I'm pleased that we won. It is great for the team that they achieved their first league 2 clean sheet of the season.

Notts weren't at their absolute best. Fleetwood didn't allow them to, but Notts got the win by a bit of quality that all teams hoping for success must have in their locker.

I'm pleased for Goalkeeper Roos too who's rightfully has had lots of stick for his performances this season, but he was a part of the defensive unit that kept Fleetwood out, & tonight he should sleep a little better.

12 minutes ago, Robbie said:

I'm pleased for Goalkeeper Roos too who's rightfully has had lots of stick for his performances this season,

He nearly cost us 3 goals today. An absolute liability🤬

Today wasn’t a fluent performance, but it did show we can mix it with the physical teams in league 2. I would like to see Robertson start when he’s fully match fit and Ness to replace Aljofree who I think would benefit from a rest. If Jatta is injured, then I would expect Jodi to get his place back.

I actually agree with a lot of what Martin said post-match, I didn’t think we were great either, we were good in spells and we stood up to the aerial bombardment to secure the win.

Fleetwood set up pretty well against us first half, their two forwards were more concerned with pressing Bedeau and Aljofree and left McDonald in the middle to have the ball unopposed most of the time and he clearly wasn’t expecting that to happen. Still think we struggle for an outlet out wide because our wingbacks are usually too deep and then when they are on the ball a lot is asked of them. It’s like they are expected to be full-backs off the ball and then suddenly wingers on it.

I thought we actually looked quite tired by about the 70^th minute mark, could’ve possibly changed more players but I understand making lot’s of changes can backfire too. The energy from both Grant and Traore made a difference though and at least forced the Fleetwood defence to play quickly and sometimes poorly.

A ground out win in the end, my one nag would be I thought we were a tad deep again in the last quarter of the match and we didn’t have enough of a threat on the counter. On another day Fleetwood could’ve got lucky when Roos spilled his catches, they weren’t great upfront but they were committing numbers forward and sometimes the ball can just fall your way.

Dennis is clinical

It wasn’t the prettiest of matches I thought the first half was pretty dull and boring, the ref didn’t help by blowing his whistle at every given opportunity , I don’t know what MP said to them during the interval but they certainly came out firing on all cylinders and scored in 21 seconds. It was good to see Jatta and Dennis combining for the goal, Jatta’s pass was slightly behind Dennis who had to adjust his feet before taking a touch then shooting, it was a good goal.

Notts defence were excellent with McDonald in fine form, Roos was lucky a couple of times, he seems to have butter fingers when he tries to catch the ball but he did make some good saves as well.

All in all a good solid, hard earned win, not the greatest performance but three points and a clean sheet is what matters.

Why Iorpenda should be MoTM

FYI, Notts player ratings according to whoscored.com

Jatta, Roos, & Dennis scored high, followed by Iorpenda, Tsaroula & McDonald.

Matt Dennis is beginning to show real signs of being a natural finisher. His goal was taken with calmness and confidence, and while it wasn’t the easiest of chances, he made it look simple. Alassana Jatta deserves credit too, his physical presence and quick bursts of pace caused all sorts of problems for Fleetwood’s defence. For a first start, he didn’t look out of place at all.

It was unfortunate that Jatta had to come off, as he’d made a strong impact. You get the feeling we might have found another goal if he’d stayed on. At the back, the team looked steady. Kelle Roos made a couple of key saves in the first half, and the defence held firm after the break. It wasn’t the most polished performance, but it was effective, and the result was well earned.

There’s a brighter feel about the squad now. Players seem more settled, and the new signings are starting to gel. You can see the work being done on the training ground is paying off, there’s more shape, more understanding, and a growing sense of belief. It’s encouraging to see things coming together.

Notts did well against a tough Fleetwood side. Fleetwood clearly came with a plan to break up the play and keep the ball in the air, just as someone mentioned before kick-off. At the same time, they wanted something from the match, which made it more lively. I think Notts could have played more directly at times, but overall it was a good 90 minutes.

It wasn’t the smoothest display, but it showed real grit from Notts when it mattered. Fleetwood were lively down the right in the first half and caused plenty of trouble, with Roos needing to make a few strong saves to keep things level. On another day, they might have taken one of those chances, but Notts held firm and didn’t fold under pressure.

Dennis took his goal well, showing calmness in front of the net, and Jatta looked lively before being forced off. What stood out most was how the substitutes helped steady things late on. Paterson made smart changes at the right time, and it’s clear he’s not afraid to act when the game needs it. The bench looks much stronger now, even with Dennis and Jatta starting together, and that depth could be key as the season goes on.

There’s a lot to be pleased about beyond the scoreline. The team showed resilience, the manager made good decisions, and the squad looks more balanced. Winning in tough conditions, especially when the performance isn’t perfect, is a sign of progress. It’s not always about flair, sometimes it’s about finding a way, and Notts did just that.

Fleetwood Town looked poor in the first half. They didn’t create anything that worried me, apart from one chance they wasted. Kelle Roos did well to hold his ground, even if the shot was straight at him. Notts looked close to scoring throughout, and once Matt Dennis got the goal, it felt like a second was coming. Then we started misplacing passes and lost control a bit. Still, a very good win and a solid team performance overall.