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Joe Jones
Leyton Orient maintained their winning start to the League Two season, remaining top of the table with five wins from five matches after beating Bristol Rovers 2-0 at Brisbane Road.
Plymouth Argyle beat Newport County 1-0 as Graham Carey's 43rd-minute strike, his fourth of the season, saw the Pilgrims remain in second place.
Morecambe took the lead against Notts County through Alan Goodall, but were pegged back soon before half time by Genaro Snijders’s wonderful long-range strike. Substitute Paul Mullin gave Morecambe the lead for a second time, striking past Roy Carroll into the top corner. Another sub in the form of Alex Kenyon made it 3-1 in the 88th minute, before Jamie Devitt sealed a 4-1 win minutes later.
Portsmouth left it late against Luton Town to claim a 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road, with Gareth Evans putting the hosts ahead. Pompey’s Craig Mackail-Smith then equalised from the spot, before Matt Tubbs struck at the death for the Hatters.
Carlisle United came from behind twice to record a 3-2 victory at Hartlepool United as Scott Harrison put the hosts in front six minutes in. Jabo Ibehre's eighth goal in seven games then made it 1-1 in the second half, before Billy Paynter dispatched a penalty to make it 2-1 to Pool. Tom Miller again levelled the scoreline, but Ibehre's second five minutes from time gave Carlisle all three points.
Oxford United claimed a 2-0 win against Yeovil Town through Danny Hylton and Callum O'Dowda.
Mansfield Town ran out 2-1 winners at York City as Reece Thompson opened the scoring for the hosts, but Matt Green’s subsequent brace ensured that the Stags left Bootham Crescent with all three points.
AFC Wimbledon won by the same scoreline against Exeter City, George Francomb putting the hosts ahead, Ryan Harley levelling the scores minutes later, and Ade Azeez firing the winner for the 1988 FA Cup holders.
Northampton Town and Accrington Stanley shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, with Marc Richards's third strike of the season putting the Cobblers into the lead. A Josh Windass penalty early in the second half then brought the scores level, with no further goals settling the result.
Dagenham & Redbridge and Stevenage also shared a 1-1 draw as the hosts – without a league win this season – took an early advantage courtesy of an Ashley Hemmings goal. Stevenage then drew level through Tom Hitchcock, finishing from Brett Williams' knockdown after Tom Conlon's crossfield pass.
Elsewhere, there were goalless draws between both Crawley Town and Wycombe Wanderers, and Barnet and Cambridge United.
Results in full:
Accrington 1-1 Northampton
AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Exeter
Barnet 0-0 Cambridge
Crawley 0-0 Wycombe
Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Stevenage
Hartlepool 2-3 Carlisle
Leyton Orient 2-0 Bristol Rovers
Luton 1-2 Portsmouth
Morecambe 4-1 Notts
Oxford 2-0 Yeovil
Plymouth 1-0 Newport
York 1-2 Mansfield
Here's how the League Table looks like after Matchday 5:
 

