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Match Highlights: Yeovil Town 1-1 Notts County, Tuesday 21 November 2017

Notts County have slipped off the top of the League Two table after their former striker Francois Zoko helped Yeovil Town claim a 1-1 draw at Huish Park on Tuesday night.
The Magpies took the lead through substitute Jonathan Forte's well-taken 41st-minute opener and dominated their opponents for much of the second half.
Zoko, however, converted a penalty 10 minutes from time after he was brought down in the area by Magpies defender Richard Duffy.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men late when Sid Nelson was dismissed for an elbow on Ryan Yates but they nonetheless held on for a share of the spoils.
County's slip-up allowed Luton Town to return to the summit on goal difference as they claimed a 3-0 win over Carlisle United.
Relive the game with the official YouTube highlights which we have linked here for you.
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Joe Jones

Darren Way: 'Sid Nelson faces heavy fine if found guilty of violent conduct'

Sid Nelson faces disciplinary action if he is found guilty of violent conduct after being sent off in the closing stages of Yeovil Town’s 1-1 draw with Notts County, manager Darren Way has confirmed.
The defender, on loan from Millwall, was shown a straight red card for an elbow on Ryan Yates in the Magpies box, and could be hit with a three-match suspension.
With Yeovil now having seen four players sent off in their last four matches, Way has warned Nelson that he faces a heavy punishment unless he is cleared of foul play.
Way told Somerset Live after Tuesday night's game at Huish Park: “To be honest, I haven’t seen it.
“He’s denying it but I’m sure if he’s proven guilty there’s got to be a maximum fine on this one, but I warned the players that. I said if a player gets caught again, they’ll be disciplined.
“I think two of [the red cards] I would be worried about, [Bevis] Mugabi and Sid’s, if it proves to be the case.
“When you’re coming up against the opposition, they’re clever enough to instigate that, but at the same time you’ve got to be clever enough not to react.
“I’m disappointed with that, very disappointed, but I’ll make sure behind the scenes that he will be heavily fined.”
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan: 'Referee at Yeovil Town missed blatant handball'

Kevin Nolan has bemoaned the referee in Notts County's 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town for missing a penalty which could have put the visitors two goals up.
After substitute Jonathan Forte had put the Magpies ahead late in the first half, Lewis Alessandra’s flick appeared to be handled by Sid Nelson, but Dean Whitestone failed to spot the incident.
The Glovers went on to repel a series of Notts attacks in the second half before pulling level through a penalty of their own, converted by former Magpie Francois Zoko after he was hauled down by Richard Duffy.
“I think we should have had all three points,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “I thought the referee missed a penalty. It was a blatant handball.
"And I am massively disappointed that I am talking about the referee when I don’t want to go on about them because they have a hard job.
“The lad has handled in the area so I am majorly disappointed. Then for their penalty I thought it was soft and it looked like he couldn’t wait to give it really.
“It was disappointing from our end because I didn’t feel we were under too much pressure from them.”
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Joe Jones

Match Report: Notts County pegged back in draw at Yeovil Town

Notts County have been knocked off top spot in League Two after a late Francois Zoko equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw for Yeovil Town in Tuesday night's encounter at Huish Park.
The hosts had the first meaningful chance of the night as Otis Khan's corner found Nathan Smith but the defender was unable to control it as the Magpies defence got the ball away.
Yeovil then came close from another corner as Khan's set piece found Oluefela Olomola, but the striker volleyed over the bar.
Despite the Glovers' opening efforts, Notts got their first attempts of the game on target as Ryan Yates's shot was palmed by Artur Krysiak into the path of Richard Duffy, who fired over from 12 yards.
The Magpies pushed on and saw Shaun Brisley head the ball wide, while Jon Stead sent a header straight at the keeper shortly before having to go off due to an earlier knock.
His replacement, Jonathan Forte, ended up edging the Magpies ahead in the 41st minute as he latched on to Brisley's flick-on and side-footed the ball beyond Krysiak.
On the stroke of half-time, however, Olomola was presented with a great opportunity just outside the area but his left-footed shot went just over the bar.
Notts stepped it up in the second half and went in search of a decisive goal, with Rob Milsom flashing a vicious shot across the face of goal.
Jorge Grant then nutmegged Nathan Smith before curling marginally wide as Yeovil found themselves under the cosh.
However, the Glovers were awarded a penalty in the 80th minute when former Notts forward Zoko was brought down by Duffy and opted to take the spot kick himself, sending Ross Fitzsimons the wrong way.
Yeovil finished the game a man down when Sid Nelson was shown a straight red for lashing out at Yates when Notts were defending a corner, but Kevin Nolan's side weren't able to take advantage as it finished all square.
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Joe Jones

