Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan has claimed that he is not fussed over who Notts County will face in the League Two playoffs. The final matchday of the regular League Two season will be played out on Saturday, with the Magpies facing Luton Town at Meadow Lane. Notts will be seeking victory in order to finish as high as they can in the playoff places, and have already beaten Exeter City, Coventry City, Lincoln City this season. “It doesn’t matter who we get,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “We’ve just got to make sure that we be ourselves. “We’ve had some good success against all those teams so for me, it doesn’t matter. “We will know this time next week who we’ve got and we will start preparing. “Hopefully that preparation will do us right and we’ll be having a trip to Wembley.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Though not quite as busy on the fixture level as the previous months, April was nonetheless a tense month, with many of the league's annual permutations becoming reality. How did the month pan out for the Notts County contingent? Pride of Nottingham goes over the big news. April 2 On Easter Monday, Notts suffered a big blow to their automatic promotion hopes as eventual League Two champions Accrington Stanley ran out 1-0 winners at the Wham Stadium. On the plus side, Michael O'Connor made his long-awaited return for Notts County, coming on as a second-half substitute during the defeat for his first first-team appearance since April 2017. April 5 Jorge Grant was named in FourFourTwo magazine's top 50 EFL players of the season. April 7 Notts claimed their first win in six League Two games as fellow playoff chasers Coventry City were beaten 2-1 at Meadow Lane, Pride of Nottingham-sponsored Jonathan Forte scoring a brace for the Magpies. April 9 Kevin Nolan confirmed that his touchline dismissal against Wycombe Wanderers was punished by a fine. April 10 Highly rated Leyton Orient midfielder Charley Barker reportedly played in a friendly for Notts with a view to a future switch to Meadow Lane, though nothing more has been heard since. April 12 Kevin Nolan said he would be having a chat with Joey Barton in hope of persuading him to come to Notts, though his former Newcastle United teammate has since gone on to secure the manager's job at Fleetwood Town. Jon Stead triggered a clause in his Notts contract to extend his stay at Meadow Lane past the end of the 2017/18 season. April 14 Notts came from a goal down to record a 3-1 win at Colchester United that kept the Magpies' League Two playoff hopes alive and kicking. Shola Ameobi revealed that he is mulling over whether to retire at the end of the season but will consider it properly in the summer. April 18 Shola Ameobi says he is not specifically looking to go into coaching once he hangs up his boots but has not fully closed the door on a potential switch to the dugout. April 21 Notts secured a spot in the League Two playoffs thanks to a resounding 4-1 win over Yeovil Town at Meadow Lane. April 28 On a slightly sourer note, Notts threw away the chance of making the top three in League Two after falling to a 2-1 defeat at Grimsby Town. April 29 Matt Tootle and Jorge Grant were among the award winners at Notts County's end-of-season ceremony. April 30 Notts announced that Gibraltar international Liam Walker had left the club with one regular season game to spare. Share your thoughts about this news recap 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 have announced that Gibraltar international Liam Walker has left the club. The 30-year-old joined the Magpies last summer from Gibraltar Premier Division outfit Europa FC. Walker has made 19 appearances this season but has found himself on the fringes of the team and in recent weeks struggled even to make the bench. Notts confirmed the news of Walker's contract being terminated by mutual consent on Monday afternoon, stating that he had left "with immediate effect to pursue opportunities elsewhere". Manager Kevin Nolan also left a brief message for the midfielder. “Everyone at Meadow Lane would like to thank Liam for all his efforts this season," Nolan was quoted as saying. "We wish him all the best for the future.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Kevin Nolan has quickly switched attention to the League Two playoffs and says he is looking forward to them as he hopes to guide Notts County up to League One via Wembley. The Magpies were beaten 2-1 at Grimsby Town on Saturday, a result which, combined with Wycombe Wanderers' win at Chesterfield, has seen the Chairboys take the last automatic spot in the table. Luton Town are up next for Notts, who will seek to finish as high up in the playoff positions as possible, to determine who Nolan's boys will face in the semi-finals. “I’m looking forward to them now,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “I’ve been involved in two play-offs and I’ve won them both. It’s a great way to go up, it’s a great occasion, but we’ve still got a massive job to do. “We’ve got three big and tough games coming up now, whoever we meet in the play-offs. Our lads will be up for it and we’re going to have a right good go at it. “Hopefully over the two legs we will be the better team and see ourselves at Wembley.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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 right-back Matt Tootle has been named the Supporters' Player of the Season for 2017/18. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a superb season in the black and white stripes thanks to his displays which combined dynamism with consistency. Tootle is also a fan favourite thanks to his eccentric, loveable personality, as shown by his quirky "slug" goal celebration which he has used several times this season after chipping in with a few strikes. Off the pitch, Tootle has also raised awareness of mental health issues, having faced and overcome his own battles, which has inspired and helped out many people within the football sphere who could relate. Notts County's awards ceremony took place on Sunday evening at Meadow Lane, with upwards of 170 guests in attendance. Here are the other winners from the night: Community Champion: Michael O'Connor Lifetime Achievement: Colin Slater Goal of the Season: Noor Husin (vs. Crewe Alexandra) Golden Boot: Jorge Grant Players' Player of the Season: Jorge Grant Share your thoughts about this news story 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 threw away the chance of making the top three in League Two with one game to spare after falling to a 2-1 defeat at Grimsby Town on Saturday afternoon. The Magpies laboured at Blundell Park and fell behind through Nathan Clarke's first-half strike. Kevin Nolan's side then looked to have secured a point as Dan Jones stabbed home with only a minute left on the clock. However, the Mariners were not to be denied and substitute Jamille Matt headed a winner in the third of five added minutes to slam the door firmly shut on County's top-three ambitions. With third-placed Wycombe Wanderers winning at Chesterfield, it meant that the Chairboys won automatic promotion to League One alongside champions Accrington Stanley and second-placed Luton Town. How did the Notts contingent react to the defeat? Pride of Nottingham takes a closer look. Kevin Nolan "We huffed and puffed all day but didn't really put them under enough pressure. "We didn't use our game plan effectively enough and deserved what we got. "But I've been proud of the players all season long - they've been fantastic. "It would have been lovely going into the last game of the season with half a chance of being promoted, but we've had a fantastic 17 months." The Black & White Army Chris: I've been told that it's been a very disappointing result, however inconsistency can creep into play and this is what I am going to label it down too. I'm not disappointed at this stage about missing out on the autos, I'm looking forward to seeing how things pan out in the coming weeks. Grimsby are a fighting team, they're a side very capable of matching or even out playing any side on the day. Just hope we can start to find some sort of consistency going into the playoffs, as we will need it - I do think form goes out the window there too. Fan of Big Tone: I’ve got to say I was disappointed, nay gutted, I was hoping it would go down to the last match and we creep into the automatics but isn’t it great to have an exciting end to the season for a change? Whatever happens it’s been a great season. David Pratt: Did say a few weeks ago Wembley here we come Martyn Coyle: On to the playoffs, great 1st full season in the Hardy era COYP! Lewis Jackson: The referee today was by far the worst I've seen all season, and I've seen some really poor refs, but however the team simply wasn't good enough today too many sloppy passes and negative football.. Liam noble worst player on the pitch Rosemary Sanders: Done well this season but not well enough . Do the players really want Division one ?? Adam Bonkers Bird: Shitty ref strikes again. Carl Boyeson is an absolute nob, who ruined our match against Stanley last August when we were 2 goals up. Two stonewall pennos today could have won us this game. These bad refereeing decisions have cost us quite a number of times this season. Dave Woolley: How frustrating a team this is... lost away to all the bottom 3 clubs ( and to those who slated me for not being positive, well I don’t like to say I told you so; but I did). Yes ok a decent season overall but we don’t have enough bottle to win the playoffs.Just hope next season isn’t “after the Lord Mayors show and we struggle again ! Steve Blyth: Let’s hope the play offs are not on TV otherwise we are stuffed ! David Warren: On way home now on supporters coach and if we play like that Wembley just a dream Sam Lock: Disappointing, but would have taken play offs at the start of the season.We're a flawed team that play well on our day, but so are all the other play off teams. I'm excited to see how we get Stephen Greenfield: It appears that the negativity of some of the people making comments spreads like a bad apple through a barrel . So sad , it’s all to play for. , let’s hope these negative people keep well clear of the ground where their presence may contaminate the whole stadium ! . Paul Topley: We've beaten & we've been beaten by Coventry, Lincoln & Exeter this season, 50/50 .COYP Lee Atkins: May be the players want the play offs and were saving them selves? Thats how im thinking anyway Nigel Trueman: If we stay in League 2 expect a more difficult season. A lot of players either need to leave or will leave. recruitment is harder in League 2 and the team need time to gel Scott Jones: Coventry aren’t anything special an Lincoln ain’t that great either John Webster: We cannot afford to go up it’s the usual excuse Mariusz Cwiklinski: Looking at the table, I've got to admit we've had a better season than most of us expected. We'll done Notts! Now we've got to start building for a new season, recognise our weaknesses and cover them asap, COYP's. Carl Alvey: Better season than the last one Nick Emmerson: And now to lose In playoffs. Not good enough to win. Cov or Lincoln will win it Jay Dalton: I'm gutted for the automatic dream but hey we are in the playoffs the dream of Wembley is still alive Brian Mawby: We won’t be going up not enough passion in this team. Too many defeats against bottom teams we should have been up already but anyway COYP Shannon Smeed: At least we are in the playoffs COYP Barry Bazza Hallam: What will be will be !!! Share your thoughts about the game 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.

