A very similar story to other games this season saw Notts County start well, struggle midway through, then get back into the game just a bit too late to leave Griffin Park with no points. The manner in which the losing goal was conceded, however, was a first, as an error from Bartosz Bialkowski gifted the Bees the lead, before being replaced by Notts legend Kevin Pilkington at half time because of injury. Chris Kiwomya, in his first match as permanent first team manager, picked a 4-5-1 tactical formation.

Yoann Arquin replaced Enoch Showunmi up front to play the Bees, who began the game in fourth place and enjoying a 8-game unbeaten run at home, including against Chelsea.

Notts started the game brightly, a chance by Andre Boucaud going over as a Brentford defensive header fell to him. On six minutes, Bradley Wright-Phillips fired a dangerous shot which ricocheted against the post and was cleared by the Notts backline. A good chance, it proved just the spark to kick start the Bees fans' singing and chanting.

On eight minutes, A cross by Jake Bidwell fell towards Tom Adeyemi, who headed over. Two minutes later, Clayton Donaldson, the Brentford striker, saw his ball whizz towards goal.

Shortly afterwards, Toumani Diagouraga and Jonathan Douglas got shots from the edge of the box, Notts players throwing themselves at those balls to thwart the players.

On twenty minutes, disaster struck as Bialkowski, one of Notts' best and most consistent performers, made a howler to gift Brentford the lead, as Diagouraga fired a weak sidefoot shot which trickled past the keeper.

It proved to be all Brentford once they withstood the early Notts barrage, and after a wayward Alan Judge shot from distance, Brentford threatened again, Shaleum Logan and Sam Saunders causing havoc in the Notts half. Sheehan then fired wide around the 30 min mark.

By the 35th minute, Brentford had taken their fourth corner, a high ball into the box, but that came to nothing. Donaldson, BWP and Douglas kept pushing forward and harassing the County back line, getting speculative shots and headers in.

Notts managed to break into the Brentford half every so often, Jamal Campbell-Ryce getting a decent cross in which the keeper parried away.

In an amazing twist, Bart was subbed off at half-time because of injury, and with Fabian Speiss not in the team for the same reason, Kevin Pilkington came on for his 150th Notts appearance.

Notts began the second half much in the same way as in the first half, with zest and vigour, and got some early chances in. Judge, one of our outstanding players in the first half, sent a great ball to Arquin, but his shot was flaccid and didn't trouble the keeper.

The Magpies came into the game more, and played some good possession football - save by a slip by Judge which Boucaud helped clear - but the pendulum would swing both ways, and before long, Brentford were bombing forward. In the 55th minute, the threatening Logan was superbly tackled by Jeff Hughes.

By the sixty minute mark, Brentford had settled into their groove again, and the likes of Douglas and Wright-Phillips had several more chances.

In the 62nd minute, the formation was changed to 4-4-2 as Showunmi came on for Hughes, in a bid to provide more firepower.

Pilkington, on 63, thwarted 17-goal dangerman Donaldson, his legs keeping the score to 1-0. Even Colin Slater couldn't hide his nostalgic pride at commentating on that piece of action.

In rapid succession, Brentford got three more corners to add to their tally, cranking the pressure up on the beleaguered Magpies. In contrast, Notts were on zero at that stage.

BWP put the apparent final nail in the Notts coffin as his shot beat Pilkington and bounced off the woodwork. Nothing less than they deserved after withstanding the initial Notts pressure, in both halves, to maintain their stranglehold over Notts.

However, Notts got a chance to pull one back, as Judge was fouled in the box to win a penalty just a few minutes later. In the 73rd minute, JCR's penalty was saved, but Judge struck on the rebound to make it 2-1.

Two goals in just a few minutes took the temperature of the game to higher levels, with both teams upping their tempo.

The penalty taker for Notts was then substituted on 75 minutes in a bizarre exchange, as he made way for Zoko when it looked like Arquin was coming off. A brave substitution for Kiwomya saw three strikers up front, in a bid to push for an equaliser.

A spat between BWP and Gary Liddle on 77 was testament to the increased efforts by both teams, desperate in their respective attempts to restore the two-goal cushion and to equalise. Donaldson had another chance shortly after.

Finally, on 81 minutes, Notts finally got their first corner of the game, which very nearly went in from Showunmi's header, but was cleared off the line. Sadly the subsequent pinballing into the box came to nothing, as the big forward missed his second attempt.

Buoyed by their goal, Notts pushed forward, Judge firing an effort from thirty yards on 82 minutes.

Sadly, Brentford managed to hold on to their lead, Notts' spirited fightback proving too little too late. The game finished 2-1, Notts' faint glimmer of play-off hope surely extinguished for good this season, leaving them eight points away from the play-offs with five games to play.

Notts County once again had Bartosz Bialkowski to thank for earning his side a point at freezing Swindon, the Polish keeper proving he is a cut above with several outstanding saves as the Magpies battled their way to a 0-0 draw against the promotion-chasing Robins. Chris Kiwomya lined up his team in a 4-5-1 formation, handing the young Greg Tempest his full league debut on the left wing. Enoch Showunmi was the lone striker. At the back, Haydn Hollis was swapped for Julian Kelly, while Gary Liddle lined up alongside Dean Leacock.

Liddle took a knock in the second minute as he went up for an aerial challenge, which caused the game to be halted for a few minutes as he received treatment, but luckily he was able to continue.

The home team, in good form, threatened early on, and in the tenth minute got their first chance in after Notts failed to clear, Gary Roberts volleying his shot into the stands.

Liddle proved he was definitely still with it as he denied Andy Williams with a great block. The rebound, by Simon Ferry, was wide.

It was all Swindon in the opening stages, as Williams got a head on Alan McCormack's cross which was desperately scrambled clear.

The first semblance of a chance for the Magpies came from a set piece, as Neal Bishop was fouled. Alan Sheehan blasted well wide, however.

Not long after, a cross from Sheehan caused panic in the Robins box, but Bishop couldn't finish, and received a hit to the chest for his troubles.

On 34 minutes, Nathan Thompson had a shot on goal, but Bart responded greatly. Just three minutes later, Tommy Miller's free kick was also stopped by the Pole.

The half-time whistle finally blew, much to Notts' relief, as they were being over-run by the Robins.

In the second half, Liddle was lucky not to concede a penalty after he clashed with Williams, while Bart saved from Ferry's header on 50 minutes.

Swindon showed why they were near the top of the league with some great football, and kept getting shots in. Alan Navarro and substitute Louis Thompson were next to try their luck.

Just before the hour, Tempest was replaced by Yoann Arquin, Kiwomya switching to 4-4-2 as the Frenchman lined up in attack alongside Showunmi.

The switch proved beneficial, as Notts started to push forward and threaten the Robins. First a Sheehan free kick was helped on by Showunmi and hit by Bishop, a chance thwarted by Darren Ward's block, then Alan Judge tried a twenty-yard howitzer which was only just parried over by Wes Foderingham.

The resulting corner saw more chances come Notts' way, as Showunmi was very unlucky not to score with a powerful header, but this was deflected, and Arquin couldn't finish from the rebounds.

The final quarter of an hour of the game saw the balance of play shift to the home side, as Adam Rooney, McCormack and Collins all tried their luck. Bialkowski, however, delighted the Notts fans and frustrated the Robins faithful with some more world-class saves.

As the full-time whistle loomed, Notts had the chance to sucker-punch Swindon and steal all three points, but incredibly Hamza Bencherif, on for Showunmi, didn't go for goal, choosing instead to pass back to provider Arquin. And so the opportunity was lost.

The whistle finally went on an exciting and tense game which saw Notts ride their luck for most of the game then not make the most of a crucial chance in the dying stages.

Notts remain in 11th place, seven points off the play-offs.

Notts scraped a crucial, morale-boosting win against struggling Scunthorpe United at Meadow Lane today. Dean Leacock's first goal for the club, following good work from Jeff Hughes and Neal Bishop, saw Notts earn their second win in five. Reeling from their poor performance against Preston in midweek, the Magpies were boosted by the return of Leacock and Alan Judge. Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Manny Smith were dropped, while Yoann Arquin was preferred to Francois Zoko up front alongside Enoch Showunmi.

The game started with Scunthorpe on the attack, and within the first minute, Iron skipper Paul Reid's effort was blocked by Haydn Hollis and resulted in a corner, which came to nothing.

Two minutes later, Hughes found Judge, but the ensuing shot was skied well over, and not long after, another Notts break was halted for offside.

Notts kept pushing forward in these initial stages, and a cross by Arquin from the left wing flew towards the Iron goal, but was easily caught by keeper Eirik Johansen.

On nine minutes, Scunthorpe split the Notts defence open, courtesy of Mark Duffy's ball, but Akpo Sodje was denied by Bartosz Bialkowski.

