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Notts County 4 - 1 Carlisle United

22nd March 2014. Mark the date. Today was quite possibly one of the best single match days for all Notts fans.

Derby County's 5-0 demolition of the Red Dogs, aside from being an amazing example of schadenfreude over the arrogant neighbours, must have spurred on the Notts players, because they then went out and played like a side chasing promotion, not on the verge of relegation, as they thrashed Carlisle United 4-1 and gave themselves a tiny, infinitesimal glimmer of hope.
The match started in a scrappy manner, with the visitors having the game's first chances, courtesy of Brad Potts and Sam Byrne.
On the quarter-hour mark, good play by Jimmy Spencer led to the youngster setting up Jamal Campbell-Ryce, the winger's subsequent cross nearly finding Jack Grealish at the back post.
Carlisle nearly scored in the 21st minute when they broke quickly following an Alan Sheehan free kick, but the offside flag came up, while on the half-hour mark, Bartosz Bialkowski had to be at his best to thwart Lee Miller.
Just a few minutes later, the under-pressure Magpies took the lead thanks to Haydn Hollis, his header sending the Notts fans into raptures.
The offside flag rescued the home side once again after another chance by Miller, before Notts then doubled their lead to the delight of the Meadow Lane faithful.
The brilliant Spencer held the ball up brilliantly before playing it to Gary Liddle, who then sent a low cross Ronan Murray's way for him to tap home.
 
Caution was the order of the day for everyone involved with Notts, who have let this kind of lead slip one too many times this season, and the home side was nearly beaten from a David Amoo chance.
Just after the restart, Hollis, who had only scored his first ever goal for the Magpies earlier on in the game, only went and doubled his personal career tally with an incredible header to put his side 3-0 up.
The youngster, surely gunning for a hat-trick, then showed his great defensive credentials by clearing the ball when under pressure from David Symington.
James Berrett then pulled a goal back for Carlisle just before the hour, his long-range shot bouncing off the post and beating Bart.
However, the Cumbrians weren't about to embark on an amazing final 30 minutes and score a further three goals to break Notts hearts, not this time.
The fantastic Liddle, whose presence has been sorely missed this season, scored arguably one of the greatest goals Meadow Lane has seen in recent years with an outstanding overhead kick past Jordan Pickford in the 70th minute. Take a bow, son.
With Carlisle completely deflated, Notts were able to register several more chances, but the game would end 4-1.
In the grand scheme of things, we have to remember that we are still bottom of League One, five points from safety. Things are still not looking rosy, we still have to keep plugging and repeating performances like today's if we're to survive this horrendous quagmire.
But whatever happens, enjoy today, fellow Notts fans. This weekend, Nottingham belongs to the Magpies.
Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Notts County v Carlisle United

Carlisle United and Notts County have met on just 27 occasions since their first clash back in October 1959, a Fourth Division clash that was won by the Cumbrians 2-0. Out of those, the Magpies have won 15 and lost 9, with just 3 draws.

Carlisle United is one of the northernmost clubs in the Football League, just 10 miles from the Scottish border, and one that’s normally mentioned among the most difficult away days – talk of “Carlisle away” is one for the most hardcore fans, especially in midweek.
(Newcastle United are further north than Carlisle, however)
The Cumbrians have spent a season in the top flight, back in 1974-75, and recorded a double over Everton, as well as home victories over eventual champions Derby County, former titleholders Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers. They were sadly relegated at the end of the season though.
Carlisle is the smallest location, by population, to have had a resident top-flight English football club since 1906. Prior to this, Accrington FC, Darwen, Grimsby Town & Glossop North End were smaller.
Despite their small stature, the club has experience moderate success with regards to silverware – they have won a Third Division title back in 1965, two Fourth Division championships in 1995 and 2006, and two Football League Trophies, back in 1997 and 2011. They have also
Carlisle are famous for one of the most dramatic Great Escape scenarios in all of English football, when on-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored in the last 10 seconds of their final game of the 1998-99 season against Plymouth Argyle to keep the Cumbrians in the Football League at the expense of Scarborough.
 
Notts County have new loan signing Josh Vela available but are again without centre-half and captain Dean Leacock.
Leacock suffered a thigh injury in the defeat against MK Dons earlier this month and is still not fit, so Haydn Hollis is likely to keep his place.
Sean O'Hanlon is back in training for Carlisle United, but boss Graham Kavanagh is cautious about the defender's chances.
Pascal Chimbonda is unlikely to be fit, while Liam Noble is out for the season.
Joe Jones

The Match Officials

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

Tranmere Rovers 3 - 2 Notts County

Another game, another defeat, another nail in the League One coffin. Today's result, a 3-2 defeat away at Tranmere Rovers, means that Notts County remain rock bottom of the table, seven points from safety, and worse still, we have lost eight of the last ten games. Staving off relegation will truly be a miracle at this stage of the season.

