Joe Jones

Notts County dismayed and delighted in equal measure on Saturday by beating Newport County 4-3 in their League Two clash at Meadow Lane. The Exiles struck twice in the opening 10 minutes through Mark Byrne and Alex Rodman, but the Magpies were level by the break through Liam Noble and Izale McLeod. The former Crawley man powered a diving header into the opposition net in midway through the first half to put Notts ahead, but Newport levelled with just six minutes to play through Scott Boden. Just when it seemed like it would be honours even at the Lane, Noble popped up six minutes into injury time following sustained pressure in the box from Notts to give his side a thrilling win. Pride of Nottingham is eager for fans to relive the game in comforting hindsight and knowledge that it resulted in a victory for the Magpies, so we have provided a link to the match highlights. Read the PON: 'Match Report' or join our 'Match Discussion'.

Ricardo Moniz has praised Notts County for not giving up against Newport and ‘deservedly’ winning the game 4-3, even though their ‘two-faced’ aspect needs to be sorted out. The Exiles struck twice in the opening 10 minutes through Mark Byrne and Alex Rodman, but the Magpies were level by the break through Liam Noble and Izale McLeod. The former Crawley man nodded in midway through the first half to put Notts ahead, but Newport levelled with just six minutes to play through Scott Boden. Just when it seemed like it would be honours even at the Lane, Noble popped up six minutes into injury time to clinch a thrilling win. Moniz said after the game: "We can be brilliant or we can be horrible. In the first 30 minutes what was going through my mind was that we must show some fight because that's all you can do. "You want to reach out to the players because you cannot give up, even if it had become 3-0 which it could have happened. “We were totally lost, but we had to restore the organisation of the team and they were powerless when we began to put them under pressure "It was such a big win for us. The players were unbelievably happy, but everybody will be saying how come you have these two faces? "The inconsistency is the story of the season. We are trying to get a little bit nearer to sorting it. But it was a deserved win." Notts are now 14th in League Two, five points behind the playoffs.

Notts County came from two goals down against Newport County to clinch an emphatic 4-3 win in a topsy-turvy clash at Meadow Lane. The Magpies got off to the worst possible start when Mark Byrne curled a free kick over the wall and beyond the reach of Roy Carroll to give the Exiles the lead after just five minutes. In the tenth minute the visitors struck again as Alex Rodman rifled the ball into the roof of the net, which set off a chorus of boos and jeers from the Meadow Lane faithful. Ricardo Moniz’s side soon got into gear and began threatening their opponents, before Liam Noble seized on a Joe Day error just after the half-hour mark to take the ball round the Newport players and pick his spot accurately, a goal that was celebrated with gusto by the ex-Carlisle man. Noble then turned provider just before the break when he smashed a free kick against the post, which Izale McLeod picked up and smashed home to send the Kop into frenzy. The restart saw both teams battle it out in a bid to get the upper edge, and the fifth goal duly went the way of Notts, with McLeod planting a free header into the far post after a sensational Jon Stead ball. Seven minutes from time it looked like the visitors had salvaged a point when substitute Scott Boden managed to poke the ball into the Notts net following a goalmouth scramble. However, with six minutes of stoppage time added on due to an injury to Elliott Hewitt midway through the second half, Noble popped up again to pounce from close range in the final minute of added time and send the home faithful into delirium.

Notts County and Newport County have met a total of 44 times over the years, the first fixture coming in 1930, which the Magpies won 3-2, and the last previous game taking place in 1987, a 5-2 win for Notts. The head-to-head record is skewed in the Magpies’ favour, with 23 wins, 9 draws and 12 defeats. Notts’s record league win is against Newport – an 11-1 victory! We have also beaten them 5-0, 6-2, 7-0, 6-0 and 8-1 over the years. A similar win would be nice on Saturday! Newport County, originally nicknamed "The Ironsides" due to Newport being home to Lysaght's Orb Works steel works, started out in the Southern League in 1912 at Somerton Park. The official name of the club was The Newport & Monmouth County Association Football Club, although the shorter Newport County was soon adopted. The club were reformed in 1919 and were first elected to the Football League in 1920. Newport County were Welsh Cup winners in 1980 and subsequently reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup in 1981. The club was relegated from the Football League in 1988 and went out of business in February 1989, but reformed shortly afterwards and entered the English football league system at a much lower level. In 2013 the club then won promotion back to the Football League for the first time since 1988. In the 1970s and 1980s comedian Frank Carson was appointed as a Director and Vice President in order to raise the profile of the club. Newport based rappers Goldie Lookin' Chain are also supporters of the club and were the team's shirt sponsors for the 2004–05 season FAW Premier Cup matches. - Stanley Aborah and Jon Stead are injury concerns for Notts ahead of the visit of Newport. Aborah has a knee problem and has undergone a scan and Ricardo Moniz will give the midfielder as long as possible to prove his fitness. Striker Stead is nursing a muscle injury but Moniz is hopeful he will still be involved on Saturday. Elsewhere, winger Julian Jenner returns to the reckoning after serving a three-match suspension. Newport's on-loan defender Scot Bennett is unable to play against his parent club ahead of his return to Meadow Lane on January 2. Bennett has played a big part in the Exiles' 10-match unbeaten run under new manager John Sheridan since joining from Notts in October. Oliver McBurnie, who scored a 23-minute hat-trick on his debut against Luton Town, is set to start after missing last weekend's FA Cup victory at Barnet as his parent club Swansea City did not want him cup-tied. Fellow striker Zak Ansah is likely to be on the bench when he is involved for the final time before returning to Charlton Athletic at the end of his 93-day loan spell.