Scouting Report: Yeovil Town vs. Notts County, Tuesday 21 November 2017

With Notts County two points clear at the top of League Two following Saturday's 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town, attention must swiftly turn to a taxing midweek fixture away at Yeovil Town.
Although the Glovers currently sit 17th in the table, they have claimed a number of big scalps this season, including Coventry City, Exeter City and Accrington Stanley.
How should the Magpies approach this game? Here is Chris's Scouting Report to analyse the fixture and the opposition from a tactical perspective.
History
Notts County and Yeovil Town have met 15 times over the years.
The first game took place at Meadow Lane on 4 November 1961, with the Magpies beating their opponents 4-2 in the FA Cup.
That was the only meeting of the two pre-21st century - the 14 meetings following that game all took place between 2004 and this year.
The last game was a League Two encounter at Meadow Lane last February, a goalless draw.
Yeovil have the upper edge in the head-to-head with seven wins, five defeats and three draws against Notts.
Run-down of their last six features
Saturday 14th October – Yeovil Town 2 Crewe Alexandra 0
Tuesday 17th October – Cambridge United 2 Yeovil Town 1
Saturday 21st October – Barnet 1 Yeovil Town 1
Saturday 28th October – Yeovil Town 3 Stevenage 0
Saturday 11th November – Carlisle United 4 Yeovil Town 0
Saturday 18th November – Yeovil Town 1 Swindon Town 2
The Players – Fact Sheet
Highest Goal Scorers; Otis Khan 7, Olufela Olomola 7, Francois Zoko 5 and Sam Surridge 5.
Persistent Foulers; Francois Zoko 5 yellow cards and 1 red card, Olufela Olomola 2 yellow cards and 1 red card, Nathan Smith 4 yellow cards and Otis Khan 4 yellow cards.
The Key Players
Midfielder James Bailey is Yeovil’s engine in midfield. If he’s playing at the top of his game, it influences the players around him. He has the ability to take hold of a game and instantly change, whilst pressing he can also unlock chances.
Francois Zoko on his day can be a major problem, both for the opposition but also his own team. If given space, he can cause headaches at the back – however this is provided he keeps his temper in check.
His strike partner Olufela Olomola, meanwhile, is also a very pacey option for Yeovil who likes to be direct, and his attitude and energy can really cause problems.
Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Yeovil Town mix their style between passing along the floor, whilst they also try to break teams down by keeping the ball in the air – quick passes usually enable them to move forward into the opposition territory and it does warrant some concern if allowed to play.
They like to inject pace onto the ball, but they seem to have a fairly weak grasp on their organization, whilst they tend to give silly fouls away which often leads to them feeling exposed at the back.
If caught out in possession it takes them a little time to adjust, something which good teams often use to their own advantage.
Despite looking comfortable on the ball, all it takes is for an individual to make one mistake and this can really be Yeovil’s undoing.
Defensively they just don’t seem committed when it matters, there’s little pressing and their loose marking makes it very easy for the opposition to have a shot.
Teams that work hard and perform well often manage to make the most of the chances gained, so it’s important for Notts to be strong within the midfield, yet patient upfront when it matters.
Picking the ball up and countering will be something Notts could use to their advantage, as is drawing fouls – free-kicks and other set pieces will naturally come if Yeovil are pressed.
If we play with our own tempo and pace, avoiding just focusing on one flank, Notts should enable space to open up within the centre of the park. Jorge Grant, Ryan Yates and Rob Milsom will be players who can maximise the opportunities which presence themselves.
Overall Yeovil aren’t to be underestimated, yet if the game can be controlled by Notts, it should fall in favour of the away team.
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Chris

Kevin Nolan: 'We can reassess targets when we get to 50 points'

Kevin Nolan has reiterated that Notts County are still a team in transition and is still working towards the target of having enough points to beat the drop.
The Magpies continue to sit top of League Two after more than a third of the way into the season, with 37 points - two more than second-placed Luton Town - from their first 18 games.
Their 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town at the weekend was their 11th league victory of the campaign, but Nolan maintains that the targets will be reassessed once they reach 50 points, depending on how quickly they do so.
"We will keep working away as we know how hard it is and we are not pretending we have got it or cracked it," Nolan, whose side take on Yeovil Town away tonight, told BBC Radio Nottingham.
"As I keep saying, we are a team in transition who is trying to work hard to maintain a fantastic start.
"If we can keep doing well and get to 50 points as quickly as possible then we can reassess. Then we can start looking at other targets and what we want from this season."
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Joe Jones

