Chris

Notts County managed to seize a draw from the jaws of defeat on Saturday as their League Two game with Forest Green Rovers ended all square at Meadow Lane. The division's bottom side took the lead on the half-hour mark through Omar Bugiel and held on to their advantage until the 96th minute of injury time, when Rob Milsom nodded home for a final score of 1-1. The Magpies barely deserved to come away with anything following a very lacklustre performance against Mark Cooper's side and have slipped to second in League Two, with Exeter City reclaiming top spot. Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane for the game and interviewed a number of fans ahead of kickoff, asking them several questions including what they thought of Kevin Nolan winning Manager of the Month and their opinions on former Notts duo Mark Cooper and Liam Noble. 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.

Rob Milsom's stoppage-time header has helped Notts County preserve their unbeaten home record as they were held to a 1-1 draw by lowly Forest Green Rovers at Meadow Lane on Saturday. The Magpies midfielder connected with Matt Tootle's cross and nodded beyond Rovers goalkeeper Sam Russell in the 96th minute to dramatically cancel out Omar Bugiel's first-half opener for the visitors. Notts were incredibly average throughout the game and were very lucky to escape with a point, though the result saw them slip to second in League Two as Exeter City reclaimed top spot. Pride of Nottingham was at the match and took photos of the fans before, during and after the game. Have you made it into this week's Faces of PON? Check out our gallery and find out! 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.

Notts County entered October at the top of League Two, although they were left reeling from a 3-1 derby defeat at Mansfield Town, with the scoreline only marginally better thanks to Carl Dickinson's late consolation. However, being brought back down to earth could be beneficial in the long term as it showed the Magpies players that great form and momentum can come crashing to a halt, so back to the drawing board. Up next for Notts is a home game against the league's basement side, Forest Green Rovers, promoted from the National League last season. Here is the scouting report for Saturday's League Two fixture at Meadow Lane courtesy of PON tsar Chris. History Notts County and Forest Green have literally only met the once, in the third round of the FA Cup on 19 January 2010. Stephen Hunt opened the scoring for the Magpies in the 50th minute and, although Isaiah Rankin drew level on 63 minutes, Lee Hughes grabbed the winner one minute later. Tomorrow thus marks the first ever league meeting between the two. Run-down of their last six features Saturday 9th September – Forest Green Rovers 1 Exeter City 3 Tuesday 12th September – Forest Green Rovers 0 Lincoln City 1 Saturday 16th September – Port Vale 1 Forest Green Rovers 1 Friday 22nd September – Forest Green Rovers 0 Swindon Town 2 Tuesday 26th September – Cambridge United 3 Forest Green Rovers 0 Saturday 30th September – Forest Green Rovers 0 Accrington Stanley 1 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers; Christian Doidge 4, Reece Brown 2, Omar Bugiel 2 and Liam Noble 1. Persistent Foulers; Charlie Cooper 4 yellow cards, Dale Bennett 3 yellow cards, Mark Roberts 2 yellow cards and Liam Noble 2 yellow cards. The Key Players Stand-out player for Forest Green Rovers is easily Liam Noble, however it’s expected that the former Magpies midfielder won’t return to action for the Green Devils against Notts. He is easily their best player, capable of driving his team forward and in terms of his set pieces. Luke James is an half decent winger and striker who enjoyed a spell with Hartlepool United, he can pull the strings and find space – however he can be pretty lacklustre as a striker. Lastly Christian Doidge is a very capable player, who has a fair bit of pace and likes to get behind the opposition defence – he is a forward thinking player and offers them a lot of movement up top. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses Forest Green Rovers appears to be quite happy to allow teams to attack, going forward themselves they look a fairly useful side and can build useful chances. The majority of their attacks are formed via the use of the centre of the park, whilst hitting sides with a fair amount of pace. They like to be patient within their build-up play, but can overthink when they have forced their way into dangerous areas. The Green Devils have a very strong midfield in my opinion which can control games quite well on their day, however upfront they do appear to be somewhat disjointed. Perhaps this could go down to confidence, or the fact they’re a struggling side adapting to life within the Football League. However, defensively they are very poor – with little to no marking at all. They invite play upon themselves and sit back rather dangerously, whilst from a defensive point of view their organisation is extremely negative. Notts just need to hold the ball within the midfield, draw Forest Green Rovers out of position and carefully inject pace into direct runs – it would be to our benefit to make use of the flanks until we have gone beyond their midfield. Chances will be presented to the Magpies, yet FGR may force more shots from distance as they have a tendency of parking the bus. 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.