Shaun Derry lined the Magpies up in a 4-4-2 formation, shuffling things around across the board. Ronan Murray lined up on the left wing, with Jimmy Spencer and Nathan Tyson the two frontmen.
Tranmere came out all guns blazing at the start of the game, winning four corner kicks in the space of two and a half minutes, but were unable to fashion anything from these set pieces.
In the 10th minute, James Wallace headed wide a fourth corner from Jason Koumas, and just a minute later, Jake Cassidy fired a shot straight at Bartosz Bialkowski.
Notts soon took the lead through Murray, as the away side’s first corner wasn’t cleared properly, and the ball fell to the young Irishman who made no mistake with an emphatic strike.
The lead lasted for just over 10 minutes, because Notts soon encountered defensive problems of their own, failing to clear a ball that fell to Koumas. The former Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion attacking midfielder duly struck a powerful shot straight into the corner to level proceedings.
Just a few minutes later, the game was turned upside down when the home side made the most of some more haphazard defending to take the lead. Ryan Lowe was allowed too much space following a straightforward cross, and the Birkenhead club’s top scorer this season didn’t need to be asked twice, smashing the ball home.
More drama ensued when Gary Liddle was fouled in the Tranmere box, the outcome of which was a penalty to Notts. Alan Sheehan, previously flawless from the spot, lined up to take the shot, but this time, there was to be no luck of the Irish as he saw his shot saved by the feet of Owain Fon Williams.
Midway through the first half, Murray came close, but once again Fon Williams made a great save, with Jimmy Spencer failing to convert the rebound, while just three minutes later, a desperate scramble in the Notts box saw Murray hack the ball off the line following an Ash Taylor header.
The first half ended with Tranmere in the lead. The second half kicked off with some sterling work from Jamal Campbell-Ryce, who played in two great crosses just after the restart, which sadly lacked a finishing touch.
 
Just after the hour, Notts won a free kick near the box, which Sheehan nominated to take. He more than made amends for his earlier penalty miss, because from nearly 30 yards out, he lashed in a simply sensational strike which smashed into the net to pull the score back to 2-2.
After the game’s fourth goal, the match opened up immensely, and both teams registered numerous chances in the ensuing stages of the half, a flurry of end-to-end action.
In the 32nd minute of the second half, Max Power, who had come on for injured Tranmere skipper James Wallace, unleashed a dangerous shot that stung Bart’s palms, but the ensuing corner was headed wide.
Just a few minutes later, Fon Williams spilled a routine JCR cross, but Murray couldn’t make the most of the ensuing opportunity.
Disaster then struck in the 84th minute as Steve Jennings tried an ambitious shot from distance. It was struck perfectly, flying into the back of the net and sending the home fans into raptures. 3-2 with just six minutes to go.
Notts tried desperately to get something back from the game, but it proved too little too late.
Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Tranmere Rovers v Notts County

Notts County’s history with Tranmere Rovers goes back 81 years, the first clash between the two coming in January 1933. Playing at Prenton Park – their ground since 1912 – the Birkenhead-based outfit defeated the Magpies 2-1 in the FA Cup.

There haven’t been many games between the two over the years – just 43 fixtures overall. The head-to-head is perfectly poised with both sides having won 17 games each, with nine draws. So tomorrow’s not just worth three points –it’s for the overall head-to-head!
 
Our form against Tranmere this millennium is not bad – three wins, three defeats and two draws. We beat them back in September 2-0 so hopefully it bodes well for tomorrow.
Our most significant game against Tranmere is undoubtedly the Third Division Playoff Final between us and them at Wembley 24 years ago. Goals from Tommy Johnson and Craig Short saw the Magpies clinch promotion to the second tier through the playoffs on the 27th May 1990, the first of two consecutive promotions.
 
Tranmere reached the League Cup final back in 2000, where they lost against Leicester City. This was the last League Cup to be played at the old Wembley ground.
One of the greatest English players of all time, Dixie Dean, made his debut for Tranmere aged 16 years 355 days back in 1924. He went on to play for rivals Everton and scored 60 goals in the 1927-28 season, a record that still stands to this day (he also played for Notts County, don’t you know!).
 
Legendary BBC commentator David Dimbleby is a Tranmere Rovers supporter. Meanwhile, during a gig in 2013, The Cult's lead singer Ian Astbury announced on stage he was a Tranmere Rovers FC supporter at the O2 Academy in Liverpool.
It has also been common knowledge among Rovers fans that singer Elvis Costello has also proclaimed to be a fan.
Birkenhead Park is acknowledged to be the first publicly funded park in Britain.
Tranmere Rovers have failed to win any of their last three games and slipped into the relegation zone in midweek. However, caretaker manager John McMahon will select from the same squad that lost 2-0 at Brentford on Tuesday.
 
Notts County are without injured captain Dean Leacock, and midfielder Gary Liddle is a doubt after picking up a knock in the midweek loss to Milton Keynes Dons.
Midfielder Andre Boucaud is unavailable for ‘personal reasons’, but striker Jimmy Spencer returns after suspension.
Joe Jones

PoN's February Round Up!

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.
sadlad

The Match Officials

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 1st assistant than as a fourth official but the majority does fall within League One.
Interesting Fact – He featured as the 1st 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.
Chris

Notts County 1 - 3 Milton Keynes Dons

So close, yet so far, and ultimately so futile.

Notts County were stunned in the first two minutes, destroyed by the hour mark, gave themselves a glimmer of hope in the final quarter of the game, then saw their gamble of committing every man to the final third backfire with a last-minute concession.

Ultimately, the Magpies fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Milton Keynes Dons, a loss which now surely renders the chasm between ourselves and safely insurmountable.
Shaun Derry was buoyed by the news that his previously injured trio of Gary Liddle, Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya, who played against Leyton Orient on Saturday, were all fit for tonight’s clash.
 
