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Match Highlights: Notts County 2-1 Carlisle United, Tuesday 13 February 2018

Notts County returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Carlisle United on Tuesday night.
Jon Stead put the Magpies ahead in the 19th minute when he collected a pass from Lewis Alessandra and fired a goalward effort which hit Cumbrians goalkeeper Jack Bonham and looped into the net.
The veteran striker then doubled County's lead in the 35th minute when he reacted quickest during a goalmouth scramble and saw his effort rebound off a player back onto him and then into the goal.
Carlisle went on to make it a nervy finish through a deflected Jamie Devitt strike after the break and an inexplicable seven minutes of injury time, but Notts saw the game out for all three points.
Relive the key moments from the Meadow Lane encounter with the official Notts YouTube highlights, as shared here by PON.
Share your thoughts about the game on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Joe Jones

Match Reaction: Notts County 2-1 Carlisle United, Tuesday 13 February 2018

Notts County have bounced back from their horror week with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Carlisle United on Tuesday night.
Jon Stead put the Magpies ahead in the 19th minute when he collected a pass from Lewis Alessandra and fired a goalward effort which hit Cumbrians goalkeeper Jack Bonham and looped into the net.
The veteran striker then doubled County's lead in the 35th minute when he reacted quickest during an almighty goalmouth scramble.
Carlisle went on to make it a nervy finish through a deflected Jamie Devitt strike after the break and an inexplicable seven minutes of injury time.
The result keeps Notts fourth in the League Two table and snapping at the heels of the top three while keeping the chasing pack at bay.
How did Notts boss Kevin Nolan, his players, and the Black and White Army react to the result? Here is Pride of Nottingham's post-match reaction compilation.
Kevin Nolan
"That was the performance and response I was looking for. I thought the lads were back to their usual selves.
"I'm not relieved because I always believed in the squad and I trust them. I'm satisfied and glad they have shown what they can do.
"You knew Carlisle would throw everything at us and the way the lads went about it meant they were well-deserving of the victory. I am delighted for each and every one of them.
"We could have finished them off with the chances we created and it would have been an easier night if we were a bit more clinical. Overall they were absolutely brilliant."
Jon Stead
"A few lads have been feeling under the weather but we did what we needed to do, which was to get the three points and get back on track.
"With the demands we put on each other as players, we knew we were miles off it against Barnet and we were very disappointed with the way things went and we had to put things right. It's been a difficult period for us but we ground out a result.
"We got early goals and then saw it out, put bodies on the line and had some last-ditch defending which is everything you want when questions are being asked of you and you have to show a bit of character.
"I feel like we could have killed them off with a third goal and it would have made things a little bit easier but it was a battling performance and three points, which is what we needed.”
The Black and White Army
Dave Woolley: If they play like they played 2nd half last night they won’t get much out of the game. Every clearance, every throw in, every kick from the Collin went straight to their player and created pressure. If Kevin doesn’t sort it and If Duffy can’t see it on the pitch we won’t get back on the winning trail. I was expecting Carlisle to grab an equaliser at any time. What a contrast form a great 1st half.
Thomas Ross: Great to be back on the winners list. Appears that Super Kev’s kick up the arse after Saturday worked. Looking forward to Newport on Saturday #YouPies
Michael Doroszenko: Don't care how many goals we scored as long as it's more than the other buggers. Let's hope that this will get us back on track and bring back some belief that yes the boys can do this coyp
David Burkey: After the pasting they have had from Swansea and some supporters, the disappointment of Saturday, last night was going to be a huge test of character . We got through it so now we move onwards and upwards ..coyp
Jay Dalton: sat back 2 nd half but brilliant defence and collin was impressive the fight back and spirit in the notts team is back the pre match warm up with crosses shown they are capable of scoring and threatening up front it paid off stead again on form coyp Nolan's super notts black white army
Andrew Rayson: Well done tonight Notts, but tonight will count for nothing if you don’t back it up against Newport on Saturday and again against whoever we’ve got after them.
Peter Hastings: First half convincing but we are worst enemies we need to see off teams the league is to tight we can't afford to slip up now
Tim Johnson: Hard work but a decent performance, specially considering there's been a flu bug around the squad.
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Joe Jones

ARLukomski: Notts County must make the most of upcoming fixtures as League Two promotion race gets ever tighter