 
Leyton Orient and Plymouth are the early pacesetters, with Wycombe remaining in automatic promotion contention despite dropping two points, but with Portsmouth snapping at their heels in fourth. Oxford, Hartlepool and Bristol Rovers occupy the remaining playoff slots. It's still early days as just four points separate eighth from 20th - ironically, Mansfield and Notts - but Newport will be worried after claiming just one point from their opening five matches.
To discuss all the happenings in League Two and across the other leagues in the country, visit the Pride of Nottingham English Leagues section and join the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County gave their fans something to cheer about in the form of a much-needed good performance, capped off with a comprehensive win over a local rival to whom they'd lost badly a few weeks prior, and finished off with cup progress and positive hopes for the next few games.
Sure, it was "just", as some say, the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, but nevertheless Notts claimed a solid 3-1 win over Mansfield Town - the opposition goal only scored from the spot in the 95th minute - which has gone some way towards changing the fans' outlook from glum to something brighter.
Notts started well, with opposition goalkeeper Brian Jensen having to pluck two crosses from the air and winning a race to the ball in the opening stages, while Graham Burke saw a shot blocked in the eighth minute.
The Magpies came close to opening the scoring just after the quarter-hour mark when Adam Campbell cut into the box from the left and rifled an effort against the post.
Jensen was once again involved when Jon Stead breached the Stags defence in the 25th minute, frantically getting down to claim the ball.
Ten minutes before the break, however, the visitors had a sterling chance of their own when McGuire sent Yussuf through one-on-one with Loach, only to see the keeper turn the ball behind for a corner.
An extended period of pressure from Mansfield followed, but Notts ended the first half strongly as Wes Atkinson fired across the face of goal and Haydn Hollis headed just wide of target.
Gill Swerts picked up an injury at the break, prompting veteran Mike Edwards to take his place on the pitch, but this didn’t affect Notts as they picked up from where they left off.
On 47 minutes, the impressive Campbell played a one-two with Stead to carve the Stags back line open, but Jensen palmed the ball out for a corner, which Edwards subsequently nodded over.
The breakthrough finally arrived on 52 minutes and, much to the relief of the increasingly nervous Notts fans, it fell their way as Izale McLeod was played through on goal before the move was finished off with a cute chip over Jensen and into the net.
Mansfield upped gear and pressed forward in a bid to force an equaliser, but with 11 minutes to go the hosts doubled their lead, courtesy of Steady Eddy himself, who got onto a loose ball following a scramble in the box and slotted between Jensen’s legs.
A cathartic, redemptive evening was confirmed in the 90th minute as Stead’s 20-yard free kick took a heavy deflection and wrongfooted the Stags stopper en route to the back of the net.
Mansfield did manage a late consolation as Edwards brought down Craig Westcarr in the last of five added minutes for a penalty, which the ex-Notts man converted, but it was too little too late as the final whistle blew on a solid victory which made amends for the league defeat just weeks ago.
Joe Jones
Notts midfielder Stanley Aborah returns to the reckoning for his side as they prepare to host neighbours Mansfield Town in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.
The 28-year-old missed the 4-1 League Two loss at Morecambe on Saturday as he served a one-match suspension, having received five yellow cards already this season.
Fellow centre men Liam Noble, who will complete his three-game ban against the Stags, Curtis Thompson and Rob Milsom remain unavailable.
Ricardo Moniz is looking to sign another striker before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night and any new addition may be included in the squad for the first-round tie.
Mansfield goalkeeper Scott Shearer is not expected to be available.
The 34-year-old Scot has been laid low with an infection in his ankle after being "bitten by something" earlier this month and, even though he was discharged from hospital a week ago, the short trip may have come too soon for him.
Without Shearer, Stags boss Adam Murray is left with just one goalkeeper in 40-year-old Brian Jensen.
Summer signing Matt Green, in his second stint at Field Mill, will hope to continue his goalscoring streak after bagging a brace during Saturday's 2-1 victory at York City, while winger Matty Blair remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury.
The match marks a second visit of Mansfield to Meadow Lane in the space of a few weeks after their league meeting on Friday August 14, a 2-0 win for the visitors.
To voice your thoughts and opinions on this fixture, come on to Pride of Nottingham's dedicated match forum and join the conversation.
Joe Jones
A lacklustre and wasteful Notts side were torn apart at the Globe Arena on Saturday by a patchwork Morecambe side that, despite missing a number of key players and seeing several more subbed off with injuries, still ran four goals past them.
It was a frantic start from the visitors at the Globe Arena as Adam Campbell twice forced saves from goalkeeper Barry Roche and whistled a cross across the face of goal.
There was action at the other end too with Aaron Wildig’s lob from 20 yards causing Roy Carroll to back-pedal frantically, though he was lucky to see the ball land on the roof of the net.
Morecambe went on to take the lead 20 minutes in when Alan Goodall was given way too much time and space on the ball, leading to a 25-yard drive which flew beyond Carroll and into the net.
The visitors were inches from pulling level on the half-hour mark but after a fine one-two on the edge of the area Jon Stead cannoned his subsequent shot off the crossbar with Roche stranded.
Five minutes before the break, however, Genaro Snijders gave the travelling fans a moment to savour - and at the time, cause for hope - when the ball dropped to him 20 yards out and he responded by lashing a ferocious volley into the top corner of the net.
Having lost captain Shaun Beeley towards the end of the first period, Shrimpers manager Jim Bentley was also forced to replace Wildig at the break.
Morecambe found themselves on the back foot in shortly after the restart, but grew into their revised three-at-the-back system, Jamie Devitt slicing wide from just inside the box.
Ricardo Moniz's charges continued to press the issue but were sucker-punched when, against the run of play, Paul Mullin bore down on goal from the left and curled a shot beyond Carroll.