The Magpies were quick off the starting blocks, and saw two great chances in the first 90 seconds as Callum McGregor struck with a powerful long-range effort and forced a corner. Immediately after, Hayden Mullins saw his great volley cannon off against the bar.
Before the home fans could get too excited, the perennial sucker-punch came a matter of seconds later. Dele Alli, the England U18 striker, was given too much room at the back, and was able to simply slot the ball past Bartosz Bialkowski for the first goal of the game.
With five minutes on the clock, Izale McLeod came close to doubling the Dons’ lead, but this time Bart was able to get a touch on the ball.
On-loan striker Nathan Tyson tried his luck after a great through-ball by Mullins, but the former Nottingham Forest man fired wide from 20 yards. This was then followed by another two attempts from McLeod for the opposition.
The first half was a frantic affair for both teams, but the Dons had the finer chances, thanks to efforts by Alli, Antony Kay and Daniel Powell, and were it not for Bart’s heroics, the Magpies could have easily been several goals down by the break.
One-time Manchester United and England player Alan Smith was also guilty of a dreadful tackle on Liddle midway through the first half, who let’s not forget has only just come back from a lengthy lay-off, but the frontman, who now plies his trade for the League One outfit, received just a yellow card.
The Magpies’ resistance came crumbling down in the 55th minute, when the young Alli, once again gifted the opportunity, was able to pretty much pass the ball into the net.
Eventually, Notts had a reprieve when Jordan Spence handled the ball inside the Dons box, and Alan Sheehan, ever reliable from the penalty spot, struck a shot into the bottom right corner to put his side within a goal of the opposition.
And so it came to injury time, and the Dons conceded a corner. Notts had no choice but to pile all their men, including Bart, forward, but as it is with this final throw of the dice, it can sometimes backfire, and sadly, with the Magpies backline exposed, the away side were able to break and score a third, once again courtesy of Alli.
I hate to say it, but based on our form and how much distance there now is between us – at the bottom – and safety, I think that we’re going to be playing in League Two next season. Despite being a not overwhelming five points behind, three of the teams immediately above us have a game in hand. Carlisle have two. And crucially, our form is atrocious - we have lost seven of our last ten games.
I would love, nay adore, to be proved wrong come May, but now it really is time to be realistic.
Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Notts County v MK Dons

If we take into account that the Milton Keynes Dons began their history in 2004, then Notts County have faced the club just 11 times. The first fixture took place in 2006, which was won by the Dons 3-2.

Its predecessor, Wimbledon, was around for over 110 years, but nonetheless, Notts have only played six games against them.

A depressing statistic: out of 17 games between the Magpies and both Dons incarnations, we’ve only won once.
 
The Buckinghamshire-based outfit has been the subject of much controversy since its former incarnation, Wimbledon, moved from London to Milton Keynes, discarded its previous history and became the Milton Keynes Dons. Many feel aggrieved that such a move should have taken place.
Just two former Wimbledon players are currently plying their trade for the new club: captain Dean Lewington, and goalkeeper David Martin.
The town of Milton Keynes has only been around since 1967, and is comically known for its statues of concrete cows and many, many roundabouts (300, or if you count painted bumps, over 1000!).
 
Notts County manager Shaun Derry is expected to name an unchanged team after his starting line-up impressed during the goalless home draw with Leyton Orient, which means that the trio of Gary Liddle. Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya would retain their places after returning from long-term injuries.
James Spencer will complete a three-match suspension but Derry has the likes of Tyrell Waite, Ronan Murray, Mark Fotheringham and Haydn Hollis to call on should he want to make any changes.
 
MK Dons do not expect to have any new problems for the clash. Jordan Spence received treatment for an ankle injury for around five minutes during the second half of their victory over Swindon on Saturday, but the defender completed the game at the County Ground and should be fit for tomorrow.
Larnell Cole's withdrawal at half time against the Robins was thought to be tactical and the midfielder should also be in the squad.
Mark Randall may be an addition to the away team tomorrow. The former Arsenal youngster has been training with the Dons and has agreed a deal with his hometown club until the end of the season.
Joe Jones

The Match Officials

Tuesday the 11th of March, Meadow Lane hosts League One side MK Dons. They currently sit 7th, one position outside of the play-offs. However, MK Dons are currently 6 points behind 6th 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 2nd 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 29th 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.
Chris

Notts County 0 - 0 Leyton Orient

Well, I hate to be a killjoy, but in the grand scheme of things, today's draw is a mere drop in the ocean with regards with what we need to do in order to secure League One status for next season, but nevertheless, it was a very good performance from Notts County to secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw against promotion-chasing Leyton Orient today at Meadow Lane.

New arrival Nathan Tyson was put straight into the Magpies' starting XI, but as big a coup as it was to have the former Nottingham Forest and Derby County man in our squad, it paled in relative insignificance compared to having key man Gary Liddle back to fitness and in the team.
Defenders Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya also returned to the squad after their own injury troubles, and the black and white outfit certainly benefited from the returning trio's presence on the pitch, as they more than matched the dangerous Waltham Forest outfit.
As early as the first minute, Tyson marauded into the opposition's box and attempted a shot, which was blocked by Scott Cuthbert.
Shaun Derry’s side continued to pour forward in search of an early goal which would have given them an early advantage as Liddle’s near post drive led to a fine save from away goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.
Orient were struggling to stem the tide, with Alan Sheehan subsequently firing a shot just wide from 25 yards.
Gradually they began to claw their way back into the game, Chris Dagnall seeing a shot saved by Bartosz Bialkowski, but Notts soon piled forward again, as McGregor lashed a dangerous volley which landed just over from long range.
 