Scunthorpe pushed forward in the ensuing period, but the Notts defence was in good shape and form, in particularly the reinstated Leacock whose powerful headers kept the ball away from causing too much trouble.

As a whole, the team seemed very composed in the opening twenty minutes, with a lot more cohesion than on Tuesday, but up front there were still issues.

On 21 minutes, a Scunthorpe backpass wasn't penalised, to the chagrin of the Notts crowd, and from the ensuing counter-attack the Iron nearly scored, but Hollis' good clearance ensured it came to nothing.

Two minutes late, a seemingly speculative long ball from Alan Sheehan found Hughes, who held the ball up against the Scunthorpe defenders and got a shot in, but stifled as he was, he got no real power on it and was dealt with easily by Johansen.

On the half hour mark, Showunmi held up the ball well and passed to Hughes, the Northern Irishman's through-ball just a tad too heavy for Arquin.

For the other side, the former Notts player Karl Hawley broke clean through, but was given offside on 32 minutes.

As the trumpet entertained the Kop supporters with a rendition of Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Notts were finally given a free-kick, which Judge took but came to nothing.

Notts kept soaking up the Scunthorpe pressure, as attacks kept coming their way, but the defence was up to the challenge.

On 38 minutes, a crunching Reid challenge saw a cacophony of boos ring throughout the stands and the Iron skipper booked.

As the half wound down to a close, Notts had some brilliant chances, as a Sheehan free kick was headed on by Johansen. Not long after, Arquin headed just wide, gasps and applause the reaction of the Meadow Lane faithful.

On 40 minutes, Arquin once again tried his luck, but his volley went high above the goal.

Hawley, for Scunthorpe, then had another chance but was once again well wide, while for Notts, Hughes curled his shot wide after a good ball by Andre Boucaud.

After the half-time break, Notts were first on the attack, but Arquin didn't connect well with Hughes' cross, his header flashing well wide.

For Scunthorpe, Michael Collins played Sodje through on 48 minutes, but his shot was skied.

Judge, reinstated to the team after his injury, raised the roof with his crunching tackle, but got booked for his troubles.

On 53, Arquin beat his marker, but his cross was incredibly wayward and was greeted by howls of disbelief by the Notts crowd, while a minute later, the same reaction greeted Showunmi as he tried (and failed) to batter through the Iron defence when he could have played a long ball to Bish.

Karl Hawley then missed several more chances for Scunthorpe, as a very risky and miscued interaction between Bart and defence led to the former Notts player firing wide from about five yards, while just two minutes later, the keeper rushed out of his goal too soon to thwart an Iron chance, but once again Hawley miscued his lob and there was no danger.

On 70 minutes, the ineffective Arquin was replaced by Zoko, and a Sheehan corner was headed over by Leacock. Better from Notts, and a sign of things to come.

Finally, Notts managed to breach the Scunthorpe defence and went a goal up, courtesy of Zoko's fiery run and hold-up play on the left wing, which was deflected for a corner. Judge's set piece was very deep, but it was nodded back towards goal, Bishop got a touch and it fell to Leacock, who blasted from six yards.

The last ten minutes saw two Academy players come on. Greg Tempest made his debut, coming on in the place of Andre Boucaud, and the wild-haired youngster made an immediate contribution, his cross on 84 being deflected for a corner.

Meanwhile, Showunmi, who played a very good game, was given a standing ovation as he came off for Tyrell Waite.

Scunthorpe desperately tried to push forward in a bid to try and get something from the game, but Notts remained disciplined and never looked like conceding in the final few minutes. In fact, the Magpies nearly grabbed a second, as a beautifully rudimental "route one" saw Waite connect on Bart's long goal kick, but Johansen was first to it.

The final whistle was greeted with relief and cheers, as Notts fans felt redeemed after the dire display on Tuesday.

Truth be told, the play-offs seem a tad out of reach at the moment, given that we're six points behind the top six, and the fifth and sixth-ranked teams, Swindon and Yeovil, and the teams immediately below us, MK Dons and Crawley, each have two games in hand, but you never know what might happen. Notts sit in 11th place with 57 points.

Arguably Notts County's worst game this season, the Magpies lost this crucial game against Preston 1-0, the Lilywhites bad-tempered and the home team just bad, in a performance which disheartened, frustrated and enraged fans. Chris Kiwomya began the game in a 4-5-1 formation. The team was again somewhat depleted, given the absence of Dean Leacock and Alan Judge. Notts threatened first, as Francois Zoko won the team a corner in the second minute, which however didn't come to much. A decent signal of intent, however.

Just two minutes later, Chris Beavon was denied by Manny Smith as Preston won their first corner of the game, and six minutes later, Beavon broke through and took a shot which deflected out for another corner.

The action in the first quarter of an hour, save for the corners, was largely scrappy and dour, until the fourteenth minute when Joe Garner fed through the lively Beavon, whose powerful shot was again blocked by Smith.

Four minutes later, Notts were once again under the cosh, as a headed clearance by Haydn Hollis was met on the volley by Lee Holmes, which flew just wide of the post.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce was then subbed off as an early injury called time to his game, the winger being replaced by youngster Curtis Thompson.

Notts' display was uninspiring and two-dimensional, and the fans in the Kop were genuinely heartened when Notts won a free kick midway through the first half, but before anything could happen after Sheehan's delivery, the whistle blew and the free kick was then given the other way. Cue groans from the Magpies faithful.

To make matters worse, Preston then took the lead through an own goal from the young Hollis. William Hayhurst was given room, too much room, to cross the ball into the Notts six yard box, and the young defender saw the ball ricochet off his thigh into the net. A farcical own goal befitting a farcical display.

More sloppy play from Notts very nearly saw the Lilywhites make it two, as Nicky Wroe's free kick met Holmes, who got two chances to cross, but first Gary Liddle cleared, then for the latter attempt, Bailey Wright couldn't get his header on target.

As the half drew to a close, Holmes and Beavon continued to harass and torment the Notts defence, and the home team, amazingly, nearly found themselves drawing level as sub Thompson was played through by Jeff Hughes, but Declan Rudd saved.

Hughes followed the save up with a volley which bounced off the crossbar, before Zoko brought the whole affair to an anticlimactic end by firing the effort high into the Kop.

There was still time for Preston to nearly score one final time before the half-time whistle, as Beavon latched onto a clearance and, were it not for imperfect control and Bartosz Bialkowski's skill, would have made it 2-0. As it is, Notts were extremely fortunate to go in only a goal down.

The second half began with intent, the young Thompson proving a handful on the wing with some dangerous crosses. Bishop and Showunmi caused havoc courtesy of his assists and very nearly pulled a goal back.

More tedium followed before a classic route one hoof out of the Preston defence saw Beavon beat Smith before smashing the ball towards goal. Bialkowski proved once again the difference between a bad scoreline and a terrible one.

Chris Kiwomya shifted his formation to 4-4-2 as Arquin replaced the lukewarm Zoko. The Frenchman got an early contribution in as he tested Rudd with a powerful volley.

The rest of the game proved testing viewing for the Notts fans to say the least, as the home side couldn't penetrate the Preston defence and ended up playing what some have dubbed the "crab", that is playing the ball side to side.

There was one final chance for Preston to rub salt into the Notts wound as Bialkowski joined the melee that was an injury time corner. Wroe claimed back the ball and attempted a long-range chip, but missed.

The whistle blew to the sounds of boos and the atmosphere of displeasure and bemusement. This abject display of football, combined with the scoreline, means that the play-offs are all but gone. The season can't end soon enough now for the Magpies, given we have eight games left and nine points to make up.

The sole positives to be taken from the game, aside from Bialkowski once again proving to be far too good for this division, is Curtis Thompson's promising, committed debut.

Notts County were lucky today against Crawley. Very very lucky. The amount of times they got out of jail today, you could write another series of Prison Break. Both teams were very attack-minded and got plenty of shots in, but some instances of slack defending by Notts would have surely seen Crawley pick up maximum points as they edged the Magpies on the attacking front. The referee, however, was very lenient, and you cannot blame the Crawley players and fans for feeling aggrieved when no penalty was given for Manny Smith handling the ball in the Notts box in injury time.

The Notts team sheet was surprising to say the least. With Dean Leacock suspended and Alan Judge picking up a knock against Orient, the replacements came in the form of Smith and Hamza Bencherif. However, Francois Zoko, Yoann Arquin and John Cofie were all benched, with the untested Jacob Blyth the lone frontman in a 4-5-1 formation.

The game began in a lively manner, Haydn Hollis facing up against Jamie Proctor early on and coming off best. Within five minutes, Neal Bishop released Jamal Campbell-Ryce early on and the winger won a corner, taken by Sheehan but easily cleared.

Although Blyth was officially the lone forward, he was supported up front by JCR and Bencherif, the youngster serving a kind of support role for the others by knocking on headers thanks to his strong aerial presence.

