Notts County survived a second-half blitz to secure a point at home against Leyton Orient in a 1-1 draw marred by a contentious penalty decision for the visitors' equaliser.

After an initial few minutes of tentative, cautious football, the game sprung into life as David Mooney's effort deflected off Curtis Thompson for a corner, from which Scott Cuthbert threatened with a header.

Shortly afterwards, Jake Cassidy set up Zeli Ismail, whose shot whistled past the back post, while Mooney, Jobi McAnuff and Reece Brown also registered efforts on goal for their respective sides, all within the first 10 minutes.

Things slowed down somewhat after the frantic opener, but both sides kept foraying into each other's areas in a bid to break the deadlock.

Eventually, the opening goal came, and it fell to the home side, courtesy of the referee awarding a penalty for a tackle on Haydn Hollis in the box.

Ismail stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards to put the Magpies in the lead.

After conceding, the away side duly stepped up their game and pushed forward, troubling Notts on various opportunities, but were unable to breach their defenses, the half-time scoreline proving advantage Magpies.

Russell Slade was allegedly told that he had one game to save his job: this one. He must have given his team quite a stirring half-time speech, as Orient came out with serious intent after the break.

In the first few seconds of the second period, Michael Petrasso pounced on a loose Gary Jones ball before firing and nearly scoring.

He wouldn't have to wait long to put his side level, because just five minutes later, Curtis Thompson was judged to have brought down Mooney inside the area, and despite the protests, Chris Dagnall duly stepped up and struck the ball past Roy Carroll.

Notts were arguably lucky not to concede again, given the renewed efforts by the O's to seal the win and save their manager, but despite coming under siege, Shaun Derry's boys managed to contain their opposition and end the game with a draw and a valuable point.

Notts County have secured a valuable point away from home against arguably one of the toughest teams to play so far this season, Peterborough United.

The Magpies made four changes to the side that beaten Mansfield Town in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy last week, with Roy Carroll returning in goal, new loan signing Louis Laing coming in for the injured Hayden Mullins, and Alan Smith and Zeli Ismail returning in place of Mike Edwards and Ronan Murray.

The first few minutes of the game were fairly even, but the Posh turned on the screw soon enough, with stand-in captain Alan Smith having to make a timely intervention to thwart what could have been a dangerous attack.

The first concrete chance of the game came in the ninth minute, when Marcus Maddison's shot rumbled the side netting, while on the quarter-hour mark, the same man fell in the Notts box, but was given a yellow card for his troubles.

Zeli Ismail showed flashes of intent when he rounded the keeper in the 18th minute, only for the move to be called offside, while just a minute later beat off two men before firing his shot wide.

On the half-hour mark, the Magpies enjoyed a lively spell when Liam Noble blasted an effort just wide, before setting up Jake Cassidy on two occasions. The Wolves man was just off target with his chances.

Controversy ensued a few minutes later when Reece Brown's shot appeared to be handled in the box, but nothing was given.

Both sides kept plugging away at each other right into first-half injury time and until the whistle, with a draw at the break a fair enough assessment of their respective performances.

The second half saw more of the same, albeit with fewer clear-cut chances.

Peterborough were appealing for a penalty against Haydn Hollis in the 77th minute when Kyle Vassell went to ground, but nothing was given by the referee.

The Posh had arguably the best chance of the game right in the final few seconds when a slip by Gary Jones allowed Maddison to maraud in on goal, but the former Gateshead man couldn't capitalise with the last kick of the game, and so the spoils were shared.

Yes, you could argue it was a game against lower league opposition, in a second-rate competition. But nevertheless, it was the perfect response to Sunday's last-gasp defeat at Bristol City, it was a good runout for some of our fringe players, and crucially, it gives us bragging rights over a local rival.

Notts County put in a good performance against Mansfield Town, two players getting themselves on the scoresheet to beat the Stags 2-0 in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy this evening.

The away side arguably began the game more eagerly, in a bid to give a good opening account of themselves away against higher-ranked opposition, but it didn't take long for Notts to gain a foothold into the game, going on to dominate possession and pushing forward.

Just before the quarter-hour mark, Ronan Murray blasted a powerful low shot towards goal, which was skilfully deflected by Dimitar Evtimov and out for the first of two consecutive corners.

A few minutes later, Reece Brown was next to threaten the Stags fort with a long-range effort that flew wide, while Murray saw two efforts desperately blocked in the 19th minute.

It wasn't until midway through the first half that Mansfield were able to trouble the Magpies net, a Simon Heslop free kick curling just wide.

County, or more accurately Murray, kept plugging away, and eventually, on the half-hour mark, got their just desserts.

The Irish boy wonder received the ball following some great link-up play on the left-hand side before firing home for the first goal of the match.

By this point, it was all Notts. Jake Cassidy went on to blast into the side netting just a few minutes after the goal, while Brown thumped a header just slightly off target in the 34th minute.

Mansfield were more fired up at the start of the second half, and could have scored ten minutes after the restart when Matt Rhead headed wide, shortly followed by an Alex Fisher shot that had to be saved by stand-in stopper Fabian Spiess.

Chris Clements was next to sully the German youngster's fists, courtesy of a corner in the 57th minute.

For their improvements, however, Mansfield would not be able to reap any benefits in the latter stages of the game, because in the 65th minute, Cassidy was able to latch onto a low free-kick, beat his marker and thump home from close range for that all-important second goal.

Mansfield, to their credit, weren't quite down and out just yet - Ollie Palmer gave Spiess a fright in the 74th minute, the young keeper having to pull off a smart save from the Stags man.

However, the away side weren't able to mount a comeback, and with the game petering out towards the late, late stages, Notts fans could sit comfortably and not have to bite any fingernails - a rare occurrence even at this early point in the season - before the final whistle blew on a solid 2-0 win and progress to the second round of this cup competition.

Well, today we were hard done by. After taking an early lead against Bristol City, it was a case of backs to the wall for the Magpies, as the opposition plugged away.

Even though the Robins' efforts were ultimately rewarded with a goal on the hour, we were certainly capable of finishing the game with something.

That is, until the referee's late intervention gifted City an ill-deserved penalty right at the death, and then, that was it. We had lost the game, cruelly robbed of a point.

The game began with the visitors quickest off the starting blocks, as debutant Kieran Agard headed wide from Mark Little's cross on the right flank after just a minute.

Three minutes later, Robins goalkeeper Frank Fielding had to be alert to punch away a Liam Noble cross, the ball falling to Gary Jones, who blasted over.

Just before the quarter-hour mark, however, the breakthrough came the way of the home side.

A Haydn Hollis punt upfield was misjudged by the City defence, with Zeli Ismail claiming possession of the ball. After beating one defender and holding off another, he slotted the ball past Fielding to send the Kop wild.

The visitors responded positively and could have equalised when Luke Freeman's free-kick clipped the outside of the post on the half-hour mark.

Two minutes later, Noble skipped past two Bristol players, but his subsequent shot flew just wide.