Notts County defender Thierry Audel has expressed his eagerness to put the result at Cambridge United behind him and move forward, adding that he and his teammates are more comfortable than they were following their two-week break. The Magpies welcome Newport County to Meadow Lane on Saturday, the hosts’ first game since the 3-1 defeat against Shaun Derry’s new side on 28 November. Audel told reporters: “We’ve been working really hard this past week. When there is a break you have to rest, but also you have to communicate with the other players so you can come back better after the break." “We have to put Cambridge behind because that’s football. Whether you win a game or lose a game, you have to move forward." “We don’t have the results that we want, but it’s midway through the season, we have lot of games coming, and all of us as players feel more comfortable now – but we need to get results." “We’re still working on it, I’m sure we will do well as we have a lot of good players in every position and we believe we have the ability to do it now.” Notts currently sit 16th in League Two, seven points off the playoffs.

Notts County manager Ricardo Moniz has urged his team to train like ‘every day is their last’ in a bid to improve their form away from home in League Two. The Magpies’ record at Meadow Lane is impressive enough, with six wins and a draw out of 10 games, but on the road it’s a completely different story, with just one win out of nine. Moniz told local media on Thursday: "We didn't win too many home games last season, but this season we have tried to excite the crowd." "We have only lost three at home in the league and okay against Northampton we didn't have enough." "We played very well against Plymouth but lost, and against Mansfield we lost too which was deserved." "The rest of the games we have dominated, but of course it is away from home we need to improve." "Sometimes we have a lack of confidence to go and make the 2-0 like Thierry (Audel) at Cambridge for example." "(Izale) McLeod can make the 2-0 at Wimbledon, but we are not confident enough in our own strength." "But it is a process you cannot implement in three months. What we can do and what we must do is train every day like it is your last." "And of course we confront each other on the inside, it is sharp and nobody must underestimate that. I must give confidence to people who don't have it." "I see in a game who wants the ball and who doesn't, who wants to press his opponent for 90 minutes and who doesn't." "A lot of time it is to do with a lack of physical power. In League Two, when a defender is under pressure I believe he will panic." "We are okay at home, but for Cambridge for example, we refused to keep the ball. That is what we must improve." Notts welcome Newport County to the Lane on Saturday. Discuss what's happening in and around Notts within our community forum - Here.

Football League chairman Greg Clarke has announced he will stand down from his post at the end of the season. The former Leicester City chairman, who was appointed in March 2010, will stay in the role until the league holds its annual general meeting on 10 June. "I leave with the Football League in excellent health and with solid foundations in place," he said. "Clubs are largely in better financial shape and there is a greater solidarity between our three divisions." - Portsmouth defender Matt Clarke says he is open to extending his stay at Fratton Park. Clarke joined Pompey on loan from Championship side Ipswich Town in August. The 19-year-old has made 16 appearances for the League Two side so far this season. - York City have released defender Keith Lowe by mutual consent. The 30-year-old joined the Minstermen from Cheltenham in January 2014 after a loan spell. He won the club's player of the year award last season but found himself out of favour after Jackie MacNamara took over from Russ Wilcox last month. Lowe, who started his career with Wolves, made a total of 92 league appearances for the Bootham Crescent side. - Mansfield Town manager Adam Murray says defender Luke Jones will almost certainly have to retire because of an Achilles tendon injury. Jones, 28, has not played for the Stags since rejoining them from Stevenage for a third spell in May 2014. "He's had two years of hell. His main focus is being able to live day-to-day life as best he can," Murray told BBC Radio Nottingham. "He still can't walk to 100% and we're gutted for him as a football club." Jones made 25 league appearances in his first spell with the club before helping them to promotion back to the Football League in 2012-13, scoring eight goals in 33 league games. - Oxford United manager Michael Appleton has questioned why any of his key players would want to leave the League Two leaders. Midfielders Kemar Roofe and Callum O'Dowda have excelled this term for the in-form U's. Roofe, who has scored 12 goals this season, has been linked with a move to the Premier League. "I think the most important thing for them to do at the minute is to do it here," Appleton told BBC Radio Oxford. "Why would you want to go to a Championship club right now when the reality is you might be on the bench each Saturday? "If there are big clubs monitoring Callum and Kemar, at the right time, they will make a serious offer." - Armand Gnanduillet's loan spell at Stevenage from Chesterfield has been extended until January. The 24-year-old striker has scored twice in 10 appearances for the League Two side, helping Boro go unbeaten throughout November, a run of five matches. Gnanduillet has had previous loan spells at Tranmere and Oxford since signing for Chesterfield in 2013. Stevenage are currently 18th in League Two having won five league games from the 20 they have played this season.