Grimsby Town boss Michael Jolley paid tribute to Notts County following their 2-1 win over the Magpies, describing them as one of the top sides in League Two and a team that just keeps on coming all the time. Nathan Clarke fired the Mariners in front in Saturday's game at Blundell Park only for Dan Jones to stab home late on to seemingly salvage a point. However, Notts bottled it when it counted the most, Jamille Matt scoring a stoppage-time winner to firmly shut the door on County's automatic promotion ambitions. “In terms of the game I thought we were excellent against one of the top sides in League Two," Jolley, whose side are now safe in the Football League, told the Grimsby Telegraph. “We started the game extremely well. We wanted to try and play our football. We put on a good performance in first half and I thought we were deservedly 1-0 ahead. “I think the second half was probably more even, but we still had some chances on the counter. “We knew we probably needed to get that second goal, because they are a team that just keeps on coming all the time. Again, the lads showed their resilience because they had a set-back. “We got right back on the front foot after the equaliser and it’s a great winning goal from Jamille. We are delighted. It was a really good result, and a good performance too.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Kevin Nolan has acknowledged that Notts County 'got what they deserved' as they fell to a 2-1 loss at Grimsby Town on Saturday. Nathan Clarke fired the Mariners in front only for Dan Jones to stab home late on to seemingly salvage a point. As has been the case one too many times this season, however, Notts bottled it when it counted the most, Jamille Matt scoring a stoppage-time winner to firmly shut the door on County's automatic promotion ambitions. Magpies boss Nolan was frustrated at how the afternoon unfolded which has left Notts settling for the lottery of the playoffs, and could have no complaints with the result. “We huffed and puffed all day but never really put them under enough pressure,” he told the Nottingham Post. “We didn’t use our game plan effectively and we got what we deserved. “I didn’t think we deserved a win and even a draw may have been kind to us. “But fair play to Grimsby they had to win to stay up and that’s fantastic for them. “I am just disappointed it has ended the way it has. I’ve been proud of the players all season long. “It would have been lovely to be going into the final day with a chance of getting promoted but we’ve had a fantastic 17 months. “I am so proud of my lads and we intend to enjoy ourselves in these next three games.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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 have thrown away the chance of making the top three in League Two with one game to spare after falling to a 2-1 defeat at Grimsby Town on Saturday afternoon. With third-placed Wycombe Wanderers winning at Chesterfield, it meant that Chairboys won automatic promotion to League One alongside champions Accrington Stanley and second-placed Luton Town. The result was also good news for Grimsby, who now sit five points clear of the bottom two with one game left, thus guaranteeing their place in the Football League next season. Notts were dour in the opening 45 minutes, with the woodwork coming to their rescue as Harry Clifton's curling effort from the edge of the box came back off the post. The visitors' first real chance came on 19 minutes when a cross from the left was met by Jonathan Forte but he steered his header just wide of the near post. Grimsby, however, continued to press and drew first blood just before the half-hour mark when Notts failed to clear and Nathan Clarke pounced on the loose ball in the penalty area to roll the ball home. Kevin Nolan’s men almost conjured up an immediate response, with Matty Virtue appealing for a penalty when he appeared to have been tripped in the area but play continued, which saw Lewis Alessandra strike but could only fire over. Though Notts did press on, they came close to conceding a second on the stroke of half time when Martyn Woolford charged onto Luke Summerfield's cross and, after seeing his initial effort blocked, failed to force the follow-up over the line as Adam Coliln gathered. The Magpies showed a marked improvement in the second half and came close on a number of occasions, with Richard Duffy thumping a header just wide of the post. James McKeown then did well to keep his side ahead when he pulled off a one-handed save on the goalline after the Grimsby defence failed to cope with a Lewis Alessandra cross. Notts continued to push on and succeeded in grabbing a late equaliser when Michael O’Connor’s header hit the bar, allowing Dan Jones to stab home from close range, but at the other end, But as they went in search of the winner, Jamille Matt popped up to squeeze the ball home from a corner deep into injury time to crush County's automatic promotion hopes.

