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Matty Platt's 67th-Minute Heroics Seal 1-0 Triumph for Notts Against AFC Wimbledon


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Notts County secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against AFC Wimbledon at Meadow Lane, digging deep to maintain a clean sheet despite being under sustained pressure from the visitors.

Matty Platt’s second-half goal proved decisive as the Magpies edged out The Dons in a tightly contested encounter.

The match began with both teams cautiously probing each other's defences. Notts County, as has been the norm this season, dominated possession with 68%, but they struggled to convert this into clear-cut opportunities, managing just three shots on target throughout the game.

In contrast, AFC Wimbledon, while seeing only 32% of the ball, looked more threatening in the final third, registering eight shots on target and forcing goalkeeper Alex Bas into several crucial saves.

The first half was a scrappy affair, with fouls breaking up play frequently. Notts County’s Matty Platt and Lewis Macari were booked, as were Riley Harbottle and James Furlong for the visitors.

The physical nature of the contest saw both teams commit multiple fouls, with Wimbledon conceding 19 and Notts County 13.

Set-pieces and free kicks became a pivotal aspect of the match, but neither side could capitalise on their opportunities in the opening period.

The best chance of the first half fell to AFC Wimbledon’s Omar Bugiel, whose header flashed just wide of the post after a well-worked move down the right-hand side.

At the other end, David McGoldrick saw his effort from inside the box narrowly miss the target as Notts County struggled to find a way through The Dons’ resolute defence.

In the second half, Notts County began to apply more pressure, with Matt Palmer orchestrating play in midfield. The breakthrough came in the 67th minute, following a corner that saw Palmer deliver an inviting ball into the box.

Matty Platt struck the ball and guided his effort into the bottom corner, giving the Magpies a 1-0 lead much to the delight of the Meadow Lane faithful.

Despite falling behind, AFC Wimbledon refused to back down. Their attacking threat continued as substitute Huseyin Biler fired a powerful shot from distance in the dying moments, but his effort whistled just past the post.

James Tilley also came close with a header that was well saved by Bass, who stood tall to preserve his clean sheet.

As the clock ticked towards full-time, Wimbledon threw everything at Notts County, but the Magpies remained resolute, defending with determination to see out the match.

In the closing stages, the game became increasingly scrappy, with several stoppages for fouls and a lengthy delay due to an injury to Lewis Macari, who had to be replaced by Rod McDonald.

The match ended with AFC Wimbledon continuing to push forward in search of an equaliser, but it was Notts County who held on for a crucial three points.

The victory keeps the Magpies firmly in the promotion race, while Wimbledon will be left to rue their missed chances.

Share your post-match thoughts on today’s 1-0 win at Meadow Lane against AFC Wimbledon in our Pride of Nottingham match discussion. Join the conversation here!

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This was a really important win for Notts & their fourth clean sheet of the season.

This team know how to win when they aren't playing at their best and that was the case today.

The defensive line were solid again today and Bass was superb. When a team has a good defence there will always be a chance of winning or at least drawing. 

Matches such as this, Notts would have possibly lost last season. Now they are winning these games by showing grit, determination & a will to win.

Notts have lost good players till at least the new year & they just need to keep getting positive results till then.

The way they are playing they should be there or there abouts near the top of the league when those players return..

Another tough game awaits on Tuesday away to Barrow. Notts will need to repeat the grit and determination they showed today on Tuesday night, by grinding another win or draw. 

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i dont care so much about the performance because the win was the result we needed. some fans really need to be happy, instead of complaining we dont win and then its the performance. allow the confidence to increase and hopefully then, the performances will get better. winning is important at this stage, no matter how.

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Really pleased with the result today. We looked a bit shaky at times, but credit to the lads for keeping their heads and grinding out a result. Defensively, we were solid, and it’s great to see the team able to close out games like this. It wasn’t flashy, but it was a proper team performance with everyone putting in a shift. This is exactly what we need if we want to push for promotion.

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That was a proper hard-fought win! The kind of match where you’re just hoping we don’t concede because it felt like one goal would be enough to win it. And it was! What I liked the most was the team’s work rate, everyone from front to back was putting in a shift. It’s not always about playing free-flowing football, sometimes you’ve just got to grind out the result. And we did exactly that today. We didn’t create loads of chances, but the one we got, we took, and defensively we were really switched on. Another clean sheet, and another step closer to where we want to be.

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This was a tough match and all the team worked really hard to secure the win none more than Bass who put in an excellent performance in goal. It wasn’t a classic match by any stretch of the imagination but we got the 3 point and sometimes you have to win ugly. 

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I thought we handled the game well yesterday, especially given how competitive Wimbledon were in the first half. We looked solid at the back, which is something that’s really improved this season. A few shaky moments, but on the whole, our defence kept them at bay and gave us a platform to nick a goal. It’s always good to see the team fighting for every ball, even when the game isn’t going in our favour. We’re showing more resilience now, and wins like this can be crucial come the end of the season. Every point counts, especially in such a tough league.

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Matty Platt was outstanding throughout the game. His height makes him a real threat to the opposition during set pieces. I was really pleased for him, as it was a brilliant moment for such a hardworking player who doesn’t always get the praise he deserves. He works so well with Jacob Bedeau, who tends to get more of the attention.

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That match showed a lot about the character of this team. We weren’t at our best, but the defensive shape was excellent, and Wimbledon struggled to break us down. It’s great to see the team adapting to different challenges. We couldn’t find our rhythm at times, but the lads stayed focused and got the job done. It’s not always about dominating possession or creating loads of chances, sometimes it’s just about doing the basics right. That’s exactly what we did today. We’ve been scoring a lot this season, but it’s wins like this that can be just as important.

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I know everyone keeps saying it, but this game would have ended in defeat last season. If you want to understand just how far we have come, go back and watch footage from last season, then re-watch the full game. You’ll see how solid we were at the back. Alex Bass is an excellent keeper, very reliable and determined. I can overlook performances in tough games, especially when the team is working hard for the win.

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You have to balance good performances with less-than-perfect ones when aiming for promotion. Who cares what purists think? Similarly, who worries about winning ugly when results like this take some pressure off the team? 

I believe we did everything we could to secure the result. We will need to rely on the defence to handle threats strongly, and when we can’t, thankfully Alex Bass is exceptional, especially at this level. 

It was a good win, and it deserves only positive thoughts from us.

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