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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has urged Notts County to keep their standards high as he seeks to keep cultivating a fear factor for opposing teams who come to Meadow Lane.
The Magpies are unbeaten at home so far this season and have not lost in their last six games in all competitions.
Tonight, Swindon Town - a team relegated from League One last season - come to Nottingham to take on Notts, and though Nolan says it's a tough ask, he thinks his players can match them.
“Swindon have won their last two away games. They obviously fancy themselves away from home,” he told the Nottingham Post.
“They’ve got good players and we respect them. Crawley and Barnet have gone to their place and hit them on the counter.
“They can come here and play with that bit more freedom. We have to deal with that – we know teams will respect us, so we’ve got to be patient.
“It’s going to be a tough ask again. We want to win and this team has a lot more to come. We’re working on dominating games and keeping this run going.
“Swindon try to play but I feel our lads can match them. If we switch on we can beat anyone, but if we don’t, anyone can beat us on the day.
“I’m trying to instil that into the lads. I feel we’ve got a good thing going here.
“(Morecambe boss) Jim (Bentley) said he felt there was a real buzz about the place that he’s not felt here before. That gets you wins.
“There’s a fear factor, so I’m pleased to hear that. Hopefully we keep the run going.
“Most of the teams we’ve played so far will be up there come May. I’m very pleased with how we’ve handled it.
“At the minute everything is going well. We can’t let the staff or players get away with anything.
“We’ve got to keep those standards high. All the lads know their responsibilities.”
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Chris
Hello and welcome to episode 24 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast, presented by Chris and JJ.
In this week's episode we look back at Notts County's 2-0 win over Morecambe and analyse how the action panned out.
We also look ahead to tonight's encounter with Swindon Town and look at how Notts should approach the game.
We then move onto looking at how the League Two table looks six games into the campaign, focusing on the early hopefuls for promotion and those who have not taken well to life in the fourth tier.
In addition, we discuss whether the upgrades to the Meadow Lane home changing room and training facilities could really help the team improve on the pitch.
All this and more in Pride of Nottingham's PONcast, episode 24!
Share your thoughts about this week's PONcast by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Joe Jones
Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has expressed his delight at having a team with strength in depth which can be arranged in a variety of different formations.
The Magpies sit third in League Two and are unbeaten in six games in all competitions ahead of tonight's visit of Swindon Town.
With 46 games in the league campaign plus three cup competitions, Nolan is happy to feel that he can make widescale changes and still have a competitive team out on the pitch.
“We’ve been able to assemble such a good squad. We can now make five or six changes and it’s still a strong 11 which can get results in this division,” he told the Nottingham Post.
“We’ve got to make sure the lads are on it and grasp their opportunity.
“I would make five or six changes. I feel that on Tuesday I could make five or six with no doubt those who come in will be ready and raring.
“I’m looking forward to Tuesday and there will be a few changes coming.
“Last year we couldn’t make five changes and still feel it was a good team. I could make seven now and feel we’re still a good side in the league.
“We can move from a 4-4-2 to 3-5-2, 4-3-3, whatever you want. We don’t want lads to have the rabbit in the headlights look.
“We got it right at Port Vale when we went down to 10 men. It’s a nice arrogance to have. The lads had organised themselves before we even spoke to them. That’s what we want.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County have met Swindon Town on 63 occasions, the first time being 103 years ago in the FA Cup. On that day in January 1911, the Robins beat the Magpies 2-0 at the County Ground.
Of the 63 clashes, 24 have been won by Notts, 27 by Swindon, and 12 have been drawn.
The last meeting between the two was on 7 March 2015, away at the County Ground, and the Robins ran out 3-0 winners.
The club was founded in 1879 by Reverend William Baker Pitt. Whilst curate of Christ Church, the high church of Swindon, Pitt formed Swindon Association Football Club to provide recreation for young men in his parish.
Swindon won the Southern League championship in 1910-11, earning themselves a Charity Shield clash with Football League champions Manchester United.
