Chris

Notts County's League Two campaign gets put on hold for a week as they host National League South side Oxford City in the second round of the FA Cup. With the game on BT Sport, the stage is set for the Magpies to try and reach the hallowed third round of the competition, but City have made it through four stages to get here, including a win over Colchester United. How should Notts play? What can they expect from their non-league opponents? Pride of Nottingham finds out with Chris's Scouting Report. Run-down of their last six features Saturday 7th October – Oxford City 2 Poole Town 3 Saturday 21st October – Hemel Hempstead 2 Oxford City 0 Saturday 28th October – Oxford City 1 Concord Rangers 1 Saturday 11th November – Chelmsford City 1 Oxford City 2 Saturday 18th November – Oxford City 3 Wealdstone 2 Tuesday 21st November – Bognor Regis Town 0 Oxford City 0 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers: Matthew Paterson 9, Reece Fleet 4, Zac McEachran 4 and David Pearce 3. Persistent Foulers: N/A no stats available. The Key Players Looking at Oxford City’s squad, it’s clear that their main threat is that of Matthew Paterson, he likes to get into the opposition's penalty area and generally causes trouble within the lower levels but tends to miss more chances than he takes. Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, the brother of Liverpool and England midfielder Alex, is a pacey winger who can score from the flank when presented a chance. He likes to run directly down the wing, whilst on occasions he does attack more towards goal itself. Reece Fleet is their creative player, often carving out chances with his passing ability but he is also comfortable in front of goal and has a decent strike on him. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Form in previous games, especially games within the league, really does go out of the window here but the style in which they play does take some bearing on the tactics in FA Cup games. In the first round cup, City set themselves up defensively but with the mind set to counter when the chance presented itself – they attacked well at times and deserved their victory, because as a unit they put in a solid performance. Whilst in the league it’s the typical any team can win, when sides work harder or appear more confident on the ball, City really do struggle. Several players tend to go missing and their play takes a major hit due to this. On the ball they can build nicely, either by running directly into space (commonly the flanks) or by playing simple neat one-twos as a way to gain ground. If allowed to play this way, they do it well, and this is where Colchester United failed by never attacking wisely. In games where sides do allow them to play, City tend to assert control from midfield and work the ball around the oppositions penalty box showing no fear of shooting early. If Notts mark tightly, draw them further up the field, this should make it fairly difficult for City. Defensively they don’t like being hit with pace or when multiple players make good movement, this tends to cause confusion and their inability to pick up dangerous runs can be highly effective for opposition teams. From distance set pieces will be a natural way to get around any issue caused by Oxford playing a deep defensive line. Whilst the use of our quicker players who can draw players onto them, will release our strikers. Notts must match their work-rate and work as a team during this clash, as any individual errors are likely to lead only to problems. Share your thoughts about this scouting report on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Ryan Yates scored a dramatic last-gasp winner as Notts County kept pace with League Two leaders Luton Town with a 2-1 win over Colchester United. Shola Ameobi's penalty had put Kevin Nolan's charges in front in the second half after Michael Mandron was adjudged to have held back Yates in the U's box. Colchester wasted an opportunity to draw level with a spot kick of their own when Ryan Jackson was fouled by Jorge Grant but Mandron’s shot was saved by Magpies goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons. Substitute Sanmi Odelusi then scored with his first touch in the 89th minute to seemingly give the U’s a share of the spoils. However, the 94th minute saw Yates head home Grant's corner to ensure that Notts remain level on points with the Hatters and preserved their unbeaten home record in the league. Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane for the exhilarating victory and interviewed several Magpies fans ahead of kickoff. Questions asked include whether Jonathan Forte is surplus to requirements, whether Richard Duffy is a liability at the back, and what Notts should do in case Grant and Yates return to their parent club in January. Share your thoughts about this week's Meet the Fans on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County claimed three points the hard way on Saturday after requiring a 94th-minute winner to see off Colchester United at Meadow Lane. Shola Ameobi's second-half penalty had given the Magpies the lead and Ross Fitzsimons kept out a spot kick at the other end from Mikael Mandron. Aubstitute Sanmi Odelusi looked to have salvaged a point for the U's with his 89th-minute strike following an effort from Terry Hawkridge. However, there was time for more drama as Ryan Yates glanced home a header to seal victory for Notts in a last-ditch 2-1 win which sent Meadow Lane barmy. The result keeps Kevin Nolan's level on points with League Two leaders Luton Town and five points above the playoff places. Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane to watch Notts County's superb late win over Colchester United and took photos of fans before, during and after the game. Are you in our gallery? Find out by checking out this weekend's Faces of PON! Share your thoughts about this week's Faces of PON on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