As many of you have realised, the Pride of Nottingham website has undergone a vast revamp. Not only has the layout completely changed, but its functions have also been improved. In this article, site webmaster Notts Joe discusses the changes made to PON. So when you click on the site, it looks completely different. Why did you change it? With the original PON page, that was effectively the first site I created for the purpose of supporting Notts. The old site had things about it which frustrated me, both as a member and as a webmaster. So I decided that using available options to me, would improve things, whilst the experience for everyone overall would be far better. The expertise I gained within a number of few years is very useful when it comes to this. It’s built on the same foundations as the original site – things like a forum, articles and so on – but this is so much more up to date, functional, attractive and just more of a pleasure as both admin and user. What exactly is new compared to the old site? The homepage is totally new, it's more modern and stylish. If you prefer a more tradition view of articles, it's covered by adding /home/ to the main domain and I like that. The community section is clearer, features are far more obvious and the design is completely new. There are several features, such as the way members can find our content which is completely new – like the activity stream which replaces our former 'live centre'. How is it better for visitors and fans? With the improvements, it allows PON to make use of even better web principles and in turn this allows me to not only speed our server up but it enables us to offer much more. Overall, it gives us the foundation to move forward and better serve the Notts fan base. And on a personal level, I just feel that how clean and tidy it looks is far better than the old site and, combined with the speed increase, it makes for a much better experience for users and visitors of the site.

Adam Campbell has claimed that just one away victory could change Notts County’s poor form on the road. The Magpies succumbed to their fifth away defeat last Saturday when they were beaten 3-1 by Shaun Derry's Cambridge United – leaving them with a record of just one league win away from Meadow Lane. Campbell said: "I can't put my finger on it at all. It's the million dollar question isn't? We are so good at home, yet away we are struggling. "We thought we had turned the corner against Bristol Rovers where we ground out a good 0-0 draw. And then we went to Exeter, played really well and perhaps should have won the game given the chances we created. It looked then that we might have cracked it, but then came Salford and we know what happened there. "It's so frustrating, but I genuinely think if we can get that first away victory then I think that could spark us off. The sooner we get it the better. Not just for the players, but the fans as well because they've been tremendous and have always travelled well.”

Notts County Ladies have welcomed Matt Alexander as their new Chief Executive Officer following the resignation of Luke Negus-Hill. Previously a scout for the men's team, he is now tasked with helping to bring the Lady Pies forward and build on their two sensational seasons thus far at the top of the women’s game, including two cup finals. Matt spoke to BBC Radio Nottingham’s Match Talk on Thursday about how he picked a role at Meadow Lane over one in the top tier of English men’s football, and why he made that decision. He said: “I had been approached by a Premier League club to go and work with their Under-21s, but then the opportunity came by to work with the Ladies and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. “The women’s game is on the cusp of something quite big. Just from the league we’re in with Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, we’re kind of like the underdogs, but we have real heart, fantastic players adnd the ability to really make a mark on the women’s game. “Me and my little girl went to the cup final in Rotherham. She’s really interested in women’s football, at just seven years of age. She’s a massive fan of Carly Telford – these women are idols for little girls and are accessible. “If I can help to bring the women’s game forward so in future my little girl is still watching and enjoying it, that would be fantastic.” Discuss the arrival of Matt Alexander within our community forum - Here

The Football League’s Stand Up & Be Counted campaign saw fans of English clubs below the Premier League vote in droves to try and get their team to the top of the rankings – and be in with a chance of winning a trip to England to watch their club in action. Much to the surprise of clubs unaware of our amazing support all across the world, Notts steadily climbed up the table and entrenched themselves at the summit – at no point did they look like relinquishing top spot. Today the polls closed and the results were finally confirmed – out of all the clubs in the country outside the Premier League, including a number of champions of England and even Europe, the title belonged to the Magpies. Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley, Queens Park Rangers, Preston North End, Derby County and, sweetest of all, Nottingham Forest – all pale in comparison to Notts in terms of global fanbase. Pride of Nottingham played its part in the Magpies’ no. 1 finish, by promoting the competition time and time again, and mobilising all of the international fan groups to spread the word and get voting – and it has paid dividends, showing just what a well-supported and historic club Notts is. Stars of County’s table-topping achievement are without a doubt the Italian Magpies, who contributed 3502 votes out of the total of 6359 cast for us. We spoke to Giorgio Zunino, the leader of the Italian Magpies, about the marvellous achievement. Q) How active were you and the Italian Magpies with regards to campaigning for the Stand Up & Be Counted’ campaign? A) We tried to involve as many people as possible to vote for the Magpies. We focused on the challenge to prove that the Italian Magpies are always interested in Notts County's activities. Our goal was initially to be the first supporters’ group. Q) More than 3500 Italian-based Notts fan voted, this achieved the highest amount. Are you surprised how high it is? Do you feel the Italian Magpies and Juve connection helped? What are your personal thoughts to this? A) The result is really high, unbelievable. Also because we have "just" 3.000 likes on Facebook. We tried our best talking about the link between Notts and Juventus to make people conscious of the need to vote and to make them proud to push the black and white higher and higher. We gave updates day by day to supervise the situation. We asked people to vote both for Notts County, both for the Italian Magpies as we strongly wanted to be the first supporters. It was great to see how many votes come from Italy. I though no other team received so many votes from just one country. The Juve connection was fundamental! An English guy we know talked to every Italian friend and spread the word to keep a lot of votes. At the beginning I was just focused on make Notts County arrive in the Top 10. It was quite impossible to get the first three places. And would have been ok as we challenged very big teams! I wanted the Italians to overtake the Hungarians. And when we did it was great. Then we really started to climb up the table. We were third and the two teams ahead lost many many votes due to the reuse of email addresses (they've probably voted more than once with the same email or the same IP). We were finally close to the peak! 3) After the announcements broke regarding Notts having won, what was your reaction and what do you feel this achievement represents to a club like Notts? A) I am proud for what we did as a great family. There were many moments when other team's votes were growing and we pushed firmly on our call of duty. I am proud for our group and proud to see "Italy" on top of the countries. I really hope somebody from the Italian Magpies will win the final prize. I think is really amazing for the club to prove that is more known and supported than Championship clubs. But I think this could be just the beginning and more has to be done, in particular for the fans abroad that've showed this unbelievable support! One lucky overseas Magpies follower will be rewarded with a special prize on Monday, which will be announced by the club. A total of over 52,000 supporters from around the globe took part in the initiative, with at least one fan registered in 247 different territories. Join the discussion within our community forum - Here | Discuss this feature below.