Notts County boss Kevin Nolan not underestimating Yeovil Town

Kevin Nolan has stressed that Yeovil Town must not be taken lightly when Notts County face them this evening despite their lowly position in the table.
The Glovers currently sit in 17th place, having lost their last two games, and five of their last 10 fixtures.
However, Nolan cast an eye back to February, when Notts and Yeovil played out a goalless draw, and also pointed to their wins over the likes of Accrington Stanley, Coventry City and Exeter City.
"A lot of people will think we will go there and win easily but Yeovil have had some great wins against some of the top sides in this division," he told the official Notts site.
"They came here last season, made it difficult for us and could have come away with all three points in the end.
"I am expecting another tough game. We have to make sure we are at it because if we aren't then we will be punished because they have a lot of strengths but hopefully we have given the lads enough information so they know what to expect.
"Hopefully we can go there, put in a good performance and come away with three points."
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Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Yeovil Town vs. Notts County, Tuesday 21 November 2017

Notts County and Yeovil Town have met 15 times over the years.
The first game took place at Meadow Lane on 4 November 1961, with the Magpies beating their opponents 4-2 in the FA Cup.
That was the only meeting of the two pre-21st century - the 14 meetings following that game all took place between 2004 and this year.
The last game was a League Two encounter at Meadow Lane last February, a goalless draw.
Yeovil have the upper edge in the head-to-head with seven wins, five defeats and three draws against Notts.
Yeovil Football Club was founded in 1890, and shared their ground with the local rugby club for many years.
Five years later they were renamed Yeovil Casuals and started playing home games at the Pen Mill Athletic Ground.
In 1907 the name Yeovil Town was adopted, which on amalgamation with Petters United became Yeovil and Petters United. The name reverted to Yeovil Town prior to the 1946–47 season.
The Somerset outfit have spent most of their existence in the lower leagues, though they briefly made a name for themselves in the 1948-49 season when they beat Sunderland 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round.
In the 1980s, Yeovil were founder members of the Football Conference, where they remained for the next two decades, save for a few relegations to the Isthmian League which usually resulted in an instant return to the above tier.
Yeovil Town earned promotion to the Football League in the 2002-03 season, by winning the Football Conference by a record 17 points margin, accumulating 95 points and scoring 100 goals, remaining unbeaten at Huish Park.
In their second ever season in the Football League, the Glovers went one better by achieving promotion to the third tier as champions of League Two.
Then, in the following years even reached the League One playoffs, beating Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals in 2006-07 before losing to Blackpool in the final at Wembley.
Six years later, however, Yeovil achieved what had been deemed unthinkable a decade earlier - they reached the second tier of English football after beating Brentford in the 2013 League One play-off final.
Their stay in the Championship was brief, however, and they went on to suffer back-to-back relegations, leaving them in the bottom tier of the Football League where they still ply their trade.
Team news
Yeovil are expected to welcome back strikers Olufela Olomola and Francois Zoko when Notts visit Huish Park on Tuesday night.
The two forwards sat out the 2-1 defeat to Swindon Town on Saturday through suspension but are eligible to return against the Magpies.
However, defender Bevis Mugabi will be missing again as he serves the second part of a three-game ban.
Defender Ryan Dickson, who has been missing for nearly a month with concussion, will be assessed but could feature.
Notts will have Elliott Hewitt available again after serving a one-game suspension at the weekend due to his fifth booking of the campaign.
Kevin Nolan, however, will have to decide whether to drop Rob Milsom, who was impressive as the Magpies beat Cheltenham Town 3-1 on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Adam Collin remains sidelined with a knee injury so Ross Fitzsimons is expected to continue in goal.
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Joe Jones

Chris Buckley: Notts County players and fans must not concern themselves with how other League Two teams are doing