A dramatic late winner from Ryan Yates kept Notts County level on points with Luton Town at the top of League Two thanks to a 2-1 win over Colchester United at Meadow Lane. The hosts had gone in front in the 68th minute when Shola Ameobi converted from the spot after Mikael Mandron was adjudged to have held Yates inside the area. Mandron had the chance to make amends for his earlier mistake when Ryan Jackson was fouled by Jorge Grant, but saw his penalty superbly saved by Ross Fitzsimons. However, the U's did manage to draw level in the 89th minute when Mandron picked out the run of Sanmi Odelusi who kept his composure to slot into the bottom corner of the net. Notts did not let their heads drop and were rewarded in added time when Yates headed in at the back post from Grant's corner to send Meadow Lane barmy. Here is Chris's detailed tactical analysis of the Meadow Lane encounter. Was the result fair? I think the first half would have made me sway more towards a draw if Notts hadn’t been so impressive in the second half. Despite the iffy calls from the match officials, I would say the win was deserved. How did Notts play? Awful within the first half, it was stagnant and very depressing to watch. The defence just didn’t pressure or deal with anything and up top we weren’t effective at all. This was all put right within the second with a spectacular performance which honestly I felt warranted more goals for the Magpies – however it was entertaining on both parts and Colchester gave as good as they got. How did Colchester United play? No end product, they tended to overwork the ball which was fortunate enough for us. Don’t get me wrong, they played well and attacked with flair befitting of a Championship team – yet they never actually had much edge when it really mattered. They was organised very well and as a unit they did fine. Did our tactics work out? Reasonably, yet things did change within the second half. We really do need to learn how to break sides down in a more effective manner without waiting for the second half in order to do it – if you remove the penalty, the play was very dangerous at times and Notts played with a sense of confidence which we are becoming accustomed too. I would just like to see it a little more during both halves. How did the referee perform? It’s lucky I’m not an expert otherwise I would get fined for my opinion of the referee and match officials. I think they turned up with Richard Duffy, as they all seemed to be sleeping. The referee sided with Colchester, he issued a very soft card to Notts (Matt Tootle) – yet somehow managed to avoid booking several bad challenges, including assault to Jorge Grant. Then we have the incorrect decisions, and favourable free-kicks. They were dire! Enough said… Who do we play next in the league? Luton Town – it’s going to be one of those games, I can tell now. We’ll either do an Exeter City and come out of it looking very strong or they’ll do a Coventry City and turn us over. How should we play them? The key thing will be all about how we defend, if we sit back – put our feet up and invite pressure, well I don’t think we will have any nails left. It’s important that we press, cover and ultimately defend in a manner which makes it hard for Luton Town. If we allow Luton to play as we did Colchester or a number of other teams, well it’s not going to be enjoyable. There’s a very good chance that both teams effectively cancel each other out, it’s one of them that it’s just so hard to call right now. If we play to our strengths and allow the midfield to do their job, and press in a manner which highlights our conviction and belief that we are capable of winning any team within League Two. It will naturally see chances created, it will just be a case of who’s playing up top? If we have a little bit of pace this will most likely aid us, if Jon Stead is still injured and Jonatyhan Forte too. Well, I don’t know – I can’t see us holding the ball up much, so in most likely event we will need to move and use the ball well. Colchester fan views (from The U'Sual) durham_exile: Absolutely gutted and having just seen the highlights we definitely lost 3 points when we deserved a point at the very least. Still years ago we played Buryat Layer Road we were outplayed by the Shakers but managed to win with a Lindsay Smith goal, Bury were hard done by just as we were today but both teams were promoted at the end of the season. Up the U's. gerry_us: I hate to say "told you so" but U's