Ricardo Moniz has claimed that he is upset with Notts County’s inconsistency, despite appearing calm on the surface. The Magpies were beaten 3-1 by Cambridge United on Saturday, as Shaun Derry got revenge against his former employee – as player and manager – and boyhood club. Just four days earlier, Notts had secured an impressive 4-2 win over Barnet at Meadow Lane. The club’s home form is solid enough, with six wins and a draw out of 10 games, but it is a completely different story on the road, with just one win in nine. Moniz told local media: "I am always disappointed. Maybe I do not show that because I must stay calm, but Saturday was a massive disappointment. "And of course I am upset every single day (with inconsistency), but they are things I keep inside. "You always have to protect from the outside world. But on the inside you can confront and people do not know what we say." Notts currently sit 15th in League Two, seven points away from the playoffs.

Notts County have confirmed that veteran defender Mike Edwards will be having his testimonial year in 2016. The 35-year-old is currently in his tenth year with the Magpies, having made 269 appearances in an eight-year spell between 2004 and 2012 at Meadow Lane before returning at the beginning of the 2014-15 season. As reward for Steady Eddy’s service with Notts, the Football League has granted him a testimonial year after a committee of fans applied to honour the defender. The celebrations will include a number of events, including a testimonial match, all of which will be announced in due course. During his first spell with the club, Edwards was part of the team who lifted the League Two title six seasons ago under the guidance of Steve Cotterill. After leaving Meadow Lane to join Carlisle United in 2012, he then returned to Notts a year ago, taking on the role as strength and conditioning coach as well as registering as a player. Despite his coaching responsibilities, Edwards’s performances on the pitch have seen him make 15 appearances this season and scoring five goals, an astounding ratio for a centre-back. Speaking on the announcement, he said: “I'm truly honoured that a committee has got together to ask the club for permission to hold a testimonial year for me. “It's a massive honour for me and I'd like to say a big thank you, not just to everyone in the committee, but also to the Chairman Ray Trew and to Aileen Trew for their support in granting the permission. “I'd also like to say a big thank you to the fans, you've always made me feel welcome in my ten years at the club and I'm excited to soon be able to announce what we have planned.”

One step forward, two steps back. Much like Notts County’s win over Portsmouth was followed up by the humiliating defeat at Man Utd Juniors and a loss against Northampton Town, so has the strong 4-2 win over Barnet been superseded by a 3-1 defeat at Cambridge United, managed by former Notts manager Shaun Derry. The Magpies are certainly having to eat enough humble pie this season to make Bruce Bogtrotter’s consumption of an entire chocolate cake in Matilda seem like antipasti. The first half was good enough for Notts, as Graham Burke went close early on after being found in the clear by a terrific ball in from the left by Adam Campbell, but the ex-Aston Villa man blasted against the bar and only the flag going up for offside spared his blushes. Luke Berry then fired wide with a half-chance from the left-hand side soon after for the U’s, while Izale McLeod spurned a decent opportunity for the Magpies midway through the first half when he blazed well over the bar after being first to a poor clearance from Sam Beasant. Adam Campbell went on to give the visitors the lead on 24 minutes by poking home from close range following a goalmouth scramble after Beasant had produced a fine point-blank save to deny McLeod. Notts had Roy Carroll to thank for ensuring they remained ahead at the break though, after he palmed away Luke Berry's header from a Jordan Jones corner. Just five minutes after the restart, however, the hosts has a chance to draw level from the spot after Ben Williamson had been brought down in the box by Alan Smith, and Barry Corr made no mistake with a ferocious penalty into the roof of the net. Taylor fired a shot into the side netting soon after while Berry saw a 20-yard effort go just over as United asserted their dominance, and in the 77th minute they were ahead in bizarre fashion when Carroll’s clearance hit Williamson and looped over the goalkeeper and into the net. Berry then settled matters three minutes from time with a cool finish from 15 yards after good work by Williamson to leave Notts fans facing another unpleasant journey back home.