There was a lot of focus from Notts County fans on other teams around us during the Cheltenham Town game. I saw plenty of comments about pre-season title favourites Coventry City and about the nearest threat at the moment in Luton Town.
Oddly not many comments mentioned Accrington Stanley, who have performed arguably better than most would have expected so far, and are definitely a solid team for this league.
With the focus mostly coming in around a team who currently sit seventh as a I write this, and of course the team immediately beneath us in second, I wanted to express my thoughts as to why we as fans shouldn’t worry about the opposition and why the team should avoid doing the same thing.
There are several teams I believe are capable of gaining promotion, with a handful being that extra quality that I feel could go onto win the League Two title in 2017-18.
Wycombe Wanderers and Swindon Town are two teams often missed out in discussions since both sides have somewhat become inconsistent – yet both teams have done well enough to seize top spot in the table at various points during this campaign.
However, both of the above teams didn’t quite have the focus to retain a place in the top three when it ultimately mattered.
And despite the first half against Cheltenham not being up to much in my opinion (it screamed a draw to me), in the second half Notts regained their focus and played very well. 
In fact, I feel the confidence from playing the ball along the floor really shined and it’s what we have seen in previous games i.e Lincoln City.
At the moment the dry spell seems to have been overcome, with Notts starting to play with a ‘cool edge’ to their game which reinforces my belief that we can be champions this season.
For any fans still doubting the quality, I really would echo comments from managers and players higher up the football pyramid about how good ‘belief’ can be and when you combine this with a ‘core spirit’ from a hard-working approach to playing, then it’s only a case of failing to push your own boundaries.
Claudio Ranieri himself said of Leicester City's Premier League triumph: "It was an amazing achievement. We wanted to do something special, but no one could have believed we would do this."
Although on a much smaller scale, I believe that nobody would have dreamt about Notts going to places like Wycombe and Exeter and winning in style, nor being able to avoid a home defeat at Meadow Lane in the league during 2017 so far, especially after the amount of games the club lost last season.
Likewise, I doubt highly that anyone would have believed we were capable of reaching - and remaining - top come November and we are fastly approaching December now in the same position.
Our sole focus should be on taking games as they come, whilst worrying not that Luton won a game 7-0, as it’s really beside the point.
If we allow our focus to fall on the teams beneath us, this will only lead to caution and pressure which isn’t exactly a positive thing – at which point should we stop worrying about teams that could leapfrog us in the league table?
The attitude of showing no fear works well, teams from the lower tiers who have enjoyed success in the FA Cup will know you shouldn’t fear to play football.
This is exactly why I am not remotely bothered currently about the results across the league, the only time it did matter for me was last season.
Perhaps if we were chasing the playoffs things might be different, it still wouldn’t attach any concern and I’m not sure why others are bothered about Luton Town – are you?
At the moment things are looking very good - we aren’t worried about Kevin Nolan leaving this season, so I take the same approach to who may or not overtake us in the table.
Besides, I feel some of the bad patch after Mansfield Town came from worrying too much about fixtures and we have managed to return top due to good results.
Let’s hope the Magpies can keep flying high, as future success can only be built on stable foundations and these are being put into place.
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Chris

Kevin Nolan: 'Notts County exceeding expectations and enjoying ride'

Kevin Nolan has claimed that Notts County have exceeded expectations so far this season and is eager for the players to just continue as they're doing and enjoying the ride.
The Magpies continue to sit top of League Two after more than a third of the way into the season, with 37 points - two more than second-placed Luton Town - from their first 18 games.
“When I first walked in in January, we wanted a very good season this year and we wanted to sustain what we produced at the end of last season," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“We wanted to get into the middle third and then next year to have a real go for promotion or the play-offs.
“All pressure is off us in that respect. We are having a fantastic run and enjoying where we are.
“We are embracing the position and if we can keep on doing that, keep winning, then who knows, we might get promoted.
“But we are 17-18 games in and there is a long way to go yet. All we can do is enjoy it while we are here, keep working hard and hopefully maintain what we are doing.”
Joe Jones

Jorge Grant off-the-pitch stresses forgotten thanks to impressive Notts County display

Jorge Grant has spoken of how a stressful week ended on a positive note thanks to football.
The Notts County midfielder, who has recently got on the housing ladder, had to deal with flooding in his home due to plumbing issues.
However, you wouldn't have known due to his impressive performance on the pitch, scoring twice to help Notts beat Cheltenham Town 3-1 and keep the Magpies top of League Two.
“The drain is fixed which is good news, but there are a lot more problems than I expected,” Grant told the Nottingham Post.
“But that comes with buying a house and it’s nice for the week to end the way it has.
“It has been stressful because my mum and dad live away so I’ve had to deal with it myself.
“I’ve got a few friends who have helped me out. When it first happened, I had never been in that position before.
“But when you start playing football you forget about everything. And we really enjoyed ourselves out there.”
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Joe Jones

Match Reaction: Notts County 3-1 Cheltenham Town, Saturday 18 November 2017

Notts County have extended their lead at the top of League Two thanks to their 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
The Magpies took the lead on the half-hour mark through Jorge Grant following Jon Stead's layoff but Carl Winchester hit back within five minutes to equalise.
However, a quickfire double from Notts in the opening stages of the second half - through Grant and Shaun Brisley - gave Nolan another home win.
Here is how the Notts fan base, players and boss reacted to the solid victory.
Kevin Nolan
"I'm absolutely delighted with the three points and I thought they were well-deserved.
"You're seeing things which we're trying to recreate from the training ground, like passing patterns, which make the lads feel more familiar when they are in those positions on a matchday.
"They are taking a lot on board. I'm delighted with some of the play in the last few weeks and there's still more to come."
Jorge Grant
"I thought we were good. They had some spells where they created chances but that's going to happen. We were strong in those situations and got our rewards when we scored.
"We're dealing with the pressure better than we have before and it was another good performance from us.
"Teams know what they're going to get and they have to bring their 'A' game, otherwise they're not going to win."
The players on social media
 
 
 