In the opening stages of the second half, the home side threatened first when Jamal Campbell-Ryce cut inside into space and fired wide of far post.
Sheehan later found Tyson on the left-hand side, the on-loan Blackpool player unlucky not to see his ball find McGregor.
Just before the hour, Orient had a dangerous spell of play as Lloyd James attempted a dangerous long-range effort, before Romain Vincelot’s curled delivery from the left wing forced a good save out of Bart.
Nine minutes later, Tyson picked out JCR with a pinpoint cross, which was met by a downward volley which only just missed the target, and towards the end of the match, Liddle very nearly secured himself legendary status by nearly scoring from a JCR pass.
The O's were under the cosh for the majority of the game, and were this a boxing match, the points would have surely been given to Notts (then again, with the referees we've had this season...).
Sadly, as it was a football match, the outcome of the match, a draw and an even share of the points, isn't an ideal result in the grand scheme of things, but nevertheless, the performance made for an enjoyable afternoon for the home faithful, and, especially after last week's horror show, lifted some of the dark clouds away from the club, if only for this one weekend.
Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Notts County v Leyton Orient

The first time that Notts County faced Leyton Orient was 101 years ago, when the Magpies travel to Millfields Road for a Division Two fixture. The East London outfit won 1-0.

A total of 73 fixtures have taken place between the two, with the Nottingham outfit holding the upper hand historically - but only just. 29 games have been won by the Magpies, with 26 O's wins and just 18 draws.
 
Leyton Orient were founded in 1881, and have had several name changes throughout the years, including Eagle Cricket Club, Orient FC and Clapton Orient FC.
The O's, who play in Waltham Forest, are the second-oldest league club in London behind Fulham.
The club's unusual name is alleged to come from one of the club's early players (Jack R Dearing) who was an employee of the Orient Shipping Company.
 
During the First World War. 41 members of the Clapton Orient team and staff joined up into the 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (the Footballers' Battalion), the highest of any football team in the country and the first to join up en masse.
During the Battle of the Somme, three players gave their lives for King and Country: Richard McFadden, George Scott and William Jonas. Prior to the First World War, O's striker Richard McFadden had saved the life of a boy who was drowning in the River Lea as well as rescuing a man from a burning building.
History was made on Saturday 30th April 1921 when the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII, visited Millfields Road to see the O's play Notts County. The Orient won 3-0 and this was the first time a member of royalty had attended a Football League match.
 
The big news for Notts County with regards to playing staff is that sidelined trio Dean Leacock, Gary Liddle and Mustapha Dumbuya could all return to action tomorrow.
Meanwhile, new loan signing Nathan Tyson, who used to play across the Trent, is earmarked for a start.
 
Leyton Orient will check on captain Nathan Clarke and fellow defender Mathieu Baudry, who have knee and hamstring injuries.
Forwards Shaun Batt and David Mooney will also be assessed.
Goalkeeper Jamie Jones is some way off a comeback with a back injury, while fellow stopper Ben Alnwick is absent on medical grounds.
Orient manager Russell Slade began his coaching career at Notts County, spending time as caretaker manager in 1994-95 and serving as a coach under Mick Walker and Howard Kendall at Meadow Lane.
Joe Jones

The Match Officials

On the 8th of March this Saturday, Notts County will be taking on 2nd 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 2nd 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.
Chris

View of our upcoming games

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!!
Chris

Rotherham United 6 - 0 Notts County

Frankly, I would be surprised if anyone actually decided to take the time to read the following match report, but for those of you who for some reason have decided to open this link and actually read about one of the worst results in the club's recent history, I will try and make it somewhat easier for you to read by keeping it concise and being brutally honest.
Today was shocking and embarrassing beyond belief. Notts County went to Rotherham United and weren't just beaten, not even thrashed, but outright demolished by a score of six goals to nil.
With striker Jimmy Spencer suspended, on-loan Crystal Palace forward Kwesi Appiah made his first start for the Magpies up front. Jack Grealish dropped out of the starting line-up and was replaced by Mark Fotheringham.
Notts adapted a diamond formation that saw Fotheringham join Hayden Mullins and Andre Boucaud to pack out the centre of midfield. Meanwhile, Callum McGregor lined up in an attacking midfield role behind a front two of Appiah and Jamal Campbell-Ryce.
Enoch Showunmi had left a day earlier to go on loan to Torquay United, yet another departure, and the lack of experience on the bench was telling.
The first serious chance actually fell to Notts when McGregor found JCR in the area, but the former Miller's resulting ball across the goal was just too heavy for Appiah.
After that effort, Rotherham began running riot. Their first goal was a tad controversial, to be fair, as a Kieron Freeman tackle on Kieran Agard resulted in a free kick for the home side in the 11th minute. James Tavernier made no mistake from the dead ball.
The Millers soon made it 2-0 when Haris Vuckic’s shot in the 16th minute took a heavy deflection to deceive Bartosz Bialkowski and trickled over the line.
The shellshocked Magpies would soon be picking the ball out of their own net for a third time just 10 minutes later, when Andre Boucaud was caught out in his own defensive area. Alex Revell seized possession from him and proceeded to drive a low shot beyond Bart into the bottom corner.
And before half an hour had even passed, Rotherham were 4-0 up, thanks to Bart's foul on Agard which led to a penalty. The Pole was lucky not to have been sent off, to be fair, but nevertheless, the Millers striker blasted a shot high into the centre of the goal to pile extra misery on the Notts players and fans.
 
