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Joe Jones
Notts County have met Colchester United 43 times over the years, all league encounters except for one Sherpa Vans Trophy tie in 1988.
The Magpies are in front when it comes to head-to-head, having won 21 games to Colchester's 15, with seven draws.
The first fixture between Notts and Colchester took place on 23 February 1959 at Layer Road, a Division Three clash which finished 4-1 to the U's.
The last fixture was last season on 1 April, the Magpies winning 3-1 at Meadow Lane.
All league encounters between the two have never taken place higher than the third tier.
History
Colchester United Football Club is a baby in English football club terms, having been born in 1937.
However, Colchester Town Football Club, the club's predecessor, was around since 1873.
Despite dwindling crowds in the mid-1930s, though, they refused to follow its neighbours Ipswich Town in turning professional, much to the disapproval of its fans and players.
As a result, Colchester United was formed, with the intention of playing professionally, and went on from strength to strength while its stubborn neighbour fell into decline and eventually folded.
Colchester United are responsible for one of the FA Cup's greatest ever upsets, when, in February 1971, they defeated the infamous Don Revie's Leeds United, an established top flight side who would finish second that season, by three goals to two. The U's were in the fourth division at the time.
The U's won the Football League Trophy (now the Johnstone's Paint Trophy) in 1996-97. and also compete in a competition called the Essex Senior Cup, a tournament contested by mostly non-league clubs within the region (Colchester usually field a youth/reserve team for this), winning this trophy back in 2009-10.
Micky Cook holds the all time club record for appearances with Colchester, having played nearly 700 games between 1969 and 1984.
Notable former players include Titus Bramble, Alec Chamberlain, Mark Kinsella, Kevin Lisbie and Newcastle cult hero Lomana LuaLua.
The town of Colchester is said to be the oldest recorded town in Britain on the grounds that it was mentioned by Pliny the Elder, who died in AD 79.
It was for a time the capital of Roman Britain, and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.
Since 2006, Colchester has been one of 12 places in the UK where Royal Salutes are fired to mark Royal anniversaries and visits by foreign heads of state.
Team news
Notts County are assessing Jon Stead ahead of Saturday's game after suffering a dead leg in the draw with Yeovil in midweek.
Magpies manager Kevin Nolan fears that the game at Meadow Lane could come too quickly for the veteran striker to be involved.
Jonathan Forte, who replaced Stead at Huish Park and scored the opening goal, took a hit to the face at Huish Park but he is expected to be alright to play.
Shola Ameobi was rested against Yeovil but he will return to contention for the weekend when Notts look to protect their unbeaten league record at Meadow Lane this season.
In-form Colchester will check on the fitness of winger Doug Loft ahead of the trip to Meadow Lane.
Loft was recalled to the side for the midweek win over Lincoln but was forced off late in the first half because of a shoulder problem.
Midfielder Sean Murray is stepping up his recovery following knee surgery along with forward Kurtis Guthrie, who has been sidelined by long-term ankle trouble.
Winger Brennan Dickenson, club captain Luke Prosser and midfielder Courtney Senior are all working their way back from respective knee problems.
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan is optimistic that Notts County duo Adam Collin and Michael O'Connor will come back to the “top of their game” after providing an update on their return from long-term injuries.
O’Connor has been sidelined since April because of a serious knee injury, while Collin has been absent after suffering a knee injury of his own in last month’s win over Barnet.
"Michael has been on an anti-gravity treadmill which has allowed him to run in straight lines," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
"Losing him was a massive blow to us and having him in the squad this year would have put us on another level because of his quality and what he brings to the team.
"Adam's swelling has gone down and he's meeting with the specialist so we will have more news soon.
“We're hopeful he will come out of the brace so he can start getting back to work sooner rather than later.
"He has been fantastic since I walked through the door and he has taken his performances to another level this season after finishing last season strongly.
"The most important thing is we get them back at the top of their game and we are not putting them under any stress to ensure there is no recurrence of their injuries.
"They're two massive characters but it's brilliant to see how well the lads have coped without them."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has expressed his wholehearted support for Richard Duffy after the Notts County captain conceded a penalty at Yeovil Town on Tuesday night.