The visitors immediately went in search of an equaliser, with Campbell blazing wide from 15 yards and Stead forcing a save from Roche with a volley.
Two minutes from time it was all over as Alex Kenyon was given free rein to blaze into the area and slot the ball through the legs of Carroll.
Then, on the 90-minute mark, Devitt added gloss to the scoreline and stuck a further knife into the pride of the travelling fans by beating the offside trap and helping himself to another goal of utter simplicity.
Mullin nearly made it five in stoppage time but saw his shot from the edge of the area whistle over the crossbar, but by this time the point had been hammered down - Notts are ill-equipped and ill-prepared for life in this league.
Joe Jones
Notts County travel up to Morecambe on Saturday 29th August for a league clash that sees both sides try to improve their lukewarm form.
The Magpies began the season brightly with a league win at Stevenage and the shock victory at Huddersfield in the League Cup, but poor showings against
Meanwhile the Shrimpers have lost three in five but and saw a late goal deny them victory at Portsmouth, the match finishing 3-3.
The match officials for the game will be referee Ross Joyce, assistants Alf Greenwood and Paul Marsden, and fourth official James Mainwaring.
Referee: Ross Joyce
From: Cleveland
He has never refereed a Notts game.
Run down of his last four games:
League Two: Saturday 15 Aug 2015 - Northampton 3-0 Exeter (4 yellows, no reds)
League Two: Saturday 22 Aug 2015 - Bristol Rovers 3-1 Barnet (3 yellows, no reds)
Conference: Sunday 17 May 2015 - Bristol Rovers 1-1 Grimsby (4 yellows, no reds)
Conference: Saturday 25 Apr 2015 - Forest Green 0-0 Dover (4 yellows, no reds)
In his last four games 15 yellow cards and no red cards have been shown.
So far this season in a total of two games he has shown seven yellow cards and no red cards - 3.5 yellow cards per game.
Assistant Referee: Alf Greenwood
From: Yorkshire
Last three games:
National League North: Saturday 22 Aug 2015 North Ferriby 1–1 Hednesford Town
National League North: Tuesday 18 Aug 2015 Gainsborough T 3–1 Stalybridge Celtic
Championship: Saturday 15 Aug 2015 Huddersfield Town 1–1 Blackburn Rovers (1st assistant)
Assistant Referee: Paul Marsden
From: Lancashire
Last three games:
League Two Saturday 22 Aug 2015 Carlisle United 1 - 1 AFC Wimbledon (1st assistant)
National League North Tuesday 18 Aug 2015 Stockport County 1 - 1 North Ferriby
League One Sunday 16 Aug 2015 Wigan Athletic 0 - 0 Doncaster Rovers (Fourth official)
Fourth Official: James Mainwaring
From: Lancashire
Joe Jones
Notts and Morecambe have only met six times in their history, with the first ever clashi taking place all the way back in... September 2007. It's perfectly even between both sides - two wins, two draws and two defeats.
The last two fixtures between the two are both notable - the first of the two, on 19 September 2009, is Sol Campbell's only game in a Magpies shirt, while the latter, on 17 April 2010, is when Notts secured promotion to League One.
Football in the town dates back to the turn of the 20th century; however, it was not until 7 May 1920 that Morecambe FC was formed. The club then took its place in the Lancashire Combination League for the 1920–21 season.
The fourteen years from 1960 could be said to be Morecambe's golden era. This included an FA Cup third round appearance in 1961–62, a 1–0 defeat to Weymouth; a Lancashire Senior Cup Final victory in 1968, a 2–1 win over Burnley; and an FA Trophy success at Wembley in 1974, a 2–1 win over Dartford in the final.
Morecambe, a non-league side for most of their history, were promoted to the Football League for the first time in 2007 after winning the Conference Playoff Final, beating Exeter City 2–1 at Wembley in front of over 40,000 fans.
Morecambe was a thriving seaside resort in the mid-20th century. While the resort of Blackpool attracted holiday-makers predominantly from the Lancashire mill towns, Morecambe had more visitors from Yorkshire, due to its railway connection, and Scotland.
Between 1956 and 1989 Morecambe was the home of the Miss Great Britain beauty contest.
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Morecambe defender Alan Goodall faces a late fitness test after limping out early in the second half of last week's 3-3 draw at Portsmouth.
Defender Ryan Edwards and midfielder Kevin Ellison are both still ruled out through suspension.
Stanley Aborah is the latest player who must serve a suspension for Notts County, who have had three red cards in their first six league and cup games.
Aborah's absence, however, is a consequence of collecting his fifth yellow card of the season during the Capital One Cup defeat to Aston Villa - he will serve a one-match ban.
With Liam Noble also banned after his dismissal against Accrington and Curtis Thompson and Rob Milsom injured, it leaves Ricardo Moniz with problems in midfield.
Joe Jones
It’s hard work being a Notts County fan. This isn’t just an opinion – a poll back in 2007 officially crowned the Magpies as the most stressful club to support in the Football League. Financial troubles, relegation battles, backroom changes – and this is just the last few years.
Thank goodness, then, for the calming influence of Colin Slater. The Notts County correspondent for BBC Radio Nottingham has commentated on Magpies games for the past half-century, his dulcet tones interwoven within the very fabric of the club.
What few people know, however, is that The Voice of Notts County could have so easily become The Voice of Bradford City. Colin was born and raised in Shipley, West Yorkshire, and the Bantams were the first football club he followed.
“I was first taken to football aged nine by my dad and I can remember the game against Barnsley at Valley Parade,” he says, sipping a mug of coffee on a warm spring’s day in West Bridgford’s Café Nero.
The young Colin knew from an early age that he wanted to be a journalist, recalling a civic occasion in Shipley’s town square where he noticed the local press reporting on the event from a vantage point.
He proclaims with pride: “That set me thinking that, if journalists get such a good view, that’s what I want to do because that’s where I want to be!”
Colin carried this ambition with him throughout his formative years, getting a job at the Shipley Guardian after finishing his secondary education at Belle Vue Grammar School – which also taught literary genius John Boynton “JB” Priestley – and, within a few years, becoming the newspaper’s editor.
So, how did he find himself in Nottingham, a city with which he had no prior connection? The answer is as honest as it is pragmatic. “I stayed at the Shipley Guardian for nine years, which was perhaps too long. I wanted a change, and the best offer I got was in Nottingham.”