Alan Hardy is looking ahead to a grandstand finish to the season as he hopes for Notts County to claim a top-three spot in League Two. The Magpies face Grimsby Town away on Saturday before wrapping up the regular programme at Meadow Lane against fellow high-flyers Luton Town. Notts are currently fifth in the table but third-placed Wycombe Wanderers are just two points above Kevin Nolan's side, ensuring there is all to play for in the final two games of the season. Hardy has previously stated that he would have loved seeing Notts seal promotion via the playoffs at Wembley on his birthday, but has now admitted he wants the automatic spot. "Win at Grimsby this weekend and we’ll go into [the Luton] match with a chance of securing automatic promotion on the last day of the season," Hardy told the Nottingham Post. £What an occasion that would be. "I’ve gone on record in the past as saying my dream would be to be promoted – on my birthday – via the playoffs at Wembley. "But, now the top three is tantalisingly close, I’m starting to think an early present would be preferable! "Automatic promotion would afford us an extra three weeks to prepare for a season in League One, which I’m sure would be a big jump for everyone in the business. "That said, there is no pressure on the manager or the players from my point of view. They’ve done a tremendous job to get themselves into this position and what will be will be. "But, if we can take it down to the final day, it promises to be a cracker of a finale." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Head-to-head and stats Notts County and Grimsby Town have met a total of 81 times over the years. The first fixture came on 5 October 1893. Notts won the Division Two clash 2-0 at Trent Bridge. The Magpies have 27 wins, while the Mariners have 33, and 21 games have been drawn. Notts have however failed to beat Grimsby in their last four attempts, with three draws and one defeat. The last game was at Meadow Lane in December, a goalless draw. Notts have also failed to score in their last two games against Grimsby - they failed to score in three consecutive games against them since January 1988. Grimsby are now unbeaten in four league games on home soil despite winning just one of those games. Notts have won each of their last three League Two games scoring nine goals. The Magpies last went on a longer winning run in September last year (run of six straight victories). History Grimsby Town FC was formed in 1878 after a meeting held at the Wellington Arms public house in Freeman Street, Grimsby. Several attendees included members of the local Worsley Cricket Club who wanted to form a football club to occupy the empty winter evenings after the cricket season had finished The club was originally called Grimsby Pelham, this being the family name of the Earl of Yarborough, a significant landowner in the area. In 1880 the club purchased land at Clee Park which was to become their ground until 1889 when they relocated to Abbey Park, before moving again in 1899 to their present home, Blundell Park. The club is the most successful of the three professional league clubs in historic Lincolnshire, being the only one to play top-flight football. It is also the only club of the three to reach an FA Cup semi-final (doing so on two occasions) and is the only one to succeed in two finals at the old Wembley Stadium. It has also spent more time in the English game's first and second tiers than any other club from Lincolnshire. Notable managers include Bill Shankly, who went on to guide Liverpool to three League titles, two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup triumph and Lawrie McMenemy who, after securing promotion to the then third division in 1972, moved to Southampton where he won the FA Cup in 1976. Alan Buckley is the club's most successful manager; he had three spells as team manager between 1988 and 2008, guiding the club to three promotions and two appearances at Wembley Stadium during the 1997–98 season winning both the Football League Trophy and the Football League Second Division playoff Final. In 2008 Buckley took Grimsby to the capital again, but lost out to MK Dons in the final of the Football League Trophy. The Mariners had also reached the Football League Two Play-Off final in 2006 at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, but lost the match 1–0 to Cheltenham Town. Later trips to the Wembley in 2013 and 2016 saw them defeated in the FA Trophy final by Wrexham and FC Halifax Town respectively. Grimsby managed to reach the Conference play-off final in both 2015 and 2016, after losing to Bristol Rovers they defeated Forest Green Rovers to earn promotion back to the Football League. Initial relegation from back in 2010 made them the fourth club to compete in all top five divisions of English football (after Carlisle United, Oxford United, and Luton Town). Team news Notts are monitoring the fitness of top-scorer Jorge Grant, who missed the 4-1 win over Yeovil Town with an ankle injury, while Matt Tootle should be back after illness. Ben Davies and Simeon Jackson are in contention should changes be required, but defender Zak Mills is out with a hernia. Siriki Dembele caught the eye for the reserves in midweek and could challenge Harry Cardwell in attack. Share your thoughts about this Stat Attack 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.

