nolan - who recently said he would not be looking to play for Notts - should take to the pitch for his club at any point this season.
All this and much more in episode 31 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast!
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has confirmed that discussions will be taking place between Notts County and the club's fringe players following the Magpies' EFL Trophy exit.
The much-maligned competition has given the Notts boss the chance to give his lesser-used players some much-needed game time.
However, Tuesday night's 2-1 loss at Lincoln City saw Nolan's charges eliminated from the competition with a total of two defeats and one win.
“Now we are out of this competition, the games won’t be coming thick and fast like they have been doing,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“We will be sitting down in the next couple of weeks and discussing who can go out on loan and who can’t.
“I am sure we will have the agents and players asking about moves if they are not getting game time.
“That’s going to be coming in the next few weeks so we will see what will happen.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has thrown his support behind young defender Pierce Bird and exonerated him from his mistake against Lincoln City.
The 18-year-old made his competitive Magpies debut in Tuesday's EFL Trophy tie at Sincil Bank and impressed alongside Haydn Hollis at the back.
However, Bird was unlucky to concede an own goal when Josh Ginnelly's cross caused havoc in the box and it was diverted into the County net, on the way to a 2-1 defeat.
“I thought he did really well,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“He was with three lads who have had a lot of experience, he won a lot of headers and did everything right.
“He made the right decisions more often than not and looked a composed figure at the back.
“I was delighted with him, but we have to get him fitter and used to this tempo and playing at this tempo for a long time.
“He’s a young boy who has stepped up, but he should be delighted and his family should be so proud of him.
“He has proven how much he has come on in leaps and bounds in just the few months he has been here.
“It’s the next step for him now and we have to make sure we keep working hard. He has to learn the game and make sure he stays around us if he does go out on loan."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has slammed the decision not to award a free kick to Alan Smith in the lead-up to Lincoln City's killer second goal in their EFL Trophy encounter at Sincil Bank.
The Magpies had to beat the Imps to secure a top-two place in Group G and it seemed like it was going according to plan with Jonathan Forte's opener.
However, a dangerous Josh Ginnelly free kick was unfortunately diverted by Pierce Bird into his own net, before the Lincoln man struck a long-range winner for a 2-1 home win.
“I am very disappointed, because I thought there was a blatant foul on Smudge (Smith) leading up to the second goal,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“We knew we had to win to go through, and maybe we showed them too much respect in the second half.
“But overall I was pleased with a lot of performances, especially Pierce Bird. We shouldn’t have given the free-kick away which led to that goal.
“Nicky Hunt gave the free-kick away and he is big enough, old enough and ugly enough to know that is not the way to defend.
“We gave too many of them away on the night and Lincoln will always make it difficult for you as they throw the big men up.
“But what disappointed me is that we do not get that free-kick on Smudge and they score the second.
“I was disappointed but, in saying that, there were some good positives to come from the game.
“We wanted to get through to the next round. But we gave too many free-kicks away and Lincoln will always make it difficult for you.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County have, to the indifference of many, been knocked out of the EFL Trophy following Tuesday night's 2-1 defeat at Lincoln City.
The hosts were brighter in the opening exchanges of the Group G encounter at Sincil Bank, but the Magpies' first opportunity of the game led to the opener.
Liam Walker spotted Jonathan Forte into space and threaded a neat through-ball into the path of the striker, who bore down on goal, rounded goalkeeper Josh Vickers, and slotted into the unguarded net.
With just under ten minutes of the first half remaining, the Imps drew level through an unfortunate own goal from Notts debutant Pierce Bird.
Josh Ginnelly swung in a free kick from the left which caused havoc in the Notts back line and the 18-year-old got a head onto it but diverted the ball beyond Branislav Pindroch.
The second half saw Lincoln push forward determined to kill the game off, with Ollie Palmer, Elliott Whitehouse and Billy Knott all weighing in with dangerous chances.
Kevin Nolan was eager for his side to make it through to the next round and brought on top goalscorer Jorge Grant in a bid to get the goal necessary to claim second place in the group.
However, Notts could not add to their opening strike, while the Imps found the winner in spectacular fashion through Ginnelly's 30-yard rocket into the far top left-hand corner of Pindroch's net.
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Pride of Nottingham is an independent fansite devoted to Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club. Created in 2013, it has served as a source of Magpie news, features, match previews, reports, analysis and interviews for more than three years.

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