Hello and welcome to episode 27 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast, hosted by the East Midlands' very own Ant and Dec (but with more facial hair - much more) Chris and JJ. In this week's episode, we analyse Notts County's humbling 3-1 defeat at Mansfield Town in the Nottinghamshire derby - both on and off the pitch - before going on to review what has been an otherwise impressive September for the Magpies We also look ahead to October's first League Two fixture, a home clash with bottom side Forest Green Rovers which, despite seeming straightforward on paper, will prove a tough mental test in terms of keeping complacency at bay for Kevin Nolan. Other topics covered include the speculation linking Liam Noble to a potential departure from FGR, attacking legend Les Bradd's 50-year anniversary of his Notts debut, and plenty more. All this and more only in episode 27 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast! Share your thoughts about this week's PONcast 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 saw their six-game winning streak come to an abrupt halt with a 3-1 defeat at local rivals Mansfield Town. The in-form Danny Rose grabbed a second-half brace before a Richard Duffy own goal killed off the game for the Magpies. Carl Dickinson, meanwhile, grabbed a consolation for County two minutes into added time with a superb 25-yard free-kick. Despite the loss, Notts remain top of the table and will have a week to prepare for a home encounter with struggling Forest Green Rovers. Pride of Nottingham was at Field Mill to watch Notts take on Mansfield and took photographs of fans. See if you've made it in 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.

Heading into the Nottinghamshire derby yesterday, I had a sense of uncertainty about the game. I always knew it would be a tight match, one which may be physical and difficult for us to get hold of. The starting line-up on paper actually seemed very good, minus the odd changes which I would have personally made myself - mentioned already within the Pride of Nottingham scouting report and more recently the tactical talk piece I write. Yet it was clear even from the kick off that we seemed quite unsure how to deal with Mansfield, despite having a few spells where we looked alright. At the back we simply didn’t, I counted at least four chances which the Stags wasted within the first half and a part from Shaun Brisley everyone in defence seemed to be napping. It was like all the talk leading into the game actually meant nothing, and I refuse to believe that Mansfield controlled the game that well that they stopped us playing – for me it just like we arrived thinking it would be easier than it was. It’s disappointing because many of the players spoke about being ready and keen to do well in the local derby, however this wasn’t the case. Yes, it’s a bad day in the office and we were beaten by a fairly decent Mansfield – yet they were not special. They didn’t impress me much at all, in fact I was annoyed throughout the game for how easily they went down or just plain dived. Even the referee was frustrating, yet even a different match official wouldn’t have made much difference. Simply yesterday Notts reverted back to the opening game of the season against Coventry City. I feel now pretty much the same as I did when I wrote my article about how Notts got it wrong against the Sky Blues – however I wasn’t that disappointed because in my heart I knew it was the first game of the season and we were up against a tough side. We invited Mansfield to play us, we allowed them to hit us and defensively we were just very poorly organised. It’s very difficult to win a game when your defenders simply cannot cope with doing the basics, and I feel massively let down by each one of them – as we arrived top of the table and in good stead to turn the recent fortunes that we have had at Field Mill. Any defeat I can accept, and as I told fans who asked me for my thoughts, I am confident that we can bounce back. But there’s a big but: if this Notts County squad wants to achieve something special this season, we must go into these types of games at least trying to avoid giving the game away. Yes, we are bound to lose, and there was always that nagging feeling that it would be Mansfield to end our undefeated run but we shouldn’t just lay back and take it. I’m sorry, there was little to no fight yesterday! That’s the most disappointing thing for me, as the warning signs all came within the first half and despite the decent chances Mansfield had – they wasted sitters! A good side would have sunk them, not missed. I personally think Kevin Nolan should have made a change at half time, yet we clearly missed Dan Jones because Carl Dickinson was terrible but second to Richard Duffy who was asleep for all three goals – just like he was at the Ricoh Arena. These types of games are the ones you want to see the fight, and we know we can do it! Scunthorpe United, Wycombe Wanderers are games which highlights this, Mansfield invited us to play them after scoring their third and we looked fairly capable of scoring from there on. Had we have scored a little earlier, some pride might have been restored but hearing the offensive songs sung by their fans really rubbed salt into the wounds. It’s like we struggle to raise to expectations when we fans give a great amount of backing, yet we need to come good against Forest Green Rovers – this can’t be the end of the good times within the 2017-2018 League Two season. We have shown how good we can be as underdogs, and perhaps there’s been a bit of luck but as the favourites we really should do better. There are some good games coming up which might allow us to forget Mansfield, and as I say I do believe we can bounce back but we also have to strive to avoid losing like we did yesterday – as it could be the thing which haunts us at the end of the season. I really don’t want us to be punished by a poorer goal difference, so let’s get the defence looking good and we can build from there. 