Match Report: Notts County stumble once again as Cambridge United claim all three points at Abbey Stadium

Notts County's promotion hopes have taken another blow as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Cambridge United in Tuesday night's League Two encounter at the Abbey Stadium.

The Magpies were comprehensively outplayed in the first half by a side that had won two on the bounce under caretaker manager Joe Dunne, having dispended with ex-Notts boss Shaun Derry's services two weeks ago.

Cambridge were bright from the off and went close in the opening stages of the game as Liam O’Neil’s 20-yard effort sailed wide before Uche Ikpeazu’s low attempt was just the wrong side of the near post.

The closest that Notts came to a goal in the first period came when Liam Noble’s attempted lob on 26 minutes went over the U's crossbar.

Dunne's charges went on to take the lead on the half-hour mark when Jevani Brown's shot took a deflection and ran through to Medy Elito, who took a touch past goalkeeper Adam Collin before firing home.

Billy Waters' shot from the edge of the box was then parried wide by Collin, before Brad Halliday surged forward on the right and forced the Notts custodian into a save with his feet.

Moments before half-time Elito struck an ambitious effort from distance which went only narrowly wide, the whistle effectively putting the visitors out of their misery for 15 minutes.

The restart saw more of the same as O'Neil headed over following Uche Ikpeazu's cross from the byline, but Notts began asserting themselves a little more in search of an equaliser.

That would never come, however, as Cambridge continued to boss the action in search of a second goal, which looked likelier to come for then than it would have for Kevin Nolan's side.

Eventually the final whistle blew on a narrow but overall comfortable win for the hosts, who claim their third win on the trot.

Notts, meanwhilw, are forced to once again lick their wounds and go back to the drawing board as their hopes of promotion continue to slip from their fingers.

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