The two teams exchanged sparring blows after the break, but with City growing into the game, it came as little surprise when, on the hour, Little's cross caused havoc in the home defence, and despite Agard failing to connect, Aaron Wilbraham was at hand to tap the ball into an empty net for the equalising goal.

Now brimming with confidence, Steve Cotterill's side stepped it up a gear and found themselves troubling Notts time and time again, although they were let off in the 82nd minute when, following a counterattack, Fielding had to be at his best to save a low Ismail drive.

For all their efforts, however, Notts were on course to settle for a well-earned point, but then disaster struck in injury time.

Luke Freeman forayed into the area when Curtis Thompson went into a challenge, with the Bristol man convincingly drawing a foul, some might say even dived to the ground.

The referee blew for a penalty, much to the shock and anger of everyone linked with Notts, on the pitch, on the sidelines and in the stands.

Nevertheless, Jay Emanuel-Thomas placed the ball on the penalty spot, composed himself, and sent Roy Carroll the wrong way to steal the victory away from the Magpies.

Today's victory is brought to you by the Rocky Balboa school of "Not Going Down Despite Being Completely Pummeled from Start to Finish".

Notts County travelled to Port Vale and were under the cosh for most of the game, the opposition clocking up 24 shots and 18 corners, but nevertheless scored two unanswered goals to record the unlikeliest of wins in Staffordshire.

The away side actually started the brighter, Vale goalkeeper Sam Johnson having to claim from two Notts attacks within the first two minutes.

In the 10th minute, Mustapha Dumbuya was forced to clear a shot off his line, Vale clearly in the ascendency, but just a minute later came the first Magpie sucker punch.

Veteran Gary Jones, his side breaking from a Vale attack, connected beautifully onto the ball from about 25 yards out, sending a stunning volley past Johnson into the net to send the travelling support into raptures.

Bad news came the Magpies' way midway through the first half as Blair Adams, declared fit before the game, had to be subbed off as early as the 28th minute. Curtis Thompson came on in his place.

Just after the half-hour mark, Haydn Hollis nearly doubled his side's lead, but the young defender wasn't able to connect with Jones's free kick.

The two sides proceeded to exchange several more half-chances, but no more goals were to be scored before the break.

The best Notts chance of the game came in the 50th minute when Liam Noble was sent through one-on-one against Johnson, but the Vale keeper deflected the ball over with his leg.

After the hour mark, the home side burst into life, Colin Daniel mistiming a volley in the 65th minute and Tom Pope firing wide from a tight angle just moments later.

By the 70th minute, it was backs to the wall for Notts, as Shaun Derry's side had to thwart several chances in quick succession.

Pope, Daniel and Mark Marshall all plugged away with efforts which seemed to suggest that a Vale goal was imminent.

However, with just four minutes to go of the game, came yet another Notts sucker punch (and how good does it feel to be on the right side of these this season!), courtesy of Noble's deflected free kick.

Game over. After huffing and puffing for the last half hour, Vale were left disconsolate as their efforts ultimately led to nothing.

Save for another half-chance by Marshall in injury time, there was little more action, and the final whistle ultimately blew on a topsy-turvy and nail-biting game that, fortunately, went the right way.

Much better.

After a truly insipid performance shown on Saturday against Fleetwood, Notts County have given a stronger (though not quite the full product yet) account of themselves tonight against Colchester United, and despite riding their luck for large parts of the game, went on to seal a 2-1 win against their opposition at Meadow Lane.

The Magpies started well, Liam Noble firing a shot on goal after just two minutes, but Sam Walker in the U's goal was able to save with ease.

However, just four minutes later, the home side were already on the scoresheet. Nicky Wroe played in Ronan Murray, who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0 to Notts, much to the delight of the home crowd.

And just two minutes later, Gary Jones sent in a dangerous free kick, but this time there was no connection and the U's got away scot-free.

Colchester did, however, up their tempo thereafter, and Roy Carroll had to be at his best to thwart chances from Jabo Ibehre and Dominic Vose, particularly in the 35th minute when the ex-Manchester United keeper pulled off a spectacular save with his leg from the former.

The half-time whistle came as a relief, as Notts found themselves with their backs to the wall towards the latter stages of the opening 45.

Early the second half, Tom Eastman came close to slicing the ball into his own net following some early Notts pressure, but the resulting corner from Jones was cleared away.

The U's subsequently cranked up the pressure again, and Freddie Sears was sent clear through on goal on the hour, but Carroll pulled off another great save to deny the ex-West Ham striker.

Ten minutes later, however, Sears succeeded in breaching the Notts clean sheet, having been given a second chance one-on-one with the Magpies goalkeeper. This time, the 24-year-old slotting the ball underneath Carroll.

And then the drama began. First, Shaun Derry was sent to the stands for arguing with the match officials.

Just as it looked like it was all going to unravel, Liam Noble then struck what could be described, among many other superlatives, as an early contender for League One goal of the season, trying his luck from around 30 yards and curling the ball past Walker into the net.

Then young Cieron Keane, just four days past his 18th birthday, found himself sent off after accruing a second yellow card.

Mustapha Dumbuya had a wonderful chance to bury the game in the 83rd minute after controlling a rebounded shot, but he blasted wide.

And then, yet more drama, Wroe was then sent off right at the end of regulation time, leaving Notts with NINE men on the pitch and six minutes of injury time left to play.

Sears very nearly bagged his brace during this period, but luckily he blasted wide, and luckily, the final whistle would blow without any more significant actions taking place, with Notts claiming all three points.

Derry will, however, have to realise what a pyrrhic victory this was, as his already depleted squad now finds itself two further men down for the next game, courtesy of suspensions.

After a positive start away at Preston North End, Notts were brought back down to earth with a 1-0 defeat at home to Fleetwood Town. It wasn't so much the scoreline that was the issue, rather the inept display from the men in black and white on the pitch.

It was hoped that the 3-0 pounding at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek was a one-off against a team in a higher league in a cup competition, but today, the Magpies put in a shambolic performance which saw the Fishermen win thanks to Jamie Proctor's first half goal.

The first chance of the game fell to the home side, as a cutback from Haydn Hollis fell to Ronan Murray, who blasted over.

Just a few minutes later, Proctor threatened the Notts goal with a curling shot from the edge of the area, but this too sailed wide.

For the rest of the first half, the Magpies were restricted to ambitious half-chances which failed to trouble the Fishermen keeper, while the opposition plugged away with dangerous efforts.

Roy Carroll had to be at his best to thwart chances from Gareth Evans, Stephen Jordan, Jamie Morris and Proctor in the first half.

Just as it seemed that a goalless scoreline loomed at half time, Proctor converted a Morris cross from close range to put the away side a goal up and send the Magpies into the dressing room to a chorus of boos.

Notts were better in the second half, with Liam Noble firing just wide a few minutes after the restart, while Hayden Mullins's perfectly-timed long-range pass found Adam Dawson, who forced a good save from the opposition keeper.