Notts and Cambridge United have met just 23 times in their history, with the first meeting coming on Boxing Day 1970. The result? A resounding 4-1 win to the Magpies at Meadow Lane. Notts hold the advantage in the head to head, with 11 wins, 7 draws and just 5 defeats against the U’s. The club was founded in 1912 as Abbey United before taking the name Cambridge United in 1951. It first competed in the Football League in 1970 and stayed there until relegation in 2005, nine seasons in the Conference following until climbing back out of non-league. Cambridge have had two spells in the league's second tier, and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup twice and Football League Cup once during the early 1990s, the club's most successful era to date. United's highest ever finishing place in the Football League is fifth in the Second Division during the 1991–92 season, competing in a season-ending four team playoff for the final promotion slot to the Premier League's inaugural season. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on Newmarket Road, approximately 1.86 miles east of Cambridge city centre. The stadium has a capacity of 8,127, made up of terracing and seated areas. During their days in Division Two, with John Beck at the helm in the 1980's, the club earned a reputation for bizarre training methods and "dirty tricks" to make their opponents feel ill at ease. These included freezing cold showers for his own players, dirty changing rooms and deflated kick-about balls for the opposition and long grass in the corners of the pitch to slow the long balls into those areas, allowing the U’s forwards to reach them. Beck carried on his dirty tricks even after leaving to take charge of Preston North End – taking nine of the Cambridge United players with him. He was not the only famous manager at the club, with Ron Atkinson taking the club from Fourth to Second division and Ex-England and Derby County centre-half Roy McFarland also sitting in the hot seat. Before their entry into the League, a local animal sanctuary had an escapee and it was found grazing on the pitch at the Abbey Stadium. This lead to the moose connection with the club, and in the club shop you can buy a range of moose souvenirs to show your allegiance to the U’s. Famous alumni include Dion Dublin and Luke Chadwick, while famous fans include football commentator Gary Newbon and Tom Findlay of Groove Armada. And connecting the two clubs – none other than former Notts manager Shaun Derry, now a the helm of the U’s. --- Cambridge have added Middlesbrough winger Jordan Jones to their squad ahead of Saturday's League Two clash with Notts. Jones has penned a loan deal that sees him link up with Derry's side until January 2 and he will be available for this weekend. Derry recalled skipper Mark Roberts for his first win as U's boss at Morecambe, although Elliot Omozusi is likely to miss out with an ankle problem. Keith Keane is definitely out with a long-term groin injury as Derry looks to put one over on his former club. Notts County look certain to be without Stanley Aborah, with the midfielder nursing a knee injury following the midweek win against Barnet. Aborah was on the receiving end of a tackle from the Bees' Sam Togwell which forced him to be substituted shortly before half-time, and the club are awaiting the results of a scan to determine the full extent of the damage. Goalkeeper Roy Carroll and striker Jon Stead are both carrying knocks but should be fit. Midfielder Julian Jenner will complete a three-match suspension while Taylor McKenzie has joined Wrexham on loan.

A brace from veteran defender Mike Edwards set Notts County on their way to a convincing 4-2 win over Barnet in Tuesday's League Two clash at Meadow Lane. The Magpies were fast out of the blocks and took the lead in the sixth minute when Adam Campbell teed up Steady Eddy for his fourth goal of the season. Just three minutes later Ricardo Moniz's charges doubled their lead as the creative Campbell picked out Jon Stead for the ex-Bradford City striker to blast home his second goal in as many games. Shaun Batt forced Notts goalkeeper Roy Carroll into a save at his near post but it was the hosts who struck again midway through the second half, when Alan Sheehan scored with a ferocious low shot from 25 yards out. Aaron McLean then pulled one back for Barnet with a free-kick to restore a smidgen of hope for a comeback, before Edwards made sure of all three points when he headed in his second of the game just a minute later. Luke Gambin struck a consolation late on with a clinical finish that beat Carroll at his near post to make the scoreline a bit more respectable for ex-Notts boss Martin Allen's current side.

Notts County completely and disgracefully fluffed their lines in front of the nation as they fell to a meek, embarrassing 2-0 defeat away at Salford City in the first round of the FA Cup. The only solace was that the overblown media love-in regarding the Class of ’92 and Richie Allen’s classy second goal put the focus solely on the achievements of Mini Man Utd as opposed to the clear and obvious failings of what the BBC effectively labelled as nondescript opposition. Were it not for the Man Utd connection of Kevin Pilkington, Alan Smith and Roy Carroll, the coverage may as well have had us in black silhouettes and question marks. The warning signs were there in the first half as the likes of James Poole, Jordan Hulme and Lewis Hardcastle weighed in with dangerous chances, while the hosts’ overall play was slick and confident, in contrast to a Magpies side that, on the whole, failed to get out of second gear in the opening 45. Ricardo Moniz’s charges enjoyed a few short bursts of attacking intent, most notably when Mike Edwards fired narrowly wide early on and Thierry Audel’s cross intended for Jon Stead was cleared away by Stephen O'Halloran. Notts did well to survive the first half unscathed, but just 20 seconds into the second half – after they had kicked off, no less – they were a goal down, in the comical manner of Harry Enfield’s vintage Miles Chormondley-Warner spoof: “And they’re off… and it’s a goal.” That is literally what happened, as a tentative foray forward by the visitors was halted, sent upfield towards Poole, who bear Audel on the right and whipped a cross into the six-yard box for Webber to slide past Roy Carroll and into the net, all within less than half a minute. Trailing 1-0, it almost got even worse for the Magpies, Hulme firing against the crossbar on 57 minutes after seizing onto a pass from O'Halloran and slicing through a lacklustre Notts defence like butter. Webber then went close to doubling his tally, racing onto the ball inside the box and forcing Carroll into a good save at his near post. Notts, however, came within a whisker of getting back level when a clearance struck Adam Campbell and trickled towards goal, but agonisingly for the Black and White Army, Andy Dawson ran back to clear off the line. Then came the humiliating sucker punch. Allen claimed the ball and headed towards the left-hand byline, drawing three Notts defenders towards him. A deft Cruyff turn was all it took to put the trio completely out of action and, after a somewhat flaky one-two, he recovered to curl the ball past Carroll and send the BBC… I mean, send the home crowd completely barmy. Notts knew they were down and out, struggling to see out the game without conceding yet again as they made their non-league opponents seem like a top-flight side. As I said before, it was almost a relief that all the focus was on Salford, because it somewhat masked the fact that Notts were awful. And it’s not just us saying it – Colin Slater called the team a “disgrace”, while Mark Stallard – one of Notts County’s greatest players of the last 15 years – described them as “inept”, “abject” and embarrassing”. Enough said.