We have some very winnable fixtures coming up against a Newport County side fresh off a cup run and a 5-0 dismantling at the hands of Mansfield Town. We play a Cambridge United side who are in a period of transition after a change in ownership and the resignation of Shaun Derry. We also have a home game against Stevenage to finish off the month, in which Boro have one of the worst away records in the division.
We then face trips to Cheltenham Town and Forest Green, but after that the run-in gets very tricky. We have games against promotion rivals Mansfield, Wycombe Wanderers, Coventry City, Accrington Stanley and Luton Town, plus a difficult game away at Colchester United
As I said, the fixtures coming up have to be won as we have some massive games later on and the points picked up now could prove the difference between automatic promotion and playoffs.
Notts have to beat their promotion rivals and have to pick up their away form, which has only seen five away wins all season. Nine wins from the last fourteen should be enough to see us over the line.
But there are other things to consider. A lot of the other promotion contenders have still got to play each other.
Exeter City play Mansfield this Saturday. Coventry have to play Mansfield and Wycombe this month still.  Then the Sky Blues host Lincoln City at the start of March.
On the same day we face Wycombe (30th March), Accrington play Mansfield in which is sure to be a big day in the race for automatic promotion. Both sides still have to go to Kenilworth Road. Accrington also still have Exeter to face.
Lincoln still have to face Exeter, Mansfield, Wycombe and Accrington. Swindon are still not out of it and have a trip to Exeter soon, along with a final day clash with Accrington at the County Ground.
The big promotion race though, could come down to four teams in around a month’s time. The two points between Mansfield and Swindon might not be big, but it could be big enough for Accrington, Wycombe, us and Mansfield who have looked like they are going to pull away from the rest.
But as of yet, no amounts of teams have threatened to break away. With 9 teams now involved (after Colchester moved level on points with Coventry last night) then it’s fair to say, the League Two promotion race has never been tighter.
You can predict what the League Two table will look like come the end of season here. Leave comments below on who you have finishing where.
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ARLukomski

ARLukomski's Match Vlog: Notts County 2-1 Carlisle United, Tuesday 13 February 2018

Notts County have bounced back from their horror week with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Carlisle United on Tuesday night.
Jon Stead put the Magpies ahead in the 19th minute when he collected a pass from Lewis Alessandra and fired a goalward effort which hit Cumbrians goalkeeper Jack Bonham and looped into the net.
The veteran striker then doubled County's lead in the 35th minute when he reacted quickest during an almighty goalmouth scramble.
Carlisle went on to make it a nervy finish through a deflected Jamie Devitt strike after the break and an inexplicable seven minutes of injury time.
The result keeps Notts fourth in the League Two table and snapping at the heels of the top three while keeping the chasing pack at bay.
Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor ARLukomski discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle.
Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here.
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ARLukomski

Kevin Nolan talks Michael O'Connor rehabilitation and Shaun Brisley virus absence

Kevin Nolan has provided a positive update on Michael O'Connor, saying the Notts County captain is "well on the road to recovery".
The Northern Irish midfielder and club captain has been out of action since last April when he suffered a knee injury in the defeat to Portsmouth which required surgery to repair ligament damage.
A long layoff has ensued but Nolan is hopeful Occy will be available to join in full training in a fortnight's time, albeit in strictly non-contact sessions.
“It’s going fantastically well,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “He spent four or five days at St George’s Park last week just to give him a new environment.
“It’s always nice to have somebody on the outside see how good it is going and he has come back with a program and hopefully in the next couple of weeks he will be joining in.
“It will be on a non-contact basis but he will be involved in possession sessions because he’s not ready for tackling yet.
“But he is well on the road to recovery and touch wood it will continue. I am very hopeful he will play again this season and I do think you will see Michael O’Connor in a shirt.
“He is very confident and doing very well, but it’s just little steps. We don’t want to rush him and do anything daft because we are talking about a lad’s career here. His welfare is most important first and foremost.”
Nolan also spoke about Shaun Brisley being the latest player to catch the virus sweeping through the Notts camp.
The defender sat out Tuesday's 2-1 win over Carlisle United, but Nolan praised Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Ben Hall for his "fantastic" debut in Brisley's place.
"We got a call yesterday saying Shaun had come down with the flu so he is off until Thursday and then we will see how he is," the gaffer told the Notts site.
"But I thought Ben (Hall, Brighton loanee) was absolutely magnificent and had a fantastic debut. That is why we brought him in and he's taken his opportunity with both hands and I'm delighted for him.
"It's going to be tough for Shaun to get back into the team."
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan: 'Notts County players back to their usual selves'

Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has praised his players for putting in a much improved performance against Carlisle United on Tuesday night.
Last week the Magpies were hammered 8-1 at Swansea City in the FA Cup and were then beaten 1-0 at League Two bottom side Barnet.
However, Notts returned to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Keith Curle's side at Meadow Lane, thanks to Jon Stead's brace, and Nolan is pleased to have seen the players "back to their usual selves".
"That was the performance and response I was looking for, " he told the official site. "I thought the lads were back to their usual selves.
"I'm not relieved because I always believed in the squad and I trust them. I'm satisfied and glad they have shown what they can do.
"You knew Carlisle would throw everything at us and the way the lads went about it meant they were well-deserving of the victory. I am delighted for each and every one of them.
"We could have finished them off with the chances we created and it would have been an easier night if we were a bit more clinical. Overall they were absolutely brilliant."
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Joe Jones