Substitutes Jeremy Balmy and Zeli Ismail injected some flair and intent into the team, the former setting up Gary Jones, whose subsequent shot was tipped over, while the latter forced a fumbled save with a chipped shot.

Nevertheless, the Magpies couldn't quite breach the Fleetwood clean sheet, and after some further exchanges, the final whistle blew to another chorus of boos from the Meadow Lane faithful.

Notts County suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, the Championship side easing into the second round of the League Cup following a 3-0 win at Hillsborough. The Owls, buoyed after their away win at Brighton & Hove Albion, came out of the starting blocks in spectacular fashion, opening the scoring within the first 90 seconds of the match.

Jacques Maghoma, on the edge of the Notts area, cut inside onto his right foot and fired a powerful curling shot which looped into the top corner beyond Roy Carroll.

Not quite the start that the Magpies would have wanted by any stretch of the imagination, Shaun Derry's boys set about trying to get back into the game.

Notts won a corner through Jake Cassidy just a few minutes later, but it came to nothing.

In the 10th minute, more good wing play from Wednesday, combined with lax County defending, let to the home side doubling their lead.

Chris Maguire sent a cross the way of Gary Madine, who snuck in at the back post to volley a simple finish beyond Carroll in the Magpies net and send the HIllsborough crowd into raptures.

By this point, Notts knew they were in for a long night, and set about trying to blockade their goal and stop Wednesday from scoring any more.

After holding back the Owls, some good play between Alan Smith and Nicky Wroe on the half-hour mark led to Liam Noble breaking free and firing a 25-yard shot just beyond the post.

In the second half, Derry made a triple substitution, Adam Dawson, Jeremy Balmy and Jones all coming on for Elliott Whitehouse, Smith and Wroe.

Despite some promising action in the opening stages of the second period, Wednesday nevertheless proved problematic, with Maghoma setting up Giles Coke who fired into the side netting.

The knockout third goal came just after the hour mark, as Adthe Nuhiu latched onto a Joe Mattock cross to head past the beleaguered Carroll and crush County's remaining spirits.

Notts did eventually find themselves breaching the Owls clean sheet, courtesy of Haydn Hollis, but this was ruled out for offside, and the game eventually came to an end, as did County's run in the League Cup.

As fixtures go, today's opening League One clash between Notts and Preston North End was about as difficult as they come. The Lilywhites are among the favourites for promotion, not to mention the Magpies' poor recent record against them. Oh, and we were away.

However, we played well, and in the end, were unlucky not to come away with all three points, as none other than a former Forest player, Joe Garner, scored right at the death to make it 1-1.

Both teams started slowly and tentatively, but soon Preston came into their own and began asserting themselves, with several corners coming the way of the home side.

In the 18th minute, Andrew Little dragged a shot just wide of the far post from inside the box, while just six minutes later, new Notts goalkeeper Roy Carroll had to be at his best to palm away a Paul Gallagher effort.

Preston continued to turn on the screw, as Josh Brownhill and Neil Kilkenny were next to test the ex-Manchester United stopper.

The Magpies countered through Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Jake Cassidy, whose shot was saved, before defender Haydn Hollis headed the rebound over from just three yards.

Preston were arguably unlucky to end the half without registering a goal, Alan Browne smashing an effort against the Notts bar.

Just as he was about to crash the rebound into the net, Hayden Mullins went in with a great tackle to deny the North End man.

Notts, however, could have broken the deadlock right at the end of the first half, as they broke away through Nicky Wroe, but he drilled into the side netting from a tight angle .

Just six minutes after the restart, Cassidy sent the away fans into a frenzy as he received the ball in the box and smashed a shot from a very tight angle into the net to open the scoring.

Preston, stunned as they were, composed themselves quickly, and almost pulled themselves back level when Joe Garner’s 50-yard effort forced Carroll into a save, with a corner kick conceded.

With the home side continually coming forward, it ultimately wasn't to be for Shaun Derry's side. Magpie hearts were broken as, with just one minute left of the game, Garner struck to level the scores and ensure that both sides would split the points at the final whistle.

Notts County Ladies have extended their unbeaten run to six games, although they couldn't climb to the top of Group Three in the Continental Cup after drawing 1-1 with Bristol Academy.

The Vixens, who trounced Oxford United Women 9-2 in midweek to seize top spot in the group despite the Lady Pies' 5-0 defeat of Aston Villa, were a goal down at the break, thanks to an amazing 25-yard volley by the prodigal Jess Clarke, but Nikki Watts bundled the ball in from close range ten minutes after the restart to level proceedings.

The away side were responsible for the first attack of the game after winning a corner, but the Lady Pies imposed themselves shortly thereafter, pressing and threatening the Vixens goal through Dunia Susi.

Bristol weathered their opposition bravely, thwarting continued ventures forward and chances from Katie Holtham and Clarke, but only until the 28th minute – and frankly, Mary Earps had absolutely no chance against Clarke’s long range volley, fashioned out of nothing.

The last five minutes of the first half saw several dramatic moments for the home side, as Rachel Corsie was forced to clear from under her bar as Natalia Sanchon was lurking, while just two minutes later, the referee waved away a penalty appeal as Laura Del Rio appeared to be bundled in the box.

After the restart, both sides kept on sparring, with Clarke’s cross being cleared away before Susi could make anything of it, while Del Rio weaved her way through three challenges before attempting a shot that was denied by Amy Turner.

Eventually, the Vixens managed to breach the Notts defence and register the equalising goal. In the 54th minute Del Rio, proving to be an ever-present thorn in the Lady Pies’ side, whipped a dangerous cross across the box, and Nikki Watts duly sent the ball into the net from close range.

Taken aback from the Bristol goal, the home side strove to pull themselves back in front. In the space of two minutes, Susi fashioned two chances, first beating Jasmine Matthews and sending a dangerous cross into the Vixens box, before weaving past Corinne Yorston and whipping a ball to Courtney Sweetman-Kirk. The steadfast away defence thwarted both attempts, however.

Midway through the second half, the Lady Pies caused havoc in the Bristol box, as Earps spilled Clarke’s shot after marauding into the box. Susi’s subsequent effort was then blocked, and eventually Grace McCatty scrambled the ball behind for a corner.

An injury to opposition player Jemma Rose saw the game halted for a few minutes, before Yorston and Lauren Dykes combined to set up Angharad James in front of goal. Her effort was comfortably saved, however.

The game then petered out in the final stages, save for several players accruing yellow cards, a Notts free kick that flew well over, and a half-chance from Sophie Bradley from a difficult angle.

The final whistle eventually blew on the game, as both sides shared the spoils in the 1-1 draw, and Notts remain unbeaten so far this season, even though the Vixens remain at the top of Group Three in the Continental Cup.

Well folks, I am absolutely thrilled to be able to tell you, in case you've been hiding under a rock this afternoon, that NOTTS COUNTY ARE STAYING UP!!

