Game 16 - The Spitfires (A)

Team: Eastleigh

Date: 20/11/2021

Where: Silverlake Stadium

What line-up should Ian Burchnall 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.

eastleigh always give us a game and they tend to come out on top, i think they have won us twice in recent years at their ground? i know we lost the opening game against them. i think they also beat us last season.

something for the current form to be wary of.

Eastleigh is the type of team I would class as underdogs, but they do understand how to play as a solid team, which makes them difficult to play against. The opening National League game mentioned by Liam, I attended, and we were far out of it. We just struggled to handle their height and physicality.

Notts now knows how to play established National League teams that will be a bit more physical, will press the ball and give less time to make use of it.

Matt Palmer should be extremely useful with his ability to hold onto the ball and get it moving, although Frank Vincent or whoever, needs to make sure they move into areas that can create chances. Not no man's land.

It should be a cracking away day, as they've got a nice ground and fans can stand.

I just hope we don't fall back or, struggle with having lost on Tuesday. I do think it will be out of mind and Ian Burchnall has rested some players well, but I am nervous about the centre back partnership. Adam Chicksen starting in this role will give me nightmares after Saturday.

In the form table we are side by side, with Notts at 10th and them at 11th. I don't think we've beat Eastleigh yet, so it will be a challenge. Things like this must change and if we can beat them, momentum will be adding up nicely.

That said I think the game will be a goalless draw.

Take them seriously, be solid at the back and the rest will come. Reason Notts struggles against Eastleigh is because they're smarter to passing football at this level, they will disrupt play and allow it to settle only when it suits them.

It's hard to figure out where Eastleigh are at this point in the season. They finished 9th last season, they are in 15th place at the moment, 8 points off the last playoff place. They played Chesterfield away recently and made it very difficult for them in a 1-0 loss. I think they will make things difficult for Notts but if Notts play as well as they have been recently, I think Notts will leave with 3 points. A hard fought 1-0 win for me. 

Disappointing result, not the end of the world stuff but, probably shows we are play offs at best

Eastleigh seem to keep their best performances for when they play us! Lost ground on top spot as well. 

I hope Sam Slocombe has his tin hat on, as I don't dare go on social media - as I don't want to read comments singling him out. I highly doubt its his fault alone, no idea how the team played but Eastleigh know how to play teams at this level.

We never seem to be able to match it.

Eastleigh well organised in defence, didn't allow us any space

Played as a team, no real star players

Tyrone Barnett scored...Notts I believe, tried to sign when he was with Macclesfield...subsequently went from Crawley to Peterborough for £1.1m

Notts not good enough defensively...too many goals being conceded by defenders switching off, will cost us promotion

 

 

 

That's a real let-down after the last few weeks. We seem to slip up against average but well-organised teams far too often, and you only afford to make very few mistakes in this league if you're serious about automatic - it's like like L2 where you can fluke third place on 70 points.

Boredom Wood next. They are where they are for a reason, but we can't afford to drop points two games in a row.

Sadly it's going to happen a few more times before the season ends. And this is what's going to keep us in this league for another season

Edited November 21, 20213 yr by 4everapie

Eastleigh compacted space so well, everyone behind the ball...our best chance, absurdly in a way was when they had possession..but we are not quick enough to counterattack.

Teams know we are vulnerable to the high ball into our box... Need some real thought process into our central defensive personnel

Eastleigh always do well against teams that want to pass and play proper football, you need to mix it up to get a result. If Cal Roberts had found the net first from his chance, then it could've been different but otherwise we played to their strengths.

I agree its a disappointing result.