Fast-forward to the second half, and Vuckic soon grabbed his second of the game on the hour as he cut inside from the right-hand side and his deflected shot curled into the top corner.
Goal number six then came just seven minutes before the end, when Tom Hitchcock was able to tap the ball in from close distance.
The Notts away following, which began the game in high numbers and spirits, was a mere shadow of itself by the 90th minute, much like Notts County have been for most of the season.
Some of the Rotherham fans were singing "We want seven! We want seven!". The majority, however, were almost embarrassed, feeling guilty and sheepish about having delivered the footballing equivalent of a public execution.
There was no passion, no enthusiasm, no structure... today could very well be the day when Notts County waved the white flag and gave up on their League One status.
Combined with other results - namely, the other teams in the relegation zone doing well - Notts are now rock bottom of League One once again after a six-goal defeat, five points from safety, with some teams above us having two or even three games in hand, and with just 12 games left for us in the season.
 
We need a miracle.
Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Rotherham United v Notts County

Notts County’s history with Rotherham United stretches back just over 60 years, the Magpies losing 2-0 against the Millers at Millmoor on the 17th of November 1951.

However, Notts played the current club’s predecessor, Rotherham Town, all the way back in 1893, and our fans will be glad to know that the Magpies won that first clash by two goals to nil.

The man widely regarded as the first black professional footballer, Arthur Wharton, played for the club, whose first incarnation was “Lunar Rovers”, from 1889 to 1894.
 
Historically, Notts have fared better in the head-to-head statistics, winning 18 games, drawing 13 and losing 15 against the Millers.
But on the flip side, our last eight fixtures against the South Yorkshire club have ended in five defeats (including that horror show in the FA Cup at home last season), two draws and just one win.
 
Rotherham United’s best days came in the early to mid-2000s, when they played in Division One (second tier of English football at this point in time), recording wins against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and West Ham United. They also spent the majority of the 2002-03 season in the play-offs, but tailed off towards the end of the season.
Over the years, the Millers have got their hands on several trophies – they were third tier champions in 1951 and 1981, and fourth tier champions in 1989. They also won the Football League Trophy in 1996, and reached the first ever final of the League Cup in 1961.
 
Plenty of players have turned out for both clubs, including Les Bradd, Steve Cherry, Julien Baudet, Jonathan Forte, Gary Martindale, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Kevin Pilkington.
Rotherham’s most famous sons include Gordon Banks, David Seaman, Howard Webb, William Hague MP, Dean Andrews (Life on Mars actor) and the Chuckle Brothers. Meanwhile, Top Gear’s James May went to school in Rotherham.
 
Rotherham United have a doubt over Wes Thomas, who is nursing a thigh injury, but the striker should feature as the Millers look to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches.
Notts are without striker Jimmy Spencer who is suspended after being sent off in the home defeat against Shrewsbury Town last Saturday. Enoch Showunmi, Kwesi Appiah and Ronan Murray are all possible replacements.
 
Elsewhere on the pitch, Mustapha Dumbuya, Dean Leacock striker Callum Ball are not likely to return.
Joe Jones

Rotherham United - View

Rotherham United are one of the current in form teams in League One, in their past six games they've drawn 2 and won 4. Their away form in the last 10 to 6 games would put them top of the league. Notts will need to buckle down for this game, however The Millers form would suggest that they will keep our defence busy. In our earlier encounter Notts lost narrowly by one goal.

This week we have spoken to Pride of Nottingham resident 'BradtheMiller', we have asked a series of questions aimed to share the sight of a Rotherham United fan.
 
Firstly, could you please tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself such as how long you've been a Rotherham Unuted fan?
Hi, i'm Ian, a 52 yr old Millers fan from Rotherham. I attended my first game v Wrexham at Millmoor in the 1971/72 season in the old Third Division & was quickly hooked. The game ended 1-1 (still remember)
 
You did our “Opposition View” for our last encounter, you mentioned how you would like to get into the championship but remained realistic by adding that mid table was your goal. There's a real chance you might make the play-offs, how do you feel now?
This season has exceeded my & most other Millers fans expectations & even the most pessimistic Rotherham fan (me) is starting to believe that the play-offs are possible.
 
The progression Rotherham's made in the past two seasons is very impressive, how important is it for you to see stability within the players and coaching staff?
Evans & Raynor, our manager & number two may not be everyones cup of tea (me neither) because of their touchline antics & cringeworthy interviews but you have to say they are very successful & their managerial record speaks for itself.
Player wise, apart from the 8 to 10 core squad members, it has been a bit of a revolving door this season with many players going in & out of the club, mainly on loan. Fans were dissapointed to lose some of last seasons promotion heros such as Nardiello & Mullins, but some of the players Evans has brought in have been quality, such as full backs Tavernier & Skarz, midfielder Smallwood from Middlesbrough, & Striker Wes Thomas, though not all have been a success. Evans chased Bournemouth striker Matt Tubbs for a year before he brought him to NYS on a six month loan with a view to him being a 200k club record signing & in the sixmonths we had him, he scored ONE goal & couldn't hit a barn door with a bazzooka!
 