 
The fans
TheSkipper: Good win yesterday, second half Notts stole the show and played some very good football. First half we don't need to mention. I am still unsure how exactly we scored but I did think Cheltenham came back well. Even in the second half they didn't look like they was out of it, probably one of the better games at Meadow Lane.
Countyman: I barely noticed Hewitt's absence and I thought Milsom did a more complete job, did we miss Elliot at all? No. We have played some good football this season, at times we may have been lucky but yesterday was not one of them games. We deserved the points! Well done Notts.
Jay Dalton: Notts will be champions or automatic I still believe they will be champions notts full of confidence all playing as a team no doubt Nolan has bought the believe in notts and got them playing proper football dead ball specialist grant again brilliant stuff first half bit lack lustre second half stepped up a gear and super notts shone through non stop attacking coyp Nolan's super notts black white army!
Steve Brewer: Hey they were the worse team I have seen yet. Should have been well out of sight. But as usual we make a game of it. Saying that we do look like league leaders. The big No. 9 was awesome. Grant class. Hawks was good and so was Toots. Goalie is in for the season. Sorry Collin but he is well better. Luton looming
Chris Buckley: We looked alright first half, but after they scored we just seemed awkward. We came out much stronger in the second half, several players clicking together to put on a very good display. Quite a crucial win in terms of staying top. Overall a good team performance and ultimately 3 points which will do nicely. #COYP
Geoff King: At one one and kicking towards the kop I expected we'd take the three points and in the end so it proved
John Weatherbed: One of the best games I have seen in a long time... Well done to all.. Was good to hear the support singing ???? around the ground.
Tracy Rigby: Awesome! Thank you Kevin Nolan in believing and showing the lads the way to win and you was a winner as a player and your a winner as a manager!
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Joe Jones

Meet the Fans: Notts County 3-1 Cheltenham Town, Saturday 18 November 2017

Notts County continue to set the pace at the top of the League Two table thanks to a 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
Jorge Grant opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when Jon Stead's layoff was convincingly rifled home by the Nottingham Forest loanee.
However, the Robins restored parity against the run of play when Carl Winchester was allowed space to unleash a low shot goalwards that snuck beyond Ross Fitzsimons.
Kevin Nolan's side rode their luck early in the second half but eventually came good as Grant doubled his tally with a free kick.
Just a few minutes later, Shaun Brisley added a third to preserve Notts' great home league form and top spot in the table.
Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane for the game and interviewed several Magpies fans ahead of kickoff.
Questions asked include what the fans thought of the club having had the most managers over the last 20 years and Alan Shearer's comments regarding Kevin Nolan's future at the club.
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Chris

Faces of PON: Notts County 3-1 Cheltenham Town, Saturday 18 November 2017

A brace from Notts County top scorer Jorge Grant helped keep the Magpies at the top of League Two as they beat Cheltenham Town 3-1 at Meadow Lane.
The loanee opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when he guided the ball into the far corner following good work from Jon Stead which culminated in a layoff into the centre.
Cheltenham, however, were level just five minutes later as Carl Winchester steered home a low effort beyond Ross Fitzsimons with what was the Robins' first shot on target.
Notts rode their luck but went on to retake the lead when Grant's 25-yard free-kick took a wicked deflection to wrongfoot Scott Flinders for his 13th goal of the season.
The Magpies then made the game safe when a well-worked corner ended with Richard Duffy flicking towards the back post for Shaun Brisley to head home.
PON's Chris photographed Notts County fans before, during and after Saturday's victory - see if you're in this week's Faces of PON!
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Chris