His role at the now-defunct Nottingham Evening News was twofold – he would be the newspaper’s local affairs correspondent as well as being responsible for Notts County coverage. But his lack of familiarity with the Magpies led to him needing a crash course prior to starting work.
“I had just three weeks between moving to Nottingham and getting to know Notts County’s players, officials, and directors before covering my first game!”
After cutting his teeth for nine years covering the Magpies in print format, Colin moved to BBC Radio Nottingham to provide live audio commentary for his newly adopted team, and the rest, as they say, is history.
One of the most notable things about Colin’s presence on the radio is just how well spoken he is. The word “gentlemanly” springs to mind. Bafflingly, some people have accused him of being “posh” and “privileged” – and this accusation angers him no end, especially because it brings back tragic memories.
Colin explains: “I started my working life on 30 shillings a week – £1.50 in today’s currency. So I get a bit riled when anyone thinks I must have been born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I wasn’t, because my dad, who was a great hero figure to me, died when I was 14, so I know what it’s like to lose my father at a young age and start work fresh out of school for little money. Hardly a gilded sort of life, was it?”
The veteran broadcaster also opens up about Jimmy Sirrell, undoubtedly the greatest Magpies manager of all time, and reminisces about an encounter he had with him following their 2-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in May 1981 – a result which saw Notts promoted to the old First Division.
“I went into the players’ dressing room to have a glass of champagne, and Jack Dunnett, the chairman, came in and invited me up to the boardroom. Jimmy eventually came in and asked if my friend – who drove us down to the game – and I were stopping on the way back. I said yes, then asked him if he was going to stop anywhere.”
Colin laughs, then adopts a Scottish brogue: “His reply was, “Aye! We’re going to stop at the first shop I see which is open, I’m going to get the biggest tin of glue that they sell, and I’m going to keep the players’ feet on the ground!”
As heart-warming as those memories are, there is also an element of melancholy and sadness attached, as virtually no fan under the age of 30 is likely to remember these long-forgotten halcyon days. The Magpies were relegated from the top flight in 1992 and it’s been nothing but slim pickings since, with little more than a half-decent cup run now and then and a fourth tier championship to make up for perpetual strife, anxiety and relegation battles in the lower reaches of the Football League.
And Colin believes the fans should not put up with it any longer: “The ground they have, the tradition they have, the great players they’ve had down the years, all demands that Notts should be in the Championship, and it’s against that yardstick that they will be judged, whoever the manager is and whoever comprises the board of directors. It has to be their target to get back there…” and he makes a point of enunciating each and every letter, “ASAP!”
Share your thoughts about this interview 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.
Joe Jones
Newport manager Terry Butcher has claimed that the Supporters Trust's share launch this week will be a "hugely significant" day for the club.
Trust members will be able to buy shares on the club following the launch at the Riverside Theatre.
The NCST is already running the club, but aims to take over the ownership of the League Two outfit.
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Carlisle manager Keith Curle has claimed that the celebrations after their League Cup win at QPR were to show their thanks to the loyal travelling supporters.
The Cumbrians won 2-1 in one of the shocks of the second round, and were rewarded for the victory with a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in round three.
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Mansfield Town have agreed a new "incentive-based" contract with Matty Blair following his recovery from a serious knee injury.
The 26-year-old winger joined the Stags from Fleetwood Town in January, but suffered cruciate ligament damage playing against Carlisle United.
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Dagenham & Redbridge defender Matt Partridge has left the club by mutual consent just two months after signing a new one-year deal.
The 21-year-old made three appearances for the Daggers this season, after featuring 28 times for them in the 2014-15 campaign.
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Luton Town will receive over £1m in sell-on fees from Andre Gray's £9m move from Brentford to Burnley.
The 24-year-old moved to Kenilworth Road in 2012 and left for the Bees for a reported £500,000 last summer.
Gray scored 18 goals as the London club reached the Championship play-offs last season, leading the Clarets to pay a club-record fee for him.
Luton will receive £1.1m spread over three seasons, and a further £700,000 if he helps Burnley win promotion.
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York City have terminated Lindon Meikle's contract by mutual consent.
The former Mansfield player failed to score in 32 games for the Minstermen last season, having joined on a free in July 2014.
The 27-year-old striker, who was placed on the transfer list in May, has failed to make an appearance for York this term.
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Northampton Town have signed defender Adam Yates on a one-month loan from Port Vale.
The 32-year-old right-back will provide cover for the suspended Josh Lelan and injured Brendan Moloney.
Yates is Vale's longest-serving player, having made 234 appearances since joining in 2009.
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Accrington Stanley’s Matt Crooks could be a millionaire if he worked on his game, says club manager John Coleman.
The midfielder joined in February after his release from Hartlepool and scored his second goal of the season in the 1-1 draw at Notts.
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To discuss the latest news in League Two as well as English football in general, come to the dedicated Pride of Nottingham forum and join the conversation.
Spie
So far this season the old cliché “I wonder which team will turn up today” has applied to the Magpies. Some wonderful displays of close passing and team work capped off with fine finishing have clashed with other performances that have had Notts fans holding their heads in their hands.
