Stevenage F.C Preview

Pressure on the Pies - Fortress Meadow Lane holds play to a Notts team looking to break their maiden this weekend and strike up their first win of the 2013/4 season campaign. The visitors, Stevenage, arrive as one of only 3 teams not to score a point this season. Albeit one of those teams is Coventry who are on -4 points having started on -10, after having a point deduction for going into administration back in March. Notts have not been in imperious form themselves so far, facing stiff tasks against two promotion favourites, Peterborough and Sheffield United.

Notts will take heart though from the last 30 minutes against Walsall where a much improved display with attacking football started to come to fruition.

No doubts about it, Notts really need to be picking up three points here. It is Notts easiest task to date, facing a Stevenage team well out of form. Even more emphasis is placed on the need for a Notts win as last season’s poor home record was a major reason for a lack of points on the table.

David Bell looked the part for Notts against Walsall and although sure not to be match-fit, Kiwomya will surely want to get him on the field to show what he can do again. It will a fascinating what Kiwomya decides to do with Gary Liddle.

Manny Smith has lacked any run in the side for over a year, but he has improved with every minute he has been on the pitch. I hope he gets his chance to retain the centre back spot with Liddle tried in midfield. It’s the middle of the park in which Notts need to be more effective, and so I feel it would be worth a gamble to try Liddle out in the middle of the park.

Graham Westley will hope to keep things tight and hit Notts on the counter attack as they so sorely did in a 2-1 defeat at home last time. Freeman and Shroot look the main dangers in the Stevenage side, but Notts are more than capable of shutting them out.

I will be very pleased if Kiwomya really goes for this one and puts out an attacking line up to show the fans what this side can do. Playing it defensively against this side will only make the game tenser and a point will be fairly dissatisfying.

So come on you pies!
By James Constantine