The Magpies had edged ahead through Jonathan Forte at Huish Park but were pegged back after Duffy brought down Francois Zoko in the area and the ex-Notts forward converted from the spot for a 1-1 final result.
Nolan admits that the Welshman was upset with himself over the decision, but said such slip-ups happen and insisted that the defender's positive contributions over the course of the season have been plentiful.
“Richard was disappointed because he gave the penalty away, but it happens,” the manager told the Nottingham Post.
“He has kept us in games and has been fantastic this year. He is our skipper and we are all in it together. We all win together, we all lose together, we all draw together.
“But, at the end of the day, I am at that happy medium again where I am not going to get too disheartened about Tuesday.
“I was just disappointed for the lads because I felt they had done enough to come away with three points.”
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Joe Jones
Two tickets for Notts County's League Two encounter against Crawley Town are up for grabs as part of a fundraising drive for St John's Ambulance.
Simon Murray was given two tickets for the fixture, scheduled for 6 January at Meadow Lane, by the club with the aim of raising money for the cause.
He got in touch via Pride of Nottingham to promote a charity raffle, which can be entered with a donation of just £3.
Simon, an Everton fan living in Nottingham, wrote on the PON forum: "Your club have been kind enough to donate two home match tickets for your match against Crawley Town to me, as I'm raising funds for St John's Ambulance.
"I am hoping to get enough interest to raffle the tickets off via your forum. All 'sales' will essentially be a donation directly to my JustGiving page.
"I've used my extremely limited knowledge of your current squad (gathered from a combination of seeing you dispatch a young Everton side in the EFL trophy, sitting through a 1-0 win over Swindon in the pouring rain, and a bunch of Channel 5 highlights), and thrown in a few apparent club legends (based solely on Wikipedia), to gather a list of 20 names.
"The idea is that you donate £3 to the page, and pick a player from the list. Once all names have gone, I'll add them all to the following website, and generate a winner.
"I've got a voucher from the club at the moment. I can contact them and leave the contact details of the winner for collection (I will send the covering letter and voucher in the post as well), or can arrange to collect the tickets myself and post them out. I've attached a picture of the letter received, just to give peace of mind.

"All help and support is very much appreciated. I'll be sure to check back regularly and mark what names have gone. The closing date for entry is 17th December 2017, and I will draw from whatever names have been sold on this date."
To see the names that are still available, and for more information, here is the link for the original post on the PON forum.
Speaking to Simon, he told PON of his decision to share his fundraising on this site: "I had a look over a couple of forums, but this one seemed like an active and friendly bunch. Reminds me of the old days of a since disbanded Everton forum ran on the Bluekipper fan site. Despite Kieran Dowell's efforts for Forest I think County have definitely become my adopted team of the area after the generosity of the club and yourselves!"
With the Magpies continuing to go from strength to strength under Kevin Nolan and boasting impressive home form, the opportunity to win two tickets for just £3 is one not to be missed!
But don't forget - the closing date is Sunday 17 December so get in there quick! Chris and JJ have already made donations, and with all the great work St John's Ambulance does, it's a very noble cause that deserves all our support!
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Joe Jones
Shaun Brisley has admitted that he is thoroughly enjoying his time at Notts County and believes his decision to leave Carlisle United has been justified.
The 27-year-old left Brunton Park in the summer to join Kevin Nolan - with whom he worked at Leyton Orient - at Meadow Lane.
Brisley has established himself as a mainstay of the Notts defence, putting in impressive performances week in, week out and helping the Magpies to the upper echelons of League Two.
"It wasn't going to be an easy choice to leave Carlisle, who made the play-offs last season," Brisley told the official Notts website.
"But I had to come to a team who I thought would be pushing for promotion. Notts County was that team.
"I'm enjoying my football, which helps massively. I feel as though I have come in and done well but there is still plenty of room for improvement. I'm still working on my weaknesses to ensure I keep getting better.
"Richard (Duffy) and I have been playing to the best of our ability for most of the season so long may that continue.
"Part of the understanding we have between each other comes naturally and some of it comes from work on the training ground.