At Villa Park the 1500 travelling faithful were on the edge of their seats or leaping in the air as the Capital One Cup second round tie with Aston Villa’s ‘Ups and Downs’ followed rapidly on each other.
In the opening minutes Notts did well to keep a clean sheet. Adama Traore, a £7m signing from Barcelona, made his debut and his mazy runs needed Notts defenders to stack up on him, but he still got through several times.
Villa’s quick passing around the midfield under the prompting of Jack Grealish and Jordan Veretout was impressive but Notts were not phased as the game ebbed and flowed from end to end.
Gill Swerts was doing a great job marshalling the defence and the high line forced several offside calls. Roy Carroll was taking every ball that got through and released Notts on counterattacks. The Notts midfield revolved again through the impressive Stanley Aborah with good support from Jon Stead and Genaro Snijders.
Snijders put Notts in front for the first time with a deflected shot with the excellent Traore equalising. Notts were correctly awarded a penalty on the verge of half time with a foul on Izale McLeod. Stead grabbed the ball and wouldn’t let anyone wrestle it off him before smashing it high into the roof of the net to send the Notts fans for their half-time Bovril in high spirits.
Scott Sinclair then showed good finishing skills to get the first of his three goals but Graham Burke put Notts ahead again with a wonderful curling shot from outside the box.
Then the unfortunate turning point of the game came as Stanley Aborah seemed to have timed his tackle well in the box but referee Chris Kavanagh awarded a penalty and Sinclair beat Carroll with the penalty.
Notts were up against it afterwards as the game went to extra time. There could have been two men sent off but Kavanagh was kind. McLeod on his debut had been kept quiet by the Villa defence and Jimmy Spencer, who looked a long way from full fitness, replaced him.
Carroll pulled off a wonder save and Spencer missed an easy chance to stab home from a Stead set-up but in between Villa scored twice through Sinclair and Joe Bennett to put the game beyond Notts.
Notts’s excellent play had shocked the Premier League team and with a little luck could have held on for a great win. However it had been a Capital Night Out with a display at least as good as the cup games at Anfield and Stamford Bridge.
Ricardo Moniz must be getting closer to working out his best combination and all the new signings are starting get to know each other. Let’s hope that this Notts team will ‘turn up’ on Saturdays as they showed a fighting spirit combined with great ball skills that we’ll need to get up into promotion contention.
Joe Jones
Notts County came to Aston Villa, they saw plenty of chances, and they very nearly conquered. They took the Premier League outfit all the way, leading not once, not twice but three times in the game. An outrageous refereeing decision ultimately proved the Magpies’ downfall as the hosts survived the regulation 90 minutes with the scoreline poised at 3-3, before toughing out the period of extra time and making the most of the visitors' increasingly tired legs to sneak an extra two goals and claim a 5-3 win.
It was a game that toed the script as Jack Grealish shone on his homecoming performance against the club where he cut his teeth and ex-Villa man Graham Burke nearly grabbed the win against his former employers with a stunning 30-yard strike.
The Magpies began the game well, more than holding their own against their top-flight opponents, but few could have predicted just how far they’d go in such a short space of time when, in the 16th minute, Alan Hutton gave the ball away near his own box, allowing Genaro Snijders to pick up possession and curl a shot into the net, via a deflection, from 20 yards.
It looked like business would resume as usual just five minutes later as Grealish, so impressive for Notts when he played on loan two seasons ago, weaved into the box before squaring to Adama Traore, who duly converted with a low finish to level proceedings.
With both sides poised to go in level at the break, however, Izale McLeod’s burst into the Villa was thwarted by goalkeeper Mark Bunn, the foul prompting the referee to give the visitors a penalty. Jon Stead stepped up and duly fired home from the spot to give his side the lead on the stroke of half time.
Grealish was the key man once again for Villa’s second equaliser shortly after the restart, the young winger setting off on a superb run before playing a low cross in for Scott Sinclair to tap into an empty net.
A topsy turvy game in every sense of the word, Ricardo Moniz’s charges simply wouldn’t let it go, and for the third time in the game took the lead – in absolutely spectacular fashion, as former Villa man Burke let rip with a ferocious shot, just before the hour, all of 30 yards away which ricocheted off the underside of the bar and into the net. Cue delirium in the away end.
Every classic football game, however, needs some controversy added into the mix, which duly came when Stanley Aborah’s seemingly clean tackle on Kieran Richardson in the box saw the ex-Manchester United man tumble to the ground and the referee point to the spot.
Sinclair stepped up to the spot and, despite Roy Carroll going the right way, the penalty was just too powerful, flying into the net and pegging Villa back for the third time in the match.
Villa stepped it up in the latter stages of the game in normal time but weren't able to finish Notts off in the 90 minutes of normal time, so extra time it was.
In the first period of the added half hour, the hosts edged themselves in front for the first time in the entire game when Sinclair converted Joe Cole’s low cross from close range to clinch his hat-trick.
As legs tired and spaces opened up, Jimmy Spencer spurned a great chance to make it 4-4 when he poked wide from Julian Jenner’s cross, while at the other end Sinclair’s chip flew off target when clean through on goal with only Carroll to beat.
Despite this, the superior stamina and endurance of the Premier League side proved crucial in the late, late stages of the game as substitute Joe Bennett clinched the win by marauding to the edge of the box before firing a low shot into the far corner of the net.
To discuss this game, visit the Pride of Nottingham forum thread dedicated to the match, and join the conversation.
Joe Jones
With Notts taking on Aston Villa this evening in the League Cup, all eyes will be on Jack Grealish, the young winger whose fruitful loan spell at Meadow Lane and recent performances for Villa have make him a popular figure in the eyes of both sets of fans.
Pride of Nottingham spoke to Kevin, Jack's proud father and a lifelong Villa fan, about his son's upbringing, his early days in football, his loan spell at Notts, and what he hopes the player will achieve in his career.
 
