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Kevin Nolan: "We were below our normal levels"

Kevin Nolan has acknowledged that Notts County "were below our normal levels" in the 1-0 loss at Swindon Town but believes there wasn't much between both sides.
The Magpies' superb 2017 ended on a sour note as they relinquished their League Two unbeaten run at the County Ground thanks to a Luke Norris goal early in the second half.
"It's disappointing to end the year with a defeat because there was nothing really in the game," Nolan told the official Notts site.
"The conditions were tough and they mastered them a bit better than we did. It spoils games and was a big factor. We couldn't get to grips with it in the first half and we were below our normal levels.
"But I think we more than matched Swindon but conceded a sloppy goal because of poor defending, which we were punished for. They didn't have many chances and hit us on the break.
"We had a good spell at the end where we could have taken a deserved draw but the goalkeeper makes a fantastic save."
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Joe Jones

Match Report: Notts County unbeaten run ends at Swindon Town

Notts County have ended 2017 on a sour note as their unbeaten run in League Two came to an end in a 1-0 defeat at Swindon Town on Saturday.
In an uninspiring first half, the Robins got the ball in the back of the net with the first real sighting of goal for either side on 12 minutes, but it was ruled out for offside.
Amine Linganzi connected with Ellis Iandolo's free kick on the volley and sent the ball beyond Ross Fitzsimons, but the midfielder was in an offside position and the goal was disallowed.
Shaun Brisley then hauled down Kaiyne Woolery 20 yards out for another opposition free kick, with a low drive from Luke Norris met by a good save from Fitzsimons down to his left.
County's best chance to take the lead fell to Jon Stead, who met Liam Walker's cross with a diving header that flew straight at Reice Charles-Cook in the Town goal.
The second half saw Swindon take the lead just a minute after the restart as Norris received a cut-back from Anderson on the left and rolled the ball past Fitzsimons from 12 yards.
Woolery sought a second for David Flitcroft's five minutes later when he surged forward from halfway, held off Elliott Hewitt and fired from the edge of the box, but it flew into the side netting.
Fitzsimons was again the next keeper to be called into action as he pushed away a dipping 25-yard free-kick from Iandolo midway through the half.
County tried to build pressure in an effort to force an equaliser in the closing stages and almost grabbed one with virtually the final kick of the game.
However, Charles-Cook produced a smart save to tip over Brisley’s header from a corner and condemn Notts to defeat in their final outing of the calendar year.
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Joe Jones

Alan Hardy: 'Notts win over Crawley set the tone and transformed player mindset'

Alan Hardy has described Notts County's 2-1 home win over Crawley Town last season as the game which transformed the mindsets of the players and set the tone for the New Era.
Notts headed into the game on January 28 without a win in 13 league games, having lost 11 of them, and despite Hardy's takeover earlier that month, things still looked dire for the club.
However, County emerged victorious as Jonathan Forte scored a late winner and gave his side their first league win since October and their first league victory at Meadow Lane since September.
In his final Nottingham Post column of 2017, Hardy wrote: "When I try to think of a defining game, I think of those that may not only have gone our way in terms of results, but also signalled a change in mentality and in doing so sparked a new era of belief.
"It would have been tempting to say the Mansfield game last January, considering we had gone into it on the back of 10 straight defeats.
"It was Kevin’s first match in charge too and we ground out a 0-0 draw which stopped the rot and was pretty significant to everybody at the club.
"But the game I believe really set us off on the start of this wonderful journey was actually the second home fixture of my tenure, against Crawley.
"We were down to 10 men after 70-odd minutes when Curtis Thompson was sent off, but then Thierry Audel put us one-up just a few minutes later.
"James Collins equalised late on and for all intents and purposes, it looked like we were heading for another draw.
"But in the 90th minute, Jonathan Forte conjured up a winner which led to all of us going completely mental in the directors’ box.
"We couldn’t believe it was our first home win in the league since September. It set the tone for the never-say-die mentality at this club. We always keep going to the very last. It transformed the mindset of the players."
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Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Swindon Town vs. Notts County, Saturday 30 December 2017