This, the highest-scoring Charity Shield game to date, was played on 25 September 1911 at Stamford Bridge with Manchester United winning 8–4!
Some of the proceeds of this game were later donated to the survivors of the Titanic.
During World War II, The War Department – the government body responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces in the UK – took over the County Ground in 1940.
For a while, prisoners of war were housed in huts placed on the pitch. For this, the club received compensation of £4,570 at war’s end.
Swindon Town were the first League club to use floodlights, having had them installed in 1951.
The County Ground is also the only football stadium in the world with a Rolex watch acting as its timekeeper –the clock on the Stratton Bank stand featuring its name was erected to celebrate promotion in 1963.
Swindon have spent one season in the top flight, in 1992-93, during which Glenn Hoddle managed them. Sadly, they didn't do too well, being relegated at the end of the season after conceding 100 goals.
The most notable silverware in the Robins’ possession is undoubtedly the League Cup, won in 1969 after beating Arsenal in the final at Wembley.
Royle Family and Two Pints Of Lager actor Ralf Little was rumoured to be on trial at Swindon back in 2002, though the funnyman later claimed that he was just training with the squad.
Pint-sized jazz singer Jamie Cullum is also a fan of the Robins.
Team news
Shola Ameobi will miss Notts County's home game against Swindon after picking up a hamstring injury that forced him off after 41 minutes of Saturday's 2-0 victory over Morecambe.
Jonathan Forte came on for Ameobi at the weekend and he is expected to make his first league start of the season after scoring his side's second goal against the Shrimps.
Notts boss Kevin Nolan has an otherwise fully-fit squad to choose from as he looks to extend his side's unbeaten run to eight matches.
Swindon manager David Flitcroft could name an unchanged starting line-up following a 3-0 away win over Luton Town on Saturday.
John Goddard and Kyle Knoyle remain absent through injury, although the latter is expected to resume full training this week.
Donal McDermott will serve the second game of the three-match ban he received for his red card against Barnet earlier this month.
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Chris
Notts County have climbed to third in League Two and stretched their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions following a 2-0 win over Morecambe.
Dan Jones opened the scoring for the Magpies at Meadow Lane with a 27th-minute free kick which was curled expertly round the Shrimps wall and beyond goalkeeper Barry Roche.
Morecambe launched a fightback but their efforts were to no avail as Notts struck late on through substitute Jonathan Forte as he broke through and rifled home via the inside of the post.
In this piece, Chris has taken an in-depth look at how both sides played, whether the result was fair, and how to move forward.
Was the result fair?
The result was about right for me, Morecambe didn’t look much of a threat on goal and struggled to get a grip on the game. Notts passed nicely at times, created chances and always looked to get forward.
How did Notts play?
It wasn’t a "wow" performance, yet the team spirit again shined and there were several occasions where pieces of play really did entertain us fans. I think we needed to be slightly more direct, along with taking our time when shooting but overall it was a very decent performance.
How did Morecambe play?
Morecambe really struggled, defensively they were quite poor and I felt if Notts created better chances they would have been finished off early. Their midfield wasn’t able to get hold of the game, nor could they change the tempo. This in turn isolated their attack, so it was a typical disconnected performance by a team clearly struggling to get their season going.
Did our tactics work out?
Honestly, I felt that we needed to change things before the game. Make a simple adjustment to the midfield by allowing Rob Milsom to start and perhaps the tweak we all have been wanting up front. The tactics weren’t bad, I just felt it was somewhat flat but it allowed us to control the game and so to a degree it worked. If Morecambe had been more of a threat or the physical team we know they can be – this could have been different, but the balance was about right for us.
How did the referee perform?
I can still hear his whistle, his repeated blowing and lack of control really frustrated me at times. However, I don’t think it had any sort of impact on the game and again I find myself thinking in hindsight that he was just another poor League Two referee.  
Who do we play next?
Swindon Town – a team still getting to grips with life back in League Two, although they’re heavily tipped for a return to League One and have several good players. This will be a tougher game on Tuesday for Notts!