Hello Kevin, pleasure to speak to you. First of all we'd like to ask you, what are your earliest footballing memories?
I started going down to Villa when I was about eight or nine and got a season ticket when I was 13. The memories that stand out? Seeing them win things like the European Cup… in fact, winning everything bar the FA Cup (we’ll forget about that one). Later on in life, bringing Jack and my other son Kevan down to Villa Park.
 
How did Jack get into football?
He began getting into football aged four, and within a year he was playing football in a small kickabout team. By age six he was training with Villa, and at age seven they signed him and he’s been there ever since. Quite a few clubs were enquiring about him, such as Crewe, Birmingham, West Brom and Wolves, but Villa’s his club.
 
How did you know that Jack had something special and could have gone on to play professionally?
When Jack was seven, I went into a bookmaker’s and asked to put a bet on that my son would go on to play football professionally. The guy behind the counter told me to look on the internet, but back in those days (2002) not everyone had it – I was one of those, and I didn’t chase it up!
But it was then, when he was seven, that I knew he had something about him and that he was standing out a bit. He was playing in older age groups and was still holding his own.
 
What was Jack like at school?
He was good at maths, okay at English, but the football did sidetrack him a bit, he didn’t do as well as he should have done. When he was around 13 years old he was taken out of school two days a week and educated at Bodymoor Heath (Aston Villa’s training ground). And during his last year, all his education was there.


 
How did the Notts County loan move come about?
I’ve always known about Notts County, everyone knows about them – they’re the oldest league club in the world. On the Wednesday before he was due to go there I got a phone call from Gordon Cowans, Villa’s Under-21 manager, and he said: “Jack’s going on loan to Notts tomorrow morning!” I checked where Notts were in the league and they were near the bottom of the table so I thought: “We’ve got a battle on our hands here!”
At first it was only a loan until Christmas, for around six weeks, but then by late December he started playing some good games, creating and scoring goals and generally having a great influence in matches – and the Notts fans liked him. Also, the rest of League One started taking notice of him. In fact, six clubs came in for Jack while he was at Meadow Lane – two of them in the Championship, but we said no, Notts were good enough to give us a try so we agreed to stay here.
One of those clubs was Peterborough, who were riding high in the league. Jack could have gone on to play at Wembley as a 19-year-old but we stayed put at Notts and as it turned out the team ended up surviving. It was a great move for Jack.
 
As a father how did it feel coming down to Notts and watching your son play first-team football?
It was brilliant. Before that he was playing in Under-21 games in front of around 60 or 70 fans, and now we were at Notts who were getting four, five thousand fans. It meant something to the fans and we had a reason to play football to try and keep the team in the league.
The lads there, Callum McGregor, Alan Sheehan, JCR, they got on great and he had a great connection with them all. And I really enjoyed going to Notts. I used to never miss Villa games, but where Jack plays, I go and watch him, and we had a great time.
 
What are your proudest memories of Jack’s time at Notts, and did you have any memorabilia from it?
We have Jack’s away shirt – the purple one – framed in our house, “Grealish No. 7”. I was really happy he got that number as some top players over the years have had that number, it means “let’s see what you can do”. We also have his home shirt (Kevin kindly brought it along to the interview) and we’ll get that framed soon.
The proudest memory would have to be keeping Notts up in the final game of the season. That was a fantastic, unbelievable experience. The whole of Meadow Lane appeared to be there at Oldham.
As for goals, the Gillingham goal, where he collected the ball outside the area, beat one defender, then another, then another, and walloped past the keeper – their manager said: “We made him look like George Best!”
The best game he had was Colchester away – scored one, set up a few and I thought he was just outstanding.


 
This is the second time we’ve spoken to you (we first spoke to Kevin for our Meet The Fans feature at Meadow Lane). What are your thoughts on Pride of Nottingham?
It’s great what you lads do. The way you connect with the fans and give them an insight of things at the club – even bringing me back, even though Jack played at Notts over a season ago, is great. Fans still have fine memories of Jack and what he did at Meadow Lane. I think what you lads are doing, a lot of other clubs can follow.
 