Head to head
Notts County have met Swindon Town on 64 occasions, the first time being in the FA Cup over a century ago.
On that day in January 1911, the Robins beat the Magpies 2-0 at the County Ground.
In terms of head to head, 25 games have been won by Notts, 27 by Swindon, and 12 have been drawn.
Swindon suffered a 0-1 defeat to Notts County on match day seven; despite failing to score on that occasion, the Robins have netted six goals in their last three matches against Notts County, more than in their previous nine combined in all competitions.
Swindon Town have won five of their last eight home games against Notts County in the Football League (D2 L1), keeping six clean sheets in the process; in fact, Notts County have failed to score at the County Ground since their 2-1 victory back in April 2011.
Stats
Swindon have lost three home games in a row in League Two and have won just 11 points at the County Ground this season, a joint-league low on home soil (alongside Forest Green Rovers and Crawley Town).
Jorge Grant has had a hand in more goals (18) than any other player in League Two this season (13 goals, five assists).
History
The club was founded in 1879 by Reverend William Baker Pitt.
Whilst curate of Christ Church, the high church of Swindon, Pitt formed Swindon Association Football Club to provide recreation for young men in his parish.
Swindon won the Southern League championship in 1910-11, earning themselves a Charity Shield clash with Football League champions Manchester United.
This, the highest-scoring Charity Shield game to date, was played on 25 September 1911 at Stamford Bridge with Manchester United winning 8–4!
Some of the proceeds of this game were later donated to the survivors of the Titanic.
During World War II, The War Department – the government body responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces in the UK – took over the County Ground in 1940.
For a while, prisoners of war were housed in huts placed on the pitch. For this, the club received compensation of £4,570 at war’s end.
Swindon Town were the first League club to use floodlights, having had them installed in 1951.
The County Ground is also the only football stadium in the world with a Rolex watch acting as its timekeeper –the clock on the Stratton Bank stand featuring its name was erected to celebrate promotion in 1963.
Swindon have spent one season in the top flight, in 1992-93, during which Glenn Hoddle managed them.
Sadly, they didn't do too well, being relegated at the end of the season after conceding 100 goals.
The most notable silverware in the Robins’ possession is undoubtedly the League Cup, won in 1969 after beating Arsenal in the final at Wembley.
Royle Family and Two Pints Of Lager actor Ralf Little was rumoured to be on trial at Swindon back in 2002, though the funnyman later claimed that he was just training with the squad.
Jazz singer Jamie Cullum is also a fan of the Robins.
Team news
Swindon boss David Flitcroft will consider changes after Luton beat them 5-0 at the County Ground on Boxing Day, leaving the Robins winless at home in League Two since October.
Fit-again Scott Twine, Kellan Gordon, Ellis Iandolo and Chris Robertson could all come into the reckoning, but Harry Smith has played his final game for Swindon as the on-loan striker has returned to parent club Millwall.
Notts County will assess strikers Shola Ameobi and Jonathan Forte, as well as midfielder Rob Milsom.
All three players missed the Boxing Day win at Morecambe with knocks but Magpies manager Kevin Nolan is hopeful he will have the trio back in contention on Saturday.
Lewis Alessandra took full advantage of his opportunity in the absence of Ameobi and Forte by scoring twice and he will hope that is enough to see him retain his place in the side.
Defender Carl Dickinson and midfielder Terry Hawkridge are among those who will come into Nolan's thinking should he opt to freshen things up.
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Joe Jones

Jorge Grant: 'Transfer speculation may have been at the back of my mind'

Jorge Grant has admitted that speculation over his future may have been at the back of his mind over the last few weeks.
The 23-year-old continues to impress for Notts County, taking his tally for the season to 16 with a brace in the 4-1 win at Morecambe on Boxing Day.
Prior to the two goals at the Globe Arena, Grant had not scored in the league since a two-goal haul against Cheltenham Town on November 11.
Grant's impact has been so significant at Meadow Lane that the rumour mill has gone into overdrive regarding whether he might return to parent club Nottingham Forest or get sold on.
Although Forest have stressed that the attacker is not being recalled in January, speculation continues to circulate about his immediate future.
“I haven’t been playing as well as I have done recently,” Grant told the Nottingham Post.
“The goals were not coming as frequently as they were before, maybe that’s been the stuff off the pitch I’m not too sure.
“I’ve been working just as hard and I’ve been concentrating on my football just as much but maybe in the back of your mind you do think about stuff like that.
“But the gaffer and I sat down this week and we got everything off our chests.
“I have that relationship with him where he says if you want to come and have a chat then you can do. He’s really good like that.”
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Joe Jones

Olly Lancashire: 'Swindon Town confident of getting result against Notts County'