Can you tell our members and readers about your passion for football? You have an hobby of watching quite a few games all across England, why is that?
I consider myself to be a football fan first, & a Millers fan second, which might sound a bit mental, but there is something great about going to a match with no vested interest, a true neutral & enjoy the whole day, soak up the atmosphere, & arrive home after an enjoyable day out without wanting to smash the house up when you come home. I still make most Millers home games though!
(I even went to ML this season as a neutral)
 
What's your biggest achievement so far within this season and what's really disappointed you?
Biggest achievement was beating BOTH massive Sheffield clubs at NYS in successive home games early in the season, so, so, satisfying after decades of them calling us "toytown"! Shut them up for a bit!!
 
Please tell us about your goal scorers so far this season, do you have confident strikers or do have goals being scored from all over?
Kieran Agard is our top scorer so far with 16 goals & we play him on the right side of midfield!!
In fact, our next two top scorers are also midfielders, Lee Frecklington (9) & Ben Pringle (7), with striker Alex Revell also on 7. Recent signing Wes Thomas who is a striker has scored in his last three games
 
What formation(s) have you been using and how do you expect your starting line up to look on Saturday?
We normally go 4-4-2 at home but we can adapt to either 4-5-1 or 3-5-2 depending how the game is going.
 
Name three teams which have impressed you at New York Stadium and three teams which have impressed you at their home ground?
The three teams who impressed me at NYS were Swindon, who murdered us 4-0, Preston who looked very strong in a 0-0 draw & surprisingly enough Crawley, who outplayed us but we managed a 2-2 draw with a last minute equaliser.
I've only been to three away games this season (Notts, York in the JPT, & Bradford) & we won all those, so I can't say i've been impressed with any of them
 
Over the years, which three players that you have seen play (for any team) have been the best and was they playing within the league suited to their talent?
Gerry Forrest, my all time favourite Millers player, finally achieved the top division with Southampton, playing in the same side as Le Tissier.
Cesc Fabregas; made his Arsenal debut v the Millers in the league cup 2002/03 season at Highbury, the rest is history.
Teddy Sherringham; played for West Ham v The Millers in the early 00's, sheer quality
 
Who are your main threats within your squad, which players would you highlight as possible tricky players for Notts?
Our main threats are our midfield, who I regard as the best in League 2, Frecklington & Pringle in particular. Watch out too, for Alex Revell, our target man, who is so important to the way we play, your centre backs will know they've been in a game.
 
Which Notts players do you think are likely to cause Rotherham's defence some problems and how do you see the score ending?
For Notts, McGregor looks impressive, & Grealish, your loan signing from Villa seems to have done well. I can't see past a Millers victory, sorry guys, so i'll stab at Millers 3 Pies 1
 
What is Rotherham like for travelling fans? Can you tell us where you would recommend to spend time, perhaps go for a drink and what is parking like?
With the ground being in the town centre & 5 minutes from the train station, all the eating & drinking outlets are within easy walking distance; eg McDonalds, KFC, THREE weatherspoons pubs, cafes etc. There is also a licenced bar inside all the stadium concourses.
There is a Liquid night club just up the road with a huge car park. I think they charge but i dunno how much.
 
Pride of Nottingham would like to thank 'BradtheMiller' for his time answering our questions and for sharing his views with regards to this upcoming game. It is always nice to see the opinions of our resident opposition friends.
Chris

The Match Officials

On the 1st 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 2nd. 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 1st assistant once so far. He's been the referee five times within the Conference Division and the 2nd 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 2nd 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 2nd 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 2nd assistant three times and the 1st 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.
Chris

Notts Alumni: Mark Stallard

Many notable players have turned out for Notts County over the years.
Some, who turned out for the club in the decades following its creation have been virtually committed to folklore, with the occasional grainy black-and-white photo.
The club's longest-ever serving player, early 20th century goalkeeper Albert Iremonger, falls into this category. 
Some, like post-war prodigy Tommy Lawton, may be remembered by the likes of our grandparents or parents.
The further we go through the decades, the more likely it is that the younger generations may have a recollection of them, either through our older relatives or first-person.
In terms of recent players, that is, those who have played for Notts County in the 21st century, there are few more lauded by fans than the man I'm writing about now.
You ask a few dozen twenty-something and thirty-something Notts fans about who their favourite player is, and chances are, a sizeable amount will say "Mark Stallard".
Stallard was born in Derby in October 1974, and began his career with local team Derby County, signing schoolboy terms in 1991. During those fledgling years, he made over 30 appearances for the Rams, as well as being sent out to gain experience at Fulham and Bradford City.
He was on Derby’s books until January 1996, when the Baseball Ground outfit – the club moved to Pride Park the following year – accepted a bid from the Bantams in the region of £110,000 for the then 21-year-old striker.
Stallard etched himself into the Bradford fans’ hearts when he scored the second goal in the club’s Second Division play-off final victory against Notts County of all teams, just four months after joining the Valley Parade outfit.
With the Yorkshire club in the First Division, Stallard spent some time on loan at Preston North End, before being sold to Wycombe Wanderers, then of the Second Division, in March 1997. His time with the Chairboys was fruitful, netting on average a goal every three games in the league.