Tactical Talk: Notts County 3-1 Cheltenham Town, Saturday 18 November 2017

Notts County have extended their lead at the top of League Two thanks to their 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
The Magpies took the lead on the half-hour mark through Jorge Grant following Jon Stead's layoff but Carl Winchester hit back within five minutes to equalise.
However, a quickfire double from Notts in the opening stages of the second half - through Grant and Shaun Brisley - gave Nolan another home win.
Here is Chris's detailed analysis of the Meadow Lane encounter.
Was the result fair?
The first half had 'draw' written all over it, but the second-half performance was very impressive when things clicked, and the victory is well deserved. I do feel sorry for Cheltenham in some senses, yet this is football but it was nice to see a team continue to give Notts a game even after going 3-1 down.
How did Notts play?
There’s very little to write about within the first half, it was scrappy and uneventful mostly. Out of nowhere Notts took the lead – at a time whereby it looked very likely to end a draw. After Cheltenham scored, our defence looked totally depleted and nervous.
Second half started very lively, and the midfield pushed to take the lead and then after the game just seemed much different. It certainly wasn’t pretty at times, but overall it was a very good team performance and a well deserved three points.
How did Cheltenham play?
Their defence was rocky due to trying to be more offensive, I could see this being the case myself and I mentioned it within the scouting report.
I disagree that they ‘played badly’, I thought they moved the ball around well and certainly gave Notts a game even after going 3-1 down. They just seemed unlikely to score, yet their goal was a brilliant move and certainly if they had of clicked themselves it could have been more difficult. Yet overall it was a decent performance, we just outplayed them in the second half but credit to Cheltenham they never gave up.
Did our tactics work out?
I think the way both teams started it just cancelled each other out. Prior to our goal we looked the most likely to score, but everything was just a bit uneventful due to a lack of quality on goal. In the second half things changed, and as a result Notts played with more tempo which forced the play.
How did the referee perform?
He was a bit baffling at times, yet I’m always going to say it – he’s the typical standard for League Two. My gripe is I felt he always seemed keen to have words with Notts players, whilst after going 3-1 up – it was like he couldn’t award any genuine foul in our favour simply because we looked likely to score. I counted at least five punishable challenges which were never given, luckily it didn't cost us in the end.
Who do we play next?
Yeovil Town – They’re not the same side that we played a few seasons ago, although they are a decent outfit and one that does tend to raise to playing games against teams such as Notts.
How should we play them?
We just have to assert the same level of pressure as we did against Cheltenham in the second half, our performance similar to how we did against Exeter City.
Be confident in possession, wise on the ball and move into the areas whereby we can make the most of the space gained – if we put them under pressure I honestly think they will cave in but that said we need to avoid causing problems within our own defence.
Yeovil are a side which will easily make the most of opposition indecisions at the back, and any worrying will lift them.
If we can avoid making too many changes, this will also aid us but that said I do expect to see at least three – I just wouldn’t go beyond five at all.
Our midfield can play in such a style that it can take the pressure of ourselves, whilst enabling confidence upfront. It’s important we strive for this, as any of our strikers could make the most of this.
Cheltenham fan views (from The Robins Nest Forum)
Runlistening: Conceding 2 goals in 2 minutes again.. how does this keep happening? I know this was always going to be a hard game but soon as we concede 1 you know another one is going in in 1-2 minutes...
Longmover: Whatever they have been instructed to do isn't working, It's the management job to get the instructions to stick, they're (Gary Johnson's) players, he bought them in.
Oldun: Oh good show! Lose to top of table team and its knives out for Gary. Now there's a surprise! Only six subs, very weak bench due to injuries and suspensions (all Gary's fault) Deflected second goal. (Gary's fault) By the way... Luton scored seven today, which shows how terrible it was not to win last week. Gary will have to go; we really can't carry on like this, not winning every time we play. And I hate sarcasm too.
Another_FoD_Robin: So if we have six players on the bench Oldun whose fault is it? I thought as a football manager you bring players in and take players out. I accept budget and we can't take into account some bad luck but the bottom line is GJ is meant to bring players in to strengthen the squad. Or to ensure players coming in can do a job. GJs job is to motivate and instruct what to do during games. So on the back of game management - the players need to take responsibility too. I as an amateur player understand how to manage a game so please explain to me why players who are professional struggle. The little things add up...
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Chris

Match Highlights: Notts County 3-1 Cheltenham Town, Saturday 18 November 2017

Notts County continue to set the pace at the top of the League Two table thanks to a 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
Jorge Grant opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when Jon Stead's layoff was convincingly rifled home by the Nottingham Forest loanee.
However, the Robins restored parity against the run of play when Carl Winchester was allowed space to unleash a low shot goalwards that snuck beyond Ross Fitzsimons.
Kevin Nolan's side rode their luck early in the second half but eventually came good as Grant doubled his tally before Shaun Brisley added a third to preserve Notts' great home league form and top spot in the table.
Relive the key moments from an exciting game with Notts County's official YouTube highlights, which we have posted here for your viewing pleasure.
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Joe Jones

Jorge Grant hails Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi following Notts win over Cheltenham

Jorge Grant has paid tribute to Notts County strikers Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi following their 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
The midfielder took his tally for the season to 13 with his fourth brace of the season, with Shaun Brisley adding a third to keep the Magpies top of League Two.
"Shola and Steady were unbelievable today," Grant told the official Notts site. "The ball stuck to them and they allowed the midfielders to come up and work off them.
"The set from Steady for the first goal was perfect for me to run on to and hit first-time, so I have to give him credit for that because he's done it twice in the last couple of weeks.
"I thought we were good. They had some spells where they created chances but that's going to happen. We were strong in those situations and got our rewards when we scored.
"We're dealing with the pressure better than we have before and it was another good performance from us.
"Teams know what they're going to get and they have to bring their 'A' game, otherwise they're not going to win."
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Joe Jones