How should we play them?
Notts needs to be able to cope with any pace they have, the right-hand side of the defence for me is a concern if Matt Tootle doesn’t start. I think Swindon will know that they have a chance to influence the game by using the flanks so defensively we have to stand tall – whilst ensuring we force them back into the centre of the park.
I would like to see Notts try to hold the ball up, perhaps push Jorge Grant a little forward and let him sit behind whoever starts up front.
Kevin Nolan could perhaps justify reverting to one striker, however I think it might limit our chances – yet it would offer Notts more bulk in the centre of the park where it matters. This would allow us to pass the ball around, whilst offering protection to the defence.
We can’t just sit back and defend however, we must pass the ball and look to maximise the set pieces that we get.
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has reiterated the importance of making Meadow Lane a difficult place for opponents to come to when they play Notts County.
The club's home dressing room has been the subject of much press coverage in recent months following Alan Hardy's investment in the facilities.
The away dressing rooms have also gained some coverage, albeit more on the negative side, when Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman said his side had to change "in a corridor".
Nolan spoke of how, as Leyton orient player-manager, he found it very comfortable, and did not want that to be the case on his watch as Magpies manager.
“I take pride in the fact that this (Meadow Lane) is our home,” he told the Nottingham Post. “We don’t want anybody to come and enjoy being here.
“I always thought it was very comfortable for teams playing here before I arrived. I certainly found that when I came here last time with Leyton Orient.
“It’s one of the best stadiums in the league and shouldn’t be at this level given the history and so on.
“But teams used to love coming here because of the fantastic pitch and the fact it’s a lovely ground.
“They had a nice dressing room, but I haven’t changed it around for the opposition, I’ve changed it because it helps us.
“We now have a bootroom which we can utilise and means we can put stuff away whereas before it was out in corridors.
“Now we have a store and a lock-up. I am not trying to be hospitable. I will try to be nice to people, but ultimately it’s game day.”
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has praised Dan Jones for his impressive performances in the last two Notts County games, describing his game against Morecambe as on "another level".
The summer signing was pilloried for his mistakes in the League Two opener at Coventry City, where the hosts put three unanswered goals past the Magpies.
Since then, however, Notts have steadily improved and now sit third in the table, boasting a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
Jones has also come along nicely since his poor debut and went on to open the scoring on Saturday against the Shrimps with a well taken free kick, helping the Magpies run out 2-0 winners.
Nolan told the Nottingham Post: “The best thing for me is this is a game when players can prove people wrong. We’ve showed our trust in Dan and he’s been massive for us.
“He’s got somebody in Carl Dickinson who is pushing him all the way for the number one spot. Dan has it at the minute, but he’s got an able replacement if it’s not working.
“Everybody at Coventry wasn’t at the standard they are capable of and everybody had a massive opinion on what I was doing or how I was going about it.
“But people can see that working with the players week in, week out, collectively, individually and in the classroom is paying off.
“It’s working for Dan, I was delighted with Dan. He was fantastic against Port Vale, but stepped it up another level. He capped it off with a fantastic free kick as well.”
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Joe Jones
Morecambe boss Jim Bentley has given his views on his side's encounter with a "big, experienced" Notts County side on Saturday, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for the Shrimps.
Meadow Lane was the venue as the Black and White army saw the Magpies face an opponent that had build up a reputation as a bogey team over Notts in recent years.
Dan Jones opened the scoring for the hosts with a 27th-minute free kick which was curled expertly round the Morecambe wall and beyond goalkeeper Barry Roche.
The visitors launched a fightback following the restart but their efforts were to no avail as Notts struck late on through substitute Jonathan Forte as he broke through and rifled home via the inside of the post.
Bentley said to the Lancashire Evening Post: “This was always going to be a difficult game against a big, experienced side and our football was good at times but we just fell a bit short in the final third.
“We did get in a couple of times in the first half but we didn’t take our chances and that proved vital in the end.