"We complement each other well. We both have different strengths and weaknesses, which even themselves out."
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Joe Jones
We're 19 games into the season and top spot in League Two keeps changing hands more often than a game of "pass the parcel".
Notts County were top of the table until Tuesday night, when a 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town saw Luton Town return to the top on goal difference (and theirs is pretty darn high).
But this weekend we go again and the team standing between the Magpies and three points is Colchester United, who currently sit in a very healthy ninth place in the standings.
Pride of Nottingham spoke to U's fan John to get an insight on the opposition as well as what it's like supporting the club.
About John: I'm 26, my dad used to take me to games since I was a kid but I've been properly supporting the U's since I was 14, and my favourite player of all time is Karl Duguid.
How did it feel to win the "Pride of Anglia" title for the first time in the club's history when you finished above Norwich and Ipswich in 2007?
It was great, that season was amazing, 10th in the Championship was our highest ever finish and it was funny to upstage those two teams, even if neither are our greatest rivals - Wycombe hold that distinction.
You famously beat Norwich 7-1 away on the opening day of the 2009-10 League One season but then Paul Lambert defected to them and led them to the title - what are your thoughts on that whole debacle?
Let's just say he's not remembered very fondly here. He did a good job with us, there's no denying that, and beating Norwich 7-1 away was an incredible occasion, but to leave right at the start of the season shows what kind of snake he is. There's nothing wrong with personal ambition but to leave us in the manner and timing that he did left a bitter taste.
You lost to Oxford City in the first round of the FA Cup and we'll be facing them in round two - any tips on how to approach the game?
No disrespect to City but we really weren't at the races that day, we really should have beaten them, but all credit to them, they played well. Their striker (Matt Paterson) was dangerous, he scored with a well-taken header, hit the bar from a free kick and had several other chances, so he'll be one to watch, while their wingers were also a handful, so my advice would be not to take the game lightly and to keep their attacking players at bay.
Who are your team's danger men?
Mikael Mandron has got a decent enough goal tally with six in 18 and is quite skilful, but his goals have mostly been simple tap-ins - he's not the kind that will weave into the box and pull off some magic. Sammie Szmodics has seven in 16 (all competitions) and is back from injury - he's a tenacious attacking midfielder and has a great eye for goal so he's probably the one you should watch out for (though I hope you won't!).
Score and scorer prediction?
2-0 to the U's, Szmodics and Mandron with our goals.
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has reiterated that Notts County want Jorge Grant to remain at Meadow Lane until the end of the season but insists that he doesn't "have to convince anyone to stay".
The Nottingham Forest midfielder's deal with the Magpies runs until the end of the campaign but the Reds have an option to recall him in January.
Grant has developed immensely as a footballer at Notts since his first loan spell last season and currently tops the League Two scoring charts with 13 goals, and Nolan believes that the youngster knows he's come a long way over the Trent.
“I don’t have to convince anyone to stay,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “If Jorge wants to stay he stays, if he doesn’t, he doesn’t.
“We want him here, he knows that. Jorge is enjoying his time here and knows that he is loved by everybody at the club.
“He is thriving in this environment so why would you want to take yourself out of it?
“If he goes anywhere else he has to make sure he is the number one man there or he is one of their top, top, players.
“He’s got an environment that will help him develop as a player on and off the field.
“I can only advise Jorge what I feel would be the best for him. I speak to him and his dad about that and I wouldn’t stand in his way if he had that offer if it was somebody who would help him get to that next level.
“But at this minute in time, the best thing for Jorge is to be here. The more he stays with us, the more he will keep thriving.”
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Joe Jones
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.
- Sky Bet and EFL signed a new five-year headline sponsorship deal, which runs through to the 2023/24 season - it will see a 20 per cent year-on-year increase from 2019/20 on the current deal and will see the partnership extended to 11 years.
- Coventry City midfielder Jordan Shipley won the Sky Bet League Two Goal of the Month award for October, receiving 47 per cent of the public vote for his free kick against Luton Town.
- Crawley Town manager Harry Kewell was involved in a confrontation with one of his team's fans following the 4-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers, having to be pulled back by players and stewards, and went on to issue an apology "for any misunderstanding".