Notts County came through their biggest test of the season thus far with flying colours as they held on to clinch a 2-1 win over high-flying Portsmouth at Meadow Lane for their sixth home win in seven. The visitors created two good chances in the first 10 minutes as Adam Webster headed inches wide from Ben Davies’ corner before Adam McGurk’s through ball freed Gareth Evans, but Roy Carroll was equal to his effort. Ricardo Moniz’s side replied with Izale McLeod and Graham Burke forcing Brian Murphy into two quickfire stops, but Pompey took the lead through Caolan Lavery after 20 minutes as he guided home Enda Stevens’s cross from a couple of yards out. County were not behind for long, however, came a couple of minutes later with an Alan Sheehan free kick cleared only as far as Graham Burke, who volleyed home from the edge of the box to put his side level. Portsmouth's response was swift and Lavery almost restored his side’s lead with a near-post drive that was beaten away by Carroll, who in turn then palmed Adam Webster's shot onto the post. In the second half the Magpies gained the advantage as a long free kick from Sheehan was not dealt with and went straight past Murphy to send the home crowd wild. Paul Cook’s side responded admirably and ensured a scary, nail-biting finale to the game, appropriate given the date, but there was a happy ending for Notts fans as they secured a first win against a top ten side this season.

Notts County and Portsmouth have met a total of 26 times over the years, the first meeting coming on the 20th November 1926, which the Magpies lost 3-2 at Meadow Lane. Notts have beaten Portsmouth 11 times and played out six draws, with the South Coast side winning on nine occasions. Between December 1992 and December 1994 the two teams played each other six times, with Notts failing to get a win in a run that saw three draws and three defeats. More recently, the Magpies won three consecutive games against them between September 2012 and January 2013, two in League One and one in the FA Cup. The last meeting was on the 29th January 2013 at Fratton Park, where two goals in the last ten minutes from Jeff Hughes and Francois Zoko gave ten-man Notts - Neal Bishop was sent off late on - a 2-0 win. Portsmouth have been champions of England twice, in 1949 and 1950. The club has also won the FA Cup on two occasions, firstly in 1939 and most recently in 2008, and also reached the final of the competition in 2010. Portsmouth were moderately successful in the first decade of the 21st century, especially during the 2007–08 Premier League season, when they won the FA Cup, beating Cardiff City 1-0 in the final. They subsequently qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup competing against European heavyweights such as seven-times European Cup winners A.C. Milan. During this period, Portsmouth were recognised to have a large number of international footballers, including England players Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe, as well as Peter Crouch, David James and Sol Campbell. However, financial problems soon set in and Portsmouth were relegated to the Football League Championship in 2010. In 2012 they were again relegated, to League One, and again, in 2013, to League Two. They began the 2013–14 season in the fourth tier of the English football league system for the first time since the late 1970s. Portsmouth became the largest fan-owned football club in England, after the Pompey Supporters Trust (PST) successfully gained possession of Fratton Park in April 2013. --- Thierry Audel remains the only injury concern for Notts County ahead of the visit of Portsmouth, as he is still struggling with the knock that forced him off against Bristol Rovers last week. Fellow defender Mawouna Amevor comes back into the reckoning after serving a one-match ban at Exeter City. Striker Ronan Murray made his long-awaited return from a groin injury for the reserves this week but he is nowhere near ready for the first-team after being out for eight months. The same can be said of Taylor McKenzie, who has also been sidelined for a long time but is now training again. Portsmouth can welcome back Gareth Evans from suspension. The midfielder, who has scored three goals this season, has completed a three-match ban after he was sent off at Cambridge United three weeks ago. Striker Adam McGurk is pushing to be involved for the first time in six weeks having returned from an ankle injury as an unused substitute in the goalless draw with Mansfield. Goalkeeper Paul Jones, defender Jack Whatmough and forward Jayden Stockley, meanwhile, are still sidelined with knee and ankle injuries.

Notts County managed to secure a second successive away point by holding Exeter City to a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park. The hosts dominated proceedings in the first 20 minutes, Tom Nichols firing wide from distance following Jack Barmby’s dispossession at the hands of David Wheeler. In the 25th minute the Grecians took the lead in controversial circumstances when Izale McLeod was brought down in midfield by a clumsy challenge from Joel Grant, but despite the incident happening in front of referee Graham Salisbury, play was allowed to continue. The ball was soon switched to Nichols, who curled a shot into the right corner of the net, giving Roy Carroll no chance. Notts players were furious with the match official, but they responded well and found themselves back on terms by the break. First Liam Noble’s close-range strike was blocked by Jordan Moore-Taylor and then Adam Campbell dinked a cross to the back post for McLeod to head an effort against the post. The equaliser finally arrived when Jon Stead did superbly to nod the ball into the path of Noble, who controlled with his chest and volleyed past goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik. It could have been worse for the Grecians before the break as McLeod turned Jordan Tillson too easily on the edge of the box and brought a good save out of the stopper. Nicholls had the first chance of the second half as his shot from just inside the area was charged down, but after that the visitors started to look the more threatening. First Alan Sheehan headed goalwards from a corner, forcing David Noble to clear the ball off the line, and then Olejnik had to produce another good stop to deny McLeod a chance to put the Magpies ahead. The visitors then had appeals for a penalty turned down when a City player appeared to have handled the ball in the box, before Jon Stead was crowded out in the area just as he was about to fire at goal from the edge of the six-yard box. Both sides stepped it up a gear in the latter stages of the game in a bid to find a winner, but neither side could find the breakthrough as Ricardo Moniz’s side made it three games unbeaten and remained 16th in the League Two table, with 19 points from 15 games.