didn't turn up for the second half until too late. I can't believe that half time talk would have been of a credible draw but County's team talk would have had to be astounding to warrant what happened second half. We did not mount one attack for the first twenty minutes of the second half and just invited County to attack us with renewed enthusiasm especially as they were very second best first half. Pressure mounted on us until the inevitable. Mandron apparently gave up the penalty but not clear enough to comment more. Only being 1-0 down did we return to the earlier endeavours with the resultant penalty award for us. All around were shouting "not Mandron" and how right we were...awful penalty. However continued in attacking ways and finally scored the goal of the game on 88 minutes. Still we failed to protect what would have been a well deserved point when we poorly defended a late corner in 93 minute. You just couldn't make it up. When will we play for 90 minutes? If? we play as we did for first half for the remainder of the season anything is possible. If we play as we did in second half goodness knows what could happen. Just an aside, excellent support from 350 travelling supporters and all were still in the ground at the final whistle. Share your thoughts about this tactical analysis piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

We're 19 games into the season and top spot in League Two keeps changing hands more often than a game of "pass the parcel". Notts County were top of the table until Tuesday night, when a 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town saw Luton Town return to the top on goal difference. But this weekend we go again and the team standing between the Magpies and three points is Colchester United, who currently sit in a very healthy ninth place in the standings. How should Notts line up against the U's? What's their style of play and how can we counter it in order to be most effective and clinch victory? PON's Chris aims to answer these questions in this Scouting Report. History Notts County have met Colchester United 43 times over the years, all league encounters except for one Sherpa Vans Trophy tie in 1988. The Magpies are in front when it comes to head-to-head, having won 21 games to Colchester's 15, with seven draws. The first fixture between Notts and Colchester took place on 23 February 1959 at Layer Road, a Division Three clash which finished 4-1 to the U's. The last fixture was last season on 1 April, the Magpies winning 3-1 at Meadow Lane. All league encounters between the two have never taken place higher than the third tier. Run-down of their last six features Tuesday 17th October – Newport County 1 Colchester United 2 Saturday 21st October – Coventry City 0 Colchester United 0 Saturday 28th October – Colchester United 3 Crewe Alexandra 1 Saturday 11th November – Barnet 0 Colchester United 1 Saturday 18th November – Colchester United 0 Morecombe 0 Tuesday 21st November – Colchester United 1 Lincoln City 0 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers: Sammie Szmodics 7, Mikael Mandron 6, Kyel Reid 3 and Ryan Jackson 2. Persistent Foulers: Tom Lapslie 6 yellow cards and 1 red card, Mikael Mandron 4 yellow cards and 1 red card, Lewis Kinsella 4 yellow cards and Doug Loft 4 yellow cards. The Key Players Mikael Mandron is a versatile player, who can play out wide or up front. He’s a player that Notts will have to mark wisely, as he will cause some trouble if allowed to find space. In an attacking midfield position Sammie Szmodics is capable of lashing a shot towards goal from distance; he’s also a threat during set pieces and from corner kicks. Lastly at the back Tom Eastman tends to lead the line and offers something to both Colchester United going forward and protecting the back. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Colchester United like to get the ball out wide where they have pace, whilst showing determination to take on the opposition with direct runs. They also tend to knock it back into the centre of the park where again they like to run in order to create chances and find space. They can carefully craft chances whilst not being afraid to be patient within their build up play. The majority of chances fall just outside the opposition area where they aren’t afraid to have a pop at goal – which will be a test for Notts to ensure they close them down early as possible. Tactically they build in the right way, showing a nice mixture of styles and methods in order to create organic chances. However, they’re prone to wasting chances but nonetheless they’re a team to be wary of. At the back they are quite solid and well organised, teams find it hard to gain space – whilst breaking them down isn’t easy at all. They hide their weaknesses well, which teams often explore during the half way period on how to exactly attack them – this will be a good test for the creative players within the Magpies’ ranks and the centre pairing within midfield will need to be knocking on Colchester’s door in terms of causing them problems. I can’t see many one-on-ones being created, so Notts may be force into drawing fouls for free kicks or taking shots themselves from distance. Share your thoughts about this Scouting Report article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