It was a bumpy ride, and at one point, it really seemed like everything that could have gone wrong was going wrong, but things eventually worked out and the end result is that, despite being dead and buried as far back as six weeks ago, we will now spend another season in League One.

Oldham Athletic were the team that stood between us and finding out our fate, between us and the Great Escape. The final result stood at 1-1, but with the home side taking the lead midway through the second half and our relegation rivals Crewe Alexandra and Tranmere Rovers leading in their respective games, we were staring into the abyss. We were relegated.

But then, we were given a chance. A penalty. And Alan Sheehan, arguably the team's best performer this season, did what he had to do with calm and precision. He put away the penalty for the equalising goal, which saw us come out of the drop zone.

Tranmere ended up ultimately losing 2-1 to Bradford City, thus giving us a three-point safety cushion, and when the final whistle went, the scenes of jubilation from the Black And White Army - all 3361 of them - were cathartic, intense and joyous.

With everything that took place today, it almost makes the actual match action seem irrelevant, but nevertheless, it wouldn't be a match report otherwise!

Hayden Mullins recall by Birmingham City meant that Gary Liddle dropped back into defence, partnering young Haydn Hollis. On-loan midfielder Josh Vela lined up in the centre alongside Curtis Thompson.

The first shot of the game fell to the Magpies, as Jimmy Spencer had an effort following an assist from Ronan Murray. The former Huddersfield man, however, was off target.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce was a constant threat on the flanks, and in the eighth minute, set up Murray, who sadly fired wide. The two combined again in the 37th minute, and Murray's resulting half-volley did better this time, having to be deflected out for a corner.

By this point, both Crewe and Tranmere were leading in their games, and as it was, Notts would only stay up on goal difference. Skin of their teeth would have been an understatement.

Towards the end of the half, Oldham were in the ascendancy, with Bartosz Bialkowski having to be at his best to thwart a dangerous chance from Jonson Clarke-Harris. Hollis then had to produced a stunning goal-line clearance following another effort by the same man moments later.

The half-time whistle offered little solace to the away fans, because things were still too tight with the other results being taken into consideration.

Shaun Derry must have thought so too, and he must have delivered a rousing team talk, as the Magpies were invigorated come the start of the second period.

Spencer's header into Murray's path just after the restart set up a tantalising one-on-one situation between the Irishman and Paul Rachubka, but the goalkeeper came off best, his instinctive save keeping the scoreline goalless.

Moments later, a JCR cross curled over the Latics goalkeeper, but right-back Connor Brown was at hand to make a last-gasp clearance.

In the 68th minute, Notts were staring into the abyss. They had a foot in League Two. They slipped back into the relegation zone when Adam Lockwood connected with a Gary Harkins free kick, his header looping past Bart to put the home side a goal up. The Crewe and Tranmere results, meanwhile, remained the same.

It could have been even worse moments later, because James Dayton was able to latch onto a ball from Clarke-Harris, but Bart made another spectacular save to keep the hosts' goal tally down to just the one.

And then, the lifeline. JCR's cross was handled by Jonathan Grounds, a penalty was awarded, and Alan Sheehan duly stepped up. Rarely had a single penalty kick been so important in the history of Notts County Football Club, but the Irishman kept his cool and smash the ball into the top-right corner, much to the delight of the 3361 Notts supporters.

Things would get even better for the visitors, as Lockwood was sent off following a desperate tackle on Spencer and Bradford turned the scoreline around against Tranmere.

Eventually, the final whistle went, to signal the end of the game and the end of the season. And crucially, Notts County ended the 2013-14 season in 20th place, when just as far back as six weeks ago, we were all but relegated.

Well, what a season. What an utterly insane odyssey of a season. More ups and downs than a rollercoaster. But all's well that ends well, and next season, we will be in League One once again!

I would like to wish all Pride of Nottingham fans and followers a very enjoyable summer, safe in the knowledge that we've survived the unsurvivable! Thank you for reading our match reports and enjoying the site content!

One more time... COME ON YOU PIES!!!

Could any Notts County fan honestly believe that, just a few weeks ago, with the Magpies at the bottom of the table and needing nothing short of a miracle to stay in League One, would find themselves going into the final game with their fate in their own hands and needing just one point from the last match to guarantee survival?

No, I couldn’t either.

There’s optimism and there’s delusion, and anyone claiming that Notts would stay up when we were down and out, particularly after that 6-0 defeat away at Rotherham, was dismissed as living in cloud cuckoo land.

But as things are going, Notts now stand a real chance of surviving, because today, we secured another three points after seeing off Swindon Town 2-0 at Meadow Lane.

Shaun Derry lined the home side up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Mustapha Dumbuya returning to the starting XI in place of Callum, and Curtis Thompson lining up alongside Gary Liddle in midfield.

Notts began the game on the front foot, with both Jimmy Spencer and Haydn Hollis heading wide within the first few minutes.

Not even ten minutes had elapsed when the Magpies were in front, and the goal came from arguably this season’s hero, Alan Sheehan.

Following a tee-up from Jack Grealish, the left-back rifled a terrific low shot past Wes Foderingham and into the bottom corner to send the Meadow Lane faithful into raptures and, crucially, ease some much-frayed nerves.

The Robins, however, nearly struck back immediately when Nathan Thompson found Alex Pritchard, who carved out some space for himself on the edge of the box and curled a dangerous effort just wide.

In the 26th minute, Michael Smith came close for the visitors, but his close-range volley was off target, before Troy Archibald-Henville nodded the ball wide just eight minutes later.

Towards the end of the first half, Spencer set up Ronan Murray, whose first-touch effort curled just wide.

Following the break, Murray had another opportunity to score, but his effort was deflected by Foderingham’s leg and out for a corner.

The ensuing set piece led to controversy when Liddle was felled in the box, but no penalty was given.

The Robins then sent the Magpies fans into a panic when Massimo Luongo marauded into the box, but the Australian fired into the side netting.

Towards the end of the game, Swindon fell down to nine men when Archibald-Henville was shown a straight red card for an off the ball incident, which led to a fracas in which Nathan Thompson was given a second booking.

After the frankly shocking announcement of nine minutes of injury time, Notts soon eased the nerves of everyone in the ground (including the Robins fans who were finally put out of their misery) when Jamal Campbell-Ryce broke following a counterattack from a Swindon corner, and set up Callum McGregor who, following Foderingham's last-minute foray into the Magpies box, had to do nothing more than roll the ball into an empty net.

So there we have it. Our fate is back in our hands, but as good as today was, it’s not over yet. The final game of the season will be very tense, but who knows, we will have to wait and see!

Watch this space, fellow Pies fans!

The rollercoaster ride, the saga, the odyssey has experienced yet another twist, because Notts County, down and out more times than we care to remember this season, have secured yet another three points,and yet another opportunity to survive relegation, with a frantic, dramatic 1-0 win against Crawley Town.