Notts County and Exeter City have met a total of 40 times over their history, the first meeting coming at St James’ Park in Division Three (South) which finished as a 3-3 draw. The Magpies have an excellent record against the Grecians; out of those 40 games, Notts claimed a result in 33, with 16 wins and 17 draws. Exeter was formed in 1901 as St. Sidwell's United and played in the Southern League from 1908 until 1920, when that league's top division was absorbed into The Football League as its new Division Three. The club was the first ever team to play the Brazilian national team in 1914, a match which was commemorated in a 2014 friendly game against Fluminense. City took 60 years to achieve their first ever promotion, finishing fourth in Division Four in the 1963–64 season. Since then, the club have mostly oscillated between the third and fourth divisions, spending five years in the Conference between 2003 and 2008; having been promoted a further four times (in 1976–77, 1989–90, 2007–08 and 2008–09) and relegated five times (in 1965–66,1983–84, 1993–94, 2002–03 and 2011–12). Famous fans include Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Adrian Edmondson, Mark Nicol and Noel Edmonds. Singer Joss Stone signed up as a member of the supporters trust, being introduced to fans on the pitch as a new member during a League Cup match against Liverpool. In 2002 pop singer Michael Jackson was made honorary director of Exeter City. He visited St James Park with celebrity friend Uri Geller, who was also a director. The crew of the HMS Defender also adopted Exeter City as their home team and use their strip if playing games whilst on tour. --- Exeter boss Paul Tisdale has Tom McCready, Ryan Harley and Manny Oyeleke available after they missing the Grecians' last two games, last weekend's defeat at Carlisle and the 1-0 home victory over Cambridge on Tuesday. Winger Lee Holmes had to be employed in a central role in midweek but he is now likely to revert to a more familiar role as Exeter seek to build on their first win in four games. They will however be without skipper Matt Oakley, who is sidelined for the rest of the month with a knee injury, while Craig Woodman has a calf problem. Thierry Audel is a doubt for the visitors after the defender limped off during the goalless draw with Bristol Rovers. His potential replacement Mawouna Amevor received his fifth yellow card of the season at the Memorial Stadium and must serve a one-match ban. With Blair Adams loaned to rivals Mansfield this week, Gill Swerts could fill in at left-back should Audel not pass a fitness test. Midfielder Rob Milsom and winger Kyle De Silva continue to build up their fitness following lengthy injury layoffs while striker Ronan Murray and defender Taylor McKenzie are also closing in on returns.

Notts County secured a valuable point at the Memorial Stadium as they held a dangerous Bristol Rovers at bay on the way to a goalless stalemate. The hosts’ first chance came courtesy of Ellis Harrison, who picked up a pass from Lee Brown and fashioned a shot that was blocked by Elliot Hewitt. On five minutes, unmarked skipper Mark McChrystal got himself in a good position from a Jake Gosling corner, only to put the ball over from ten yards. Rovers came then closest to a goal in first-half stoppage time when Billy Bodin's right-footed shot from 12 yards following a corner cannoned back off Roy Carroll's crossbar. Notts improved defensively as the game progressed, but rarely threatened. An Izale McLeod shot from 20 yards, deflected narrowly wide on 53 minutes, was the closest they came. Jermaine Easter, whose red card at Mansfield Town on Saturday was rescinded on appeal, appeared as a second half substitute for Rovers and grazed the crossbar with a 73rd minute shot. Late on, Rovers won another free-kick in a promising position after Daniel Leadbitter was hacked down by Mawouna Amevor, but again the visitors stood firm to complete a frustrating night for Rovers and remain five points away from the League Two playoffs.