Match Report: Notts County survive scare to beat Carlisle United

Notts County have bounced back from their horror week with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Carlisle United on Tuesday night.
Jon Stead's first-half brace did the damage against the Cumbrians, who made it a nervy finish through a deflected Jamie Devitt strike after the break and an inexplicable seven minutes of injury time.
The game began with both sides looking dangerous, the best chance of the first quarter of an hour coming when Matt Tootle exchanged passes with Shola Ameobi to get into the area before rifling wide of the upright.
Notts managed to break the deadlock on 19 minutes when Carlisle gifted the hosts possession and Lewis Alessandra slotted the ball into the path of Stead, who took a touch and rifled an effort off goalkeeper Jack Bonham and into the net.
Keith Curle's charges remained dangerous as Devitt and Kelvin Etuhu fired off target but they conceded once again through an almighty goalmouth scramble that culminated in Stead scuffing home from his own deflection.
County nearly added a third when James Brown's header back towards Bonham actually sailed over the goalkeeper but Stead couldn't get to the ball in time and a corner was conceded instead.
The visitors began the second half brightly and had Notts under the cosh for a period and, although Kevin Nolan's side soon grew back into the game, the third goal of the encounter went Carlisle's way in controversial circumstances.
Notts skipper Richard Duffy was down with a head injury but the Cumbrians played on, substitute Ashley Nadesan playing the ball into the path of Devitt, who in turn hit a deflected finish from the edge of the area.
Meadow Lane was shocked when seven minutes of injury time were announced, which gave impetus to Carlisle to try to find an equaliser, but Notts held firm for all three points which keeps them fourth in the table.
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan hoping virus affecting Notts County setup will be gone by next fortnight

Kevin Nolan has spoken of the virus which is currently plaguing the Notts County setup and is hoping that it will clear up in the next week or two.
A number of players have been suffering with the bug as Elliott Hewitt missed the games against Swansea City and Barnet.
Alan Smith and Lewis Alessandra, meanwhile, both sat out the trip to the Hive, and Nolan has acknowledged that it's "going through the whole club" at present.
"I've not been feeling great myself and Richard Thomas has been the same," Nolan told the official club site on Monday ahead of the Carlisle United fixture.
"The kit man, the PA and the psychologist have all had it, so it's going through the whole club at the minute.
"Every 24 hours we're getting two players back but losing another two!
"It's unfortunate that this bug has surfaced when we're spending a lot of time with one another on the coach and at hotels.
"It's hit us harder than if we were playing Saturday-to-Saturday or at home because I would have been able to give the lads some time away from each other.
"We're hopeful we can get over it in the next week or two and have a fully-fit squad again."
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan: 'There is no mini crisis at Notts County'

Kevin Nolan has reassured fans that there is no "mini crisis" at Notts County and that the players will be hoping to put their hard work on the training ground into practice against Carlisle United tonight.
The Magpies' league form has tailed off in recent weeks and a 4-1 win over Crewe Alexandra was followed up by an 8-1 trouncing at Swansea City in the FA Cup and then a 1-0 defeat at League Two strugglers Barnet.
Despite County's form taking a downturn, which has culminated in the club dropping out of the automatic promotion places, Nolan is adamant that everyone involved in the team is singing from the same hymn sheet.
“Everyone outside the club is probably treating it as a mini crisis, but let me reassure them,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“I want to apologise to the fans who went to the game. But I must mention the fans I saw on the way back.
“One of them patted me on the back at the services, shook my hand and he said he was here when we lost 10 on the spin.
“He said that he didn’t understand all the people who are talking about a crisis. He said that he loved what we’ve done and that his boy did too.
“He read what I said and he said that’s all he wanted – pure honesty.
“That means more to me than anything else. There’s no mini crisis here, we all know exactly what we are supposed to be doing and trying to achieve.
“I always said it was not going to be smooth. These are the times you learn more about your players, your staff and yourself.
“We’ve worked as hard as we always have and hopefully we will show that on the pitch on Tuesday.”
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Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Notts County vs. Carlisle United, Tuesday 13 February 2018

Head to head
Carlisle United and Notts County have met 33 times since their first clash back in October 1959, a Fourth Division clash that was won 2-0 by the Cumbrians.
Out of those, the Magpies have won 17 and lost 12, with just four draws.
Our last meeting was on 21 October last year, the first League Two fixture between the two this season, which ended in a 1-1 draw as Ryan Yates's 58th-minute goal cancelled out Hallam Hope's first-half opener.
Stats
The Magpies have managed just one win in their previous five league meetings with the Cumbrians, this after winning five of the previous six.
Carlisle have won back-to-back trips to Notts by an aggregate score line of 8-2, their best ever run there in the Football League.
Jorge Grant has had a hand in 19 goals in League Two this season - only two players have been involved in more, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Billy Kee.
Carlisle are yet to win an away match in all competitions in 2018, losing 4-3 at Wycombe Wanderers in their last away match.
History
The club was formed on 17 May 1904 at Shaddongate United's annual general meeting, where the club's members voted to change the team's name to Carlisle United.
The newly formed club initially played at Milhome Bank and later at Devonshire Park, finally settling at their current home Brunton Park in 1909.
In 1949, the club became the first to appoint Bill Shankly as manager. Shankly, a former player at Carlisle, later went on to manage local rivals Workington (helping them finish above Carlisle for the first time) before being appointed as manager of Liverpool in 1959.
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 relegated at the end of the season though.
Despite their small stature, the club has experienced moderate success with regards to silverware – they have won a Third Division title back in 1965, two fourth-tier championships in 1995 and 2006, and two Football League Trophies, back in 1997 and 2011.
Trivia
Carlisle staged their 'home' fixture against Notts at Preston North End's Deepdale stadium in December 2015 due to floods in Cumbria which impacted on Brunton Park as well.
Carlisle 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).
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.
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.
Team news
On-loan striker Mason Bennett will be unavailable for the foreseeable future after coming off in the first half of the 1-0 loss to Barnet with a hamstring problem.
Kevin Nolan admitted that a virus is currently sweeping through the Notts camp and rendering players unwell, joking that "every 24 hours we're getting two players back but losing another two".
Elliott Hewitt missed County's previous two games with illness but may potentially have shaken it off.
Carlisle boss Curle has reported no new injury or suspension concerns as he prepares to face his former club.
Skipper Danny Grainger missed Saturday's home draw against Colchester United and it remains to be seen if he returns to contention.
Tom Parkes will continue at left-back if Grainger is ruled out again, with Gary Liddle set to continue as captain in central defence alongside Clint Hill.
Reggie Lambe, Richie Bennett and John O'Sullivan are pushing for recalls after stepping off the bench at the weekend.
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Joe Jones

