Game 25 - The 'Owd Reds (H)
Team - Accrington Stanley
Date - 01/01/2026 15:00
Where - Meadow Lane

What would your starting line-up be? 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.

Notts have a good recent record against Accrington. In the last four league games between the two sides, Notts are unbeaten with three wins & one draw. Accrington currently stand in 16th place in League 2 with thirty points.

Notts will be hoping to repeat their creditable performance that they achieved against MK Dons on 29th December. Notts will be hoping that Kouhyar will be fit to play after he went off injured against MK.

I expect Martin to keep with the same side that started against MK, unless Kouhyar is unfit to play. It will be important for Notts to get back to winning ways, after two draws & one defeat in their last three matches.

No match in League Two is easy & this match will be no different & I'm sure Accrington will sit back and try not to make it easy for Notts, but I do believe that Notts will get the win which will keep them in touch with the leaders. I predict a 3:0 win🙏

It didn't look good for Kouhyar on Monday, so it has to be doubtful he'll be fine for Thursday.

How immensely frustrating, his first start and he goes off injured.

As it's a home game I'd go with JJ at RWB as a replacement. Tsaroulla looked liberated on the left at MK so it'd be wrong to send him back to the right. We need more creativity. JJ has said before the right's his best position (if so, he's probably wrong :) ) so Accrington might be the right game for him and he can help us break them down.

It's Matchday CMON U PIES.

Martin selects an unchanged team to face Accrington.

Pleased for Kouhyar

That's a team that should give Accy a tonne of problems. COYP

(1) The Match Kicks off.

Notts 0 Altrincham 0

(22) Update.

Notts 0 Accrington 0

HALF TIME

Goalless at the break

Notts 0 Accrington 0

Mark Stallard: 'Notts have had the better of it slightly and you feel they need to play with a bit more accuracy and tempo. I just wonder if there's a little bit of tiredness in there.'

Not great. Midfield not clicking. Norburn is a passenger. Changes please MP.

Really bad

Our best two players at MK, Iorpenda and Tsaroulla, have been OK, but that's about it.

Platt has been ragged, Bedeau asleep, Hall anonymous and Jatta's lost most of his tussles. Koukyar started like on of his sub performances but then fell off a cliff.

I think MP has to find a way to get Jones on at HT

To add to the frustration, Stall's 'absolutely' habit has spiralled out of control

Notts need to up the intensity. I agree that Martin should put Jones on. We need someone who can give a moment of quality to break the deadlock.

(46) Back to it. No changes.

Notts 0 Accrington 0

Update.

(56) Kouhyar and Jatta make way for Jones and Grant.

️Notts 0 Accrington 0

Update

(69) Grant delivers a dangerous cross for the unmarked Dennis - but he can't keep his diving header down.

(71) Bennetts and Gordon replace Hall and Tsaroulla.

Notts 0 Accrington 0

Update.

(72) Goal to Accrington

Notts 0 Accrington 1

Update

(87) Ness is on for Macari

Notts 0 Accrington 1

Well that was rubbish to honest. Lack of urgency. Lack of quality. We need fresh legs this month. Not one or two, 3 or 4 are required or we'll fade away again this season.

FULL TIME

Defeat at home

Notts 0 Accrington 1

As we enter the Jan window, the message form the players is "I'm not good enough, please replace me'

Many players low quality was cruelly exposed today.

Instructive for the club though, we don't have enough quality as it is to sustain a promotion challenge.

Sorry guys, I got my predictive score very wrong. The less said about that performance the better. Big test for Paterson now to see what he is really made of under pressure as Notts slide down the Table..

That was very poor, lack of pace all over the pitch, no real creativity. Only Dennis & Ioroenda showed any quality really.

Anyone still think Jones isn’t finished?

If he comes on as sub again, I think I’m going home. Utter waste of a shirt, every time he plays. Not sure what value Gordon, Jatta & Kouhyar offer either for that matter. They don’t look like “top 3 team” players to me.

There's been very little talk about McDonald, a star performer earlier in the season but interviewers don't even ask about him.

He came back to the bench then disappeared again as Ness took the back up CB role.

If Platt is picked ahead of RodMac it can only be based on the previous season. i hope there wasn't anything daft happen like giving him Christmas off :) ! Because he should've been back in the team by now and we wouldn't have had to see that Platt horror show today.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by theAnticlough

League 2 Table after today's matches. Notts down to seventh.

I pride myself on my positivity but starting to lose faith. I'd love it if the owners could magic up a L1 side with their data model, a bunch of journeymen, crocks and loan signings and a rookie manager. But after watching that and plenty of other performances where we've been schooled by L2 also-rans with experienced coaches, I'm not sure it's possible. Yet again a 10k crowd has been let down. They won't keep coming back indefinitely.