Match Discussion: Game 38 - Wanderers (H)

[PON_News]

Game 38 - Wanderers (H)

Team: Dorking Wanderers

Date: 11/03/2023

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Luke Williams opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

[DonnyNotts]

Think as things stand we are now in the realms of must win games. I would be surprised to see Wrexham lose many from here on in so it's up to is to try and keep pace, I personally think we are heading for the play offs, which are winnable, but it's also a lottery. 

[allardyces tash]

If Notts want to challenge for a title, they need to beat Dorking. Wrexham might have a hard time because other teams will want to beat them to show they can beat a famous team. Luke Williams needs to motivate the team after their draw with Bromley. I don't think he believes they can't win the title. It would be strange for him to say that unless he's playing mind games. They just need to focus on winning the game, even if it's not a beautiful performance.

[Dripsey3]

This game has me worried. Dorking went toe to toe with Notts in September and won. It should be a different story at ML but if Dorking adopt the same approach, I think they will create chances and our defence is creaking a bit. It's a must win game for Notts. I'd take any kind of win. Longstaff scoring with his arse in the 99th minute to win the game is fine by me.....

[liampie]

i think it should be a good game, i would hope dorking bring the game to notts. i can see them having to do more running, so if we are smart we might tire them out. i think we are much stronger than when we last played them.

we cant write them off but provided we create good chances, i can see us winning.

[TheSkipper]

The match against Dorking tomorrow is make or break for Notts County's title challenge. A win keeps their hopes alive, but anything less than that makes it difficult. Every point is critical, and the pressure is mounting as the season progresses. But with determination and focus, the team can still achieve their goal. Dropping even two points means relying on Wrexham to draw or lose, making it tougher to maintain a fight for the first place.

[Chris]

I don't know what to expect from Dorking.

They're the type of team most would think we could cruise past, but they made it difficult at their ground. I think those who believe we have the advantage due to being at home, I think they might be surprised. A lot of fans said the season we were relegated to the National League, that teams will want to cause an upset at Meadow Lane. It would be like their cup day, well with this being on TV - I think it just gives them more motivation than it does us.

We just need to try to improve defensively. A clean sheet would be welcomed. 

[DonnyNotts]

Much needed win, they all will be from here on in. Showed we can handle some pressure.

[Dripsey3]

Dorking came to play. They deserved their lead but County responded and fully deserved the win.

[Chris]

Dorking took advantage of the space at the back when Notts pushed forward. I thought the players would've given Brooks a bit more protection with it being his league debut at home. No fault should come to Brooks, he did a very good job when he was needed. When he was on his own, he could not let them get a second.

That would've been game over in my opinion, if Dorking has taken a 2-0 lead.

People have criticised Jim O'Brien, I can't stand when people single out a player and go to the extreme - it's borderline hateful. He did well to chase back, but unfortunately he wasn't fast enough to predict the way the Dorking player's next move would be. Yes, he could've done better, but my point is, where was our right back and other defenders?

I also believe the weather conditions and pitch played part in him slipping, but that's a different subject.

Notts played well going forward, with it being 1-0 and the way we pushed back, I felt confident that we would score. When Langstaff pulled us level, that lifted the KOP and things just clicked from there.

I believe Matt Palmer had his best game in a Notts shirt, he was pulling all the strings, and it was nice to see him getting forward with a lot more purpose - him getting a goal is the reward for that. Some of his clever passes, repeatedly created chances, and it was almost on par with Ruben's way of breaking the back four.

Bitterly cold, but very enjoyable game.

I don't know if anyone realised, but I was told before kick off that their keeper was running late and that there might be a 5-minute delay. The player who went in goal, I believe, is their backup, and he's also a cricketer.

[liampie]

the way dorking scored it reminded me of why we are in the national league, it was careless defending but i do feel jim o brien could have tried to get his foot on the ball. hes not to blame solely for the goal but dorking worked the chance well and to their advantage. a different team may have choked to finish that chance.

i did wonder how we would score when we hit the post and forced their defenders to block so many efforts on goal.

i thought they were going to park the bus and if we had not scored, i think that would have made it harder. thankfully notts worked hard to get back in, i think everyone who played did well. fantastic win in front of the biased bt sports cameras. 

[allardyces tash]

What a fantastic display of skill, courage, and determination from the magpies in yesterdays game! It's no wonder they came out on top with such a talented squad, including the undeniable heartbeat of the team, Matty Palmer. Alongside other stars of this squad, Palmer drove the team forward with his exceptional playmaking and leadership abilities. From start to finish, the boys in black and white dominated the field and showcased their incredible talent, making it an absolutely massive win for the team and our fans.

[BromPie]

It was a thrilling game to watch as we secured a comeback victory against Dorking. It was especially satisfying since Dorking had defeated us earlier in the season. It was nerve-wracking to see Dorking take the lead, but Notts quickly equalised to keep the pressure on. Langstaff and Palmer were absolutely brilliant in the second half, scoring two crucial goals that secured a fantastic victory for us!

I have to say, I was a bit worried when I saw that our captain Kyle Cameron wasn't starting, but our team's depth and talent really shone through. It just goes to show that we have a strong squad and can win even without key players.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with our performance today. We fought hard, stayed focused, and earned a well-deserved win. I'm thrilled to see what the rest of the season holds for us. COYP!

[DangerousSausage]

I feared the worst when Dorking scored first, but the team showed character once again. It's a bit of a worry that we only had four players on the bench - a keeper plus three midfielders. The team more or less picked itself, which is less than ideal if things go wrong. Hopefully we'll have some players returning on Tuesday.

7 hours ago, Chris said:

The player who went in goal, I believe, is their backup, and he's also a cricketer.

It's good that they welcomed him to the fold then. Could have been a sticky wicket otherwise.

[Joshua]

Lincoln looked like a Sunday league keeper, scrambling to the ball every time a pass got placed through and one of our players had to run onto it. I think he fouled Nemane, which he did not even get spoken to. The result was good, but the performance a lot better.

You could see little bits that the players had been working on in training and I think it paid off.

[CliftonMagpie]

I was really worried when Dorking scored first, but once again, our team showed their true character. However, I have to admit that I was a bit uneasy when I saw that we only had four players on the bench. That's including a goalkeeper and only three midfielders. It wasn't ideal, especially if things didn't go as planned.

To be honest, having a limited number of substitutes could cause a few problems for the team, particularly if there was an injury or players were feeling fatigued. It's crucial to have a variety of options to choose from, especially during the latter part of the game. Despite the circumstances, our team put on a fantastic performance, and I was genuinely inspired by their resilience.

Looking forward, I'm hoping that we'll have some of our players back in action for tomorrow's match. It would definitely help to have a more extensive selection of players to choose from, especially when making crucial substitutions. It's important to be prepared for any challenges that may arise during the game, and having a full complement of players will undoubtedly increase our chances of winning.