Swindon Town captain Olly Lancashire has expressed his confidence in getting a result against Notts County.
The League Two fixture at the County Ground is the reverse of that at Meadow Lane on September 12, when Jon Stead's penalty sealed a 1-0 win for the Magpies.
The Robins go into Saturday's game on the back of a heavy 5-0 home loss to Luton Town but Lancashire is convinced his side will "go out fighting" against Notts.
"We've played against Notts County before this season, it was a close game and we lost to a penalty in the end," he told the official Swindon site. "We've got to approach it as a new game.
"We've been in all week and we've been working on a game-plan to try and get a result. We're confident of doing that.
"I remember four weeks ago we were top of the form table and everyone was buzzing after seven wins in eight games.
"Football is full of highs and lows and you've got to take it - we're feeling it in there.
"You can either sit down and feel sorry for yourself or you can go out fighting and we'll certainly be fighting.
"We've got 35 points at the halfway point of the season, it isn't a terrible position to be in and we're ready to attack the second-half of the season and try to get into the promotion positions."
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan: 'Swindon Town will be looking for a reaction'

Kevin Nolan has urged Notts County to maintain the level achieved against Morecambe when they head to Swindon Town on Saturday.
The Magpies beat the Shrimpers 4-1 at the Globe Arena but League Two leaders Luton Town handed the Robins a hammering of their own, winning 5-0 at the County Ground.
With Swindon manager David Flitcroft accusing his charges of capitulation, Nolan is aware they will be a wounded animal ready to fight back.
“They are going to be looking for a reaction,” the Notts boss told the Nottingham Post.
“That’s going to be tough on us, but look, there are not going to be any easy games from now until the end of the season.
“But if you look at how we played against Morecambe, we handled them brilliantly, because they are no mugs and no pushovers.
“We were thoroughly better than them which is why we got the win.
“And what we have to do now is to go Swindon on Saturday and replicate that performance.”
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Joe Jones

Opposition View: Swindon Town vs. Notts County, Saturday 30 December 2017

The festive period continues to bring forth football action as Notts County, fresh from a 4-1 win away at Morecambe on Boxing Day, prepare for two games in three days, starting with Swindon Town away.
The Robins sit a very modest 11th in the table with 35 points, putting them within reach of the playoffs.
Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Swindon fan Robert to get an insight on Saturday's opposition.
About Robert: I've been a Swindon fan since I was a kid, going back to the early 2000s, and my fave player is Sam Parkin.
1) Swindon finished fourth in League One in 2015 but were relegated into League Two two years later. What happened?
Tim Sherwood happened. He was appointed as "director of football" but he was in charge of "all football-related matters" including tactics and training, while at the same time Luke Williams was their head coach but had his hands tied. The whole thing was a farce and after relegation, he just left and said "this wasn't a job, I wasn't getting paid".
2) How do you think this season's gone so far for the Robins?
We've been woefully inconsistent. Superb on the road, dreadful at home. The best example is being able to beat Luton 3-0 on their own turf but get hammered 5-0 at the County Ground.
3) You currently sit 11th in the table, three points off the playoffs. Do you fancy yourselves for promotion?
It's very tight in mid-table at the moment and the playoffs are a massive scramble at the minute, but unless Swindon can improve their home form, they're not going to make the playoffs.
4) Ralf Little was reported to have had a trial with Swindon a few years ago, was he any good?
Feels like a few but it was about 12-13 years now? Time goes way too quick! But no, he wasn't taken on as Andy King said he wasn't good enough - that said, the rest of the team at the time wasn't much better... he's on the celeb football circuit though, doing charity games, so that's about his level which is no bad thing.
5) Who are your danger men?
Luke Norris is our top scorer with 9 in 18 games, he was superb in September but since then his form's tailed off a little, he's still getting the odd goal though and if the rest of the team puts in more of a shift, we'll hopefully see him back on form.
6) Score/scorer prediction?
It's at home, cue collective groans from fans... but I'm not going to predict a loss for my team, so I'm saying 2-2, Norris and Woolery with ours.
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan: 'Transfer speculation has affected Jorge Grant's form'

Kevin Nolan has admitted that speculation surrounding Jorge Grant's future has affected the attacker's form.
The 23-year-old continues to be on form for Notts County, taking his tally for the season to 16 with a brace in the 4-1 win at Morecambe on Boxing Day.
Prior to the two goals at the Globe Arena, Grant had not scored in the league since a two-goal haul against Cheltenham Town on November 11.
Grant's impact has been so significant at Meadow Lane that the rumour mill has gone into overdrive regarding whether he might return to parent club Nottingham Forest or get sold on.
Although Forest have stressed that the attacker is not being recalled in January, speculation continues to circulate about his immediate future.
“There has been a lot of speculation about Jorge and I really do feel it has affected him,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“People have got to realise that he is a young lad still making his way in the game.
“We’ve had numerous chats over the last week or so. I said let’s not worry about anything that’s going on.
“Just worry about what you do on the pitch and when he plays with that freedom, as we saw at Morecambe, some of the stuff he does was absolute quality.”
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Joe Jones