Notts boss Kevin Nolan expects long layoff for Derby loanee Mason Bennett

Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has admitted that Mason Bennett is likely to be sidelined for a fairly long time after injuring his hamstring.
The forward, on loan at Meadow Lane from Derby County, had to come off in the first half of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Barnet.
Bennett is to go for a scan which will provide a clearer picture of when he can be back in action but Nolan sadly revealed that "we won't be seeing him any time soon".
"I'm gutted for the lad because he looked sharp in training and got a goal on his debut and then his first start," the Notts boss told the official website.
"He's going to go for a scan and then we will know more in the next 48 hours.
"We're hoping it isn't as bad as first feared but we won't be seeing him any time soon.
"He wanted to get games in and we wanted him here because of his quality but this is an opportunity for someone to step in and make themselves a real asset to the squad."
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Joe Jones

Sir Charlie Palmer Day: When Notts County got the better of Nottingham Forest

Today, 12 February 2019, marks 25 years since the last time Notts County met Nottingham Forest in the league, and more crucially, the last time the Magpies beat the Reds.
Christened Sir Charlie Palmer Day, the result in that Division One (that's second tier for all you young'uns) game at Meadow Lane was 2-1 to Notts, with the winner coming just four minutes of time through Charlie Palmer.
Magpies star Gary McSwegan opened the scoring in the 55th minute after tricking his way past Steve Chettle, cutting inside Colin Cooper and slotting into the bottom corner.
With just six minutes to go, Forest pulled a goal back through David Phillips, but just over a minute later, a twice-taken free kick from Mark Draper fell kindly to Palmer, who nodded home to claim the win (and a Notts knighthood).
Incredibly, it was his first goal for two seasons and his first league strike since 1990, making it extra sweet for him. He ran almost the length of pitch in celebration.
Speaking to The Pie in 2001, Palmer recalled the goal: "After the free kick was awarded I made my way into the box. I gave Drapes a quick glance, indicating where I wanted to put the ball.
"After the referee ordered us to retake the kick I just walked back, without looking at Drapes. Instinctively I just attacked the space and managed to get ahead of Pearce. I knew it was in as soon as it left my head.
"All I can remember thinking was how I had managed to out jump Pearcy. Before I knew it I was running down the touchline with my arms doing all sorts of things. To be honest it was probably a release of some frustration, as the things had turned a bit sour for me at Notts.
"Not being from Nottingham, I did not realise the enormity of the goal until I met up with some of the other players on the following Monday. A lot of the younger players (Drapes, Tommy etc) were full of stories about going out on the Saturday and having drinks bought for them all night. They could not understand why I had gone home straight after the game!"
Here is the goal in all its glory - happy Sir Charlie Palmer Day everyone!
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Joe Jones