A solitary header from Jimmy Spencer in the 34th minute secured the ever-so-crucial spoils for the Magpies, but the Red Devils made it difficult by coming at County time and time again, chance after chance being thwarted by the home side.

After a scrappy first three minutes of the match, Notts were first to threaten when Jack Grealish and Alan Sheehan combined in the final third, but the Irish left-back’s cross was cleared.

Just a minute later, Bartosz Bialkowski had to be alert to thwart headers by Joe Walsh and Jamie Proctor.

Despite Crawley dominating possession in the early stages, neither side was particularly strong in the final third, with Notts sending too many overhit balls into the Red Devils box.

In the 18th minute, however, Spencer had a great chance to put Notts in front, but his header, following a JCR cross, flew just wide.

Gwion Edwards replied almost immediately for the away side with a powerful long-range shot, but Bart was equal to it.

Just before the half-hour mark, Jack Grealish was fouled in the Crawley box, but with the referee deciding to play advantage, Ronan Murray and Callum McGregor were in line to register efforts on goal, which were saved and off target respectively.

Eventually, the breakthrough came just six minutes later, and luckily, it fell to the Magpies. Sheehan’s free kick on the far side of the box was met by the head of Spencer, the ball thumped downwards into the bottom left corner from close range. Cue wild celebration from the Meadow Lane faithful.

The home side could have scored again immediately after their goal, but Sheehan’s low 35-yard effort was flagged offside after Murray nearly turned the ball in.

The remainder of the half saw the Red Devils push forward in a bid to pull a goal back, but failed to register any concrete chances on goal, and so the half finished with Notts a goal to the good.

The second half would prove an exercise in extreme backs-to-the-wall defending and lucky escapes.

In the opening stages of the second period, Mike Jones whipped the ball across the Notts goal, but nobody could get on the end of it, before not one, not two, but three consecutive corners tested the home side’s defensive mettle.

In the 52nd minute, Notts should have been a goal down, as Bart made a mistake before rectifying it with a wonderful save. The action ended with Haydn Hollis clearing the ball off the line.

The whole Magpies back line was imperious on this day, with tackles and clearances aplenty, and despite Bart’s earlier mistake, he more than made amends for it with another stunning save in the 67th minute from Gary Dicker.

Everything but the kitchen sink continued to be thrown at Notts, but Crawley just couldn’t get that all-important goal back, and when the final whistle went, Notts had secured all three points and a renewed opportunity to maybe, just maybe, survive relegation to the bottom tier of English football.

Notts County’s survival hopes were seriously dented after losing 2-1 away at Bristol City this afternoon, thanks to a brace from Sam Baldock. The Magpies were dominant throughout the game but conspired to concede twice against the run of play, despite Haydn Hollis’s response on the half-hour mark, to leave Ashton Gate empty-handed.

Following Hollis’s one-game ban, the defender returned to the starting XI to partner Hayden Mullins at the heart of the back four. Alan Sheehan returned to left-hand side of defence, while Gareth Roberts dropped to the bench.

The away side, one place above the relegation zone and out of the bottom four on goal difference, were quickest out of the starting blocks and exerted the most pressure in the early stages, even if the best chance fell to Bristol, with Baldock beating Hollis and threading the ball through to Martin Paterson, who fired over from 10 yards.

Notts responded by earning themselves four corners in quick succession, but against the run of play, City took the lead in the 13th minute when Paterson picked out Baldock at the far post, the 25-year-old opening up his body to side-foot home from close-range and net his 24th goal of the season.

The away side responded in positive fashion, Jack Grealish arriving just a little too late to finish off a Ronan Murray cross, while Sheehan produced two long-range efforts and forced a block from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and a save from Simon Moore.

Eventually, the breakthrough for the Magpies came just before the half-hour mark, when a Sheehan corner was met by a powerful close-range Hollis header to make the scoreline 1-1.

City went close to regaining the lead shortly before half time, Marlon Pack picking out Baldock with a brilliant cross-field pass. The team’s leading scorer surged past Sheehan, only to be foiled by Bartosz Bialkowski, who rushed from his line to make a crucial save with his feet.

In the early stages of the second half, County would continue to have the better of the game, with Karleigh Osborne having to be alert to deny Hollis another header on goal from a Sheehan set-piece delivery.

City almost fell behind when keeper Moore fumbled an innocuous shot from Jimmy Spencer, but recovered in the nick of time to push the ball away from the marauding Murray.

County continued to create the more clear-cut openings and Spencer was inches off target with a fiercely struck shot that flew inches over the bar, while Moore had to make a save low to his left to push away an effort from Callum McGregor.

Grealish then went agonisingly close to giving them the lead, curling his shot inches wide of the post from the edge of the penalty area.

Just when it seemed that City would have been lucky to settle for a point, they were gifted a dramatic winning goal against the run of play.

Bialkowski should have dealt with a long ball played straight down the middle of the pitch, but he flapped at it and allowed Baldock to steal in and fire into an empty net from 10 yards out.

The result means that Bristol City are all but safe, while Notts County slip back into the relegation zone in 22nd place and three points from safety.

Monday will be absolutely crucial now. Is the Great Escape still on.

Wow. That is today's game summed up in one word, though there are plenty of superlatives that would also be used, such as "exhilarating", "thrilling", "epic"... Notts fans today went through the whole gambit of emotions, from hope, to deflation, to despair, back to hope, then through to joy, then nail-biting tension, and finally the thrilling climax of exhilaration, and all in front of our faithful brothers and sisters from Turin, the Italian Magpies.

Port Vale came to Meadow Lane and struck twice in the opening 25 minutes, threatening to derail County's Great Escape, but Jimmy Spencer struck just two minutes later to give the home side a glimmer of hope, before getting his second midway through the first half to pull things level.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce then scored just after the restart to send Meadow Lane into raptures, but the Valiants then stepped up their game and threatened to pull a goal back, before JCR's second goal, in the 85th minute, proved a cathartic explosion of relief and joy as it confirmed that Notts would finish the game with all three points and drag themselves out of the relegation zone once again.

Haydn Hollis’s suspension meant that Shaun Derry had to rejig things in the home defence. Regular left-back Alan Sheehan moved inside to partner Hayden Mullins at the heart of the back four, Gareth Roberts made his comeback to the squad at left-back to deputise Sheehan and right-back Curtis Thompson replaced Mustapha Dumbuya, who dropped to the bench.

After a minute's silence for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, the game kicked off at 3:07pm, and after some opening exchanges by both teams, the first chance of the match fell in the eighth minute when Gary Liddle sent a header towards the back post, which was caught by away keeper Sam Johnson.

Referees haven't exactly been the most reliable while officiating Notts games this season, and this game looked like being along the same lines, with Thompson being penalised for a foul despite it appearing clean, and a foul on Spencer being waved away.

Eventually, these inconsistencies cost Notts, as a challenge on the right wing prompted the referee to award Vale a free kick. From the resulting set piece by Jennison Myrie-Williams, Thompson then cruelly deflected the ball into his own net.