League Two news roundup: 21-28 December 2017

What's been happening in League Two over the last week?
Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days.
- Port Vale confirmed that they have extended the contract of Adam Yates until the end of the season following the defender's reconstructive facial surgery after a freak collision during a game last month, despite reports from Sky Sports suggesting that he was going to be let go upon expiry of his contract at the end of the month.
- Cheltenham Town manager Gary Johnson could have died within 36 hours after complications following emergency heart surgery earlier this year, his son Lee has revealed. However the surgeon - the father of Bristol City defender Joe Bryan - spotted the development of Guillain-Barre syndrome in Johnson Sr and had him treated accordingly.
- Chesterfield signed keeper Jake Eastwood on an emergency loan from Sheffield United following loanee stopper Cameron Dawson's return to Sheffield Wednesday, as well as agreeing a deal for full-back Drew Talbot to be completed on January 1.
- Luton Town forward Aaron Jarvis joined National League side Boreham Wood on a month's youth loan.
- Newport County are investigating claims suggesting Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley was hit by coins thrown from the crowd at Rodney Parade during their 0-0 draw with Newport County.
- Stevenage accepted an undisclosed bid from Guiseley Town for striker Rowan Liburd.
- Colchester United confirmed that Sanmi Odelusi will leave the club when his contract expires on December 31, the striker playing in a reserve game for Cheltenham.
- Bristol City confirmed that Taylor Moore and Joe Morrell will remain with Cheltenham on loan for the rest of the season.
- Coventry City boss Mark Robins says Josh Barrett will be joined at the club by another signing which is "imminent", though no names or clues have been given.
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan monitoring Shola Ameobi, Jonathan Forte and Rob Milsom fitness

Kevin Nolan should find out today if Shola Ameobi, Jonathan Forte and Rob Milsom will be available for Saturday's game with Swindon Town.
The trio all missed the 4-1 win over Morecambe on Boxing Day with knocks but Nolan has been monitoring their fitness over the last two days.
Notts will be hoping to build on the victory at the Globe Arena to further entrench their position in the top three of League Two.
“I am hoping they are all going to be available,” he told the Nottingham Post on Wednesday. “I will know more on Thursday if they are going to have a chance of making the game.
“We are hopeful some of them will be back but, as you saw against Morecambe, the lads who came in did a fantastic job.
“They will be expecting not to lose their place because of it. That’s why we built the squad we have because it enables us to make changes in what is a very unforgiving league.”
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Joe Jones

Match Reaction: Morecambe 1-4 Notts County, Tuesday 26 December 2017

Notts County remain nicely placed in the top three of the League Two table thanks to a 4-1 win over Morecambe on Boxing Day.
The Magpies struck first when Adam Campbell gave the ball away in his own half, culminating in Lewis Alessandra cutting the ball back for Jorge Grant to rifle home.
Alessandra then turned scorer when a long punt upfield from goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons was headed down for the winger to drive into the net on the half-volley.
In the second half, Grant exchanged passes with Jon Stead before sliding the ball past Barry Roche for goal number three and a brace for the loanee.
Alessandra then bagged his own brace four minutes from time when he scored at the second attempt after the Morecambe keeper saved his close-range effort.
There was time for a stunning consolation from Callum Lang at the death, but it was of little importance as Notts cruised to all three points.
How did the Notts County fans, players and manager react to the win? Pride of Nottingham has compiled the best of the post-match reaction from the Globe Arena.
Kevin Nolan
“It was a professional away performance. I made a few changes because of the number of games we have coming up so for the lads to produce what they did this afternoon, I’m absolutely delighted.
“We handled Morecambe well and stamped our authority on the game. We scored some quality goals with some lovely movement, which we have worked on on the training field. It was nice to see that come off today.
“The front four were exceptional. Some of the movement, interchanging and quality of play was great but we can still get better.
“It was important to back up the three draws we have had lately with a performance like that going into two games in 48 hours later in the week.”
Lewis Alessandra
“We took our chances early on and then they have to come out when we’re 2-0 up. Sometimes at home teams can sit in and say, ‘Come and break us down’, which can be difficult.
“But we were 2-0 ahead inside 20 minutes so they had to try and get something from the game, which left spaces for us to exploit - and we did that in the end.
“It was massive we got back to winning ways today because the three games we have drawn were quite disappointing.
"We gave a good, professional away performance. It’s disappointing to concede right at the death but it’s a great finish to be fair to the lad.”
The players on social media
 
 
 
 
 