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 saw their six-game winning streak come to an abrupt halt with a 3-1 defeat at local rivals Mansfield Town. The in-form Danny Rose grabbed a second-half brace before a Richard Duffy own goal killed off the game for the Magpies. Carl Dickinson, meanwhile, grabbed a consolation for County two minutes into added time with a superb 25-yard free-kick. Here is Chris's analysis of the game at the One Call Stadium. Was the result fair? I can’t disagree, though I think the score line is flattering because I don’t think either side played really well at all – but Mansfield were clearly the better side of the two competing at Field Mill yesterday. How did Notts play? Notts played like a side that wasn’t aware of how to play, they looked unfamiliar with each other and they failed to get grip of the game. It’s difficult, as I did think we played alright in spells in the first half. Second was just awful, and I’d have made changes before it had even kicked off. The fault for me was at the back, there was little to no organisation and we failed to deal promptly with the Stags. How did Mansfield Town play? They played well, with some good football being expressed by their players but I honestly wasn’t very impressed overall – I don’t think this was due to Notts being extremely poor, its more related to their negative tactics and repeated efforts to fool what was a very poor referee. Did our tactics work out? No, not at all. It was Coventry City all over again but on a worse level this time a round. Before the match the line-up looked as if Kevin Nolan was spot on with his selection, with many fans saying ‘he’s going for it isn’t he’ and it would have appeared to be the case. However, Carl Dickinson was a weak link at the back and Richard Duffy I felt was extremely poor. I would have risked playing Shola Ameobi from the start, and I hate to say it perhaps against Mansfield we shouldn’t have tried to force the passing football so much. But from the back, we were very ineffective – the midfield did try but seemed sluggish and unprepared. Our striker force stood no chance at all for these reasons. How did the referee perform? I didn’t rate him, I felt he gave an unfair home advantage and missed several blatant dives. He also tended to award every little issue that Mansfield players complained about, which sort of ruined the flow of the game. He wasn’t very quick to award anything to Notts at all, and there were times where he clearly missed incidents – but I doubt a better referee would have changed much. Who do we play next? Forest Green Rovers! Pardon the pun but we literally have to slaughter these. I fully expect Notts to be able to bounce back, but we have to go into the game being more prepared and more able to compete if things don’t go our way. How should we play them? We have to be cautious at the back, I would hate for us to play poorly against these and totally underestimate them. It’s clear on paper that Forest Green can leak goals, they have a decent midfield but they haven’t strengthened wisely for life within League Two. Notts must play higher up, we need to force them back in my opinion. This would allow more ground to be found within the middle of their pitch, and would allow us to play a better passing game. We missed pace against Mansfield, so for me Dan Jones needs to return if he is fit after suffering a hamstring injury against Lincoln City. I’d like to see Lewis Alessandra and Terry Hawkridge occupy the flanks and Robert Milsom and Ryan Yates in the centre. Mansfield fan comments (from Stagsnet) Yaxhamstag: Cracking atmosphere, match day experience is so much better than it has been in the past, so congratulations to all concerned at the club. Danny Rose was awesome, I thought the defence was solid, my one disappointment was our midfield (MacDonald excepted) as I thought given our purchases they would show a bit more quality on the ball....hopefully that will come. As for Hemmings, I thought he worked really hard and is just unlucky at the moment. He could/should have been credited with the second goal and would have had a tap-in if the third hadn't been an OG. Pleased he got a good reception when he came off and we should continue to back him. Once he gets one, he'll be fine. I also thought the one minute's applause was brilliant and moving. Top stuff all round. Chip63: Absolutely a great result today. Well done all you have made my day. Don't take the pish too much on the way out. Top of the league your having a laugh. Woodclanger1: Great result without even having to move up a gear by bringing Mellis on. They looked well drilled but very ordinary and limited to hoof it. We were no great shakes especially the first half in midfield but Butcher certainly stepped it up in the second half. Mirfin and Pearce solid again and the hard running of Rose and Sterling up front made them look very cumbersome at the back. Great day to be a Stags fan. 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.