First proper chance of the game came to Proctor, whose strong effort from outside the box was tipped round the post by Bartosz Bialkowski.

JCR, criticised in recent weeks for below-par displays, was on great form again today, the winger threatening down the wing with his swerving runs and decent crosses, and on ten minutes, even attemped to chip the keeper like Judge did against Carlisle, but Paul Jones wasn't beaten.

Unlike the grittier displays of the last few games, Notts were very cohesive and played a strong passing possession game, to the point that the travelling fans began chanting "Ole!". However, Crawley also threatened, Matt Sparrow coming very close several times, but Bialkowski was in top form again.

Half an hour in, a good run by JCR saw him find Boucaud, who then set up Hughes for a good effort which was tipped wide.

The first half soon became very physical, as Hughes found himself both giving and receiving fouls, before Gary Liddle upended Nicky Adams for a yellow card. He also received a retaliatory foul later on for his troubles.

The first half finished 0-0, both sides putting in a strong display and having several good chances on goal.

After the food/drink/toilet/cigarette break, the 458 travelling Notts fans saw their team shoot towards their end, and the Magpies came at Crawley straight away, Bishop getting a shot in on goal, but the ref had already blown as Bencherif, ineffective in the first half, had fouled Jones.

Ten minutes into the second half, Blyth's ball penetrated the Crawley defence on the counter-attack, but JCR couldn't connect. Just a few minutes later, Bishop went for a very ambitious effort from over 30 years out.

The attack-minded Magpies were at times exposed in defence, and Adams was given way too much space outside the Notts box on 62 minutes, though he couldn't convert.

Five minutes later, Adams was just a tap-in away from giving Crawley the lead, but Liddle did just enough to knock it out of play. Predictably, the first substitution of the day for Notts saw Bencherif replaced by Zoko.

More get-out-of-jail antics ensued on 70 minutes as Hollis hit the ball against his own bar, Notts fans' hearts in mouths.

Blyth was the next to go, Showunmi replacing the on-loan Leicester player, and his impact was immediate, testing Jones with two good attempts on goal.

The final quarter of an hour was frantic, with both sides going all out for the win. Hollis made up for his earlier mistake with some sturdy defending, bailing out Boucaud and making some great tackles in the box to deny Crawley.

JCR was the last player to make way for a benched team-mate, coming off for John Cofie. The loanee made a mistake soon after coming on, losing the ball and allowing Crawley to break, but luckily that came to nothing.

The home team kept threatening, but they seemed to be suffering from the same problems as Notts up front, ie plenty of chances but nobody to convert into goals.

Proctor flashed a header past the Notts goal but Liddle cleared.

The last few minutes saw both teams huff and puff, but the whistle finally blew on a 0-0 draw which, in all fairness, seemed about right, but not before the controversial penalty appeal.

In the grand scheme of things, another draw isn't the ideal result if we're to push for the play-offs, but the travelling Notts fans can be pleased with the boys' performance as a whole, especially Hollis, who surely seems to have made a first-team place his, and really, we were very lucky to survive the waves of Crawley attacks and escape with a point.

We're in the final lap now for the promotion places, and the sprint is on. The reward for those who finish in the podium positions is the opportunity to win a place in the Championship. Notts are one of those teams that are lagging behind the leading pack, but just as it seemed like they were building momentum and maybe, just maybe, would be able to edge into contention, they stumbled against Leyton Orient and the gap may now prove too wide to finish into the play-offs.

Chris Kiwomya once against tinkered with his formation and began the game in 4-4-2, as Haydn Hollis partnered Dean Leacock in centre-back, Gary Liddle moved to right-back and Jeff Hughes was dropped to the bench.

The O's started the game as the brighter side, and within ten minutes had the ball in the back of the net, but Charlie MacDonald was ruled offside.

They continued pressuring Notts, who were barely able to even venture out of their own half and were guilty of losing and giving away possession a number of times. However, Orient weren't able to muster anything more meaningful than long range shots.

A good break from Notts saw Francois Zoko find Jamal Campbell-Ryce, but O's keeper Jamie Jones claimed the ball from the cross.

On 32 minutes, Notts took the lead in impressive fashion. Boucaud, Bishop, Zoko and Judge combined to split open the Orient defence before the skipper curled a great finish past Jones. 1-0 to the Magpies.

Rattled, the O's came back all guns blazing, Jimmy Smith smashing the crossbar shortly after the restart.

John Cofie, the Man Utd loanee, had to be withdrawn on 40 minutes as he suffered a facial injury, suspected to be a fractured cheekbone. Yoann Arquin came on for the youngster.

Dean Leacock came close to doubling the Notts lead, while winger Moses Odubajo fired wide in injury time for Orient.

Zoko was replaced by Jeff Hughes at half time, and the Northern Irishman's pace was instrumental in setting up Arquin early on in the second half, but the forward fired straight at Jones.

After a few half-decent attempts by the home side, Notts then proceeded to undo all their good work so far as Leacock cynically fouled MacDonald in the box. Kevin Lisbie kept his composure in front of the loudly booing Notts fans and fired a cool, calm shot past Bartosz Bialkowski to draw the game level.

The game opened up as both teams desperately chased a winner. Sadly for Notts, some of the issues of old resurfaced, as the forwards struggled to really test the away keeper, either firing wide or directly at him.

Andre Boucaud attempted a powerful long-range shot but it whistled past the right-hand post, while in the final minute, JCR was denied after connecting with a defence-splitting chip by Alan Judge. At the other end, Hollis, having been superb all game, denied Romain Vincelot with a last-ditch block to keep the scoreline at 1-1.

The final whistle finally blew on a frustrating performance which promised so much but delivered only a draw, which leaves Notts in tenth place. There are ten more games to go and Notts are seven points adrift of the play-offs, so you never know what could happen, but there is no more room for slip-ups now if Notts are to better last season's finish and squeeze into the coveted top six.

The sun was shining, the weather was mild, the sky was cloudless today at Meadow Lane. By contrast, the display on the pitch, save for a few bright spells, was overcast and grey, but crucially, Notts County finished the game with three very important points which ensured beaming smiles on the supporters' faces and left the club with a much better outlook for the rest of the season.

Chris Kiwomya, forced to take Julian Kelly's absence into consideration - the full-back is recovering from a calf injury - switched the Notts formation to 3-5-2, slotting Jeff Hughes into the left wing position and shifting Alan Judge to central attacking midfield.

The game began slowly, with a couple of half-chances by Carlisle in the opening exchanges, before Notts threatened in the eleventh minute, but John Cofie lost possession when close to goal.

Francois Zoko, the former Carlisle player involved in the previous move, then set up Judge after beating Frank Simek on the left wing, but the Irishman's chip was caught by keeper Mark Gillespie.

Carlisle had a good chance afterwards, when Gary Liddle blocked Liam Noble's goalbound effort, but afterwards, for a good twenty minutes, both teams were bogged down in midfield and not much happened.

This changed all of a sudden when Cofie picked out Judge, who marauded into the Carlisle penalty box and, catching Gillespie off his line, majestically chipped the ball over the keeper. 1-0, 35 minutes played, the crowd delighted at what they'd just seen.

Neal Bishop threatened five minutes later with a quick breakaway, but couldn't find a player to feed the ball through to. Shortly afterwards, a scramble in the Notts box very nearly led to a Carlisle goal were it not for another great goal-line clearance, this time by Alan Sheehan.

In injury time, Notts nearly doubled their lead, but Zoko couldn't finish a move started by Sheehan, who crossed into the area.

One player who stood out for Carlisle was Lee Miller. Although the majority of the time it was for bad behaviour and baiting the Notts players, he did get a good shot on goal in the 57th minute when a great Bartosz Bialkowski save denied him from six yards out.

Just a few minutes later, Sean O'Hanlon was a dead cert to equalise, but again Bart managed to miraculously keep the shot out, so much so both sets of fans applauded him for his save.

Later on in the game, Notts were under the cosh and needed Bart to bail them out again, James Berrett's fine hit parried behind by the Pole.

The skilled Andre Boucaud, towards the end of the game, unleashed a thunderbolt from 30 yards which smashed against the crossbar and into the crowd, before a fingertip save by Joe Jones and a catch by Notts Joe ensured the ball was back in the keeper's hands promptly. Good honest ball work, no time-wasting and ball-spooning akin to ball boys working for trophy-winning Welsh sides.

The much-maligned Miller finally received his marching orders in the last few minutes, as a headbutt on sub Joss Labadie earnt him a straight red card. His ignominious trudge back to the dressing room was accompanied by the very satisfying chanting of "cheerio, cheerio, cheerio" by the Notts crowd.