Eventually came his move to the mighty Magpies in the spring of 1999 for the princely sum of £10,000, and though the club was going through some tumultuous times, Stallard remained a shining beacon of light throughout his entire spell at Meadow Lane, scoring 67 goals during his five years with Notts.
His manager at Meadow Lane, Billy Dearden, said Stallard helped the club through some dark times.
"We went into administration for 18 months, and it was only because of people like Stallard that we kept going," he told the BBC. "He was a top man to work with. He was a very good trainer, and most importantly, he was a goalscorer. He could have probably played at an even higher level."
Stallard was rewarded for his exploits at Meadow Lane by being named the club’s player of the year and players' player of the year in 2003, after scoring 25 goals as Notts battled against relegation and financial adversity during the difficult 2002–03 season.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and so too did Stallard’s stay at Notts County, as he decided to up sticks and move to Barnsley.
Things didn’t quite work out for the striker at Oakwell; after 15 appearances, he was allowed to go on loan to Chesterfield, before making a return to Meadow Lane in February 2005.
After his second spell at Notts came to an end, Stallard moved to Shrewsbury Town at the start of the 2005-06 season, and stayed there for a year, before again upping sticks for another return to the East Midlands, this time with Lincoln City, where he hooked up with former youth teammate Adie Moses.
His time at Sincil Bank was fruitful, the first few months yielding seven goals and yielding the striker the League Two Player of the Month award for September 2006.
Stallard spent two years with the Imps, scoring 17 goals in 66 league appearances, but with his second season being affected by injuries and suspensions, he was let go by the club at the end of the 2007-08 season.

He decided to remain in the East Midlands alongside Moses as they hooked up with Mansfield Town, and for a short period of time, the duo were made caretaker managers of the Conference club and maintained a 100% record of two wins in two games.
Stallard then moved to Corby Town at the end of his contract with Mansfield, after being impressed by the club's ambition, but with the striker looking to forge a career in financial advising – a shrewd investment considering his footballing career was in its twilight he decided to leave the Northamptonshire outfit, citing an unwillingness to draw a wage from the club if he could no longer produce his best football for the team.
It proved to be a gesture that drew praise from the Blue Square North side's manager Graham Drury, who said: "I wish I could work with more people as honest and professional as Mark Stallard.”
And in one short sentence, Drury described Stallard’s career in a nutshell. An honest, hard-working, professional, skilled player, one who played his best football for Notts County and kept the club smiling during testing times.
Luckily for the Notts faithful, Stallard continues to be heavily involved with the Magpies, co-commentating on the club's matches for BBC Radio Nottingham alongside Charlie Slater, having previously done so with the legendary Colin Slater, and regularly offering his footballing services for charity games linked with the club and around the East Midlands. His day job, meanwhile, sees him managing his own financial advice firm.
Mark Stallard, you are a Notts County legend, and a proud inductee of Pride of Nottingham’s Notts Alumni!
Discuss Mark Stallard's career and any memories you have of him by signing up to Pride of Nottingham, visiting the forum, and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones

Notts County 2 - 3 Shrewsbury Town

Today has to go down as one of the most painful defeats we've suffered in recent months. Against a team we were more than capable of defeating, we raced into a 2-0 lead within the first 15 minutes. And then we go on to concede a goal, get a man sent off in dubious circumstances, and lose the game.

The worst thing? This isn't first time something like this has happened this calendar year. Although rather than taking place away (London Road to be exact), this horror show took place in front of our own fans.
So, just to confirm, Notts County have today squandered a two-goal lead as the club's League One survival hopes suffer yet another blow with a 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury Town.
The Magpies scored the first goal when Kieron Freeman lashed a cross into the Shrews box on eight minutes, which was delicately finished by Jack Grealish from close range.
Five minutes later, the on-loan Aston Villa youngster won a penalty when he was brought down by Tamika Mkandawire. Alan Sheehan fired his shot down the middle to double his side's lead.
After taking such a commanding lead so early in the game, any team has to be careful not to get complacent and consider their work done, and Notts sadly failed to do this. Just after the half-hour mark, Jon Taylor was able to latch onto Tom Eaves' cross to slot past Bartosz Bialkowski and pull a goal back for Shrewsbury.
Two minutes before the break came the game-changer as referee Seb Stockbridge decided to show a straight red card to Jimmy Spencer for an apparent elbow against Connor Goldson. Once again, Notts were down to ten men.
 
As luck would have it, Kwesi Appiah, who came on for Callum McGregor in the second half, was then injured by a flailing Goldson arm. Was the Shrews player also sent off? Ha! Don't be daft.
On 66 minutes, the visitors were level when Taylor looped a finish from just inside the Notts box beyond Bart, and just three minutes later, the collapse was well and truly complete for the beleaguered Magpies when David McAllister nudged the ball home, courtesy of a scrappy, improvised finish.
The game ended 3-2 to the visitors and, for Shaun Derry's men, it was a fifth defeat in their last six outings as they dropped to 23rd place in League One, a defeat in a game we should have won and desperately needed to win.
Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Notts County v Shrewsbury Town

Notts County and Shrewbury Town don’t go very far back, as the Shropshire outfit spent the majority of its early history in the lower leagues. They were promoted into the Football League Third Division North in 1950, and first met the Magpies in the 1960-61 season. Sadly, it wasn’t a very good day for Notts, because, away at Gay Meadow, we got beaten 4-0 by the Shrews!