Match Reaction: Barnet 1-0 Notts County, Saturday 10 February 2018

Notts County put in arguably one of the worst performances of the season on Saturday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Barnet.
The League Two's basement side more than matched their opponents for the majority of the game at the Hive Stadium before grabbing the winner in injury time.
A lump upfield by goalkeeper Craig Ross bounced kindly for Alex Nicholls, who raced onto the ball, got the better of his markets and lashed home past Adam Collin to give the Bees all three points.
The result leaves the Magpies fourth in the table, two points behind third-placed Wycombe Wanderers and just four points ahead of eighth-placed Lincoln City.
What was the reaction to the game? Pride of Nottingham has compiled some of the key post-match reaction.
Kevin Nolan
"We were totally poor. We couldn't pass the ball to one another today. I told them that after the game and I cannot protect them because that performance is not good enough for me.
"We didn't work the goalkeeper well enough. They have got to buck their ideas up quickly or we will have more afternoons like that.
"The amount of pressure they put on us was minimal. They didn't allow us to play and fair play to Barnet. They are going to scrap because they're bottom of the league and they need to win games.
"When we have so many fans here sitting in those conditions, they deserve to have a go at us because the performance is not acceptable by the standards we have set ourselves."
The Black & White Army on the PON forum and social media
Liampie:
i dont think we should overreact we only lost 1-0. i do think the players need to improve and kn needs to accept his part in this. people have said that he does not change things and theres no accountability during games, first half sounded dire but kn waits until half time to try and address it? i just think its disappointing. we have the ability to gain promotion and the inner fighting is leading to the instability imo.
ARLukomski:
All started with that formation change against Exeter. Lost. Stook without it against Crawley. Lost again. Oh yeah then we play 4-4-2 against Swansea and we play well. What a surprise. Then we beat Crewe with 4-4-2 and it’s all looking good but no. A normal team bows out with pride like Newport did but no. Absolutely not. We get ripped apart against Swansea 8-1. It’s not acceptable to lose 8-1 at any level whether it’s Sunday League or Premier League. Another change of formation this time to 4-4-1-1 in which we gave a performance where we did not look bothered. Not one bit. On tv, against a Premier League side. How do you not get motivated for that? Then today. We used the right formation but by the sounds, we didn’t turn up yet again and we took the opposition lightly like we did against Oxford City and Crawley. We constantly hoof it when Nolan clearly knows we play better when we play it on the ground. Defenders constantly hoof it upfield and kick it out of play when they have so much time on the ball. Nolan also knew the risk of signing Bennett who had problems with injuries in the past. I said get Caolan Lavery but nope. And also, how does it take two weeks to sign a player. Is it really that difficult or were we in slow motion yet again? Grant hasn’t turned up last few games. Would definitely drop him for Tuesday. What happened to the fitness levels? Everyone seems to be ill or injured all the time. Collin couldn’t trap a bag of sand with his goalkeeping abilities. Put Fitzsimons in next game. A lot better keeper, even if he throws out Sweet Chin Music once in a while. And if there is fall out and back chat, drop the players who are doing it or rally the team together for a talk to try and gain some of the team spirit back that took us far earlier in the season. We haven’t fully bottled it yet but we are going that way if we don’t sort it out. There has to be a siege mentality now to bring us back up to where we were earlier in the season.
Who r ya?? You Pies:
KN for me was bang on to tell it how he observed it , if they are letting him down by not following a game plan then he should say so , and for me he should face the press media as he did win lose or draw , if he hadn't he would be criticized for that so no win , there needs to be a strong manager who manages players need to know there place in the scheme of things , the big test now is will they respond positively or is KN in trouble , we are still 4th so come on show some humility players and get back at it.
Melvyn Chambers:
I am absolutely gutted with recent form. When we look back 12 months we were in dire straits with the possibility of dropping out of the league but we succeeded in pulling clear. The first half of this season we really deserved to be up there challenging for automatic promotion and with the promise of stellar signings I really thought this was going to get us to our goal ( Automatic Promotion). But sadly I must face facts the team have bottled it and the so called stellar signing never materialised so I’m afraid it’s division 2 again next season.
Jay Dalton:
February is far too Early to concede automatic promotion if we win against curle out Carlisle then we'll be point behind Stanley and the race is back on notts need get cup exit out of there head forget the Barnet last minute goal re gain their confidence and push again its by far not out of question for outright promotion
Marcus Brown:
What has gone wrong ? In form we have been pretty poor since the beginning of Dec . Today's result is an after effect of being smashed mid week. I was praying for at least a 0-0 draw at the end . KN has big issues to sort out now.
Jeremy Putman:
Can't see us coming back from this. Far too many teams competing for those top places. Grant has been awful for ages now. Bennett's injury could be a massive blow given our lack of pace.
Share your thoughts about this post-match reaction piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Joe Jones

Match Highlights: Barnet 1-0 Notts County, Saturday 10 February 2018

Notts County put in arguably one of the worst performances of the season on Saturday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Barnet.
The League Two's basement side more than matched their opponents for the majority of the game before grabbing the winner in injury time.
A lump upfield by goalkeeper Craig Ross bounced kindly for Alex Nicholls, who raced onto the ball and lashed it past Adam Collin to give the Bees all three points.
The result leaves the Magpies fourth in the table, two points behind third-placed Wycombe Wanderers and just four points ahead of eighth-placed Lincoln City.
While it was not a good game by any means of the imagination, we have put up the highlights so you can see the key moments, perhaps to establish what went wrong, or if you weren't at the game and want to see what happened.
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Joe Jones

Joe Jones: Has the wheel fallen off the Notts County wheelbarrow?