The Black and White Army
Super_Danny_Allsopp:
A strange game really. We never seemed to get out of 2nd gear (not that we needed to) and just sort of plodded along in the game and the scoreline seemed like an inevitability by the end.
A point to note though that Morecambe were especially poor, probably the worst I've seen this season. They can't play like that every week because they've had some decent results against some good sides, but yesterday they were abysmal. Steven Old was rubbish at the back, as he was 10 years ago when I watched him in the A-league. 50p head. His mate didn't help either, it seemed that Stead was allowed to take balls down or win headers with very little resistance, we didn't see him flailing on the floor for most of the game as we usually do. Then to mention the gigantic gap between defence and midfield that they gave us free access to. Jorge Grant and Alessandra had all the space, and their midfield didn't seem to keen is closing it down and their defence definitely weren't about to step up.
After watching that, you can see 100% we made the correct decision letting Adam Campbell go. It was a typical Campbell performance we saw yesterday, and we've  seen it oh so many times before, lots of running about, some neat touches, but ultimately 0 impact on the game and couldn't finish in a brothel. You have to worry for the lad as if he can't make it at a team like Morecambe, he will drop out of the league.
Some pleasing things for us were the defending which was generally solid - only a wonder goal prevented a clean sheet. Hewitt, Yates and Walker all looked really clever on the ball. I don't know why we don't try and keep the ball on the ground when we're obviously the technically better side, as we were yesterday. There were some periods of nice play, but some seem scared to make a mistake. You're 3, 4 to none up, away from home and 75 mins on the clock? Get the ball on the deck and spray it about a bit.
Elite_pie:
Brilliant result, I was a bit concerned about our lack of striking power when the team was announced, but four goals away from home doesn't happen too often.  It was good to see some of the fringe players like Jones, Hunt and Walker get a positive 90 minutes under their belt, we will need a strong and competitive  squad going into the second half of the season to meet our target.  Well done to all, especially Kevin Nolan, the changes he made once again came up trumps.
DangerousSausage:
Well done lads, terrific away performance. I was a bit concerned that we were sitting too deep and inviting them onto us in the first half but I needn't have worried. What's also encouraging is that four goals came from midfield today and Liam Noble will be eligible from the new year. Stead might not be putting them away at present but at least we're not dependent on him for goals.
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Joe Jones

Match Highlights: Morecambe 1-4 Notts County, Tuesday 26 December 2017

Jorge Grant and Lewis Alessandra scored a brace apiece as Notts County claimed an emphatic 4-1 win at Morecambe on Boxing Day.
The first goal came after former Magpie Adam Campbell gave the ball away in his own half, culminating in Alessandra cutting the ball back for Grant to rifle home.
The former Shrimper then turned scorer when a free kick was headed down for the winger to drive into the net on the half-volley.
In the second half, Grant exchanged passes with Jon Stead before sliding the ball past Barry Roche for goal number three.
Alessandra bagged his brace four minutes from time when he scored at the second attempt after the Morecambe keeper saved his close-range effort.
There was time for a stunning consolation from Callum Lang at the death, but it was of little importance as Notts cruised to all three points.
Relive the highlights from the game at the Globe Arena with the official Notts highlights, as shared here for your viewing pleasure.
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Joe Jones

Lewis Alessandra: 'Notts County fully professional during festive period'

Lewis Alessandra has stressed that Notts County will not lose focus over the busy festive period and will look to build on their Boxing Day 4-1 away win over Morecambe.
The 28-year-old scored a goal in each half at the Globe Arena, along with Jorge Grant's brace, to help keep the Magpies entrenched in the top three, while Callum Lang claimed a late consolation for the hosts.
Up next for Notts is the weekend trip to Swindon Town and the New Year's Day home game with Port Vale, and Alessandra says the players and staff are being "thoroughly professional" during this period.
“I’ve been a professional player for 10 years now and Christmas is always the same,” he told the official Notts website.
“It’s all the sweeter when you come away from home and get a win and a couple of goals, as I have done today.
“The games come thick and fast over the Christmas period and the gaffer reiterated to us that he wants us to detach ourselves from third and fourth.
“He wants us to be thoroughly professional and you will get that from all the lads.
“It’s about recovery now, then we’ll do game preparation for Swindon, looking at them in detail as we do for all our opponents. We’ll be looking to go there and put in a performance to keep this unbeaten run going.”
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan delighted with Notts County performance at Morecambe