Kevin Nolan has claimed that he is not paying any attention to Notts County's League Two promotion rivals and is only focusing on what his team can do. Three consecutive wins have edged the Magpies to just two points behind third place Wycombe Wanderers with just two fixtures left. Although many connected with the club will be keeping tabs on what results Wycombe and fourth-placed Exeter City get over the next eight days, Nolan is not interested. "I don't know who they are playing, I must admit," the Notts boss told the Nottingham Post. "I keep saying to everybody else not to worry about anybody. "We've got to worry about ourselves and we've got to make sure we do what we do, and if we do that we give ourselves a good opportunity of coming off at 5pm on Saturday with three points in the bag, and hopefully the pressure still on Wycombe and Exeter. "For me, the most important thing is we recognise what such a special season it's been for us, and what we've done and how far we've come in such a short space of time. I'm going to enjoy it no matter what, and I hope my lads are going to enjoy it. "I think over the last few weeks they have, with a lot of good determination and a lot of good work, which has enabled them to get into this position. We've got to win and hope other teams drop points. If we win both games we give ourselves a great chance." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Kevin Nolan has given his thoughts on Notts County's upcoming League Two clash at Grimsby Town and confirmed that Jorge Grant is in contention to make the squad. The loanee was out with an ankle injury as the Magpies ran out 4-1 winners over Yeovil Town last weekend but has made a swift recovery. With so much resting on Saturday's trip to Blundell Park, Nolan is pleased to be able to call on his top scorer as Notts seek to get into the top three. "Jorge trained today and everything is fine," Nolan told the official Notts site on Thursdsy. "We feared the worst when it happened, but he’s a good healer and he’s got that determination. "He took a few hits today, so I’m confident he’s back and raring to go. Jorge was rightly named in the PFA Team of the Year. He’s been brilliant all season long and you want players who have contributed as much as he has available to you. "The lads have put themselves in a fantastic position to put the pressure on and we’ve secured a playoff place, which is an unbelievable achievement considering where we were 15 months ago. All we’ve got to do is keep winning. We want to build momentum, have a strong end to the season and we’ll see where we are. "But we’ve got Grimsby in the way. They’re not mathematically safe and it’s their last home game of the season, which always has a good feeling about it. It’s another tough one - but it’s another we’re looking forward to." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Former Notts County defender Alan Sheehan has expressed his delight at losing his "nearly man" tag by winning promotion with Luton Town. The Irishman had the captain’s armband as the Hatters sealed the deal in Cumbria where their 1-1 draw with Carlisle United was enough to ensure they will be playing League One football next term. The promotion is Sheehan's first in his 13-year career so far and the player could not hide his delight. “It’s my first official promotion," Sheehan told Dunstable Today. "I could claim some, but I won’t, this was my first one, so I’m absolutely delighted with it. “I suppose I’ve been called the nearly man. A few play-off final losses, few playoff semis, a few losses on the final day, and stuff like that, so I’ve been close, but never quite got it. It’s brilliant. “The Blackpool game (last season in the playoffs) was probably the worst I’ve felt and I suppose this year was the most that we wanted it as we were so determined to put it right, because it was a sickening night. “I’ll never forget that as long as I live, but I do feel better now, now we can finally put it to bed. I was watching the highlights when I was on holiday with my missus, and she was like, ‘just enjoy your holiday’, I was like, ‘I can’t, I don’t think I can let this go.’ “But now I can finally, it was motivation, because we never wanted to feel like that again.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

What's been happening in League Two over the last week? Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days. - Accrington Stanley are likely to finish as League Two champions but the champagne currently remains on ice as Newport County ran out 2-1 winners at Rodney Parade on Tuesday night to deprive the Lancastrians of the point needed to seal the title. - Luton Town have also secured promotion to League One, coming from behind on Saturday to claim a point at Carlisle United to send them back into the third tier for the first time in a decade. - At the other end of the table, Chesterfield have been relegated, a second successive drop in divisions after falling from League One last year, and manager Jack Lester paid the price before relegation was mathematically confirmed as he left the Proact Stadium. - At present, four teams will be vying for that all-important third-placed finish in the league - incumbents Wycombe Wanderers, Exeter City, Notts County, and Lincoln City. - Sixth-placed Coventry City, meanwhile, are hoping to hold off Mansfield Town, the only team outside the top seven that can still get into the playoffs. - Towards the bottom, Barnet are the likeliest side to go down, five points adrift of safety in 23rd place, but Morecambe and Grimsby Town could yet be pegged back if the Bees win their final two games and either the Shrimpers or the Mariners - whose goal difference is worse than Barnet's - make a mess of their next two games. - Chelsea have been ordered to pay a £2.5m compensation fee to Exeter City following midfielder Ethan Ampadu's move to the club last summer. The two teams were unable to agree a fee when the 17-year old moved to Stamford Bridge in July last summer. - Striker Nathan Tyson has signed a one-year contract extension with Wycombe. The 35-year-old has scored seven goals in 33 games since returning to the club last summer. - Ronnie Henry, Stevenage's record appearance-maker, has signed a new one-year contract with the club. The 34-year-old set the new record when he played his 469th game for Stevenage against Morecambe in January. - Cambridge United winger David Amoo has signed a one-year contract extension to stay with the club until the end of next season. Amoo has made 24 appearances in all competitions this term after arriving from Partick Thistle in May 2017. - Luton manager Nathan Jones has stressed that it would take "something special" for him to leave Kenilworth Road. Jones, who was previously a coach at Brighton before taking over from John Still in January 2016, agreed a new four-year contract at Luton in January this year. Share your thoughts about this news roundup 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.