With Notts County two points clear at the top of League Two following Saturday's 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town, attention must swiftly turn to a taxing midweek fixture away at Yeovil Town. Although the Glovers currently sit 17th in the table, they have claimed a number of big scalps this season, including Coventry City, Exeter City and Accrington Stanley. How should the Magpies approach this game? Here is Chris's Scouting Report to analyse the fixture and the opposition from a tactical perspective. History Notts County and Yeovil Town have met 15 times over the years. The first game took place at Meadow Lane on 4 November 1961, with the Magpies beating their opponents 4-2 in the FA Cup. That was the only meeting of the two pre-21st century - the 14 meetings following that game all took place between 2004 and this year. The last game was a League Two encounter at Meadow Lane last February, a goalless draw. Yeovil have the upper edge in the head-to-head with seven wins, five defeats and three draws against Notts. Run-down of their last six features Saturday 14th October – Yeovil Town 2 Crewe Alexandra 0 Tuesday 17th October – Cambridge United 2 Yeovil Town 1 Saturday 21st October – Barnet 1 Yeovil Town 1 Saturday 28th October – Yeovil Town 3 Stevenage 0 Saturday 11th November – Carlisle United 4 Yeovil Town 0 Saturday 18th November – Yeovil Town 1 Swindon Town 2 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers; Otis Khan 7, Olufela Olomola 7, Francois Zoko 5 and Sam Surridge 5. Persistent Foulers; Francois Zoko 5 yellow cards and 1 red card, Olufela Olomola 2 yellow cards and 1 red card, Nathan Smith 4 yellow cards and Otis Khan 4 yellow cards. The Key Players Midfielder James Bailey is Yeovil’s engine in midfield. If he’s playing at the top of his game, it influences the players around him. He has the ability to take hold of a game and instantly change, whilst pressing he can also unlock chances. Francois Zoko on his day can be a major problem, both for the opposition but also his own team. If given space, he can cause headaches at the back – however this is provided he keeps his temper in check. His strike partner Olufela Olomola, meanwhile, is also a very pacey option for Yeovil who likes to be direct, and his attitude and energy can really cause problems. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Yeovil Town mix their style between passing along the floor, whilst they also try to break teams down by keeping the ball in the air – quick passes usually enable them to move forward into the opposition territory and it does warrant some concern if allowed to play. They like to inject pace onto the ball, but they seem to have a fairly weak grasp on their organization, whilst they tend to give silly fouls away which often leads to them feeling exposed at the back. If caught out in possession it takes them a little time to adjust, something which good teams often use to their own advantage. Despite looking comfortable on the ball, all it takes is for an individual to make one mistake and this can really be Yeovil’s undoing. Defensively they just don’t seem committed when it matters, there’s little pressing and their loose marking makes it very easy for the opposition to have a shot. Teams that work hard and perform well often manage to make the most of the chances gained, so it’s important for Notts to be strong within the midfield, yet patient upfront when it matters. Picking the ball up and countering will be something Notts could use to their advantage, as is drawing fouls – free-kicks and other set pieces will naturally come if Yeovil are pressed. If we play with our own tempo and pace, avoiding just focusing on one flank, Notts should enable space to open up within the centre of the park. Jorge Grant, Ryan Yates and Rob Milsom will be players who can maximise the opportunities which presence themselves. Overall Yeovil aren’t to be underestimated, yet if the game can be controlled by Notts, it should fall in favour of the away team. Share your thoughts about this Scouting Report piece on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

There was a lot of focus from Notts County fans on other teams around us during the Cheltenham Town game. I saw plenty of comments about pre-season title favourites Coventry City and about the nearest threat at the moment in Luton Town. Oddly not many comments mentioned Accrington Stanley, who have performed arguably better than most would have expected so far, and are definitely a solid team for this league. With the focus mostly coming in around a team who currently sit seventh as a I write this, and of course the team immediately beneath us in second, I wanted to express my thoughts as to why we as fans shouldn’t worry about the opposition and why the team should avoid doing the same thing. There are several teams I believe are capable of gaining promotion, with a handful being that extra quality that I feel could go onto win the League Two title in 2017-18. Wycombe Wanderers and Swindon Town are two teams often missed out in discussions since both sides have somewhat become inconsistent – yet both teams