Despite some last-ditch Carlisle pressure, Notts were well organised and kept the waves of attacks at bay, and when the final whistle went, it was a cause for celebration as the Magpies earned three desperately needed points, courtesy of the Irish Messi's solitary goal, and managed to keep a clean sheet.

Notts remain tenth on 52 points with a game in hand, eight points off the playoffs, and unbeaten in five with three draws and two wins.

Another match day, another bad first half, another good second half, another decent result. Notts' trip to Tranmere saw the Magpies a goal down at half-time, despite a decent performance, but once again turned it on in the second half, inspirational firebrand captain Neal Bishop with the equaliser which led to a frantic finish as both teams desperately tried to win it. Notts started the game with a 4-4-2 formation, Francois Zoko starting up front alongside John Cofie and Alan Judge on the left.

The first chance of the game came on two minutes, as the frankly amazingly named Max Power fired wide for Rovers. Just three minutes later, Michael O'Halloran troubled Bartosz Bialkowski for the first time, the Notts keeper saving from the forward one on one, and another few minutes later, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro had a chance of his own. Tranmere were definitely the brighter side in the first ten or so minutes, although the Birkenhead club suffered an early setback as skipper Andy Robinson fell without any provocation and had to be subbed off.

Jamal Campbell Ryce had a few bad moments in the opening instances, losing possession near the touchline, but he did power a very good cross to Zoko who sadly wasn't able to get a shot in, while Judge's ensuing effort was then wide.

Another Rovers played then took a knock and had to be subbed off, Ian Goodison coming off for Donervon Daniels.

After a fairly even opening 28 minutes, Notts were once again stunned in the first-half, as Abdulai Bell-Baggie fired from deep inside the penalty box low into the middle of the goal to gift his side the lead. Bialkowski came out very early, and Bell-Baggie took advantage of this to slide home.

Notts, bemoaning the early loss of the clean sheet once again, nearly equalised from the off, as a cross by Judge was headed on by Neal Bishop and nearly converted by Zoko, while Julian Kelly, who equalised against Bury in the previous game, had another very good chance which was straight at Owain Fon Williams.

The first half ended with the Magpies down on the scoresheet but certainly on the ascendency in terms of pressure and attacking, Tranmere lucky not to have conceded by half time.

The first ten minutes of the second half saw both teams mostly bogged in midfield and creating a couple of half-chances comfortably cleared by the likes of Ash Taylor for the home side and Dean Leacock and Gary Liddle for Notts.

Soon, both teams would spring into life, as Cole Stockton wasted a chance by trying to go solo, resulting in a block and clearance, while a few minutes later, Taylor's effort was bravely saved by Bart.

In response, Jeff Hughes came close with a header in the 65th minute, saved by Fon Williams, while soon after Tranmere caused a scare with their first corner of the game, but Stockton's effort was just over.

Eventually, Notts managed to come from behind once again, as has been the norm over the last couple of games, with a Judge free kick headed into the corner of the Tranmere net by skipper Bishop in the 73rd minute.

Zoko very nearly proved to be the man to put his team in front again a few minutes later, neatly rounding the keeper when through on goal, but wasn't able to finish. On 83 minutes, a delivery by Judge was smashed against the post by Hughes, and buoyed by this action, the game became even more frantic, both sets of fans screaming for their teams to find that all-important winning goal and several players clashing - Power pushed to the Max of his patience and earning a yellow card for his challenge on Zoko - but despite both teams pushing for a goal, the defences were just as driven, and the game finished 1-1.

An away point against a team challenging for promotion may sound like a fair enough result, but judging by the performance and Chris Kiwomya's reaction, Notts definitely had enough quality to win the game, so it may seem like two points wasted. Notts slide to tenth, nine points off the play-offs, but there is definitely a lot to build on, bearing in mind we gave one of the top teams in the division a difficult game, and the new manager has got the team playing good, exciting, promising football again.

The way Notts's games have panned out recently, the club may consider selling tickets for just the second half. Joking aside, another game of two halves, this time on a Friday evening in front of the Sky Sports cameras, saw Notts play disappointingly and concede in the first 45, before a scintillating second-half display, aided by some lacklustre defending, saw Notts tear Bury apart and score four goals to give the Magpies faithful a great start to the weekend. Chris Kiwomya played a 4-4-2 formation against the Shakers.

Replacing Jeff Hughes and Jacob Blyth with Julian Kelly and Yoann Arquin, a tame opening period saw Notts play cautiously and in their own half, before Jamal Campbell Ryce, on fourteen minutes, threaded a ball to Kelly, whose cross was just too high for Arquin.

The following ten minutes saw Notts assert themselves over Bury, but on 24 minutes, Notts found themselves behind after some hesitant defending was seized upon by Steven Schumacher. The midfielder intercepted Kelly's poor pass and fired a fine shot inside the right hand post past Bartosz Bialkowski.

Not long after, Arquin's attempt was nervously spilled behind by Bury keeper Trevor Carson for a corner, but on the whole, Notts struggled to trouble him much more than that in the first half. There were many instances where the ball would be practically gifted to the opposition with a pass or cross to nobody in particular.

The Notts fans soon voiced their bemusement, and by the half time whistle, after Bury had several more dangerous chances, the boos rang out. Notts were haphazard and shapeless.

Nevertheless, the Notts fans had a quiet sense of confidence that the second half would bring a dramatic change in performance and possibly result.

However, no fan would have foreseen just what was to come.

Kimowya made one change, Francois Zoko coming on for Arquin. Bury started the second half as they finished the first half, confidently and dangerously. David Worrall and Nicky Ajose testing Bialkowski.

However, Notts looked to be playing with more awareness and confidence, and just before the hour, the dangerous John Cofie threaded a pass through to Kelly, who cut inside Ajose and fired into the net, aided by a Joe Skarz deflection.

Buoyed and ecstatic at having pulled one back, the Notts fans celebrated raucously, although the cheers turned to boos as Kelly was booked for his celebration.

Meadow Lane only had to wait about more three minutes before Notts took the lead, as Andre Boucaud's chipped pass was misjudged by Ashley Eastham and Francois Zoko seized on the loose ball to fire into the bottom corner.

The shellshocked Shakers tried desperately to retake a foothold back into the game, but a hopeful attempt by Schumacher was thwarted by Bialkowski.

Now dominant, Notts soon added a third, as another great ball from Boucaud was poorly headed by former loanee Eastham, and Zoko, the substitute, beat Carson and tapped the ball into an empty net.

The fans were truly loving it, and empowered by the increasing volume of the crowd, the Notts players took it upon themselves to attempt a couple of ambitious efforts, Gary Liddle nearly scoring from a 30-yard volley.

Eastham was once again the culprit as he felled Judge inside the box, and JCR fired a confident penalty in front of the Kop crowd to take the scoreline to 4-1.

The frustration soon got to the Bury players, Tom Soares' snarling challenge enraging the crowd and earning him a yellow card.

As the Kop chanted "It's just like watching Juve!", Notts took their foot off the pedal and, despite Bury's forays into the opposition penalty box, they couldn't trouble the Notts defence further, and the game finished 4-1.

This absolutely exhilarating second half display was the perfect start to the weekend for the Notts faithful, and also convinced Ray Trew to give Chris Kiwomya the manager's job on a permanent basis until the end of the season. Notts rise up to ninth, eight points off a play-off place.

Walsall started the game brightly, and Bartosz Bialkowski, reinstated to the team after his injury spell, was forced into a save early on, a Jamie Paterson shot defused by Gary Liddle before being picked up by the keeper.

Shortly after, Grigg rounded the Pole and could have scored if not for Alan Judge who heroically cleared the shot off the line.

Neal Bishop, back in the team, attempted a wayward shot, but thirteen minutes in, the game appeared to have settled into a bit of a lull on the bumpy Bescot Stadium pitch.

Fabien Brandy, who had a spell at Notts in 2011, was fouled by Alan Sheehan on twenty minutes, but the ensuing free-kick came to nothing.

Half an hour in, Bialkowski rushed out to try and deny Paterson, but in the process fouled the striker and earned Walsall a penalty, which Grigg converted to give the Saddlers the lead.

Buoyed by the goal, Walsall began threatening the Notts goal further. Brandy cut inside and fired, but Bialkowski came out on top. Just four minutes later, he powered a header towards goal which again was saved.

As is often the case, former players are the most dangerous to play against, and Notts alumni Brandy and Craig Westcarr combined to breach the Notts defence, before Grigg's effort was skied.

The half petered out uneventfully, save for a firework being set off from one of the stands which halted the game for a number of seconds, and 1-0 was the half time scoreline.

The second half began brightly for Notts, who replaced Blythe with Yoann Arquin. Jamal Campbell Ryce cut inside in the Walsall area and fired towards the goal. His shot saved, the ensuing corner saw Jeff Hughes power a header against the keeper and scrambled clear.