Matt Virtue has praised his teammates at Notts County for helping him out during his loan spell from Liverpool and is especially happy about Kevin Nolan's characteristics and man-management skills. Since arriving in Nottingham, the 20-year-old took a while to find his feet but is now fully integrated in the squad, making 12 appearances so far, and he is enjoying the dressing-room atmosphere. “All of them really (have taken him under their wing), I can’t fault any of them. All of them have been class," Virtue told the Nottingham Post. “Obviously it’s my first loan spell, they’ve all helped. Shola’s (Ameobi) an experienced head and he’s been a massive help, but all of them have been a massive help. I couldn’t really single any of them out. “What I’ve noticed about (Nolan), his man-management skills are really good. He gets the most out of his players like that second half performance at Colchester, he really got the best out of us and I’m really enjoying being underneath him, and learning quite a lot from him. “Hopefully, being on the end of a successful promotion run with Notts into League One and then see where it takes me in pre-season. I’ll go back to Liverpool in pre-season, work as hard as I can and see what happens from there.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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 manager Kevin Nolan has urged his players to "start standing up" and enjoy the pressure as they seek promotion from League Two. The Magpies have secured a playoff spot at the very least but, with two games remaining, there is still a plausible chance of nicking a top three spot, which would ensure automatic promotion into League One. “We’ve got to now start standing up,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “We’ve been a bit indifferent for a while now. I think it’s partly that people are starting to question (the players), so they want to show people. It could maybe be a bit of that. “For me, they’re working hard and just want to get success. They want success, this team. To be where we are at this moment in time, I’m absolutely delighted. “We’re still within a shout of getting automatic promotion, and we would have loved the play-offs at the beginning of the season; I’m delighted we’ve secured that now. “We’ve got to make sure we take momentum into it, and I didn’t realise we were only two points off Wycombe, now. It’s nice, isn’t it? “There’s going to be drama, I’m delighted with it and we’re going to enjoy it. I’ve told the lads to enjoy this, because these are the best times, you know – the best times of your life. “You’ll look back at these days. I still talk about the promotions I’ve had like they were yesterday, so it’ll be special. "After what we walked into last January, to be involved in all that come the end of the season is absolutely fantastic for these boys and what they’ve done this year.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Darren Way has admitted that Yeovil Town players were in disarray during the second half of their 4-1 loss at Notts County. The Magpies took the lead on the stroke of half time as Dan Jones let rip with an audacious long-range effort which took a deflection and wrongfooted Glovers keeper John Maddison en route to goal. Notts stepped up a gear in the second half, doubling their lead with a wonderful own goal from Tom James which soared into the top corner of the net from range. The Glovers then unravelled at Meadow Lane as Elliott and Lewis Alessandra added more goals, before Alex Fisher scored an injury time consolation via a free kick. Way admitted he was disappointed at the manner in which the game had got away from his players. “When you look at Notts County, it’s very professional what they do, and we find ourselves 2-0 down, and then unfortunately we looked like we were in a little bit of chaos and the players couldn’t handle that pressure," he told Somerset Live. “I’ve been here before, I know exactly what I’m managing, we’ve got some very young players out there and we’ve come up against a force today that unfortunately make the game very difficult and we explained to the players that Notts County are a club that are ready to take off again. “They bring on Stead and Alessandra. Their squad is fully loaded with experience, and I don’t want to keep using that, but when you’re under a little bit of pressure and the experience that they can put you under, it looked as times as though they didn’t know what they were doing. “I couldn’t say that about the whole first 45 minutes. I thought in the first half we played particularly well.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Dan Jones has given his thoughts on Notts County's 4-1 win over Yeovil Town, the remarkable own goal scored by Glovers defender Tom James, the League Two playoff tilt and the atmosphere in the Notts camp. The full-back opened the scoring for the Magpies late in the first half of Saturday's game at Meadow Lane, before James's woefully miscued back-facing clearance doubled the hosts' lead. Elliott Hewitt and Lewis Alessandra added further gloss to the scoreline, with the final goal of the game netted by Yeovil's Alex Fisher as a consolation. The result sealed a playoff place for Notts, while automatic promotion as per a top-three finish remains more than plausible. The playoffs “It is great to be in the playoffs, but we’re going a game at a time. We can only look after ourselves and keep winning. “It’s nice to be part of a successful team - we have done really well. But we haven’t really thought about the playoffs yet. “It’s another win and we keep the momentum going. We can only look after ourselves.” The own goal “I had the free kick first and if the lad in the wall wasn’t eight foot tall that was going in. “But for the goal (Richard Thomas, assistant manager) has told me to get in those positions and get strikes off. “Luckily it came off and then I don’t think I’ve seen an own goal like that. “It was a mad one really and it was just our day really. “He’s done well to get back in to cut the pass out but he’s put it in the top corner so what can you say?” The atmosphere in the Notts camp “An air of confidence has come back. “Training has been good, bubbly, sharp and intense. Everyone is smiling and we’re looking like we were at the beginning of the season. “I love playing for the gaffer, the coaching staff and the boys. It’s a feel-good place with no negativity.