The two teams, however, have met quite regularly in recent years – since that first fixture between the two, they've faced off 44 times. The Shrews currently hold the ever so slight upper edge, with 15 wins and 16 draws, while Notts have won 13 games.
Since 2005, Notts have played Shrewsbury every season bar 2010/11 and 2011/12. The longest period between meetings is eight years, between 21st December 1963 and 11th September 1971.
 
The Shrewsbury v Notts game on the 17th April 1990 is believed to have been the genesis of the renowned “I Had A Wheelbarrow” chant. Shrewsbury were winning 2-0 and began singing a traditional American folk song, On Top Of Old Smoky, in celebration. This was sung in such a strong West Country accent that the Notts fans began singing back jokingly what they believed it sounded like, which was “I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off”. Notts then pulled two goals back in the last ten minutes, and as such the chant was seen as a source of good luck, being sung by Notts fans ever since.
Until 1995, some English teams from cities not far from the Welsh border could play in the Welsh Cup, but winners would have to concede the subsequent European Cup Winners’ Cup place to the best-placed Welsh side as per league and European rules. As a result, Shrewsbury have a rather healthy trophy cabinet, having won the competition six times - 1985 was their last trophy victory - and finishing as runners-up thrice, making them the most successful non-Welsh side ever to compete in the Welsh cup!
Shrewsbury are known for one of the greatest giant killings of all time, as they defeated Premier League Everton in the FA Cup in January 2003. The Shropshire side, in Division 3 and free-falling towards relegation out of the Football League, beat the top tier side 2-1, no small feat against a team who, just a few months prior, broke a rampant Arsenal’s 30 game unbeaten run, courtesy of a young 16-year old prodigy by the name of Wayne Rooney.
 
The town of Shrewsbury has helped cultivate two of the greatest minds in British history. Charles Darwin was born and bred in Shrewsbury, while Charles Dickens spent plenty of time in the town, having been fond of the Lion Hotel and performing his one-man shows at Shrewsbury’s Music Hall.
 
Footballers who have plied their trade for both clubs, either as footballer or as manager, include Richie Barker, Glynn Hurst, Lee Canoville, Luke Rodgers and Mark Stallard.
Notts will have Kwesi Appiah available for tomorrow's League One clash at Meadow Lane after the striker extended his loan from Crystal Palace until the 22nd of March.
Mustapha Dumbuya is back in training after a thigh injury, but Dean Leacock and Callum Ball remain sidelined.
Shrewsbury's Tom Bradshaw misses the first game of what could be several weeks out with a knee injury.
Joe Jacobson will assessed before kick-off, as will Luke Summerfield and Aaron Wildig.
Joe Jones

Can We Do It Again?

Pride of Nottingham is undergoing the task of comparing the last time Notts County were in a similar position as we find ourselves now. The last time Notts found themselves to be in the bottom half of the table in this league was back in the 2010/2011 season.

The majority seem to share similar views to myself that we can avoid the drop but no doubt Derry/Abbott have a task on their hands. Yet until the maths are virtually impossible, we should try to remain optimistic about surviving. We can get behind the squad, even when games are difficult and this might impact the game more than some might realize.
 
Back on 19/02/2011 Notts County found themselves in the 18th position. This was the year we first returned to League One and perhaps underwent our progression a little too quickly, as the squad who helped us gain promotion from winning the League Two title was sadly dismantled.
By the start of March Notts were a position higher, with 4 to 6 games in hand of the teams beneath. However, only Tranmere Rovers could move a place ahead if they won and Notts lost their upcoming game against Leyton Orient. Yeovil Town couldn't move ahead due to -15 goal difference, so things were vastly different than what we see today.
Notts slipped to 19th by the start of April, after we lost 3-0 to Huddersfield Town away from home. Dagenham & Redbridge who would go on to be relegated after finishing 21st, had played one game more than Notts at 37 and the difference in points was only 1.
 
Right now on the 19/02/2014 things are very different, we sit 21st ourselves with 30 points and various teams above and beneath have games in hand.
The final game of the season was at home to Brighton, which we drew 1-1.
By the end of the 2010/2011 season Notts had avoided relegation by finishing 19th. Walsall finished 20th 2 points beneath Notts who stood on 50.
 
The teams relegated were Dagenham & Redbridge, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon town.
Dagenham & Redbridge –P 46 - 47pts
Bristol Rovers –P 46 - 45pts
Plymouth Argyle –P 46 - 42pts
Swindon –P 46 – 41pts
 
Interesting is the amount of games played compared to the final total of points. On the 12/03/2011 Notts had 42 points compared to our current 30 points.
One of our contributing factors to the current season 8 out of 14 home games, however we can't rely on solely winning at home. We must start picking up wins and draws, if Derry can motivate the players further and avoid the drop he would have achieved no doubt what some fans would've felt impossible.
I have every faith personally that we can avoid the drop.
Chris

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