Shortly afterwards, Arquin and Judge weighed in with good efforts of their own, before a Sheehan free-kick saw Hughes and Judge again come very close to scoring. But 1-0 it remained at this stage.

Liddle, having a great game, was the hero on the hour as a Westcarr chance was blocked by the defender.

The Notts pressure in the second half finally paid off as Arquin, from a JCR cross, fired low into the corner, sending the travelling fans into ecstasy. 1-1, 66 minutes played, game on.

On 78, a penalty appeal was turned down as Brandy was felled in the area, luckily for Notts. The ensuing counter attack however came to nothing.

Just four minutes later, JCR bombed down the flank after Bishop won the ball back, before cutting inside and curling an effort towards goal, but this was saved.

Just two minutes before full time, a Sheehan free kick was so nearly converted by Arquin, who completely changed the game after coming on, but the header was just wide.

The closing stages of the game saw Gavin Mahon replace Hughes, and the game, lacking a climactic finish, ended 1-1, a precious away point against a dangerous side.

It's one of the most overused cliches in football. "It was a game of two halves". However, it perfectly describes today's game against Crewe, as the Railwaymen outplayed a lacklustre Notts in the first half, before the Pies' dynamic second half display ensured a share of the spoils. Playing in their first home game since January 22nd, Notts, in a 4-2-3-1 formation, started out well, debutant John Cofie earning a corner early with some good pressuring.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce, arguably our best outfield player over the last few weeks, continued to impress, and managed to set up Cofie who, but for some bad footing, could have caused Crewe some trouble.

Fabian Speiss has been nothing short of sensational since coming on for Bialkowski against Leyton Orient, and was called into action once again, as Ajay Leitch-Smith was fouled by Dean Leacock. The Notts defender was lucky to escape a booking, and the resulting free kick connected with Mark Ellis, but the young goalkeeper produced a stunning save to keep it out.

Eight minutes in, Speiss once again showed his talent by tipping a Bradden Inman shot onto the post after the forward was given too much space, and not long after, Chuks Aneke was the next player to be denied, his long-range curler stopped by the young German.

Cofie should have had a debut goal, but the referee disallowed the effort after Hughes was judged to have fouled Steve Philips.

Jeff Hughes came close with a header from an Alan Sheehan cross, but on the whole, it was Crewe's half, and they got their reward when Gavin Mahon fouled Leitch-Smith in the Notts penalty area, and Luke Murphy converted to give his side a 1-0 lead on the stroke of half time.

Chris Kiwomya must have given his players some very interesting words in the dressing room, because the second half brought an altogether different display form the Magpies.

Cofie had the first shot of the half, before Notts, who reverted to 4-4-2 and replaced Mahon with Yoann Arquin, very nearly scored what would have been one of the goals of the season, an Alan Judge shot from 35 yards smashing against the underside of the bar but bouncing outwards.

Eventually, the home team managed to get back on even terms, as the young Cofie, on loan from Manchester United, struck a low shot past Philips to make it 1-1.

From the kick-off, Crewe pressed forward, and Murphy very nearly restored their lead, his powerful shot going just wide, but the momentum was clearly with Notts now.

Another long range shot by Notts troubled the opposition goal, as Arquin fired from 30 yards, the effort just skimming past the post.

A four-man defence, reinstated after some shaky performances, proved to be the right call, with the defensive performance much better than what the three-man formation displayed and the reinstated Julian Kelly supporting the front-line infantry with some great runs and crosses.

The ever-dangerous Murphy more than met his match in the form of Speiss, who once again denied the forward, a stunning free kick saved by the truly fantastic keeper in the final ten minutes.

Sheehan, another stand-out player, was agonisingly close to scoring a stunning winner, but his effort was just wide, and Notts, under pressure in injury time as the away side desperately pushed for a winner, rode out the storm and finished the game with a point.

Truly a game of two halves, Notts' display in the second 45 made up for the poor first half, and will have provided Chris Kiwomya with plenty of food for thought, as the puzzle, though not finished, has definitely seen a couple more pieces slot finely together.

It's amazing how quickly things change. Just ten days ago, Notts County travelled down to London seeking their 23rd unbeaten game on the road against Leyton Orient, the one still shining light of an otherwise darkening season. Now, a four-match spell away from Meadow Lane has gifted us just one win, a laboured effort against abyss-destined Portsmouth, and three defeats. The latest one, against Stevenage Borough tonight, was the most disappointing, purely because of its predictability.

Conceding an early goal? Check. Great build-up play but inability to convert chances? Check. The third box, which is conceding from set-pieces, stays unticked, at least tonight, but all three need to be addressed by the coaching team and players if we're to stop freefalling towards the lower echelons of the league, with a team that, on paper, should be challenging for promotion.

Caretaker boss Chris Kiwomya made one change to the team that played Hartlepool at the weekend, Gavin Mahon replacing Joss Labadie in centre-midfield, while teenagers Greg Tempest and Tyrell Waite were on the bench.

Stevenage, so often our bogey team, took only 21 seconds to go in front, and although it was quite freakish, Filipe Morais' shot deflecting off his team-mate into the path of Sam Hoskins, who converted leaving Fabian Speiss with no chance, you couldn't help but feel our three-man defence has not been so solid lately.

Notts had the ball in the back of the net soon after the kick-off, but unfortunately Jeff Hughes' effort was disallowed for offside.

The game settled before long, both teams having fair shares of possession, JCR being Notts' standout player, as per the last few games. He delivered some good crosses into the Boro box, but those weren't converted.

Aside from an attempt from Stevenage to score another on the half hour mark, which Lucas Atkins failed to convert, it was all Notts from then on. The Magpies had six corners by half time, all in the last ten minutes, but none of these came to fruition and the half finished 1-0 to the home side, who had two players booked for bad tackles. David Gray's on Yoann Arquin was particularly horrific, and could have easily been a red.

The second half started with Stevenage threatening, decent efforts from Gray and Greg Tansey being blocked by Dean Leacock, but Notts rallied to produce the best chance of the game so far, Arquin playing Zoko through but the Ivorian's shot just wide of the top-right corner.

JCR then burst into the Stevenage box and saw his effort deflected, the rebound falling to Alan Judge whose shot was saved by Boro keeper Steve Arnold.

The remainder of the game saw Notts and Boro trade chances, the former going through another spell of racking up corner kicks, before the home side, in a cruel twist of fate, then scored the second, despite all of Notts' efforts, as Gray's cross found Marcus Haber's head to beat Speiss and seal the victory.

So at the end of the game, Notts remain five points off the play-offs, but considering we've lost our talismanic striker, are without a manager, and suffer from the same old problems resurfacing time after time - the brittle three-man defence, conceding early or from set pieces, and the toothlessness in attack - it's time to realise that this season is at risk of unravelling before our very eyes, and we must address these issues as soon as possible.

Just when it looked like Notts had got themselves back on track after beating Portsmouth in midweek, a second away defeat in three games, against the bottom team in the league, takes us back to square one. The unbeaten run now a distant memory, Hartley and Poole did it for Hartlepool, the appropriately named players scoring to beat the Magpies 2-1 at Victoria Park. The defeat proved to be Keith Curle's last match in charge, as the Notts board relieved him of his duties on Sunday.

Neal Bishop’s three-game suspension meant Joss Labadie was handed his first start since September, as part of a 3-1-4-2 formation. Gary Liddle, a former Poolie, was handed the skipper's armband, and received a warm welcome from the home supporters after six years with the club.

As has happened much too frequently this season, Notts were sliced open within minutes and conceded early. Jamal Campbell-Ryce did well to win a corner in the 4th minute, but it was cleared and Hartlepool broke, a Jonathan Franks ball connecting with James Poole, who lifted it over the back-pedalling JCR and struck a great volley to silence the travelling Notts fans. First blood Hartlepool.

Notts came back all guns blazing, JCR's cross very nearly finding Judge while Labadie attempted a shot from distance, but Hartlepool followed with more chances of their own, Liddle having to be at his best to deny Charlie Wyke inside the six-yard box.

It wasn't until the half hour mark that Notts threatened again, Judge firing wide and Hughes fluffing a close-range shot, Francois Zoko the architect of both those chances.

Notts pressed on, however, and JCR very nearly equalised, but for a great block from Hartley, before the resulting corner connected with Arquin and, but for Neil Austin's block, would have been 1-1, the goalkeeper Scott Flinders beaten.

JCR, having a fantastic game on the wing, crossed for Zoko but was headed into the keeper's arms, while at the other end, Fabian Speiss bravely kept out Poole, saving at his feet.

Half-time saw Keith Curle replace Labadie with Julian Kelly, shifting Liddle into midfield, and only two minutes into the second half, Sheehan's high cross drew Flinders off his line, but Zoko once again headed straight at the keeper, a golden opportunity wasted.