Notts Alumni: Jimmy Sirrel

The word "legend" is bandied around all too lightly nowadays. But if you ask any Notts County fan to name one individual and one individual only who deserves the tag of "legend", chances are they will name Jimmy Sirrel.
Born on 2 February 1922 in Glasgow, James Sirrel's professional football journey began when he was 24, when he joined Celtic in 1946.
He made just 13 appearances in three years before joining Bradford Park Avenue in 1949, where again he found game time limited, playing just 12 matches.
In 1951 Sirrel joined Brighton & Hove Albion, where he made 55 appearances before signing for Aldershot in 1954, and he retired from playing in 1957.
Modest a footballing career as it may have been, Sirrel's coaching career would be anything but, as he moved to Brentford as trainer in 1965 before becoming caretaker manager in February 1967.
After being appointed to the role full-time, Sirrel spent two full seasons at the helm of Brentford, but soon enough, he would up sticks to Nottingham, where his career would go to dizzying new heights.
On 19 November 1969, Sirrel entered the Meadow Lane gates for the first time as he would become the manager of Notts County, a team struggling in the Fourth Division.
From previous managers Jack Wheeler - who would serve as his assistant - and Billy Gray, Sirrel had inherited a team including Don Masson, David Needham, Bob Worthington and Les Bradd, and he set about reinvigorating the players and the team.
Sirrel's first season in charge of the Magpies ended with a respectable seventh-placed finish, but this was only a precursor to what was to come as, the following season, the team stormed to the Fourth Division Championship.
Notts boasted a mean defence which would concede just 36 goals that season, while up top, the front line scored an average of 2.47 goals per game.
By no means had Notts reached their limit - the following season, promotion to the Second Division was missed by just three points, and even though 1972-73 began slowly for the Magpies, sititng 16th by the end of the year, they would lose just twice more en route to second place and a spot in the Second Division.
Already Sirrel had transformed Notts from fourth-division strugglers to a side punching their weight in the second tier, and when he decided to try his luck at top-tier Sheffield United in 1975, his place as a Magpies legend was already assured.
Unfortunately for Sirrel, the Blades role would not go to plan as they were relegated that season and, with little money to spend, was unable to stop the side mounting a promotion challenge - but he still made his mark by designing the United badge that's currently being used today.
Eventually, Sirrel opted to return to Notts - who were struggling to avoid relegation back into Division Three - in 1977, and breathed new life into the club by saving them from the drop.
It took a while to get Notts back up to scratch, but the crowning moment came in 1980-81 when a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge gave the Magpies top-flight football for the first time since 1926.
Finishing 15th in his first season, Sirrel inspired his team to emphatic wins over Aston Villa, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United.
In 1982, Sirrel became general manager, with Wilkinson taking over as boss, but he was back in the dugout in 1985 with Notts on the brink of back-to-back relegations under Larry Lloyd.
Unfortunately, he was unable to prevent the drop, but did manage to halt the free-fall that County were in by consolidating in the Third Division for two more seasons, before retiring at the end of the 1986-87 season, eighteen years after he arrived at the club, his name in the club's annals assured.
Sirrel was a regular spectator at Meadow Lane beyond his retirement and had the County Road Stand named after him, which he described as "a bloody honour" upon receiving the call from Derek Pavis.
He was even called back into the dressing room and onto the pitch to boost spirits when Notts nearly slipped out of the Football League in 2005, such was his esteem at the club.
On 25 September 2008, Sirrel sadly passed away aged 86, which led to an outpouring of grief from the Notts community and beyond. His funeral, on 7 October, was attended by fans and fellow peers from the world of football, who turned out to pay their respects.
Jimmy Sirrel is the epitome of a Notts County legend, and his name continues to be chanted by the Black and White Army today, testament to just how revered he is at NG2.
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Joe Jones

ARLukomski's Match Vlog: Notts County 3-1 Cheltenham Town, Saturday 18 November 2017

Notts County continue to set the pace at the top of the League Two table thanks to a 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
Jorge Grant opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when Jon Stead's layoff was convincingly rifled home by the Nottingham Forest loanee.
However, the Robins restored parity against the run of play when Carl Winchester was allowed space to unleash a low shot goalwards that snuck beyond Ross Fitzsimons.
Kevin Nolan's side rode their luck early in the second half but eventually came good as Grant doubled his tally before Shaun Brisley added a third to preserve Notts' great home league form and top spot in the table.
ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle.
Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here.
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ARLukomski