have done well enough to seize top spot in the table at various points during this campaign. However, both of the above teams didn’t quite have the focus to retain a place in the top three when it ultimately mattered. And despite the first half against Cheltenham not being up to much in my opinion (it screamed a draw to me), in the second half Notts regained their focus and played very well. In fact, I feel the confidence from playing the ball along the floor really shined and it’s what we have seen in previous games i.e Lincoln City. At the moment the dry spell seems to have been overcome, with Notts starting to play with a ‘cool edge’ to their game which reinforces my belief that we can be champions this season. For any fans still doubting the quality, I really would echo comments from managers and players higher up the football pyramid about how good ‘belief’ can be and when you combine this with a ‘core spirit’ from a hard-working approach to playing, then it’s only a case of failing to push your own boundaries. Claudio Ranieri himself said of Leicester City's Premier League triumph: "It was an amazing achievement. We wanted to do something special, but no one could have believed we would do this." Although on a much smaller scale, I believe that nobody would have dreamt about Notts going to places like Wycombe and Exeter and winning in style, nor being able to avoid a home defeat at Meadow Lane in the league during 2017 so far, especially after the amount of games the club lost last season. Likewise, I doubt highly that anyone would have believed we were capable of reaching - and remaining - top come November and we are fastly approaching December now in the same position. Our sole focus should be on taking games as they come, whilst worrying not that Luton won a game 7-0, as it’s really beside the point. If we allow our focus to fall on the teams beneath us, this will only lead to caution and pressure which isn’t exactly a positive thing – at which point should we stop worrying about teams that could leapfrog us in the league table? The attitude of showing no fear works well, teams from the lower tiers who have enjoyed success in the FA Cup will know you shouldn’t fear to play football. This is exactly why I am not remotely bothered currently about the results across the league, the only time it did matter for me was last season. Perhaps if we were chasing the playoffs things might be different, it still wouldn’t attach any concern and I’m not sure why others are bothered about Luton Town – are you? At the moment things are looking very good - we aren’t worried about Kevin Nolan leaving this season, so I take the same approach to who may or not overtake us in the table. Besides, I feel some of the bad patch after Mansfield Town came from worrying too much about fixtures and we have managed to return top due to good results. Let’s hope the Magpies can keep flying high, as future success can only be built on stable foundations and these are being put into place. Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County continue to set the pace at the top of the League Two table thanks to a 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town on Saturday. Jorge Grant opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when Jon Stead's layoff was convincingly rifled home by the Nottingham Forest loanee. However, the Robins restored parity against the run of play when Carl Winchester was allowed space to unleash a low shot goalwards that snuck beyond Ross Fitzsimons. Kevin Nolan's side rode their luck early in the second half but eventually came good as Grant doubled his tally with a free kick. Just a few minutes later, Shaun Brisley added a third to preserve Notts' great home league form and top spot in the table. Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane for the game and interviewed several Magpies fans ahead of kickoff. Questions asked include what the fans thought of the club having had the most managers over the last 20 years and Alan Shearer's comments regarding Kevin Nolan's future at the club. Share your thoughts about this week's Meet the Fans on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

A brace from Notts County top scorer Jorge Grant helped keep the Magpies at the top of League Two as they beat Cheltenham Town 3-1 at Meadow Lane. The loanee opened the scoring on the half-hour mark when he guided the ball into the far corner following good work from Jon Stead which culminated in a layoff into the centre. Cheltenham, however, were level just five minutes later as Carl Winchester steered home a low effort beyond Ross Fitzsimons with what was the Robins' first shot on target. Notts rode their luck but went on to retake the lead when Grant's 25-yard free-kick took a wicked deflection to wrongfoot Scott Flinders for his 13th goal of the season. The Magpies then made the game safe when a well-worked corner ended with Richard Duffy flicking towards the back post for Shaun Brisley to head home. PON's Chris photographed Notts County fans before, during and after Saturday's victory - see if you're in this week's Faces of PON! Share your thoughts about this week's Faces of PON on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.