Speiss, proving himself to be a fantastic deputy for the injured Bialkowski, superbly saved Franks's powerful effort, and Notts' efforts came to fruition when, on 52 minutes, JCR beat two players and curled a brilliant shot into the far corner, sending the 271 travelling Magpies into raptures. 1-1.

Invigorated, Notts pressed on, with Judge, Arquin and Sheehan all having chances, but sadly, their failure to convert this was punished, as that other weak spot in the team resurfaced - set-pieces. Evan Horwood's free kick wasn't properly defended and Peter Hartley met it with his head and trickled into the net. A poor goal to concede, 2-1 Hartlepool.

It could have been 3-1 from exactly the same situation but for the excellent Speiss, who is sure to give Bialkowski a hard job forcing his way back into the first team once fully fit, denying Horwood and Poole from another free-kick.

Notts kept attacking the Pools goal, but lacked the killer touch. Arquin fired a volley but was just off target, while Judge's header on 75 minutes was charged down by Sam Collins and smothered by Flinders.

In a bizarre substitution, the losing side saw Arquin, a forward, replaced by the midfielder Hamza Bencherif, much to the chagrin of the Notts fans. The young Romello Nangle also came on for Zoko, but the Hartlepool defence would no longer be breached, and so it ended 2-1 to the County Durham side. They stay bottom, eight points from safety, while Notts remain tenth on goal difference, level on points with MK Dons, Crewe and Leyton Orient, and looking for a new manager after parting company with Keith Curle.

Keith Curle was on a hiding to nothing as Notts ventured to Portsmouth for the re-arranged League One encounter – and in spite of victory only more causes for concern returned to Nottingham. Pompey are a club in absolute crisis. Ahead of facing the Magpies for the third time this season, having lost in the return at Meadow Lane and in the FA Cup at Fratton Park, they had gone 15 games without a win. Twelve of those had been defeats with the most recent a 3-1 loss at home to the only side below them in the table, the equally woeful Hartlepool.

Forget Pompey having been in the Premier League this time two years ago, forget them having won the FA Cup as recently as 2008, they are nothing short of an appalling football club at the minute – and you can only feel sorry for a very loyal group of fans, for it is the off-pitch finances that have crippled their once proud club.

So much so that Curle knew he had to win at Fratton Park. He had to recover from Saturday’s first away defeat in his almost year-long tenure, losing 2-1 at Leyton Orient, and start another away run. This time with victory.

Nothing else would do. Regardless of Notts’ own disappointing form which has seen the play-offs become a distant dream having figured in the top six for so much of the season, playing Pompey at the moment should result in just one thing – three points. And really by two or three goals.

As it was, two came – but only just. It was agonising viewing and listening as the Magpies struggled to not only break down a Portsmouth side with several youth products and short-term contracted players. Not only that, but the hosts were the more threatening for long periods.

Notts’ lack of striking options again showed its head as balls were fizzed across the box, and possession well kept, but nothing was showing up top. The almost constant need for a new striker again reared its head as Pompey dealt with the very little attacks mustered by Curle’s men with the ease of a side that had instead gone 15 games without losing.

Passing was poor, albeit in difficult conditions, and optimism drained.

Finally, Jeff Hughes eased the tension in the 81st minute, before Francois Zoko, at last, rounded things off. There was time for Neal Bishop to foolishly get sent off, incredibly Notts’ seventh dismissal of the season. But three points were secure.

Nothing more than that though. It was the very least expected of Curle’s men. Trouble is, the length of time it took to get that first goal, the lack of a goal threat for much of the game and the trouble created by a terrible Portsmouth side in actual fact made this more like a defeat than a victory in some ways.

Curle was on a hiding to nothing, and while he got the minimum required, far more questions have to be asked given such a poor performance against arguably the worst team this level has ever seen.

Notts County's amazing unbeaten away run came to an end at the Matchroom Stadium as the Pies were beaten 2-1 by Leyton Orient, in a frustrating afternoon which saw goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski carried off on a stretcher. The defeat deprived Notts of a 23rd consecutive unbeaten away game, and handed Keith Curle his first ever away loss. Unchanged from the impressive 1-0 win against Oldham, the Pies looked to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since November, and found themselves under pressure from the start, Lee Cook firing wide from a David Mooney cross.

The first Notts chance fell to Neal Bishop, who, after great work from Jeff Hughes, found his attempt blocked by O's midfielder Lloyd James, JCR not being able to follow it up, while at the other end, the unmarked Mooney sliced it wide after a good Gary Liddle invervention.

Then came the main talking point of the match: as MacDonald came towards the Notts goal, Bialkowski rushed out to make a save, but the Orient forward caught the keeper on the head as he tried to take the ball around him.

Six minutes of treatment and a yellow card for MacDonald later, Bart was taken off on a stretcher, and the highly rated but untested Fabian Speiss came on in his place.

Not long after the restart, some great work by Bish tested the O's defence, first with a low cross which couldn't quite find Showunmi and Arquin, then by winning a corner which saw Hughes' shot blocked and Sheehan fire wide.

Shortly afterwards, Speiss was tested for the first time in the game, a fine reaction save denying Cook, before former Orient player Dean Leacock made a last-ditch tackle to thwart Mooney.

The additional eight minutes of injury time saw the game spring back to life, Andre Boucaud playing a fantastic cross to Yoann Arquin, whose header smashed against the crossbar, before Alan Judge's half volley, again after some inspirational play, went just over.

Speiss made another fine save to deny MacDonald, before the in-form Sheehan delivered another cross at the other end which connected with Showunmi and very nearly made it in.

After the break, Showunmi, oozing confidence after his first league goal against Oldham on Tuesday, headed inches over, connecting with a JCR cross, while Judge's long-range hit forced the Orient keeper into a save.

At the other end, Speiss showed just why he is so highly rated by the Notts hierachy, his full-stretch save denying Martin Rowland's deflected free kick, and blocking Mooney's placed shot with his leg.

Eventually, Orient took the lead, as the Notts defence allowed Cook too much time and space on the ball. His shot was well saved by Speiss but the keeper could do nothing to stop Mooney scoring from the rebound.

It wasn't long before Orient were in the Notts area again after the restart, Mooney's shot being deflected behind for a corner, and more lax defending saw Mathieu Baudry double the lead with a volley. Two goals conceded in the space of three minutes, the County players and fans shell-shocked.

As Romello Nangle came on for Arquin, a lull followed where the match officials swapped positions as a result of the referee's injury, before Notts pulled one back, Showunmi's hard work allowing Jeff Hughes to finish from eight yards. 2-1, twelve minutes to go.

Orient were dominant thereafter and could have scored several but for excellent defensive work by Sheehan and Bishop, and of course, the outstanding Speiss.

But for a chance by Hughes, a glancing header, Notts struggled to pierce the O's defence again, and the match ended 2-1, the home team claiming all three points, Notts' sublime away record in tatters, the team eight points adrift of the play-offs and sweating over Bialkowski's fitness. At least Fabian Speiss proved to be a very capable deputy in between the sticks.

After snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat against Sheffield United the previous Saturday, Notts put in a dominant, lively display to outplay and defeat Oldham Athletic for their first win at Meadow Lane since November, courtesy of Enoch Showunmi's first league goal for the club. Just like the previous weekend, the snow and frosty weather meant the hard work had to begin well before the game, as club staff and supporters helped to clear the snow off the pitch to ensure Notts didn't suffer another postponement.

Once the game was officially on, Notts lined up in the 3-4-1-2 formation used against the Blades, making only one change - Showunmi replacing Francois Zoko, suspended after the weekend's fixture.

The home team dominated from the off, an Alan Sheehan free kick causing problems early on with Showunmi unable to convert with his back to goal, while a Bialkowski kick was helped on by the frontman and saw Jeff Hughes fire straight at Oldham keeper Dean Bouzaris. Then came the first real chance of the game - an Alan Judge free kick which whistled past the top-left corner, Bouzaris stranded.

More chances were to come, Andre Boucaud playing a Xavi-esque pass to the Irish Messi, who rounded the keeper but only fired into the side netting, before Yoann Arquin headed wide and shortly afterwards saw a powerful shot also just miss.

Before long, the pendulum swung Oldham's way, with forward Jose Baxter firing straight at Bialkowski. The away team then saw Matt Smith fire a volley which was denied by skipper Neal Bishop's outstanding block.

Boucaud, now a permanent Notts County player, repaid the faith put in him by the club with another wonderful through-ball straight to JCR, who cut inside and took a shot. The ensuing deflection fell nicely into the path of Showunmi and was tapped in for the opening goal.

Invigorated by taking the lead, the half finished with Notts playing some classy football, stringing passes together and showing moves off to the delight of the home fans, Jeff Hughes nearly making it 2-0 late on in the half.