Was Saturday the day when the wheel finally fell off the wheelbarrow?
Notts County have suffered from wobbly form for a number of weeks now, and despite last week's impressive 4-1 win against Crewe Alexandra - a side which many of their own fans think is in major disarray and worry about its prospects of staying up - there have been far too many indifferent performances and bad results in the league in recent weeks.
Take the back-to-back home defeats against Exeter City and Crawley Town, games when the formation was inexplicably changed to 4-5-1. The first game, you could understand a desire to conserve the forwards' energy but after things panned out as badly as they did, surely it should have been changed back in the following game.
Admittedly, January brought a superb run in the FA Cup, and beating Brentford and holding Swansea City to a draw at Meadow Lane showed how Notts can play when they're firing on all cylinders.
And as embarrassing as the 8-1 defeat to Swansea was, you could cut the players some slack in that they were maybe overawed by the occasion, or having an off day, and the Swans are certainly a different beast under Carlos Carvalhal - although once again the 4-5-1 formation clearly didn't work for the Magpies.
But this weekend, losing 1-0 to Barnet is a very tough result to take. After the horror show at the Liberty Stadium, a game against the league's bottom side should have presented the perfect opportunity to build on the win over Crewe.
Instead, we failed to match a team down on their luck, failed to create our own luck and were caught out by a route one lump up top late in the game, the kind of attacking foray that any professional back line worth their salt should be able to defend against all day.
As great as Elliott Hewitt has been in recent weeks, his absence due to illness shouldn't be affecting the team that badly, given the other more than capable players we have in midfield.
It's a huge shame that the work put in by the club during the first half of the season appears in real danger, but even though the players must shoulder responsibility, it's time that Kevin Nolan acknowledges that, as good as his tenure was during 2017, he has made numerous mistakes over the last few weeks which seem to have caught up with him and the team.
Needlessly changing a system that was working fine took us backwards and ramped the pressure up on the team, with the comfortable cushion in the top three now gone. The constant hoofing of the ball when it should be played on the ground has also been a recurring theme.
It's also interesting how Nolan was more than eager to take the plaudits when things are going good, but with this defeat it's all the players' fault. Where is the "camaraderie" that he spoke of during the ups? Now it's "they weren't listening" and "backchat".
We go again on Tuesday night with Carlisle United coming to Meadow Lane, and the next five fixtures read Newport away, Cambridge away, Stevenage at home, Cheltenham away and Forest Green away. Out of all of these, the highest in the league is Newport in 12th.
All these fixtures should be able to yield results for Notts, should they play at the top of their game. But it's important that the Magpies can get back to basics, play the ball on the ground, make the right team selections and play in the right formation.
A lot of damage has been done in the last few weeks in the league but now is the time for manager and players to step up to the plate and return to form.
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan tears into Notts County players following Barnet defeat

Kevin Nolan has criticised his Notts County players following their 1-0 League Two loss at Barnet on Saturday.
The Magpies succumbed to an injury-time goal by Alex Nicholls as they left the Hive Stadium without a point to show for their efforts.
Notts have lost further ground on the top three with defeat to the division's bottom side and Nolan was not happy in the slightest with his charges.
“It wasn’t tough, it was poor - simple as," the manager told the Nottingham Post after the match.
“My players couldn’t pass a ball to each other and I told them afterwards that this is the first time I won’t protect them.
“That was not good enough for me. We improved for five to 10 minutes in the second half, but then they went back to doing whatever they wanted.
“That’s why they didn’t get the success they did. In the five minutes we asked them to do what we told them, they got a shot off and so on.
“I am not accepting it and they have got to book their ideas up and quickly otherwise we will have more afternoons like that. It seems to me they’ve got too soft and started to believe in their own hype.
“I am devastated because I don’t think I’ve seen a much poorer performance from our lads. What we ask of them and what we want from them, it looked like they just didn’t want to.
“The amount of backchat I had won’t be happening again. It was over little things, and I was only trying to help them. But it seems they know best at the minute.
“There will be changes and that’s why I’ve got a squad. We will be working hard and if they don’t want to listen then they can come and see me, and we will find somewhere else for them.
“It certainly won’t be in my first team squad if they don’t start listening. There were a few choice words, but I am just going to make them watch the game and see what they think.”
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Joe Jones

Match Report: Notts County struck down at the death as Barnet claim late win

Notts County's hangover from the 8-1 defeat to Swansea City in the FA Cup continued with a last-gasp 1-0 defeat at Barnet in League Two on Saturday.
A long kick from goalkeeper Craig Ross long kick set Alex Nicholls through on goal and he fired past Adam Collin to leave the Magpies heading back up the M1 without a point.
The hosts began brightly, with Ruben Bover firing at Collin and John Akinde rifling an effort over the bar.
Noor Husin, seeking his third goal in as many games, threatened with an effort from outside the box, but the ball fizzed wide.
The Magpies suffered a setback early on when Mason Bennett pulled up with a suspected hamstring injury, forcing his withdrawal as Jonathan Forte took his place.
The substitute came close to opening the scoring when he latched on to Collin's long ball forward but Charlie Clough made a last-ditch challenge to stop him from shooting.
Both sides continued to exchange blows as Akinde and Nicholls weighed in with chances while Forte rolled the ball just wide from Shola Ameobi's pass as the half-time whistle blew on a stalemate.
In the second half, Ross kept out another Forte effort, while at the other end, Collin kept out a Jordan Nicholson effort before Akinola rustled the side netting with the follow-up.
More urgency befell the latter stages of the game and Notts came close to taking the lead when Ameobi saw a shot saved before Jorge Grant and Liam Noble were thwarted by Richard Brindley.
Unfortunately, the scoreline would not stay as it was as Nicholls was on hand to finish off a proper route one goal and give Barnet all three points at the death.
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Joe Jones