Notts County are on the brink of a perfect September, navigating through their six games so far with a 100% record, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one en route to the top of the table. But now comes the sternest test of all - arguably our fiercest local derby, against Mansfield Town, away from home. Here is Chris's scouting report for the Nottinghamshire derby. History Notts County and Mansfield Town have met 49 times over the years. The first fixture between the two was in October 1937, a 2-0 win for the Magpies in Division Three (South). Notts only just have the upper hand with 18 wins, 17 defeats, and 14 draws. Between 1989 and 2001, the two sides met six times – and Notts won each time. County's record over the last 10 meetings, however, is poor, standing at two wins, four defeats, and four draws. This record is embellished by the fact Notts have beaten Mansfield twice in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the last two years. In reality, the Magpies haven't got a league win over the Stags since August 2005. Run-down of their last six features Saturday 2nd September – Carlisle United 1 Mansfield Town 1 Saturday 9th September – Mansfield Town 4 Grimsby Town 1 Tuesday 12th September – Mansfield Town 0 Wycombe Wanderers 0 Saturday 16th September – Lincoln City 0 Mansfield Town 1 Saturday 23rd September – Mansfield Town 2 Cambridge United 2 Tuesday 26th September – Cheltenham Town 3 Mansfield Town 0 The Players – Fact Sheet Highest Goal Scorers; Danny Rose 4, Lee Angol 4, Alfie Potter 1 and David Mirfin 1. Persistent Foulers; Jacob Mellis 4 yellow cards, Calum Butcher 3 yellow cards, Joel Byrom 2 yellow cards and Danny Rose 2 yellow cards. The Key Players The once promising Chelsea academy product and England Under-19’s midfielder Jacob Mellis is a quick minded player, who can play box-to-box and turn the opposition inside out with clever play – he is a great asset for Mansfield and his no-nonsense approach to physical tackles will be something to be aware of. Paul Anderson is also a very experienced winger, who likes to run directly at times and can unlock sides with a defend cross or well placed through ball. Mansfield’s star player for me appears to be the 23-year-old striker Danny Rose, who is comfortable in possession and waiting for the perfect opportunity to get a strike on goal. His positioning is generally quite tricky to track and as a result allows him to find space in keys areas. Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses In games when allowed to play, Mansfield Town start off very direct and take to attacking with sheer pace. They mix their breaks from all across the park, but in my opinion they look more dangerous when they take to using the flank as a way to cut back in. They appear to be a very capable side, and quite well organised in terms of their positioning. Going forward they do have limitations, and their midfield seems to play to far up the field – with their defence weirdly quite deep. This tends to create a lot of space in the centre of the park, but forces teams to drop back themselves. However, better sides seem very able to hit Mansfield on the break and as a result they then start to appear just like an average League Two team. Defensively, they look very chaotic when hit and possession is held by the opposition team. Leading to panic and confusion within their defence. Overall Notts should just look to make use of the wing themselves, as aerial threats appear to be one strong weakness. It’s a game that Shola Ameobi would literally love, as he would be able to calm the place down and allow for more pacier players to be the direct threats. Free kicks will most likely be won in favour of Notts, as the Stags like to use this to break down the play. But really, quick movement and clever positioning would work to great effect against Mansfield. If Notts can build positively, control the game in key areas such as the midfield and force them to be more defensive – team should be on the Magpies’ side when it comes to creating decent chances. 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.