Moments after the goal, a horrendous Richard Duffy tackle on Jack Grealish was only punished with a yellow card, despite warranting a red.

Vale then doubled their lead in more controversial circumstances in the 24th minute, as Thompson’s clearance appeared to be handled by Myrie-Williams. The opposition forward then dropped the young defender to the ground before his subsequent low cross saw Gavin Tomlin prod home, Sheehan’s desperate clearance being judged to have come after the ball crossed the line.

Campbell-Ryce, who was sensational for most of the game, was responsible for orchestrating the home side's comeback; after beating a number of players on the flank, he sent a cross towards Spencer, who found the top corner with a thumping header.

Shortly afterwards, the referee once again showed his credentials when he failed to award Spencer a penalty, despite being felled in the box. However, the youngster found himself on the scoresheet again midway through the first half when, following more great work from JCR, he sent a shot into the bottom-right corner to restore parity.

Port Vale stepped it up a gear and could have scored again through Tomlin and Myrie-Williams in the ensuing stages, but early in the second half, Notts then struck again to move in front after being 2-0 down, to the emphatic roars of the Meadow Lane faithful. Grealish marauded into the box following a counter-attack, before sending the ball across the face of goal where Campbell-Ryce sent a shot into the back of the net.

After the third goal, Vale became a side possessed, outraged that Notts had dared to turn a seemingly imminent defeat into a potential narrow victory, and the home side had to weather a series of attacks, though the defence and Bartosz Bialkowski worked miracles to keep the opposition's goal tally to just two.

One such effort that stood out was a frankly heart-stopping sequence where, from the left flank, Tomlin cut inside and sent a shot goalwards that struck the post, with the ball then rebounding off Bart's back and falling to Tom Pope, who sensationally missed when it would have been easier to score.

Eventually, came the strike that would guarantee a comfortable final few minutes for the Meadow Lane faithful, when the frankly unplayable JCR was supplied by Grealish before lashing an effort into the far corner, past Johnson, and lift the roof off Meadow Lane, fuelled by thousands of truly ecstatic Notts fans.

And so the game would finish 4-2 to the Black and White Army, in front of the Italian Magpies, who will travel back to Turin having witnessed one of the great Meadow Lane games of the last few years, while for the club, it means that we are once again out of the drop zone, by the skin of our teeth, on 43 points. Carlisle United have a game in hand, so things are still going to be tense, but it's set up an absolutely enthralling finale to the season.

I'm seriously going to need a holiday once this season's over to recover from this saga! Don't suppose anybody wishes to contribute to the "Send Joe Jones to Benidorm for a week" fund?

Despite all the euphoria generated by Notts County's great three-match winning run against Carlisle, Crewe and Colchester, and all the positivity around the Great Escape campaign, the truth is that today's game away at Brentford was an incredibly tall order.

The Bees are on fine form this season and are expected to earn promotion to the Championship, not to mention the fact that they've managed to get none other than Alan Judge on their books, and we all know what happens when former players face up against their old clubs.

As a result, it should really come as no surprise that Brentford beat us 3-1 today, but there were sore points in that the home side raced into a three-goal lead before we got a consolation, not to mention the sending off of Haydn Hollis which will have repercussions in the remaining few games. And of course, though Judge owes Notts nothing and is a fine player able to make things happen, seeing him score twice against us is a bitter pill to swallow.

Manager Shaun Derry made just one change to his starting XI from the team that won against Colchester, as Nathan Tyson was picked ahead of Jack Grealish.

The Irish Messi caused trouble early on as he broke through on goal after a mistake by Hayden Mullins, but Hollis cleared the ball before any damage could be done, but the on-loan veteran made amends by denying Stuart Dallas not long after.

The Bees were on the front foot during this period, with Dallas and Judge causing no end of trouble for the Notts backline, and things got worse for the away side when Hollis was shown a straight red for a lunge on Clayton Donaldson just after the half-hour mark and gave away a penalty.

The nine outfield Notts men had to stand and watch as Adam Forshaw sent Bartosz Bialkowski the wrong way to put the Bees a goal ahead.

Just before the break came the heartbreaking blow, as Judge, who left Notts for greener pastures at Blackburn Rovers, only to be sent on loan back to League One, made it 2-0 just before the break. The talismanic midfielder collected Alan McCormack's pass and fired home at the near post following a mistake by substitute Dean Leacock.

Judge's second, his fifth goal since joining on loan from Blackburn in January, came after Bialkowski had twice denied Toumani Diagouraga from close range, the Irish prodigy hammering the ball into the net just after the restart to make the scoreline 3-0.

Notts fans were in despair at this grotesque scenario playing itself out - Judge should never have found himself playing against us in the league, he should have been either playing for us or for a higher tier club!

On the plus side, Jimmy Spencer's dry spell came to an end when he scored County's consolation with just seven minutes to go, when Mullins's ball found the youngster who then sent a lob over the away keeper to make the scoreline 3-1.

This victory is Brentford's first in four matches, and moves them six points clear of third place.

Wins for Tranmere, Carlisle and Crewe mean that we now slip back into the League One relegation zone, three points from safety and missing one of our form players for several games after yet another Magpies sending-off.

Well, well, WELL!

What can I say? I am speechless. After losing eight games out of ten previously, which is the kind of form that would relegate teams without excuses, we now have three wins in three games. Just unbelievable.

All this talk of Great Escape, premature though it may be, is actually proving a fantastic galvanising agent for Notts County, given today's 2-0 win against Colchester United. There was an amazing feel-good atmosphere at Meadow Lane, and all the positivity clearly filtered to the players.

The only change for Shaun Derry's team was the reinstating of Mustapha Dumbuya to the starting XI after his absence in midweek. A tad harsh on Curtis Thompson perhaps, but he shouldn't feel too downbeat; we cannot take chances at the moment with our season in the balance.

In the first few minutes, the man everyone's now talking about, Ronan Murray, did it again. He struck a composed finish past the Colchester goalkeeper to send the fans into raptures, as the Great Escape theme was sung and played with determined glee.

To be fair, the away team became very dangerous after our first goal, and had several chances to pull a goal back or even get a few, thanks to chances from Freddie Sears, which Bartosz Bialkowski had to be alert to thwart, and Alex Gilbey, who headed over from six yards.

Midway through the first half, Sears and Dominic Vose combined to give the Magpies a huge scare, thanks to a low cutback followed by a powerful shot which cannoned off the post.

Remember how I'd always use the word "sucker-punched" to describe when we'd concede after being dominant in a half or game? Well, this time it was the other way round - despite being under the cosh for most of the half, a foul on Jack Grealish led to a free kick on the edge of the area. Alan Sheehan whipped in the set piece, which was met by the head of Haydn Hollis for goal number two.

Early in the second half, Notts nearly scored a wonderful goal thanks to a punt from Bart, which was met on the volley by Murray. Sadly, the keeper stopped the ball from going in.