Kevin Nolan has praised his Notts County players for their superb 4-1 win away at Morecambe and said it was important to build momentum after three draws and ahead of another busy spell.
Jorge Grant and Lewis Alessandra scored a goal in each half to help keep the Magpies entrenched in the top three, while Callum Lang claimed a late consolation for the hosts.
Up next for Notts is the weekend trip to Swindon Town and the New Year's Day home game with Port Vale, and Nolan was delighted with how his changed side performed at the Globe Arena.
“It was a professional away performance," he told the official Notts site.
“I made a few changes because of the number of games we have coming up so for the lads to produce what they did this afternoon, I’m absolutely delighted.
“We handled Morecambe well and stamped our authority on the game. We scored some quality goals with some lovely movement, which we have worked on on the training field. It was nice to see that come off today.
“The front four were exceptional. Some of the movement, interchanging and quality of play was great but we can still get better.
“It was important to back up the three draws we have had lately with a performance like that going into two games in 48 hours later in the week.”
Share your thoughts about this news story 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 Report: Notts County put four past Morecambe at Globe Arena

Notts County have returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 win over Morecambe at the Globe Arena.
Kevin Nolan made four changes to his side, taking into consideration the glut of festive games and also injuries to Shola Ameobi and Jonathan Forte.
Matt Tootle, Carl Dickinson, Terry Hawkridge and Ameobi - who started the 3-3 draw with Cambridge United - made way for Nicky Hunt, Dan Jones, Liam Walker and Lewis Alessandra.
The opening stages of the Boxing Day game in Lancashire were cagey but Notts were soon up and running with a 13th-minute breakthrough.
Former Magpie Adam Campbell gave the ball away sloppily in his own half, which prompted an assault by the visitors.
Lewis Alessandra edged into the box and cut the ball back for Jorge Grant to rifle home from 10 yards.
Notts then doubled their lead on 21 minutes, the provider turning goalscorer when Morecambe failed to clear their lines from a free kick and Alessandra half-volleyed beyond Barry Roche.­­­­
The Shrimpers ended the half strongly as Andy Fleming twice fired efforts wide from 20 yards, Garry Thompson headed straight at Ross Fitzsimons from close range and Campbell volleyed a Thompson cross over from close range.
However, Notts went on to add a third just before the hour when Grant exchanged passes with Jon Stead before sliding the ball past Roche.
The rout was completed four minutes from time as Alessandra joined Grant in netting a brace, the winger scoring at the second attempt after Roche had kept out his initial shot.
Although Callum Lang sullied County's clean sheet with a curling effort over Fitzsimons from the edge of the box, it would prove little more than a consolation for the beleaguered hosts.
The result keeps Notts four points behind Luton Town, who won 5-0 at Swindon Town -  County's next opponents - but crucially, it puts the Pies seven points clear of fourth place.
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Joe Jones

Jon Stead: 'My goal tally so far this season is not enough'

Jon Stead has admitted he would have liked to score more goals than he has done so far this season, although he's happy with his general play.
The 34-year-old has scored five times in this campaign but has nonetheless put in good performances to help Notts County to second in the League Two table.
“I think my all-round game has been some of the best of my career this year,” Stead told the Nottingham Post.
“But I’ve ended up sacrificing goals and that’s been disappointing.
“I think I’ve got five for the season so far and that isn’t enough. It’s something that I want to improve and I’ve still got a chance of getting the kind of totals of the last two seasons.
“But I look at the games we have played this season and I do think I’ve played a major part in that during the time I’ve been on the pitch.
“So in many respects I am happy with that but as a striker you are judged on goals.
“For me, I would rather have 10 top performances and a couple of goals rather than eight goals and poor performances.
“I have prided myself on my all-round game throughout my career but if I get more goals then I would be very happy.”
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Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Morecambe vs. Notts County, Tuesday 26 December 2017

Head to head
Notts County and Morecambe have met 11 times in their history, with the first ever clash taking place 10 years ago, in September 2007.
On that day, it ended as a 1-1 draw, Michael Twiss putting the visitors ahead at Meadow Lane in the first half, before the late Richard Butcher equalised in the 87th minute.
The Shrimpers are ahead in the head-to-head, with Notts having lost to them five times, beaten them twice, and drawn thrice.
The Magpies ended a run of four League Two matches without a win against Morecambe when the sides met on September 9, claiming a 2-0 victory - their first clean sheet against the Shrimps since December 2008.
This fixture has yielded a scoreline of 4-1 three times already - once in our favour and twice in Morecambe's.
The fixture on 19 September 2009 was former Arsenal and England legend Sol Campbell's only game in a Magpies shirt.
Meanwhile the rematch later in the season, on 17 April 2010, is when Notts mathematically secured promotion to League One.
Stats
Notts County have lost each of their last three Boxing Day fixtures in the EFL, including the last time they were on their travels in 2013 (2-1 at Port Vale).
Meanwhile Morecambe have only won two of their last six Boxing Day fixtures (L4), failing to score more than once in any of those games.
History
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.
Team news
Notts will assess the fitness of Jonathan Forte and Shola Ameobi before making the trip to Lancashire.
Both strikers are nursing knocks following Saturday's 3-3 home draw with Cambridge United, with Forte hurting his hip while scoring the Magpies' equalising goal in stoppage time.
Should neither be available on Boxing Day, Lewis Alessandra could return to the starting XI to partner Jon Stead up front - if manager Kevin Nolan opts to play with two strikers.
Left-back Dan Jones will hope to be recalled to the team after impressing as a substitute for half an hour against Shaun Derry's side.
For Morecambe, midfielder Kevin Ellison could be in contention after starting on the bench in the 2-1 defeat by Mansfield after making a recovery from a hamstring injury.
Callum Lang scored against the Stags to notch his second goal in three games and could keep his place in Bentley's starting line-up.
The Shrimps will be without goalkeeper Danijel Nizic after he was called up to the Australia Under-23 squad for the Asian Federation Cup.
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Joe Jones