Do you still keep tabs on how Notts are doing?
We were looking all last season – one of the first questions we asked at Villa in the players lounge after a game was: “How did Notts do?” You had a great start to the season and then sadly the wheels fell off.
Me, Jack and the rest of the family are always keeping tabs on how they do. They’re the club that gave us a go, you’ve got to look out for teams like that. We could have moved on in the January transfer window and tested Jack further but we wanted to stay with Notts.
 
What are your hopes for Jack’s career?
He’s had a fantastic season last year, signing a new four-year deal at Villa, being voted Young Player of the Year both with his club and with Ireland’s Under-21s, and playing a part in keeping a team up for the second season in a row. Considering where Villa were in January, we looked done for, but it was fantastic – not to mention getting to the FA Cup final and playing at Wembley.
My career ambition is for him to go one better and win trophies at Villa, because that’s his club.
 
Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Kevin Grealish for his time and for speaking to us. Best of luck with Villa's game tonight, for the rest of the season and of course for Jack's career!
If you want to discuss this interview, or to view the interview in its original video format, head down to the Pride of Nottingham forum, view the YouTube video and join the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County travel to Aston Villa in the League Cup keen to replicate their heroics in their match against Liverpool two years ago, where they took the Reds to extra time.
Villa, meanwhile, will be keen to avoid another surprise early exit from the competition when they host the League Two side. Last season they were dumped out at this stage by Leyton Orient, who triumphed at Villa Park thanks to Romain Vincelot's winner.
In this piece, Pride of Nottingham speaks to devoted Villa fan Kevin - whose son plays for the first team and was once on loan at Notts - about how he feels his club got on last season and what he hopes to achieve in tonight’s game and for the season as a whole.
 
Firstly, could you please tell Pride of Nottingham a little about yourself?
My name’s Kevin Grealish, I’m from Solihull, and I’m Villa mad!
 
What are your stand-out moments from last season at Villa?
Seeing my son play at Wembley in the FA Cup final. Not only as a Villa fan, but as a father.
 
Are you optimistic about your season ahead and what do you think of the squad assembled by Tim Sherwood?
We’ve built a complete new team, with plenty of youth. Hopefully we’ll be able to play some nice attacking football – 10th in the league will do nicely for us!
 
How do you think Jack will perform against Notts?
He will want to win. And score. Sorry Notts fans!
 
Who do you think will the win the League Cup?
I’d love to see the Villa win it! That plus Notts going up would cap off a great football season on a personal level.
 
Who will be your key men against the Magpies?
Jack, of course! And also Adama Traore, the new lad from Barcelona. He is seriously pacey – you better watch out or you’ll be blown away!
 
Lastly, what do you think the score and scorers will be?
2-1 to Villa. Jack and Rudy Gestede for us, Graham Burke to pull one back for you. Of course, all the best for tonight. Up the Villa and Come On You Pies!
 