Jimmy Spencer also came close with an improvised effort following another good cross from Sheehan, though Colchester did cause panic when Sears, ever the danger man, fired over from close range.

In the final stages, Gary Liddle's header was easily caught by the opposition keeper, but as the final whistle went, there was no hiding the celebrations - Notts County were out of the drop zone with six games to go.

Yes, there is still work to be done, and we can't rest on our laurels yet because Tranmere, Carlisle and Stevenage each have a game in hand and could potentially overtake us, but now the situation is no longer hopeless.

Fingers crossed, folks, because there may still be more twists and turns in this epic saga...

Oh my days. Can this season get any more topsy-turvy? How many times have we been dead and buried this season? How many times have we turned a corner, only to find ourselves in the quagmire again? The saga continues with today's impressive 3-1 victory away at Crewe Alexandra.

Shaun Derry made one change from the XI that routed Carlisle United on Saturday, replacing Mustapha Dumbuya, who suffered a groin injury on against the Cumbrians, with Curtis Thompson.

Notts were quick off the blocks, Jimmy Spencer firing over with a long-range effort. Gary Liddle also threatened in early on when he got a header on target from an Alan Sheehan free kick.

In the 10th minute, the Magpies drew first blood when Jamal Campbell-Ryce's cross towards the back post was met by the head of Liddle. The ball beat Ben Garratt to give Notts the lead, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.

The away side continued to pile on the pressure in the first half, efforts from Spencer and Jack Grealish causing more panic in the Alex box.

Crewe, to their credit, nearly scored towards the end of the first half when defender Matt Tootle picked out Chuks Aneke, but the on-loan Arsenal youngster's effort flew wide of the mark.

After the break, the Railwaymen were determined to pull a goal back, and Uche Ikpeazusaw a dangerous header fly onto the roof of the net in the early stages.

JCR was a constant threat, and nearly doubled his side's lead midway through the second half, were it not for a great stop from Garratt, while at the other end, the ever-impressive Bartosz Bialkowski pulled off an amazing stop from a long range Abdul Osman howitzer.

Just when it seemed that Notts players, staff and fans would run out of self-grown keratin to nervously consume, in went the second goal to send the Magpies faithful into raptures, courtesy of Ronan Murray. Following some more great work from JCR, the 22-year-old Irishman, whose stock is constantly rising, was able to cut inside and fire a shot inside the left-hand post.

Notts made it three with just three minutes to go, and once again it was Murray, who pounced on a long ball and rounded Garratt to net his second of the game.

Crewe did manage a scant consolation in injury time, Mark Ellis's heavily deflected shot, but despite Bart's frustration at having had his clean sheet soiled, the rest of the Notts faithful could shrug it off, for the final whistle went not long after.

So then! Notts are now off the bottom! There is still work to do, because new table-proppers Stevenage have two games in hand, but the relegation battle has been blown wide open - just two points separate the Magpies from safety now.

Well, I've written Notts off several times this season - I'm sure I'm not the only one - but the club continues to defy all logic and form to keep things interesting. Can we do it? Can we stay up?

Watch this space.

22nd March 2014. Mark the date. Today was quite possibly one of the best single match days for all Notts fans.

Derby County's 5-0 demolition of the Red Dogs, aside from being an amazing example of schadenfreude over the arrogant neighbours, must have spurred on the Notts players, because they then went out and played like a side chasing promotion, not on the verge of relegation, as they thrashed Carlisle United 4-1 and gave themselves a tiny, infinitesimal glimmer of hope.

The match started in a scrappy manner, with the visitors having the game's first chances, courtesy of Brad Potts and Sam Byrne.

On the quarter-hour mark, good play by Jimmy Spencer led to the youngster setting up Jamal Campbell-Ryce, the winger's subsequent cross nearly finding Jack Grealish at the back post.

Carlisle nearly scored in the 21st minute when they broke quickly following an Alan Sheehan free kick, but the offside flag came up, while on the half-hour mark, Bartosz Bialkowski had to be at his best to thwart Lee Miller.

Just a few minutes later, the under-pressure Magpies took the lead thanks to Haydn Hollis, his header sending the Notts fans into raptures.

The offside flag rescued the home side once again after another chance by Miller, before Notts then doubled their lead to the delight of the Meadow Lane faithful.

The brilliant Spencer held the ball up brilliantly before playing it to Gary Liddle, who then sent a low cross Ronan Murray's way for him to tap home.

Caution was the order of the day for everyone involved with Notts, who have let this kind of lead slip one too many times this season, and the home side was nearly beaten from a David Amoo chance.

Just after the restart, Hollis, who had only scored his first ever goal for the Magpies earlier on in the game, only went and doubled his personal career tally with an incredible header to put his side 3-0 up.

The youngster, surely gunning for a hat-trick, then showed his great defensive credentials by clearing the ball when under pressure from David Symington.

James Berrett then pulled a goal back for Carlisle just before the hour, his long-range shot bouncing off the post and beating Bart.

However, the Cumbrians weren't about to embark on an amazing final 30 minutes and score a further three goals to break Notts hearts, not this time.

The fantastic Liddle, whose presence has been sorely missed this season, scored arguably one of the greatest goals Meadow Lane has seen in recent years with an outstanding overhead kick past Jordan Pickford in the 70th minute. Take a bow, son.

With Carlisle completely deflated, Notts were able to register several more chances, but the game would end 4-1.

In the grand scheme of things, we have to remember that we are still bottom of League One, five points from safety. Things are still not looking rosy, we still have to keep plugging and repeating performances like today's if we're to survive this horrendous quagmire.

But whatever happens, enjoy today, fellow Notts fans. This weekend, Nottingham belongs to the Magpies.

Another game, another defeat, another nail in the League One coffin. Today's result, a 3-2 defeat away at Tranmere Rovers, means that Notts County remain rock bottom of the table, seven points from safety, and worse still, we have lost eight of the last ten games. Staving off relegation will truly be a miracle at this stage of the season.

Shaun Derry lined the Magpies up in a 4-4-2 formation, shuffling things around across the board. Ronan Murray lined up on the left wing, with Jimmy Spencer and Nathan Tyson the two frontmen.

Tranmere came out all guns blazing at the start of the game, winning four corner kicks in the space of two and a half minutes, but were unable to fashion anything from these set pieces.

In the 10^th minute, James Wallace headed wide a fourth corner from Jason Koumas, and just a minute later, Jake Cassidy fired a shot straight at Bartosz Bialkowski.

Notts soon took the lead through Murray, as the away side’s first corner wasn’t cleared properly, and the ball fell to the young Irishman who made no mistake with an emphatic strike.

The lead lasted for just over 10 minutes, because Notts soon encountered defensive problems of their own, failing to clear a ball that fell to Koumas. The former Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion attacking midfielder duly struck a powerful shot straight into the corner to level proceedings.