“We should have scored from a well-worked corner and then the first time they had a shot on goal their scored from a great free kick and we were up against it again."
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Chris
Notts County have climbed to third in League Two and stretched their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions following a 2-0 win over Morecambe.
Dan Jones opened the scoring for the Magpies at Meadow Lane with a 27th-minute free kick which was curled expertly round the Shrimps wall and beyond goalkeeper Barry Roche.
Morecambe launched a fightback but their efforts were to no avail as Notts struck late on through substitute Jonathan Forte as he broke through and rifled home via the inside of the post.
Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane to watch County's impressive win and took photos of the Black and White Army.
Have a look at our pictures and see if you or your friends or family are in this week's Faces of PON!

Share your thoughts about this week's Faces of PON on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Chris
Notts County have stretched their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions following Saturday's 2-0 win over Morecambe at Meadow Lane.
The Magpies bossed the first half and deservedly took the lead as defender Dan Jones curled in a superb free kick on 27 minutes.
Although the Shrimps shuffled things round at the break and were more dangerous in the second half, they were unable to make headway in terms of grabbing an equaliser.
Indeed, Notts went on to seal the victory through Jonathan Forte, who raced clean through on goal and slotted beyond Barry Roche.
Pride of Nottingham was at the Lane to watch the fantastic win, which elevated the Magpies to third in the League Two table, and spoke to a number of fans prior to the game.
So what are you waiting for? Get ready to "Meet the Fans"!
Share your thoughts about this week's Meet the Fans on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Joe Jones
Notts County have climbed to third in League Two and stretched their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions following a 2-0 win over Morecambe.
Dan Jones opened the scoring for the Magpies at Meadow Lane with a 27th-minute free kick which was curled expertly round the Shrimps wall and beyond goalkeeper Barry Roche.
Morecambe launched a fightback but their efforts were to no avail as Notts struck late on through substitute Jonathan Forte as he broke through and rifled home via the inside of the post.
Here is some of the reaction from some of the Notts players, the manager, and the Black and White Army.
Kevin Nolan
"It was a lot better than last week's performance. I thought we dominated throughout.
"The lads were magnificent. They followed up a hard-fought win last week with another top performance and clean sheet today.
"As a defensive unit I feel we had to get better from last year. We were leaking goals from here, there and everywhere and now we look like a really good, solid unit.
"It was a great all-round performance and I'm absolutely delighed. We're on a decent run now but the games come thick and fast.
"We've got another tough one on Tuesday night so we're looking forward to that."
Ryan Yates
Jorge Grant
Adam Collin
The fans (from PON's Morecambe match discussion)
Chris
"I thought Notts played quite well, in spells we really dominated the play but without a few things going our way - this really would have been a draw.
"Morecambe was very poor, I thought they would be more aggressive and physical but they only changed once the free-kick had gone in. To be fair, they allowed us to have more time on the ball by using three men to mark players like Jorge Grant. I agree that our football wasn't pretty at times, yet it's very good progress on the back of a very poor season last year and the promising signs are that it's improving.
"The injury to Shola Ameobi was a massive blow, though Jonathan Forte has proven that he can come in and score.
"The team spirit shined during the period whereby Morecambe threatened, though I must say Duffy looks the weak link in defence and his rushing of the play was very frustrating."
Liampie
"It was sad to see people leaving around the 75th minute mark moaning about how poor the game was, i thought notts played quite well but lacked fire power and we really did miss shola in the squad half. Second goal people became more cheerful. Good performance and win for me."
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Joe Jones
Goals from Dan Jones and substitute Jonathan Forte stretched Notts County's unbeaten run to six games as they beat Morecambe 2-0 at Meadow Lane on Saturday afternoon.
The Magpies defender opened the scoring midway through the first half with a well taken free kick which left Shrimps goalkeeper Barry Roche grasping at thin air.
Morecambe mounted a fightback in the second half but striker Forte eventually wrapped up the win as he steered in via the inside of the post late on.