Oldham, lucky only to be 1-0 down at half time, pressed on, and nearly made Notts pay for their missed chances, Jonathan Grounds missing with his powerful header, before midfielder Chris Sutherland headed towards an empty net, having beaten Bialkowski, only for Gary Liddle to majestically clear it off the goal-line.

The Latics, frustrated by their inability to breach the Notts defence, found themselves getting increasingly physical, and got several late tackles in before the ref decided he'd seen enough and got his card out, booking Grounds and James Welosowski in quick succession.

Notts' chances kept on coming, Showunmi nearly connecting with a JCR cross, before Hughes flashed a header across goal after a Sheehan free kick, Matt Smith preventing the chance from falling to Bishop for what would have been a certain goal.

The Irish Messi then saw his attempt just miss the right-hand upright after a mistake by Wesolowski seventy-eight minutes in, before Showunmi fired just over a minute later.

In the dying stages, Oldham kept pressing, but never really bothered Bialkowski, substitute Robbie Simpson attempting a couple of long-range shots and Jose Baxter not doing much better, before Notts saw out the final five minutes and confirmed the 3 points, much to the delight of the 3,229 home supporters who were finally able to celebrate a win at Meadow Lane since November.

Notts County got 2013 off to the worst possible start they could have wished for, as Milton Keynes Dons recovered from their last two home defeats to Walsall and Coventry respectively, to pick up the 3 points at Meadow Lane and cement their position in the top six in League One.

There was only one change to the starting 11 that went away to Shrewsbury Town on Boxing Day, as "Magpies" manager Keith Curle was forced to replace Jeff Hughes at left back due to the player picking up five bookings and resulting in a one match suspension.

Jeff was replaced at left back by the returning Jordan Stewart, who had just recovered from a Hamstring injury, in what was an otherwise unchanged starting line up and formation (4-4-2) The "Pies" almost got off to the best possible start, when right back Julian Kelly picked out on loan Watford striker Chris Iwelumo with an accurate diagonal pass out of defence. The experienced Scotsman headed the ball down to skipper Neal Bishop who then laid it off to Alan Judge but his resulting effort went over the bar.

Milton Keynes then took the lead on 6 minutes with a rather soft goal to concede it has to be said. A free kick on the left wing from on loan Brighton midfielder Ryan Harley was not dealt with properly by the home defence with nobody marking Darren Potter in the penalty area, who was allowed too much space to head the ball past Bartosz Bialkowski and make it 1-0 to the visitors. Terrible defending it has to be said!

The "Dons" then doubled their advantage on 13 minutes, with again, more lacklustre marking and defending it has to be said. Daniel Powell, was given too much time and space in midfield, and he was allowed to skip past centre-back Gary Liddle into the box and then prod the ball past Bialkowski into the bottom left corner of the goal to make it 2-0, and give the "Magpies" an unwanted and unnecessary mountain to climb in this early stage of the game.

It should, have been 3-0 on the 25 minute mark, when in form "Dons" striker Ryan Lowe, was found unmarked in the box after a good flick on, but his placed effort was well turned away by Bialkowski, before Dean Bowditich followed up with a shot of his own but it went well wide of the mark. As half time approached, Notts did manage to start breaking down their visitors to Meadow Lane, as Lee Hughes centred the ball for Chris Iwelumo who headed it wide from outside the six-yard box, whilst fellow loanee Andre Boucaud produced a long ranged shot that skidded past the left hand side of the post.

Jamal-Campbell Ryce, playing on the left wing, was also growing increasingly into the game in the first half, as he delivered cross after cross into the box, and he was unfortunate not to see one of them converted in, especially in added injury time, when captain Neal Bishops header looped over onto the roof of the net.

Changes were needed to be enforced by the manager Keith Curle at half time, and he didn't fail to surprise, as he took off forward Chris Iwelumo, who was playing the final game of his loan spell from Watford, and replaced him with joint top scorer Yoann Arquin.

The first effort of the second half came from Milton Keynes Dons, as centre-back Shaun Williams lead out a breakaway move from the heart of defence and following an exchange with full back Adam Chicksen, Williams fired inches wide of the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the box.

On the 56 minute mark, the "Magpies" had the perfect opportunity to put themselves back into the game, when Antony Kay, sent Alan Judge tumbling inside the area. Graham Salisbury immediately pointed to the spot, and up stepped Jamal Campbell-Ryce to slot the ball past opposition keeper David Martin to make it 2-1 and give the "Pies" a chance to get something out of the game.

Second half substitute Yoann Arquin wasted a golden opportunity to make it 2-2, when Lee Hughes produced a smart pass to send the Frenchman through on the right channel. Arquin then broke into the penalty area after getting past Antony Kay, but his placed shot was saved and turned away by Dean Martin, who reacted well to sharply save down his right hand side.

Notts continued to dominate the proceedings in the second half, as the "Dons" were camped inside of their own half, and it seemed as if an equaliser would soon be on the cards for the home side. The Notts faithful thought that came to fruition when Julian Kelly surged past Adam Chicksen on the right wing, and delivered a low cross which Lee Hughes was unlucky to see his effort come back off the crossbar.

There was another substitute for the "Pies" on 78 minutes when Jamal Campbell-Ryce made way for Ivorian Francois Zoko, and the former Carlisle frontman almost made an immediate impact, when he ran from the left flank and crossed the ball into the box which found Julian Kelly, who was then able to feed Alan Judge, but the Irishman's firm effort went agonisingly over the goal. Four minutes of added time were introduced by the Fourth Official, as Manager Keith Curle brought on former Leeds United striker Enoch Showumni for Julian Kelly, as Notts County went to four up in attack with Lee Hughes, Francois Zoko, Yoann Arquin and Showumni to try and grab the equaliser. There were a few chances in this added period as Notts threw bodies forward, with Arquin going close with a headed effort, Zoko forcing a save out of Dean Martin, and Centre-back Manny Smith firing wide from close range, but it was not to be, as the "Magpies" fell victim to the Dons at Meadow Lane and saw themselves slip further down the NPower League One table to a mid table 13th position; 6 points adrift of the play offs. However, the "Pies" do have two games in hand, so there is all still to play for as we go through 2013.

My Man Of The Match: Alan Judge: Was involved in the majority of our play once again. Ran tirelessly down the wings, created chances and was unlucky not to put himself on the scoresheet.

Notts County: Bialkowski, Kelly (Showumni - 90), Liddle, Smith, J.Stewart, Campbell-Ryce (Zoko - 78), Bishop, Boucaud, Judge, L.Hughes, Iwelumo (Arquin - 46)

Milton Keynes Dons: Martin, Lewington, Chicksen, Kay, Williams, Potter, Powell, Harley, Bowditch (Smith - 45), Lowe (MacKenzie - 90), Balanta (Doumbe - 65)

Attendance: 5,325 (Including 311 away supporters)

NPower League One Positions:

Notts County: P: 24, W: 9, D: 9, L: 6, Points = 36 (13th Position)
Milton Keynes Dons: P: 25, W: 12, D: 6, L: 7, Points = 42 (6th Position)

Keith Curle (Notts County Manager): “We gifted them two goals and, home or away, if you gift teams goals you’re going to find it difficult. We created some good opportunities and should have got something out of the game. The performance in the second half showed what we’re about and we’ve got to start games at Meadow Lane like that. I’m as frustrated as anyone and I know that the owners are very frustrated because it does affect us. We just needed that little bit of luck, that little break that you need in the box, but the ball just wasn’t quite falling right for us – but, it will do.”

Final Word: I'm rather annoyed at that performance by the team. The two goals we conceded are really soft and could have been so easily avoided had we marked the opposition better and stuck ourselves in more with "meaty" tackles. Win the ball back! & keep the ball on the ground instead of hoofing it in the air! Theres no point in long balls unless we know its going to reach the desired destination. Chris Iwelumo, will be going back to Watford today and even though he has been good in regards to heading the ball down and bringing others into play, I cant see him coming back to the club. I really hope we utilise Enoch Showumni at some point soon! He's a decent striker, who can run, control the ball and head it down, as well as bring others into play. If he can recapture the form he had for both Leeds United and Tranmere Rovers, then we will have a fine player on our hands, so Keith? Please start him at some point along side Yoann Arquin up front.

Overall, we did pick ourselves up in the 2nd half and played a little bit better but I just felt we weren't good enough that afternoon and we deserved to be defeated. After looking at the League table, 13th and 6 points from the play offs in 6th, its not ideal, but we can get back into the top six, especially with our two games in hand, so it is thoroughly achievable!

I really hope we sign a new striker to replace Chris Iwelumo, as well as sign up Andre Boucaud on a permanent deal from Luton Town, Also, I hope Keith Curle will attempt to sign some young, new defenders in January, but I can dream cant I?