Notts County and Bristol Rovers have met a grand total of 85 times over their history, with the first fixture coming on the 11th January 1913, a 2-0 win for the Pirates in the FA Cup at their former home ground, the Eastville Stadium. The Magpies have claimed 31 wins and 28 draws against Rovers, whilst falling to 26 defeats. Meadow Lane was the scene of the last meeting between these two on the 19th March 2011, a League One fixture, as Will Hoskins scored just after the hour to give the Gas a 1-0 win. The club was founded in 1883 as Black Arabs F.C., and were also known as Eastville Rovers and Bristol Eastville Rovers before finally changing its name to Bristol Rovers in 1899. The club's official nickname is The Pirates, reflecting the maritime history of Bristol. The local nickname of the club is The Gas, from the gasworks next to their former home Eastville Stadium, which started as a derogatory term used by fans of their main rival Bristol City but was affectionately adopted by the team. Rovers were admitted to the Football League in 1920 and have played there ever since, apart from spending the 2014–15 season in the Conference Premier. They previously came close to losing their league status in 1939, when they were re-elected after finishing bottom of Division Three (South), and in 2002 when the team finished one league position away from relegation to the Football Conference. Their highest finishing positions were in 1956 and 1959, on both occasions ending the season in 6th place in Division Two, then the second tier of English football. The only major cup competition won by Bristol Rovers is the 1972 Watney Cup, when they beat Sheffield United in the final. The club also won the Division Three (South) Cup in 1934–35, as well as winning or sharing the Gloucestershire Cup on 32 occasions. The team has never played in European competition; the closest Rovers came was when they missed out on reaching the international stage of the Anglo-Italian Cup in the 1992–93 season on a coin toss held over the phone with West Ham United. In the FA Cup, Rovers have reached the quarter-final stage on three occasions. The first time was in 1950–51 when they faced Newcastle United at St James' Park in front of a crowd of 62,787, the record for the highest attendance at any Bristol Rovers match. The second time they reached the quarter final was in 1957–58, when they lost to Fulham, and the most recent appearance at this stage of the competition was during the 2007–08 season, when they faced West Bromwich Albion. They were the first Division Three team to win an FA Cup tie away to a Premier League side, when in 2002 they beat Derby County 3–1 at Pride Park Stadium. They have twice reached the final of the Football League Trophy, in 1989–90 and 2006–07, but finished runners-up on both occasions. On the second occasion they did not allow a single goal against them in the competition en route to the final, but conceded the lead less than a minute after the final kicked off. Actor Nick Frost is a Bristol Rovers fan, with his character Danny Butterman seen wearing a club shirt in the 2007 film Hot Fuzz. The retired Conservative MP for Hayes and Harlington Terry Dicks, is also a Gas fan. He mentioned the club in parliament on 5 May 1994 when debating with Labour MP and Chelsea fan Tony Banks. -- Rovers have appealed against the red card shown to Jermaine Easter during Saturday's Sky Bet League Two win over Mansfield Town. The striker was given a straight red for allegedly headbutting a Stags player just before half-time in the 2-1 victory and Rovers will find out if they are successful in their appeal against a three-match ban on Tuesday afternoon. Rovers boss Darrell Clarke will also be concerning himself with the fitness of another of his forwards, Billy Bodin, who was forced to miss Saturday's match through injury. If Easter is unavailable then Ellis Harrison, who came on at half-time at Field Mill, could start. Notts have no real injury problems any longer as players begin to return to contention. Midfielder Rob Milsom has yet to make his debut for the club because of a knee problem but he is back in training and closing in on a return. The same can be said of winger Kyle De Silva, who has recovered from the thigh injury he sustained during the first month of the season.

Notts County ended a run of three straight defeats and made it five wins out of six at Meadow Lane with a 2-0 win over Yeovil Town, a result that sees the Magpies climb to 15th in League Two and five points away from the playoffs. The Magpies showed their attacking threat early on as Elliott Hewitt and Izale McLeod both had speculative shots, their side dominating possession with a high defensive line as the Glovers struggled to get out of their half. Little happened in the early stages of the game, though Matthew Dolan made a hash of a half-volley from 20 yards, while Adam Campbell played McLeod clean through on goal, but the ex-Crawley man struck the post. It was then Campbell's turn to hit the woodwork with a swerving shot-cum-cross before Liam Noble forced Artur Krysiak to punch away a vicious 30-yard drive. The second half continued in a similar vein as Notts poured forward and fittingly it was the impressive Stanley Aborah who broke the deadlock. After Wes Fogden had brought down the midfielder just outside the area, he stepped up to take the free kick and, courtesy of a deflection off the wall, it wrongfooted Krysiak and bundled into the back of the net. County’s lead was doubled not long after as a clearance from Mike Edwards was cleverly flicked on by Alan Smith, and McLeod rushed in to beat Krysiak with a ferocious drive. Campbell almost made it 3-0 midway through the second half as he went in one-on-one himself, but Krysiak did well to close him down. At the other end, Dolan had a shot blocked and Connor Roberts tested Carroll for the first time in the game. Ultimately, Yeovil proved no match for Ricardo Moniz’s side, who made it an enjoyable afternoon for the home faithful.

Back in April, the Glovers and the Magpies played out a 1-1 draw at Huish Park, with Curtis Thompson's 79th-minute strike cancelling out Haydn Hollis's 10th-minute own goal - the result relegated Yeovil that afternoon. 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, and 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. Yeovil is a pretty small town, home to just 40,000 people - two Meadow Lanes could comfortably take in the entire population! In the 21st century, Yeovil became the first town in Britain to institute a system of biometric fingerprint scanning in nightclubs, and the first English council to ban the children's craze Heelys (those trainers with wheels that popped out from the heels). --- Jack Barmby and Roy Carroll return to the Notts County squad for the visit of Yeovil. On-loan midfielder Barmby is fit again after missing the defeat to Plymouth last weekend, while goalkeeper Carroll is back from international duty with Northern Ireland. Kyle De Silva has resumed training and was considered fit enough to play 10 minutes against Argyle, so he may be considered on Saturday. Rob Milsom is edging closer to a return from a serious knee injury while Taylor McKenzie and Ronan Murray need minutes under their belts before they can be considered for first-team places. Yeovil boss Paul Sturrock will be able to call on defender Connor Roberts after his loan spell from Swansea was extended by a further month this week. However, midfielder Jake Howells, who like Roberts played in last weekend's 2-2 home draw with Dagenham & Redbridge, has returned to Luton following the end of his loan stint. Sturrock must also do without injured sextet Kevin Dawson, Simon Gillett, Ben Tozer, Jack Compton, Omar Sowunmi and Jamie Burrows once again.