A 2nd successive win for Notts against a tough Fleetwood side at ML today. Hit man Dennis adds to his goal tally early in the 2nd half that proved to be the difference between the two sides.

Martin Paterson will be happy with the clean sheet too, the first of the season & he will be happy that Notts saw out the game without conceding a late goal.

So who's your PON Man of the Match today. I have chosen the Notts players who started the game for you to make your choice.

Those players are.

Roos, Aljofree, McDonald, Bedeau, Gordon, Norburn, Palmer, Tsaroula, Iorpenda, Jatta, Dennis.

Shot outs to the usual suspects - Palmer, McDonald, Dennis and this time Bedeau and Jatta for really solid 7 out of 10 performances, but I think Iorpenda just edged it.

He was the difference IMO, the spark and the main thorn in their side.

He was also asked to be the sole player linking midfield with the forwards this week, normally we have 2 in this role, and to be honest he did a better job alone than 2 players did in the games before.

Rod McDonald for me, I thought he was class in defence and I did notice Jacob Bedeau having a bit of a go because he had to track a player who shot straight towards Kelle Roos, but all the defenders at times get caught out at least once, and they need to mop the play up as a team.

McDonald looked good in the air, calm on the ball, and defensively solid against a physical team that liked to leave things on every challenge they made.

My son turned to me and asked if I thought Matty Platt would come straight back into the team, and I said that I don't think he should when he's recovered from his injury. McDonald has done superbly and has taken this game time well. I thought he dealt very well with Fleetwood Town.

I think Ollie Norburn had his best game for Notts. He looked really strong out there. He played like Matt Palmer does sometimes. Today, Norburn was that kind of player against Fleetwood.

He had loads of energy, running to defend and then helping with attacks too. He passed the ball really well.

1 minute ago, Ash said:

I think Ollie Norburn had his best game for Notts.

Agree with that@Ash, it was Norburn's best game. He showed for it more and was more involved

For me I thought that McDonald did well, so did Bedeau, Norburn had a good game & Iorpenda proved he's a good option just behind the strikers. Dennis took his chance well which shows he has an eye for goal.

Getting a clean sheet is important & I think that McDonald deserves my vote for Man of the Match this time.

Iorpenda for me, unusual for the match sponsors, Notts supporters club to get it right!

McDonald a close 2nd

Ollie Norburn, not mobile enough for me, just didnt really make himself available to receive the ball, Palmer does all the work. I think it was Norburn, in the 1st half, who lost the ball and Fleetwood countered quickly and could have scored.

I agree with the sponsors man of the match Iorpenda. Not only is he good at winning the ball back as he did for the goal, but he has the ability to turn and run with the ball. There was one occasion when he intercepted the and turned in one movement and was way on the attack. Real class for this level.

I've really liked what I've seen from Iorpenda this season and today he was really good again, his skill level on the ball to beat a man sets him apart from both Palmer and Norwood (who I also thought were solid today). I went for McDonald though, I think him constantly winning the ball off their long balls was key to our win.

Because we got a clean sheet I think the accolade has to go to a defender and the player I thought who stood out was McDonald, he has improved immeasurably since he came into the team in place of the injured Platt and I think he’ll take a bit of unseating when Platt is fit.

Why Iorpenda should be MoTM

Tom Iorpenda had a decent game. He showed some good touches, but he tends to give the ball away too easily. Defending isn’t really his strong point from what I’ve seen so far. Ollie Nurburn looked sharper overall. He was more involved across the pitch and gave a better all-round performance. He kept things ticking and helped link play well.

Rod McDonald stood out the most. He organised the back line, won plenty of headers, and dealt with the danger Fleetwood managed to create. He kept the defence steady and deserves Man of the Match for that.

Notts were on the defensive for those last 25 minutes or so of the match & I thought that the defensive unit did very well in that period when usually Notts have conceded a goal.

For me, McDonald stood above the rest. Sometimes playing mean & ugly can reap rewards.

I thought McDonald was solid, commanding display despite a couple of lapses.

Iorpenda was busy and posed them problems for an hour, showed some neat skill.

My vote went to Palmer for an energetic, determined and robust performance. Back to his neat & tidy best on the ball and far more likely to pass forwards under MP than either Williams or Maynard. Terrific performance.

Rod McDonald fully deserves the Man of the Match award against Fleetwood Town. Since joining the squad in Matty Platt's absence, he’s brought a strong and steady presence at the back. He’s no longer just a back-up or fringe player, he’s playing like someone who belongs in the starting eleven.

He gets my vote without question. His performances have been consistently good, and right now I think his role is the most important in the team. That might surprise a few people, but his leadership and the way he organises the defence stands out more to me than Jacob Bedeau’s work.

That said, he fits in well alongside Bedeau and young Sonny Aljofree. The three of them seem to complement each other, and McDonald’s experience helps bring balance to the back line.

i have voted for rod mcdonald because i thought he really did shine in defence, some of his long ball passes really paid off winning corners or allowing us to break beyond fleetwoods back line. its good we have a defender who can do this, whilst commanding and organising the back. its not a surprise we are doing better with mcdonald in this type of form.

Tom Iorpenda had a really strong game. If he’d managed to get on the scoresheet, I think more people would be saying he ran the show. He was involved in a lot of the play and looked confident throughout.

The only thing I’d pick out is how long he sometimes keeps hold of the ball. He tries to beat too many players at times, which can slow things down. That said, his skill is great to watch and when it works, he opens up space and sets up good chances for others.

He’s clearly got talent and a creative spark. With a bit more decision-making, he could become a key player in the middle.

Rod McDonald was the standout for me against Fleetwood. He gave Notts a solid shape and kept things steady at the back. His reading of the game helped hold the team together when it mattered most. Some fans have said he’s slow to release the ball, but I think that’s because he takes time to assess the situation.

He doesn’t rush, and that calm approach often helps the team settle. Out of all our centre-backs, he seems to think things through the most. His presence brings a sense of control, and that’s something the squad really benefits from.

Just one thing I think I overlooked was that I thought Roos played his best game between the sticks for Notts. I do think that he is improving & the clean sheet was a good pointer to that improvement.

Voted. Tom got my vote. COYP

1 hour ago, Robbie said:

Just one thing I think I overlooked was that I thought Roos played his best game between the sticks for Notts. I do think that he is improving & the clean sheet was a good pointer to that improvement.

I don’t think Roos gets much backing from the fans, which is a shame. I agree with your view, he did have a better game than people give him credit for. The two moments where he dropped the ball didn’t help, and they’ve given some fans a reason to focus on the negatives. Without those slips, I think the reaction would’ve been a lot fairer.

He might not fill everyone with confidence, but he made some key saves and looked more assured overall. There were signs of improvement, and that’s worth recognising.

There's still ample time to vote for your PON Man of the Match award. Poll closes at 9pm tonight. There is still time for McDonald's ten point lead to be overtaken. Iorpenda is getting significant support by PON members, & Norburn is still in the hunt too.

It looks like we could have an exciting finale to the vote.

The poll has now closed. Thanks to all who voted.

It looked like it was going to be a close battle between McDonald & Iorpenda, at one stage, but I'm delighted that defender Rod McDonald has been voted the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match against Fleetwood. Well done Rod.

Well done to Rod McDonald, he’s taking his chance with Matty Platt out, and it’s good to see a defender winning this, as it shows how strong things at the back have been. It’s encouraging to see that depth in defence being utilised.