- The EFL has confirmed that Checkatrade Trophy matches up to the quarter-finals of this season's competition will be streamed live online on iFollow, starting with the 16 second-round ties in December. The semi-finals and final will be shown on Sky Sports.
- Grimsby Town issued a statement insisting that Curtis Woodhouse was not being given the first-team job at the club and was merely attending a first-team training session. Taking aim at Matt Dean of Radio Humberside, the statement claimed that had they "taken the time to properly research and report on this, they would have realised that this speculation is unfounded and undermines the current management staff at the club."
- Former Wales international Christian Ribeiro, who has played for a number of lower-league clubs including Exeter City and enjoyed loan spells at the likes of Colchester United and Carlisle United, has retired aged just 27 due to a knee injury.
All news stories sourced from BBC Sport and Sky Sports.
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has confirmed that Jon Stead suffered a dead leg in Notts County's 1-1 draw with Yeovil Town on Tuesday night.
The 34-year-old had to be substituted in the first half of the League Two encounter at Huish Park following a collision with Omar Sowunmi, Jonathan Forte taking his place up front.
“Steady got a horrible knock on his thigh,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “He’s got a big bump on it and we will be assessing it over the next 24 to 48 hours.
“It just depends on his recovery powers. The medical team will get down to work icing it and given how fit he is, I am hoping it won’t be a massive thing.
“These are nasty injuries. People will say it’s only a dead leg but it’s on his quad and he will be using that a lot.
“We have to be careful. We don’t want to rush him back and he pulls that thigh because it will be weakened because of the bruising. We will do what is right for him and right for us.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County have relinquished top spot in League Two after being pegged back by Yeovil Town for a 1-1 draw at Huish Park on Tuesday night.
The Magpies had looked on course to remain at the summit when substitute Jonathan Forte raced through to produce an excellent finish.
However, former Notts forward Francois Zoko was brought down in the box late on for a penalty which he duly rattled home from the spot for a share of the points.
Here is how Kevin Nolan, plus the Black and White Army, reacted to the draw.
Kevin Nolan
“I think we should have had all three points. 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.”
Notts fans
Liampie: I feel robbed but i would have taken the point at the start of the game. i just think we need to cut the mistakes out, duffy seems like a chicken at times and hes cost us 2 points tonight.
Chris: I really don't feel Duffy is someone who can lead us at the back, I don't disagree that he has improved but I just don't think he's good enough. When he was given the captaincy, I just didn't get why. I'm not bothered about the result, I respect the point and I have said it's a decent result. Yet we should have won, and would have done without a silly challenge.
I'm hopeful we sign a solid CB for this league in January, whilst I hope we give someone else the armband. Yeovil aren't a bad side, and like I called I felt they would pinch a point. At the time it seemed to be all favouring us though, yet my gut just said that it would happen. It's kinda disappointing, yet we can't be deflated by the result. Yet If we aim to escape this division we can't accept weak or poor defending.
Bring on the next league game, we'll be fine.
Lee Atkins: Too much punt and hope for me. Long ball all game got boring and Yeovil knew what we were going to do. Duffy is poor. Midfield (central) also went missing too much for my liking a centre midfielder needs to stay central and hold not go wondering off all the time like milsom did. Trying to work the ball into the net does not work in league 2, had enough chances on the edge of the box to pull the trigger but everyone seemed scared to shoot. Need a new striker, centre mid and central defender In January.
Colin Hodgson: We got a point. Long way to go. Still a lot of them teams around us have got to come to Meadow Lane. Kevin Nolan's black and white army!
Tim Taylor: Win at home and draw away as they say. We wont be far off. From my past knowledge teams who get promoted lose circa 10 games or less. Playoffs usually 14 or less. We have lost 3 in 19. Same form equals roughly 10 in 46. Therefore, promotion. COYP!
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Joe Jones
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
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 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
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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Chris
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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About PON

Pride of Nottingham

Pride of Nottingham is an independent fansite devoted to Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club. Created in 2013, it has served as a source of Magpie news, features, match previews, reports, analysis and interviews for more than three years.

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