-
Many thanks to Kevin for his opposition view. To discuss the game, join us on Pride of Nottingham's dedicated match thread and join the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County and Aston Villa have met a total of 83 times over the years, with the first fixture coming on 12 Feb 1881, a FA Cup clash which Villa won 3-1. Notts have won 21 times and lost 42, with 20 draws.
Meetings used to be incredibly regular in the olden days, but have tailed off considerably after the mid-1920s. 63 of the meetings were before 1927, and a gap of 44 years followed until the next fixture.
The last meeting between Notts and Villa was on 22 Jan 1997, an FA Cup replay which ended 3-0 to the Premier League side.
The last league fixture was all the way back on 10 Mar 1992 – three years before Jack Grealish was even born!
Aston Villa were formed in March 1874 by members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel in Handsworth, now part of Birmingham. The four founders were Jack Hughes, Frederick Matthews, Walter Price and William Scattergood.
Their first match was against the local Aston Brook St Mary's Rugby team. As a condition of the match, the Villa side had to agree to play the first half under rugby rules and the second half under football rules.
The club won their first FA Cup in 1887, with captain Archie Hunter scoring in every single round of the competition and becoming one of the game's first household names.
Aston Villa, alongside Notts, were one of the dozen teams that competed in the inaugural Football League in 1888 with one of the club's directors, William McGregor, being the league's founder.
Villa are among the most successful football clubs in the history of English football. They won the 1981–82 European Cup, beating Bayern Munich 1-0 and making them one of only five English clubs to win the main European trophy.
They also have the fifth highest total of major honours won by an English club, having won the top tier of the English league seven times, the FA Cup seven times, the Football League Cup five times and the UEFA Super Cup in 1982.
In addition the club has produced a record 73 England national team players, equalled only by Tottenham Hotspur.
Villa is one of an elite group of seven clubs that has played in every Premiership season. Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are the other six.
They currently hold the record number of league goals scored by any team in the English top flight - 128 goals were scored in the 1930-31 season.
Villa were the first British club to give up a shirt sponsorship fee - in order to promote the Axorns Children’s Hospice charity beween 2008 and 2010.
---
Villa may call up summer signing Adama Traore after he impressed off the bench in Saturday's 2-1 league defeat at Crystal Palace.
Ex-Notts loanee Jack Grealish is expected to take part in the game after returning from a hamstring injury, but Jores Okore and Jose Angel Crespo remain out.
Notts, meanwhile, are without Liam Noble after he was red-carded in Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Accrington Stanley.
AmericanPie
After such a bright start for Notts, the results against Mansfield, Oxford and Accrington Stanley have been disappointing to say the least. Yet, with the spine of Notts County's 2015-16 squad being quite varied, it is a concern of mine about how these players will settle down.
I also wonder just how many are in fact Ricardo's men, as Head of Requirement Guy Branston appears to have ideas above his station.
After the recent media-related misunderstanding at Notts County Football Club – I feel I can call it that – and on the back of the day-long ban of the Nottingham Post, it makes me query several of our summer signings.
For example, if you re watch interviews on the Magpie Player, you will hear many of the signings speak about not having met, seen or spoken to Ricardo Moniz and yet several praise Branston.
It's clear, Moniz would never have heard of Scot Bennett for example - why would he? Yet he is just one of the summer recruits who appears to have been signed by someone other than the Notts manager himself.
Even the summer’s star signing, Jon Stead, spoke about how the deal came about after Branston repeatedly made contact about the striker’s services and future as a player.
It leaves me wondering – will Moniz master this Notts squad?
If all the signings have been approved by our manager, then I would expect to see them near to the first team – yet some appear to have fallen off the radar.
It seems ideal that he would be more trustworthy of the players he introduced to the club, at a stage whereby two defeats and draw in our last three games may call for more changes to the previously selected starting XI – unless this is a case of quantity and not quality.
I really wonder how players like Rhys Sharpe will settle. I mean, where is he? Does anyone recall the tweet whereby the chief scout, I am sorry, I mean "Head of Requirement", actually declared that existing players Blair Adams and the unfairly released Jordan Cranston couldn't boss a certain intimidating lower division striker?
In fact, the tweet also mentioned that "we signed him". Should this not have been a simple recommendation for Moniz?
See, there appears to be a lot more going on at the club and I believe this is the reason why the manager actually publicly spoke about the disagreement with Branston.
I believe that Notts have found a real coup in Moniz; he appears to have the foundations for success, but I believe the internal politics require cleaning up, especially in order for our football to improve.
The club must get a grip on the field of play, cutting down the squad numbers and improving on all the mistakes made within this past month.
Notts is a community club, driven by the fans, so banning the Nottingham Post is completely out of order because it is the fans that would ultimately suffer.
Leave Moniz to call the shots with regards to building a squad worthy of promotion – if this is achieved, I believe we will see the style of attacking play, the one we know our manager can achieve, happen in a regular basis for Notts.
---
To voice your opinions on this article, check out the related thread on the Pride of Nottingham forum, and join the conversation.
Joe Jones
Football is a game with an incredibly rich history and, as many of you reading this will be aware, Notts County are part of parcel of the sport’s annals. The main identifying trait with this historic institution – a tagline, if you will – is that it’s “the world’s oldest professional Football League club”.
With a history stretching all the way back to November 1862, the Magpies were formed during a time when Queen Victoria was still on the throne, Abraham Lincoln was still President of the United States of America, and Charles Darwin’s magnum opus “On The Origin Of Species” was only three years old.
Charles Dickens had not yet released “Great Expectations” and the London Underground had not yet come into existence. “History of football” and “Notts County” are virtually synonymous.
In fact, Notts County are so rich in tradition that you can write a book chronicling a significant event in the club’s history for every single day of the year. How do I know? Because it has been done – and how.
“Notts County: On This Day” is the brainchild of Nottingham freelance journalist Tim Evershed, a meticulously researched 192-page book containing key events from each day in Notts County’s history that succeeds in educating and enthralling at the same time. Some entries are entertaining, others are upsetting, but all are incredibly engrossing.
Nothing is whitewashed in this book – it’s about as definitive as you can get in terms of capturing the history of the club. The sheer level of research that has gone into this book is staggering. Events that took place in the 1860s are written with the same accuracy and detail as those that happened in 2014.
I can pretty much guarantee that anyone reading this book, from the Generation Z teenager to the veteran multi-decade season ticket holder, will discover things they never previously knew about the Magpies. Just to give you an idea of how thorough the book is – it talks about Albert Iremonger in as much detail as Roy Carroll.
It’s almost baffling to think that there was a period in time when the Magpies not only graced the same pitch as Barcelona, but were able to beat them every time, including a 10-3 thumping, or that a Notts player was responsible for an incident similar in vein to that of Luis Suarez in the 2010 World Cup that would eventually lead to the game-changing decision to introduce penalty kicks in football. Did you know these facts? Me neither.
No qualms about it – “Notts County: On This Day” is an absolute gem of a book, and if you’re a Magpies fan, this book needs to become part of your library as soon as possible.
Notts County: On This Day
by Tim Evershed
Available on http://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
ISBN-10: 1785310402
ISBN-13: 978-1785310409
RRP: £9.99
To discuss "Notts County: On This Day" by Tim Evershed, visit the Pride of Nottingham forum thread on the book review and join the conversation.

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Pride of Nottingham

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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