Notts County 2017-18 mid-season review: Will a year of rebirth culminate in a season of glory?

When Notts County fell to a 3-0 hammering at Coventry City in the first matchday of the season, the Black and White Army could have been forgiven for thinking "and... here... we... go... again!" The Sky Blues were rampant, while the Magpies looked like rabbits in the headlights.
Of course, this now feels like it could just as easily have been years ago, because it proved the shock to the system which galvanised the team, with all the players outraged they could allow themselves to fall to such a defeat and manager Kevin Nolan, a stickler for perfection, also taking the hammering almost as a personal affront.
Since then, Notts have gone from strength to strength and, at the midway point of the season, sit second in the table, five points clear of third-placed Exeter City and six of fourth-placed Coventry, and with an impressive goal difference of +15 which, whilst not the runaway dominance of Luton Town, still denotes a side that's rightfully where it belongs in the upper echelons of the table.
It took a while for Notts fans to be convinced, given the amount of false dawns we've had and bearing in mind the poor start to the campaign, but already in the EFL Cup game against Scunthorpe United it looks like a reinvigorated side.
Claiming local bragging rights against rivals Chesterfield was a major boost, even though they've had a shocker this season so far, and in the win over Wycombe Wanderers, where the previously familiar pattern of taking the lead and being pegged back was then broken with Notts scoring two late goals, there was a sense that things were going to be different.
September was en route to being literally the perfect month, as Notts surged to the top of the table and thrashed their nearest challengers at the time, Exeter, 3-0 on their turf. Then came the return to earth in the form of defeat at Mansfield, which in previous seasons would have heralded the beginning of the decline.
In hindsight we can look back and realise that didn't happen, but October proved a tricky month, with draws against Forest Green Rovers and Carlisle United and a defeat at Crewe Alexandra, but the win over Barnet and the hammering of Newport County kept Notts top of the standings heading into November.
The first round of the FA Cup was negotiated in superb style with a comeback 4-2 win over League One side Bristol Rovers, while in the league, Notts continued to pick up points, although having to share the spoils in draws at Stevenage and Yeovil Town eventually saw Luton sneak up behind the Magpies and take top spot in the table.
As of Christmas Day 2017, Notts County sit second in the standings and, despite having drawn all three of their league games so far this month, the open nature of League Two this season means they still have a healthy advantage over the teams directly below them.
It's not just about the points though - it's about the team's attitude and mentality. Numerous times Notts were either losing or drawing when they found the inner strength to nick a late goal or three, as we saw against Cambridge United.
The interesting thing is that, compared to this time last year (a period which I shall henceforth refer to as "the dirt" - I'd like to use a stronger word but you know, family site and all that), a lot of the players are still the same. But while last year their heads would drop, this year they will simply not give up. The players are lions when last year they were sheep.
This is testament to the different state of affairs at the club - Alan Hardy's takeover of the club and subsequent repairing of the club infrastructure, as well as the appointment of Kevin Nolan, have been the footballing equivalent of turning an abandoned, dilapidated, rat-infested building into a luxury mansion worthy of hosting a G20 meeting.
Indeed, the fact that I can talk about drawing at Yeovil and against Forest Green as negatives when, this time a year ago, it would have been easier to draw blood from a stone than for Notts County not to lose, it shows just how expectations have naturally increased alongside the standards.
So here we are, on Christmas Day, halfway through the season, and well in with a chance of promotion. Except for the first two weeks of 2017, which were traumatic, the year has been a wonderful rebirth for Notts County, with Hardy and Nolan as the miracle workers.
What will 2018 bring? Hopefully, fingers crossed, it will bring more of the same and culminate in glory at the end of the season but, if one thing is certain, is that we have our Notts back.
Merry Christmas all, thank you for all your support over the season and the year so far, and stay with PON as we continue to bring you all the latest Notts goodness across the festive period and into the new year!
COME ON YOU PIES!!
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Joe Jones