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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 secured a spot in the League Two playoffs thanks to Saturday's resounding 4-1 win over Yeovil Town at Meadow Lane. In addition, victory took the Magpies to within two points of third-placed Wycombe Wanderers - who lost 3-0 at Accrington Stanley - with two games left to play. A superb own goal from Tom James and strikes from Elliott Hewitt and Lewis Alessandra added to Dan Jones's opener late in the first half, though Alex Fisher netted in injury time for the Glovers. Here is some of the post-match reaction from the game at the San Sirrel. Kevin Nolan “I thought it was an outstanding performance and the score could have been more. It’s another great win to keep this momentum going. “I’ve been saying all season long, we’re a team who have created lots of chances but we haven’t had that ruthlessness. “We’ve worked doubly hard over the past few weeks to get more balls into the box and score more goals. Some of the goals and the finishing today was absolutely fantastic. “The lads have stepped up to the plate over the past few weeks. They’ve been very positive and they’re driving each other on. I’m absolutely delighted for them.” Dan Jones “An air of confidence has come back. Training has been good, bubbly, sharp and intense. "Everyone is smiling and we’re looking like we were at the beginning of the season. “I love playing for the gaffer, the coaching staff and the boys. It’s a feel-good place with no negativity. “We’re going a game at a time. We can only look after ourselves and keep winning. “It’s nice to be part of a successful team - we have done really well. "But we haven’t really thought about the play-offs yet. It’s another win and we keep the momentum going." The Black & White Army Richard Thompson: Took our chances , better 2nd half Mick Jones: Still plenty of room for improvement, particularly with our defending at times but at least we made the most of the few chances that we created and guaranteed a play off spot at worst. Julie Curwood: Amazing it was a fantastic win for us just wat we needed.u pies Jay Dalton: what a performance everyone gave 100% cracking match get in Nolan's super notts black white army Trevor Robinson: Best own goal I've ever see. What a cracker. Ian Ale Goode: uuuu pies David Nicholls: All the other results went our way...Still a slim chance of 3rd but play offs are a definite Wolf Pack: Get in notts a play off place is ours now only 2 points off an automatic place uuuuuuu pieeessss Andrew Rayson: Well done all-round Notts Share your thoughts about the game 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 have secured a playoff place in League Two and could yet claim a top-three spot thanks to Saturday's 4-1 win over Yeovil Town at Meadow Lane. The Magpies took the lead on the stroke of half time as Dan Jones let rip with an audacious long-range effort which took a deflection and wrongfooted Glovers keeper John Maddison en route to goal. Notts stepped up a gear in the second half, doubling their lead with a wonderful own goal from Tom James before strikes from Elliott Hewitt and Lewis Alessandra put the hosts out of reach. There was time for the visitors to bag a consolation and breach County's clean sheet as Alex Fisher netted in injury time from a free kick. However, the result was in no doubt whatsoever and the Black & White Army could celebrate another huge step in the team's promotion bid. Relive the key moments - including the worldie own goal - with the official match highlights, which we have shared here for you. Share your thoughts about the match 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.

Kevin Nolan says he is "absolutely delighted" to have steered Notts County to a playoff place in League Two and wants the Magpies to win the next two games and "finish off in style". Notts hammered Yeovil Town 4-1 on Saturday which, combined with other results, has guaranteed them a place in the top seven. With two games left, the Magpies still have a chance to claim an automatic promotion place, which Nolan is gunning for. “One of the staff made me aware when I walked back in after the game and I am absolutely delighted,” he told the Nottingham Post. “Everybody would have snapped your hand off at the start of the season if we would have been offered a play-off place. “But I am delighted for the lads because they’ve been brilliant all season long and I want them to finish off in style. “I want to win the next two games because you get your just rewards when you do that.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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 have secured a spot in the League Two playoffs thanks to Saturday's resounding 4-1 win over Yeovil Town at Meadow Lane. In addition, victory took the Magpies to within two points of third-placed Wycombe Wanderers - who lost 3-0 at Accrington Stanley - with two games left to play. Both sides traded blows throughout the first half, Jonathan Forte riflling a shot past the post before hitting the bar with an audacious lob but Yeovil also having numerous opportunities to open the scoring. However, it was Notts that took the lead on the stroke of half time as Dan Jones let rip with an audacious long-range effort which took a deflection and wrongfooted Yeovil keeper John Maddison en route to goal. After the restart, the hosts doubled their advantage in comical fashion, Liam Noble's cross in the 54th minute being emphatically thumped into the visitors' net by Glovers defender Tom James from around 20 yards out as he attempted a clearance. Elliott Hewitt made it three on 69 minutes, cutting in from the left and bearing down on goal before firing low past Maddison. And four minutes later it was four, Lewis Alessandra latching onto Forte's ball and dribbling past two defenders before netting from close range. Although Alex Fisher netted a consolation in injury time from a free kick, the result was in no doubt whatsoever and the Black & White Army could celebrate another huge step in the team's promotion bid. Share your thoughts about the match 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.