It was no more than the hosts deserved for a solid performance which maintained their excellent start to the season under boss Kevin Nolan.
The official Notts website has put up the highlights of the League Two encounter, so why not relive the excellent win?
Share your thoughts about the game on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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ARLukomski
Notts County have climbed to third in League Two and stretched their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions following Saturday's 2-0 win over Morecambe.
Meadow Lane was the venue as the Black and White army saw their beloved side face an opponent that had build up a reputation as a bogey team over Notts in recent years.
Dan Jones opened the scoring for the Magpies at Meadow Lane with a 27th-minute free kick which was curled expertly round the Shrimps wall and beyond goalkeeper Barry Roche.
Morecambe launched a fightback following the restart but their efforts were to no avail as Notts struck late on through substitute Jonathan Forte as he broke through and rifled home via the inside of the post.
ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle.
Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here.
Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Joe Jones
Alam Hardy has revealed how one prospective Notts County target - a free agent - asked the club for more than £4,000 a week to join.
The Magpies strengthened their ranks throughout the course of the summer and, although there was some mild interest in a number of players late on in the transfer window, nothing came of it.
Hardy wrote in the Nottingham Post: "The window closed last week and I was originally of the opinion that deadline day added great excitement.
"But, on reflection, it seems farcical that some clubs were left racing around to beat the deadline given they’ve had all summer to plan.
"Clubs have months to put a strategy in place, identifying what their team will look like in terms of shape and so on.
"You develop a list of players who fit the vision, so it beggars belief that some clubs need right up until the very last few minutes or seconds of the window to do a deal.
"Let’s be frank, these clubs are multi-million pound businesses, not corner shops.
"Don’t get me wrong, there are genuine cases of managers needing players at short notice, but I think my biggest problem is the hyperbole surrounding the final day of the window, which means fans tend to judge your entire transfer business on the outcome of that 24 hours.
"You can sign player after player, but the manager Kevin Nolan and I view this far more strategically than it appears other clubs do.
"We pursued some exceptional targets but unfortunately couldn’t get them over the line. It didn't mean, however, that we then started scrambling around for others.
"Those players would have been great additions, no doubt, but it was not the be all and end all.
"You also have to bear in mind if you bring five players in on the final day, what kind of message does that send to the rest of the squad?
"Of course, we still have the opportunity to sign players who are out of contract and there are plenty of those available.
"I have to say some of their demands have been off the scale in terms of wages. But it’s like that in any industry at the moment.
"In construction, raw materials have gone up by a single digit in terms of percentage, but salaries have risen by 20 to 30 percent. It’s not just football. It’s right across the board.
"That’s being reflected in players’ demands. A player was put to us recently and I enquired what he would be after in terms of wages.
"He wanted more than £4,000 a week. It’s crazy. Why have they approached a League Two club asking for those kinds of sums?
"A lot of these players still feel they can play in the Championship or League One, but if you haven’t played football for a few months, clubs at that level simply won’t take the risk."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has described his Notts County players as "magnificent" as they sealed a 2-0 win over Morecambe in Saturday's League Two encounter at Meadow Lane.
Dan Jones opened the scoring midway through the first half with a well-taken free kick, while substitute Jonathan Forte made sure of all three points with a late strike.
The result sees the Magpies climb to third in the table and stretches their unbeaten run in all competitions to six games, but Nolan is eager for his side to regroup ahead of Tuesday night's clash with Swindon Town.
"It was a lot better than last week's performance [at Port Vale]," Nolan told the official website. "I thought we dominated throughout.
"The lads were magnificent. They followed up a hard-fought win last week with another top performance and clean sheet today.
"As a defensive unit I feel we had to get better from last year. We were leaking goals from here, there and everywhere and now we look like a really good, solid unit.
"It was a great all-round performance and I'm absolutely delighted. We're on a decent run now but the games come thick and fast.
"We've got another tough one on Tuesday night so we're looking forward to that."
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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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