Leyton Orient 5-1 Notts

Just when you think things couldn't get worse for Notts County, they do. Yes, an away trip to a team that won their first six games on the bounce and boasting a goal difference of +12 was always going to be a tough ask, but to lose 5-1 marks a new low. Leyton Orient was the team which administered such punishment to the Magpies on a cold Tuesday evening in September, as if things couldn't get any frostier over at the club. Chris Kiwomya decided to completely reshuffle his team and formation, starting in a 3-5-1-1 formation with Enda Stevens and David Bell as the right-backs.

A back three of Gary Liddle, Dean Leacock and Alan Sheehan, a midfield of Callum McGregor, Andre Boucaud and Mark Fotheringham, and Jack Grealish behind Marcus Haber in attack.

In all fairness, Notts didn't begin too badly. McGregor and Grealish had shots in the first fifteen minutes, while Romain Vincelot's cross nearly looped into the Notts net. Vincelot's shot was the swing of the pendulum towards Orient, as Kevin Lisbie headed wide just a minute later and Tommy Mooney unleashed a powerful shot which was saved by Bartosz Bialkowski. On twenty minutes, a free-kick was swung in and nearly threatened, but for Nathan Clarke's inability to connect.

Notts did have several more chances, courtesy of Grealish and Haber, but sadly, Notts found themselves behind - as has pretty much always been the case this season - in the 28th minute to dangerman Lisbie, who was practically unmarked as he headed in from Lloyd James' free-kick. 1-0 Orient.

Notts did gain the upper hand in terms of play from then on, with an inspired Andre Boucaud doing particularly well, and Fotheringham did get a decet shot after some good play in midfield.

But the equaliser didn't come. The only thing that came was the next setback, the sucker punch, the doubling of the Orient lead on the stroke of half time, courtesy of that man again, the former Charlton player - back when they were in the Premiership - Kevin Lisbie, with a poacher's rebound after Dean Cox's shot.

After the half-time break, during which Manny Smith and Yoann Arquin came on in place of Fozzy and Stevens, Notts came out with intent, Bell showing some skill on the wing before attempting a low cross which was saved, before a tame free kick chance where Leacock's header was comfortably saved.

And then... 3-0 to Orient. The defence was caught napping again, and Cox, given way too much time on the ball, lashed a powerful shot into the net, with some help from the right-hand post.

Credit to Notts, they never quite gave up, Sheehan and Bell with some good chances, before the young McGregor weighed in with a woodwork-bothering effort on 65. Eventually, the Magpies did breach the O's clean sheet, substitute Danny Haynes heading the ball into the top corner on 71 minutes, but there was no chance of a Liverpool-style comeback this time, because the home side, brimming with confidence even before the game, took advantage of a weak and unattentive Notts defence to score another two, courtesy of Shaun Batt and Jayden Stockley.

So here we are. Rock bottom, one solitary point out of a possible 21, having just conceded five in one game. The 154 travelling Notts fans couldn't even look forward to a positive trip home, despite having made such an effort to travel down to London on a weeknight to see their team.