Just a few minutes later, the game was turned upside down when the home side made the most of some more haphazard defending to take the lead. Ryan Lowe was allowed too much space following a straightforward cross, and the Birkenhead club’s top scorer this season didn’t need to be asked twice, smashing the ball home.

More drama ensued when Gary Liddle was fouled in the Tranmere box, the outcome of which was a penalty to Notts. Alan Sheehan, previously flawless from the spot, lined up to take the shot, but this time, there was to be no luck of the Irish as he saw his shot saved by the feet of Owain Fon Williams.

Midway through the first half, Murray came close, but once again Fon Williams made a great save, with Jimmy Spencer failing to convert the rebound, while just three minutes later, a desperate scramble in the Notts box saw Murray hack the ball off the line following an Ash Taylor header.

The first half ended with Tranmere in the lead. The second half kicked off with some sterling work from Jamal Campbell-Ryce, who played in two great crosses just after the restart, which sadly lacked a finishing touch.

Just after the hour, Notts won a free kick near the box, which Sheehan nominated to take. He more than made amends for his earlier penalty miss, because from nearly 30 yards out, he lashed in a simply sensational strike which smashed into the net to pull the score back to 2-2.

After the game’s fourth goal, the match opened up immensely, and both teams registered numerous chances in the ensuing stages of the half, a flurry of end-to-end action.

In the 32^nd minute of the second half, Max Power, who had come on for injured Tranmere skipper James Wallace, unleashed a dangerous shot that stung Bart’s palms, but the ensuing corner was headed wide.

Just a few minutes later, Fon Williams spilled a routine JCR cross, but Murray couldn’t make the most of the ensuing opportunity.

Disaster then struck in the 84^th minute as Steve Jennings tried an ambitious shot from distance. It was struck perfectly, flying into the back of the net and sending the home fans into raptures. 3-2 with just six minutes to go.

Notts tried desperately to get something back from the game, but it proved too little too late.

So close, yet so far, and ultimately so futile.

Notts County were stunned in the first two minutes, destroyed by the hour mark, gave themselves a glimmer of hope in the final quarter of the game, then saw their gamble of committing every man to the final third backfire with a last-minute concession.

Ultimately, the Magpies fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Milton Keynes Dons, a loss which now surely renders the chasm between ourselves and safely insurmountable.

Shaun Derry was buoyed by the news that his previously injured trio of Gary Liddle, Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya, who played against Leyton Orient on Saturday, were all fit for tonight’s clash.

The Magpies were quick off the starting blocks, and saw two great chances in the first 90 seconds as Callum McGregor struck with a powerful long-range effort and forced a corner. Immediately after, Hayden Mullins saw his great volley cannon off against the bar.

Before the home fans could get too excited, the perennial sucker-punch came a matter of seconds later. Dele Alli, the England U18 striker, was given too much room at the back, and was able to simply slot the ball past Bartosz Bialkowski for the first goal of the game.

With five minutes on the clock, Izale McLeod came close to doubling the Dons’ lead, but this time Bart was able to get a touch on the ball.

On-loan striker Nathan Tyson tried his luck after a great through-ball by Mullins, but the former Nottingham Forest man fired wide from 20 yards. This was then followed by another two attempts from McLeod for the opposition.

The first half was a frantic affair for both teams, but the Dons had the finer chances, thanks to efforts by Alli, Antony Kay and Daniel Powell, and were it not for Bart’s heroics, the Magpies could have easily been several goals down by the break.

One-time Manchester United and England player Alan Smith was also guilty of a dreadful tackle on Liddle midway through the first half, who let’s not forget has only just come back from a lengthy lay-off, but the frontman, who now plies his trade for the League One outfit, received just a yellow card.

The Magpies’ resistance came crumbling down in the 55th minute, when the young Alli, once again gifted the opportunity, was able to pretty much pass the ball into the net.

Eventually, Notts had a reprieve when Jordan Spence handled the ball inside the Dons box, and Alan Sheehan, ever reliable from the penalty spot, struck a shot into the bottom right corner to put his side within a goal of the opposition.

And so it came to injury time, and the Dons conceded a corner. Notts had no choice but to pile all their men, including Bart, forward, but as it is with this final throw of the dice, it can sometimes backfire, and sadly, with the Magpies backline exposed, the away side were able to break and score a third, once again courtesy of Alli.

I hate to say it, but based on our form and how much distance there now is between us – at the bottom – and safety, I think that we’re going to be playing in League Two next season. Despite being a not overwhelming five points behind, three of the teams immediately above us have a game in hand. Carlisle have two. And crucially, our form is atrocious - we have lost seven of our last ten games.

I would love, nay adore, to be proved wrong come May, but now it really is time to be realistic.

Well, I hate to be a killjoy, but in the grand scheme of things, today's draw is a mere drop in the ocean with regards with what we need to do in order to secure League One status for next season, but nevertheless, it was a very good performance from Notts County to secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw against promotion-chasing Leyton Orient today at Meadow Lane.

New arrival Nathan Tyson was put straight into the Magpies' starting XI, but as big a coup as it was to have the former Nottingham Forest and Derby County man in our squad, it paled in relative insignificance compared to having key man Gary Liddle back to fitness and in the team.

Defenders Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya also returned to the squad after their own injury troubles, and the black and white outfit certainly benefited from the returning trio's presence on the pitch, as they more than matched the dangerous Waltham Forest outfit.

As early as the first minute, Tyson marauded into the opposition's box and attempted a shot, which was blocked by Scott Cuthbert.

Shaun Derry’s side continued to pour forward in search of an early goal which would have given them an early advantage as Liddle’s near post drive led to a fine save from away goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.

Orient were struggling to stem the tide, with Alan Sheehan subsequently firing a shot just wide from 25 yards.

Gradually they began to claw their way back into the game, Chris Dagnall seeing a shot saved by Bartosz Bialkowski, but Notts soon piled forward again, as McGregor lashed a dangerous volley which landed just over from long range.

In the opening stages of the second half, the home side threatened first when Jamal Campbell-Ryce cut inside into space and fired wide of far post.

Sheehan later found Tyson on the left-hand side, the on-loan Blackpool player unlucky not to see his ball find McGregor.

Just before the hour, Orient had a dangerous spell of play as Lloyd James attempted a dangerous long-range effort, before Romain Vincelot’s curled delivery from the left wing forced a good save out of Bart.

Nine minutes later, Tyson picked out JCR with a pinpoint cross, which was met by a downward volley which only just missed the target, and towards the end of the match, Liddle very nearly secured himself legendary status by nearly scoring from a JCR pass.

The O's were under the cosh for the majority of the game, and were this a boxing match, the points would have surely been given to Notts (then again, with the referees we've had this season...).

Sadly, as it was a football match, the outcome of the match, a draw and an even share of the points, isn't an ideal result in the grand scheme of things, but nevertheless, the performance made for an enjoyable afternoon for the home faithful, and, especially after last week's horror show, lifted some of the dark clouds away from the club, if only for this one weekend.