Kevin Nolan "absolutely delighted" with Notts County win over Cheltenham Town

Kevin Nolan has declared himself "absolutely delighted" with Notts County's 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
A Jorge Grant brace either side of a Carl Winchester daisy-cutter and a Shaun Brisley header saw the Magpies run out comfortable winners.
Other results also went County's way and resulted in them sitting two points clear at the top of the League Two table come 5pm.
"I'm absolutely delighted with the three points and I thought they were well-deserved," Nolan told the official Notts site.
"You're seeing things which we're trying to recreate from the training ground, like passing patterns, which make the lads feel more familiar when they are in those positions on a matchday.
"They are taking a lot on board. I'm delighted with some of the play in the last few weeks and there's still more to come."
Speaking about Cheltenham's performance, Nolan added: "They had a couple of chances after half-time which I wasn't too happy about but we got away with it.
"They had a lot of threats, which we dealt with very well. They're a big side who put the ball in good areas, do all the right things and play some good stuff at times.
"Their goal was excellent, although it was poor from our point of view.
"But the way we responded in the second half was brilliant - hats off to the lads. We now need to follow up that performance with another one down at Yeovil on Tuesday night.
"We're going to have to be at that standard again if we are to get three points."
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Joe Jones

Match Report: Notts County march on with victory over Cheltenham Town

Notts County continue to march on in their quest for promotion from League Two with a solid 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town in Saturday's game at Meadow Lane.
The Magpies were quick out of the starting blocks against the Robins, who were 16th in the table at kickoff, with Terry Hawkridge forcing a chested block from goalkeeper Scott Flinders after just three minutes.
Jorge Grant and Ryan Yates then weighed in with efforts which were blocked as the visitors struggled to weather the hosts' attacking play, while Shaun Brisley hit the side netting.
Jon Stead was next to threaten as he rifled narrowly wide after turning to collect a far post header back across goal, and Matt Tootle's swerving drive forced another save from Flinders.
Eventually Kevin Nolan's charges broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark as Carl Dickinson’s crossfield pass into the box was headed down to Stead, who sized up a shot but instead decided to lay the ball off for Grant.
It proved the correct decision as the Nottingham Forest loanee side-footed the ball into the top corner of the Cheltenham net to put the Magpies ahead.
However, the visitors drew level out of the blue just five minutes later, the Notts defence guilty of switching off as Carl Winchester and Kyle Storer exchanged passes before the former drilled a low effort into the bottom corner.
It could have gotten even worse for Notts in the second half as Cheltenham turned the screw and Harry Pell hit the top of the crossbar from a cross with Ross Fitzsimons struggling to scramble back.
The new Notts, however, have more grit about them and, on 52 minutes, the unplayable Grant grabbed his 13th of the season when his 25-yard free kick took a heavy deflection and wrong-footed Flinders en route to the back of the net.
And just two minutes later, a two-goal lead was established through Shaun Brisley, who finished off a move begun by a corner flicked on at the near post by Richard Duffy into his fellow defender's path, heading home to send Meadow Lane into a frenzy.
Notts continued to push forward and Jorge Grant came close to sealing what would have been a well-deserved hat-trick when he weaved through the Robins defence but couldn't get the ball past Flinders.
And although Cheltenham mounted a late fight-back, they couldn't get so much as a second goal to make things nervy as the Magpies saw the game out and built up their lead at the top of the table.
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Joe Jones

Alan Hardy eager to foster stability at Notts County with long-term Kevin Nolan tenure

Alan Hardy has expressed his hopes of having Kevin Nolan at Notts County for the long term as part of the team's journey out of the fourth tier and into the upper echelons of the Football League.
His comments come in the wake of Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer claiming that Nolan would not remain at Meadow Lane for long should the Magpies be promoted from League Two.
In addition, a Press Association Sport study found that, when it comes to managerial changes over the past 20 years, Notts top the standings.
In his weekly Nottingham Post column, Hardy wrote: "As chairman, I hope Kevin is our manager for years to come given the outstanding job he has done and how he has settled into life at Meadow Lane.
"It would be extremely foolish of me to think that other clubs would not sit up and take notice of him because what he has done here has truly been remarkable.
"I have always said he is a Premier League manager in the making because he has this uncanny ability to relate to his players.
"And, while I would love to keep him here under lock and key at Meadow Lane, there is going to be a day when a big club comes calling.
"I’ve already told him that, should such a situation arise, then I would not stand in his way because who am I to deny him what would be a fantastic opportunity?
"I’ve no doubt he can go on to reach the very top level but, in saying that, we are on a journey together which is why I decided to hand him a new contract.
"Stability is incredibly important at this football club and it seems ironic we are talking about this in a week when the hiring and firing culture hit the headlines.
"According to a Press Association study, which looked at managerial changes over the last 20 years, we came top of the table with 23.
"I don’t think I am speaking out of turn here by saying this is not a league table for us to be shouting from the rooftops about.
"We all know that having a revolving door in terms of players and managers does more harm than good, and that’s something I recognised before I even bought the club.
"As chairman I have a responsibility to stop a revolving door policy and I think you can see that what I want to achieve with Kevin is no short-term plan.
"It is very much for the long-term and it is essential we have continuity and, more importantly, stability.
"As the study proved, clubs who change their manager constantly very rarely encounter success. And it is success we want here at Notts County."
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Joe Jones

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