Alan Hardy assesses Notts County defeat by Swansea City and looks ahead to Barnet clash

Alan Hardy has praised Notts County's fans for their "astonishingly good" support at Swansea City and stresses the need to focus on League Two beginning with today's game with Barnet.
The Magpies fans continued to sing even when their team was on the receiving end of a 8-1 defeat in Tuesday's FA Cup fourth-round replay at the Liberty Stadium.
Hardy admits the heavy loss left him struggling to sleep afterwards and says he felt sorry for the travelling fans, but is eager to move on and hopefully end the week with a win at the Hive Stadium.
"I didn’t sleep well afterwards as I didn’t doze off until 3am," the club owner wrote in his weekly Nottingham Post column. "I was reasonably philosophical but I just wanted to be on my own.
"I didn’t care about the money and I felt sorry for the fans because they were astonishingly good. They never stopped singing and the majority of them would have travelled back that night.
"It wasn’t a nice feeling knowing they had seen the team lose 8-1 but we move on and now our sole focus is the league, in which we have a massive game at Barnet this weekend.
"We are in an excellent position, although it is incredibly tight at the top.
"With six of the top eight playing each other this weekend, it represents a good chance to open up a slight gap on some of our rivals.
"Let’s hope we can end the week with a win as we chase our ultimate goal - to seal one of those automatic promotion places."
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Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Barnet vs. Notts County, Saturday 10 February 2018

Head to head
Notts County and Barnet have met 18 times over the years.
The head to head stands at 10 wins for Notts, 5 for Barnet, and 3 draws.
The first meeting took place only 20 years ago, the Magpies winning 2-1 at Underhill in Division Three
The last fixture was on October 14 last year, a 2-1 win for Notts at Meadow Lane thanks to goals from Shola Ameobi and Ryan Yates, while Simeon Akinola struck a consolation with nine minutes left.
Stats
The home side has won each of the last eight meetings between these two sides in League Two, with Notts winning five to Barnet's three.
The Magpies have won each of the last two encounters between these two teams, including a 2-1 win at Meadow Lane earlier this season. They last won three consecutive games against Barnet in the EFL in January 2006.
Graham Westley has managed three home league matches against Notts and failed to see his side score in any.
Since winning four of their first five League Two away games this season, the Magpies have won just one of the next nine.
Jon Stead has been directly involved in six of Notts County's last nine league goals (four goals, two assists).
History
The club was founded in Chipping Barnet, then part of Hertfordshire, in 1888.
Several incarnations of the club existed before the third Barnet FC, created after the First World War, came to be - this entity continues till today.
Barnet have won the Football Conference a record three times - in 1991, 2005, and 2015, as well as finishing second three other times.
Aside from a runners-up medal in the 1971-72 FA Trophy, their silverware cabinet is restricted to minor trophies.
A number of Barnet players have gone on to represent Premier League clubs. They include Dougie Freedman, Marlon King, Andy Clarke, Linvoy Primus, Maik Taylor, Mark Gower, Jason Puncheon, Yannick Bolasie and Albert Adomah.
Players who came to the club towards the end of their careers include Jimmy Greaves, Mark Lawrenson, David Hillier, Alan Pardew, Eddie Newton, Paul Warhurst, Steve Kabba, John Oster, Jonathan Fortune, Edgar Davids and Lee Cook.
Team news
Barnet will once again be without suspended midfielder Dan Sweeney as they welcome Notts to the Hive Stadium.
Sweeney serves the second game of a three-match ban after he was punished retrospectively for an off-the-ball incident against Cheltenham Town a fortnight ago.
Bees goalkeeper Jamie Stephens is still recovering from a hamstring injury, while defender Harry Taylor (metatarsal) and forward Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro (knee) are also out.
Left-back Elliott Johnson and striker Dave Tarpey (both knee) remain long-term absentees.
Notts County boss Kevin Nolan is hoping Elliott Hewitt and Matt Tootle return to give him a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Hewitt missed the FA Cup replay at Swansea after picking up a virus at the team hotel in south Wales.
Tootle has been out for nearly a month through illness but played in a behind-closed-doors game on Tuesday for 70 minutes.
Goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons is available again after serving a three-match ban.
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Joe Jones