Alan Hardy has expressed his delight with Notts County for both their progress on the pitch and off the pitch. The Magpies prepare to face Yeovil Town at Meadow Lane this afternoon and, should results go their way, a playoff place will be mathematically guaranteed. Writing in the Nottingham Post, Hardy said: "If somebody had told me at the beginning of the season that on April 21 we would be in contention to secure a play-off spot, I would have snapped their hand off. "Yet here we are, preparing for our penultimate home game of the season knowing if we better Mansfield’s result we’ll be guaranteed a top-seven finish. "That would be an excellent achievement for us – particularly with another two games left to play - and, while it certainly won’t be easy, I have every faith that the players will get their part of the job done. Then it’ll be over to Mansfield! "Of course, if things don’t go to plan there’ll be no panic from our side. No matter what happens this season, it’s been a terrific performance from the players, management, supporters and staff. "The progress we’ve made both on and off the field is remarkable – as demonstrated by the recent news that we have been nominated for three prestigious awards by sports hospitality experts Stadium Experience. "This recognition comes after a season of rapid progression in the commercial side of the business. "In the summer we refurbished two of our biggest suites, rebranded our packages and worked on improving the quality of food and service in all our corporate areas. "It’s our vision to become a world-class venue for both matchday and non-matchday events and these nominations show we are now operating on a par with some of the biggest sports clubs in the country. "I’d like to congratulate our commercial director, Amanda Fletcher, and all members of staff – casual and full-time – for contributing to this wonderful achievement. "I’m very grateful to everyone who supports us in our efforts to generate additional revenue, which is absolutely essential for a club like ours. "Ticket revenue is by far our biggest earner but, if we’re to compete at the level we want to, we must maximise our ‘through the week’ income streams and be imaginative in our search for new ones. "We’re already working at a level which I feel belies our current position in the football pyramid but we have to keep striving for more in order to support the growth we’re hoping to achieve on the pitch. "Here’s to another three points against Yeovil Town this weekend." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Head to head Notts County and Yeovil Town have met 16 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 15 meetings following that game all took place between 2004 and this year. The last meeting came on 21 November last year, a 1-1 draw at Huish Park. Yeovil have the upper edge in the head-to-head with seven wins, five defeats and four draws against Notts. Notts have won just one of their last nine league games against Yeovil, and are winless their last four matches against the Glovers/ Yeovil have lost just one of their last four league trips to face Notts, despite failing to score in each of their last two visits to Meadow Lane. Stats The Magpies have won back-to-back league games for the first time since they won six games in a row ending in September. The Glovers have lost consecutive league games without scoring a goal in either. They last lost three in a row without scoring in March 2015. Jonathan Forte has scored three goals in his last two league games, as many as he managed in his previous 23 combined. History Yeovil Football Club was founded in 1890, and shared their ground with the local rugby club for many years. Five years later they were renamed Yeovil Casuals and started playing home games at the Pen Mill Athletic Ground. In 1907 the name Yeovil Town was adopted, which on amalgamation with Petters United became Yeovil and Petters United. The name reverted to Yeovil Town prior to the 1946–47 season. The Somerset outfit have spent most of their existence in the lower leagues, though they briefly made a name for themselves in the 1948-49 season when they beat Sunderland 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round. In the 1980s, Yeovil were founder members of the Football Conference, where they remained for the next two decades, save for a few relegations to the Isthmian League which usually resulted in an instant return to the above tier. Yeovil Town earned promotion to the Football League in the 2002-03 season, by winning the Football Conference by a record 17 points margin, accumulating 95 points and scoring 100 goals, remaining unbeaten at Huish Park. In their second ever season in the Football League, the Glovers went one better by achieving promotion to the third tier as champions of League Two. Then, in the following years even reached the League One playoffs, beating Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals in 2006-07 before losing to Blackpool in the final at Wembley. Six years later, however, Yeovil achieved what had been deemed unthinkable a decade earlier - they reached the second tier of English football after beating Brentford in the 2013 League One play-off final. Their stay in the Championship was brief, however, and they went on to suffer back-to-back relegations, leaving them in the bottom tier of the Football League where they still ply their trade. Team news Jon Stead could return to the Notts starting line-up, having made his return from injury at Colchester United last Saturday as a substitute. That game came too soon for Terry Hawkridge but the winger could feature this weekend. Yeovil are still without former Notts man Francois Zoko, who has one game left to serve on his suspension, while it may be too early for Sam Surridge. Nathan Smith, Artur Krysiak, James Bailey, Dan Alfei remain sidelined, as does Jake Gray, while goalkeeper Stuart Nelson will not play again this season. Share your thoughts about this preview 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.