Game 4 - The U's (A)

Team: Sutton United

Date: 13/10/2020

Where: Gander Green Lane

What line-up should Neal Ardley 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.

they have won all their opening games and have done so well, they are streaming the game which i will link at the bottom of my post.

i think away from home notts play different, if they could come out and fight from the start without being too deep, i do feel notts could get a good result. its all down to the lineup and how we start.

https://www.suttonunited.net/sutton-v-notts-county-live-stream/

This is a real test for Notts. Sutton are unbeaten so their confidence will be high. They have scored 6 and conceded 1 in their first 3 games, including a 3-0 win over the worst team in the league, Maidenhead, a decent win at Aldershot and a good win at Weymouth. I expect all 3 of those sides to be battling relegation so it's hard to know how good Sutton are. We drew 1-1 home and away against them last season. 

The big question is how will NA approach the game. I hope it's not a repeat of Dover because Sutton are better than Dover and they will punish us. If Notts take the game to Sutton, I think we'll get at least a point. I'll go for 2-1 to Notts. 

Away from home Notts does need to be more lethal.

Sutton having won every game before, I do not see as a concern, Barnet was labelled a tough game and the team played well enough to take the points. It will be done to working hard enough on the day.

Worth remembering Sutton play on a 4G pitch which should actually help with the way we play, they'll be no bumps or rough patches of grass to stop our slick passing.

No doubting our home form at the moment, it's away from home where we need to improve. I think we should be approaching all the games in the way we do our home ones, I don't think there's anyone in this league at the moment that look like a real 'wow' team where it would be more sensible to play with more players behind the ball.

As for the team for Sutton, my only slight issue is how we are a touch light in centre mid. Reeves and Doyle have played every game so far, hope they aren't too fatigued just yet. Maybe worth starting O'Brien for one of them?

I'll say; 1-1. Wootton to keep up his current scoring form.

Can we expect to see some more rotation from the team that played against Barnet?

I'd like to see Alex Lacey partner Connell Rawlinson, with Enzio again starting. He played better against Barnet than he's previously done for awhile, yet there's still a large room for improvement from him. He's too ball greedy and, guilty of giving the ball a way.

Yet he's worth a place because he will only improve with confidence and, game time.

Besides we would have a better benefit from attacking Sutton down the flanks, it all depends though. If Notts starts well, it could really help place those much needed points on the table. It's not a bad start to the season so far, but we need to avoid a Dover style result.

                Slocombe

Brindley Lacey Rawlinson McCrory

Roberts         Doyle               Enzio

                  Rodrigues

             Wootton   Sam

This would be the line up I would like to see, I think Thomas has been brilliant but I would like to see Sam start. Ardley has mentioned he needs to get himself up to fitness, but sitting out games won't do that. I think with the quality the squad has to create chances, he would start to fit in if he started a few games.

Away games is an area where we could do with getting the most out of.

Kyle Wootton is in great form.

It's just a loss if Cal Roberts can't start due to fatigue. 

I'm going to predict a 1-1 draw, we can't win them all and a point would be a good outcome.

Something for the team to improve on with games away from home.

I can see Meadow Lane being the main area for points that are picked up, but a slow start never hurt anyone away from home. Confidence and performances have been good, avoid allowing stress and expectations to impact the squad away from home.

I just hope for a better away performance, if we don't change too much, I feel a win will come.

i feel notts will get their first away win of the season, i dont think losing roberts to being tired. i sort of suspect he will start but its understandable if he does not, notts does needs to allow him to rest without overdoing it.

like with other players.

my prediction would be 2-0.

I will be tuning into the game via BBC Radio Nottingham.

I don't know what to expect, Sutton have gotten themselves off to a flying start by winning all of their games so far. At home they will want to protect this, so any three of the possible outcomes could happen. I don't see any risk of postponement, I know some have been banging about the rain on social media.

Sutton I suspect will be clever and attack using set pieces.

By now most teams should have done their home work with this issue.

If Roberts starts, I would feel Notts has more of an outlet. If he doesn't, I don't see the wider spaces being exploited and I think this would make it much harder for Notts to be creative.

No Roberts. That's a big blow. 

aside from enzio hitting the bar, notts seems to have been quiet so far.  

Thomas is a big loss. Doesn't seem to be much of a cutting edge. Notts away are a world away from Notts at home. 

Cracking win

Fantastic win. Overcame the conditions and a decent side tonight. Clean sheet as well. 

Did we deserve to win? Probably not.

Did we deserve to lose against Dover? Probably not.

Bit of nice karma coming our way me thinks. Sutton will feel aggrieved.

Major positive is that we don't have to go down there again and play on that plastic pitch. 

I have to hold my hands up, I promised @Ellie_Pie10 that I would play her on Fortnite. My intention was to get on right near the end, as I felt it would likely end up as a goalless draw. However, after waiting 15 minutes for the dam thing to update and, then playing a complete game.

I switched over to the match chat and, noticed comments about us scoring late on.

Kyle Wootton is in fantastic form, I bet he feels like he can score any chance present and, that's what we need in a striker.

It might not have been a convincing or deserved win, yet the 3 points will be a big factor come the end of the season. As will grinding out results like this!

the pitch did not prove to be helpful for notts but it sounded like both teams did enough, it might not have been a pretty win but it shows resilience from notts.

wootton is just on fire this season.

usually strikers dont pick up their form with us but he has from last season, hope it continues. reeves also sounded like a player that was determined, so i am happy we took the 3 points back with us. 

94+ minute, Kyle Wootton does the unexpected! Did anyone really think this game would end up 1-0 to Notts after 90 odd minutes?

I did not. Very happy with the result.

It's wins like tonight which highlights teams good enough to chase for Promotion.

I don't want to sound like I am getting ahead of myself, there's still a long way, but after Dover this is the perfect start that we couldn't have asked for. The game had a draw all over it, yet Kyle Wootton managed to get the ball across the line dead late into the game. It's results like this which our fans will also miss seeing live, imagine the reaction to winning the 3rd game of 4 in the 94th minute.

It really doesn't get any better than that.

Notts just needs to improve away from home, confidence should do that.

 

That was just my reaction too @TheSkipper. Excellent result - let's carry it on on Saturday!

It's not necessarily the teams that play the opposition to death that end up right at the top of the league. It's the ones that develop a winning habit and regularly grab jammy last-minute goals.