Finally, I hope we do all we can to keep a hold of Alan Judge in the January transfer window. If a Championship club comes in offering some ridiculous amount, then fair enough, cash in on him and buy a suitable replacement, but we cant afford to lose him, especially in January and the rest of the season to go, so I prey that the board do all they can to keep Judgey at the club, and whilst they're at it, offer him a new contract! Cheers..

Well, that's it from me this week. I'll be back next weekend with some more reaction from our away League game to Portsmouth.

Keep the faith! & Come On You Pies!
Thomas Hewitt

A share of the points was the final outcome between these two teams, as Shrewsbury and Notts County drew 2-2 in a very entertaining and pulsating Boxing Day encounter at the Greenhous Meadow Stadium in Shropshire. Goals scored by L.Rodgers (19min - Shrewsbury), L.Hughes (24min - Notts Co), J.Campbell-Ryce (45min - Notts Co) and B.Bialkowski (81min, o.g - Shrewsbury). The Match Official Referee: Stephen Martin.

There were 2 major surprises in the starting 11 for the Magpies, as manager Keith Curle recalled talisman forward Lee Hughes, who was originally ruled out until the New Year due to a virus but recovered earlier than expected to partner Scottish veteran Chris Iwelumo in attack, and former Walsall centre back Manny Smith, who made his first appearance in a Notts shirt after fully recovering from his unfortunate knee injury during the Capital One Cup defeat to Bradford City back in August. There was also a surprise to the formation that Keith Curle opted to employ, as he choose to utilise a traditional 4-4-2 instead of the 4-5-1 formation that Curle had used in every game he's managed during 2012.

Notts started the game well and seemed like they would adjust to the new formation with relative ease, with Jamaican winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce and the "Irish Messi" Alan Judge causing problems down both flanks and putting in some dangerous crosses, but it was Shrewsbury who took the lead against the run of play on 19 minutes, when the Magpie defence failed to deal with a Darren Jones free kick that was put into the box, and Shrews striker Marvin Morgan was able to knock the ball down into the path of former Notts County striker Luke Rodgers, who made no mistake to lift the ball over Bartosz Bialkowski and into the back of the net.

Their lead, however, only lasted five minutes, as Magpie favourite Lee Hughes marked his return from illness with a typical poachers goal on 24 minutes after a good corner from Alan Judge.

The game began to open up after Hughes' equaliser and both sides had their chances to go ahead in the first half, with Judgey going close with a 25 yard strike that Shrewsbury goalkeeper Chris Weale, did well to save, and at the opposing end, Andrew Wildig headed wide after a good cross by midfielder Paul Parry.

It was Notts County who would take the lead on the stroke of half time, as Alan Judge went on a mesmerising run inside his own half, all the way into the Shrewsbury penalty box after good work by Jeff Hughes to regain position. The "Irish Messi" hit a low shot that was impressively saved by opposing keeper Chris Weale, but Jamal-Campbell Ryce was there to tap home the rebound and score his fifth goal of the season, to send the Magpies 2-1 up at half time.

The game was still very much end to end in the second half, much like in the first, with both teams having great opportunities to score. Jamal Campbell Ryce, narrowly went wide with a low drive from outside the penalty area, and Shrewsbury defender Neil Taylor, almost forcing an own goal after racing onto a long ball, but Bialkowski did well to punch the ball clear. Alan Judge again forced former Leicester City goalkeeper Chris Weale into making an exceptional save to keep out his goal bound free kick that was destined for the top left hand corner.

Shrewsbury pushed further forward in the closing stages of the match, and they were rewarded with a flukey equaliser on 81, when Neil Taylor's cross took an unfortunate deflection off of Jeff Hughes and the ball looped off Bartosz Bialkowski and into the far corner of the net to make it 2-2.

Notts had a strong penalty shout dismissed during the four added minutes of stoppage time, but it was not to be, as the Magpies bounced back from two straight disappointing home defeats to earn a hard earned point in Shropshire and extend the amazing undefeated streak away from Meadow Lane to 22 games.

The Magpies will now have that away run severely tested when they travel to the Lamex Stadium to face promotion rivals Stevenage on Saturday 29th of December. Notts will be looking for revenge after the 2-1 loss at Meadow Lane, earlier in October

My Man of the Match: Alan Judge - Tireless running yet again by the tricky midfielder. Caused problems for the Shrewsbury defence, created numerous chances throughout the match, and was unlucky not to score.

Shrewsbury: Weale, Grandison, Jones, Goldson, Gayle, Richards, Taylor, Parry (Purdig - 68), Wildig (Hall - 68), Morgan Rodgers (Bradshaw - 72)

Subs: Anyon, Jacobson, Purdle, Hall, Woods, Gwilliams, Bradshaw

Notts County: Bialkowski, Kelly, Liddle, Smith, J.Hughes, Bishop, Judge, Campbell-Ryce (Labadie - 90), Boucaud, L.Hughes (Showumni - 71), Iwelumo (Arquin - 71)

Subs: Speiss, Mahon, Labadie, Bencherif, Showumni, Zoko, Arquin

Attendance: 6,474 (603 Notts County fans)

NPower League One Positions:

Shrewsbury: 19th; P: 24, W: 5, D: 9, L: 10 - 24 points
Notts County: 10th; P: 23, W: 9, D: 9, L: 5 - 36 points

Keith Curle (Notts County Manager): “We went back to basics and tried to make it as simple as possible for the players. The players needed to be brave and they needed to make decisions, and I thought the performance levels were excellent. You get that bit of luck but I’m a believer that at the right time we will get the luck that we deserve.”

Final Word: "Disappointed that we've dropped two points. With all due respect to Shrewsbury, we should be beating teams of that calibre if were serious about promotion this season! Surprised about Curle employing the 4-4-2 formation. It did seem to work but I hope Curle reverts back to his usual favourite 4-5-1. Great to see Hughesy back up front, and scoring goals! He needs to stay in January in my opinion because we need the added competition in attack. Also, welcome back Manny Smith. I thought he put in a solid performance in the heart of defence along side "Mr Consistent" Gary Liddle, though I felt we missed Dean Leacock, Manny did well. Pleased were now 22 games undefeated away from home, but we need to start turning the draws into wins so we can keep up with the top six. Bring on Stevenage! Revenge, number 23 unbeaten away and 3 points would be huge and very satisfying, especially with forthcoming fixtures against play off rivals MK Dons & Portsmouth coming in the New Year, these points are so vital at this stage!

"Come On You Pies!!"
Thomas Hewitt

The Millers left Meadow Lane having fully deserved their victory, which instils a bitter taste in the mouths of many. The game as such was lively, especially in the second half which saw Notts try to attempt to fight back, unfortunately it was far too late. Saturday is now a chance for the team to put this and the previous home results to bed, concentrating on the promotion fight ahead. Despite the performance, the focus now will be very much on the league.

All three goals came in the first half, with simple errors leading to the goals. The first was a wonderful strike from Ben Pringle, who punished us in our previous meeting but in truth the goal should have been prevented. The marking was very loose, allowing them to play in such a style that really dominated the match early on. The second goal, again was down to a lack in defence, although a simple nod onto Mark Bradley allowed him to shoot the ball into our net from a very inviting corner (which arguably should have been cleared).

Notts had brief spells which saw us play our passing football, which wasn't always the best it as been. The odd miss timed pass, missing link in the play and lack of final finishing really had it's impact on the game. Frustration appeared to be getting the better of the players, as each time a chance came to us it seemed to only end up being wasted.

The game became even more difficult when Damon Stewart lashed out with his elbow at Alex Revell who had been making a habit of making the most of incidents all evening. It was clearly a bookable offence, most probably deserving the colour red.

The third goal was dubious (possible bad call from the assistant referee “linesman”) who appeared to flag for offside only to buckle, allowing play to continue. A simple pass towards an open net saw Daniel Nardiello tap in a easy finish.

By this point it was clear that unless changes were made, this would be an even more depressing evening as no signs early on gave me the feeling we would be capable of fighting back. It was around the third goal when noises increasingly started to echo out and it was clear by the comments of fans, that Notts would have a uphill battle, with not only the game.

The second half showed signs of what Notts are capable off, having gone down to 10 men. No further goals were conceded and for the most part, Notts attacked with open football. The direction of which didn't have any final product, although it was much better to see. We piled pressure onto Rotherham, although no clear chances arose. Jamel Campbell-Ryce tried his best throughout the game, his dedicated play and availability really impressed me. Alan Judge had a very quiet game, though tried his best to create play. The substitutes allowed us to take back the hold of the game but Notts were unable to make it count.

No doubt a debut to forget for Liam Mitchell, who was probably one of Keith Curles tactical mistakes. No fault is aimed in his direction, although I felt it wasn't the best time to give the lad the nod to play. I hope he doesn't take the games negativity on board, as it's always nice to see our youngsters break through although personally I would of given Kevin Pilkington the nod instead.