Scouting Report: Barnet vs. Notts County, Saturday 10 February 2018

Notts County return to League Two action on Saturday with a trip to Barnet, who sit bottom of the table.
Although the Magpies were superb last time out in the league, winning 4-1 against Crewe, they will be eager to put the 8-1 loss to Swansea City in the FA Cup behind them while also seeking to get back into the automatic promotion places.
Pride of Nottingham's latest Scouting Report provides a thorough analysis of the opposition.
Head to head
Notts have met Barnet just 18 times in competitive fixtures.
The record stands at 10 Notts wins, 5 defeats, and 3 draws.
Our last five fixtures have yielded 3 wins - including the last 2 - and 2 losses.
Run-down of their last six fixtures
Saturday 30th December – Exeter City 2 Barnet 1
Monday 1st January – Barnet 1 Swindon Town 2
Saturday 13th January – Crawley Town 2 Barnet 0
Saturday 20th January – Barnet 1 Lincoln City 1
Saturday 27th January – Cheltenham Town 1 Barnet 1
Saturday 3rd February – Mansfield Town 3 Barnet 1
The Players – Fact Sheet
Highest Goal Scorers; Shaquile Coulthirst 10, Simeon Akinola 5, John Akinde 4 and Jamal Campbell-Ryce 4.
Persistent Foulers; Jack Taylor 4 yellow cards and 1 red card, David Tutonda 6 yellow cards, Michael Nelson 4 yellow cards and Andre Blackman 2 yellow cards and 1 red card.
The Key Players
The Glovers Bees goalscorer Shaquile Coulthirst is a player that poses a real threat to the Notts back-four, his ability to play off the defenders shoulder – whilst maximising his pace is a real concern as he could prove very difficult to handle.
In midfield, Ryan Watson is also someone who contributes to Barnets attacking ability – as his eye for a pass can be something which splits the defence and, going forward he likes to get in on the action with the strikers.
Ricardo Santos at the back is someone who should be very switched on and, his simple play can be quite misleading – however the magpies’ may struggle to get the better of him due to his awareness at the back.
Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Barnet have taken a massive downward fall in recent seasons, however on their day they’re not a bad League Two outfit.
They have plenty of ability across the field, with some very capable and quick players at their disposal.
However, their issue greatly falls under a lack of confidence and belief within their own play.
Good sides tend to punish them for their defensive relapses, yet they can score goals themselves – which isn’t something Kevin Nolan’s men should neglect to remember on the day.
Performance wise, they struggle to get into games – they can have a lot of possession but fail to make use of it.
Whilst they do appear decent going forward, the confidence is a massive sign when you see what they often do with the ball in the final third – often making use of scrappy play or a wonder goal to score.
Defensively, they’re very poor and this is their biggest issue on the field.
Nobody seems responsible to marking and, although Ricardo Santos does very well to bridge in this major lack of concentration – they aren’t exactly helping themselves.
They seem a squad that’s instructed to go out and earn a point, nothing more – so they often fail to ask questions of their oppositions defence despite doing well in games.
Tactically for Notts, they need to avoid being deep and inviting the Bees to attack.
After the Swansea game our midfield needs to take hold of the game as early as possible and get a real feel for how the game may pan out.
I fully expect Barnet to make some rash challenges, so the players will need to show no fear with silly challenges in an attempt not to be bullied when on the ball.
The flanks will be a key area on the pitch for Notts and, the use of Mason Bennetts pace up top might allow for floating passing from distance to allow changes to be created in and behind the Barnet’s back four.
Notts just have to be direct, build carefully and avoid rushing passes.
Chances will naturally come with Notts push and use what pace we have at our disposal but it’s of great importance that we don’t leave ourselves exposed at the back or invite Barnet to play.
This will require a good performance from Notts and each player must support both attacking and defensive play.
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Chris

Kevin Nolan provides updates on Notts County duo Matt Tootle and Elliott Hewitt

Kevin Nolan has provided updates on Matt Tootle and Elliott Hewitt, expressing his hopes of the duo being fit for Notts County's trip to Barnet on Saturday.
Tootle has been sidelined for almost a month through illness, while Hewitt was forced to sit out Tuesday night's FA Cup replay at Swansea City after picking up a virus at the team hotel.
"Toots played in a behind-closed-doors game on Tuesday," Nolan told the official Notts site. "He's eating regularly now and putting weight back on.
"Being the athlete he is, I'd have no qualms about putting him in at the weekend. He'll be there or there abouts.
"Elliott is still under the weather. That's what happens with all the viruses going round. He would obviously have been involved on Tuesday but for his virus.
"We had to get him an extra room to get him away from his room-mate and made him come back with the kitman so he didn't infect any of his team-mates!
"Hopefully we'll have a full bill of health for the game but we'll see in the next 24 hours."
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan: 'Swansea City FA Cup elimination will make Notts County players stronger'

Kevin Nolan has stressed that Notts County's players will become stronger following the FA Cup elimination at the hands of Swansea City in midweek.
The Magpies did superbly to earn a fourth-round replay against the Swans after holding them to a 1-1 draw at Meadow Lane in the first game.
However, Carlos Carvalhal is working miracles with his new side, who have beaten both Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League prior to meeting Notts at the Liberty Stadium.
As it turned out, the Welsh side was in rampant form which, combined with a County off day, culminated in a 8-1 hammering.
Nolan has suggested that, in hindsight, the prospect of beating a side experiencing such an upturn in form was perhaps a bit "crazy" but the gaffer is eager to now kick on in League Two, beginning with Barnet away.
“The last two results Swansea had at home before playing us was beating Arsenal and Liverpool,” he told the Nottingham Post.
“But people thought we could go there and get a result. When you look at it like that it’s crazy.
“That’s what football does and that was because of what we produced in the first game against them.
“That was down to the players, not me. They made people believe they could cause an upset.
“That’s why the BBC chose to screen the game live. We maybe froze a bit, and got taken in by the whole glamour of it and we were punished. But this will make them stronger.”
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Joe Jones

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