Match Reaction: Notts County 3-3 Cambridge United, Saturday 23 December 2017

Notts County remain firmly in the automatic promotion places of League Two after clawing themselves back from a three-goal deficit to draw 3-3 with Cambridge United.
Uche Ikpeazu and Jevani Brown's brace appeared to have given Shaun Derry's side an unassailable advantage heading into the latter stages of Saturday's game at Meadow Lane.
However, goals from Lewis Alessandra, Shaun Brisley and Jonathan Forte rescued a point against all odds and ensured that the Magpies would remain unbeaten at home this season, as well as having lost just once at the Lane this calendar year.
How did the gaffer, the players and the fans react to the result? Pride of Nottingham has compiled some of the post-match quotes.
Kevin Nolan
"We're delighted to get a draw in the end but I don't think we deserved to be 3-0 down at any point in the match. They took their three goals really well and I can't criticise my goalkeeper or defenders for what happened.
"We did a lot of things we worked on on the training ground - not rushing things, not throwing aimless balls into the box, putting quality balls in - and put Cambridge under enough pressure to eventually crack and get our just rewards.
"I am so proud of my lads because none of them stood there with their hands on hips, giving up. They stuck together.
"You talk about team spirit, unity and camaraderie but I don't think I need to speak about it any more because the players have shown exactly what they have got in abundance.
"It shows everyone around the city and the Notts County supporters what they deserve. They have a team who will fight tooth and nail until the end to do everything they can for the shirt."
Jonathan Forte
"It didn't weigh on our minds - we want to go out there and perform as best we can.
"Teams are going to come here, a big stadium, against a team at the top of the league and sit back. They will want to beat us because we are up at the top of the table but we have to take it in our stride and get on with it.
"This afternoon Cambridge got us on the counter-attack and punished us. We didn't think it was a lost cause but it's a long way back from that point.
"I'm happy we got a point from 3-0 down. We've done it for the past three or four months, getting last-minute equalisers and winners. The team spirit is brilliant, probably one of the best I've been involved in. We just need to keep going."
Players on social media
 
 
 
The Black and White Army
Who r ya?? YOU PIES: Now that's what you call determination , don't know when they are beaten this team , well done for recovering from 3 down, didn't see them getting 3 before the game with the away record they have , then couldn't at 3 down see a 3-3 , isn't football just amazing at times , home form still intact , COYP 
Jay Dalton: but why o why does forte not start great come back but tough to watch striker deffo needed
Dane Arnold: I'd go in for ikpeazu in the window think he'd be a great addition to our squad
Richard Thompson: goingup. Double that ? 88. Doncaster went up 3rd with 85 last season...and they finished 8 ahead of 4th. When Pompey won at ours to get promoted they were on 78 points that day. #inthebagnotts
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Joe Jones

Match Highlights: Notts County 3-3 Cambridge United, Saturday 23 December 2017

Notts County clawed their way back from three goals down to seize a 3-3 draw against Cambridge United on Saturday afternoon.
Uche Ikpeazu and Jevani Brown's brace appeared to have given Shaun Derry's side an unassailable advantage heading into the latter stages of Saturday's League Two encounter.
However, goals from Lewis Alessandra, Shaun Brisley and Jonathan Forte rescued a point against all odds and ensured that the Magpies would remain unbeaten at home this season, as well as having lost just once at the Lane this calendar year.
Here are the official YouTube highlights for you if you fancy seeing the key moments of the game again.
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Joe Jones

Notts County strikers Shola Ameobi, Jonathan Forte face fitness tests

Kevin Nolan has revealed that Shola Ameobi and Jonathan Forte face fitness tests after picking up knocks in Notts County's 3-3 draw with Cambridge United on Saturday.
Ameobi signalled to the bench to come off in the second half of the game, but had to remain on the pitch as the Magpies had already made all three substitutions.
Forte, meanwhile, took a blow to the hip after coming on as a sub and was visibly struggling to stay on his feet after scoring the injury-time equaliser which completed the remarkable comeback.
“Shola is going to be a worry with all the games coming up,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post ahead of the Boxing Day visit of Morecambe.
“Hopefully it’s only a tight hamstring, but we will assess him over the next 48 hours.
“Forte took a really bad knock when he came on so for most of the game we had nine men.
“But it was a testament to what they showed all year round that they kept going.”
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Joe Jones

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