Joe Jones

Notts County striker Jon Stead has expressed his disappointment in being asked to drop deeper by manager Ricardo Moniz, but insists that he is willing to do all he can to help his team climb up the table. Speaking at the weekly Magpies press conference, the ex-Sunderland forward said: "The system we're playing, the only way I can get into the team is to play that deeper role. "And that's what the manager wants because he wants that three in midfield which he sees as being a bit stronger. "It's a bit of a sacrifice for me, for where I want to play, but if it's doing a job and I can get that defensive side of it right, which is the bit that I struggle with, then I can play. "I scored two in two and then didn't play the next game, so that's obviously disappointing but I've been doing all I can. "I'll keep working hard on the training ground and every chance I get, show him what I can do. I'd play left-back or I'd play in goal if it meant I was starting a football match. I just want to be on the field. "It's a little bit frustrating but it's where I am at the minute. That's where my opportunity is to get in the team, so I've got to go for it. "I don't believe that's where the club will get the best out of me but I want to play football and I'm not going to go banging on his (Moniz's) door saying, 'I'm not playing there, I want to play up top'. That's not in my make up one bit. "I'll do my very best in the position wherever I'm asked to play. I think I'm improving in that role anyway, so it might help me to be more of a complete player with that other side of my game. "I just keep going. I'm not going to throw my toys out the pram, I'm going to get on with it. But yes, it's been difficult. It's a different side to my game.”

Notts had a rare Sunday matchday as they welcomed Plymouth Argyle to Meadow Lane, eager to extend their great home run. As always Pride of Nottingham interviewed a number of Notts fans ahead of kickoff to garner their thoughts on the game ahead. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfKW4S1Wao0

Notts County midfielder Nicky Wroe has joined National League side FC Halifax Town on a month’s loan, subject to FA confirmation. The 30-year-old midfielder started his career with Barnsley, making 49 appearances for the South Yorkshire side. He has also had spells at York City, Torquay United, Shrewsbury Town and Oxford United. Wroe’s loan sees him join a team currently stuck in the Conference relegation zone. A signing under Shaun Derry in the summer of 2014, he has made just 17 appearances for the club, and was transfer-listed in the summer along with Will Hayhurst, Jordan Cranston and Billy Daniels. Wroe’s exit comes on the back of Scot Bennett's three-month loan move to Newport County. The former Exeter City captain signed a two-year deal in the summer but has already been deemed surplus to requirements. We at Pride of Nottingham would like to wish Nicky Wroe and Scot Bennett all the best at their loan clubs.

In what has so far proved a very mediocre season far below expectations, Notts had an impressive home form to refer to at least. This sadly, has now taken a knock after Plymouth Argyle claimed a 2-0 victory at Meadow Lane, with Reuben Reid notching up a brace to bring an end to a run of four straight wins at home for the Magpies. Reid got the game's opener 18 minutes in, turning into space before firing into the far corner of Scott Loach's goal, with the hosts nearly levelling moments later when Graham Burke latched onto Elliott Hewitt’s cutback but crashed against the post. Liam Noble then came close with a header at the back post, before Burke tested goalkeeper Luke McCormick with a ferocious low drive. Notts continued to attack in the second half but could not find a way past the resolute Pilgrims defence, as Burke failed to convert from two decent chances, putting a header over the bar before lashing wide inside the box. In the latter stages of the clash, Reid struck again for Plymouth, breaking the offside trap and seeing his first effort saved by Loach before firing in from the rebound to hand his side all three points. Ricardo Moniz’s side moves down a place to 16th in the League Two table, while Derek Adams’s team edges up to the top of the standings.

Another away day, another defeat, this one more embarrassing than most as Notts fell to a humbling 5-1 defeat at Sheffield United, with the only sliver of positivity coming from the fact that, rather than being in the league, it was in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Jose Baxter opened the scoring at Bramall Lane from the spot in the 20th minute after Jamal Campbell-Ryce was brought down by Thierry Audel in the box, prompting the referee to award the home side a penalty. Liam Noble went close to equalising not long after when his chip beat Blades goalkeeper George Long, but the ball cannoned off the bar and out. Just three minutes after their first goal, United doubled their lead when Matt Done beat the offside trap to find himself one-on-one with Scott Loach, and with the stopper rushing out, a simple lob was all it took to get the ball into the back of the net. And by the break the hosts had notched up a third goal when Baxter scored his second penalty after Haydn Hollis fouled Che Adams, leaving the Magpies with an Everest-sized mountain to climb. Ricardo Moniz’s side set about trying to get back into the game and looked like they were on the right track when substitute Jon Stead bundled the ball in from close range after connecting with a low cross from Elliott Hewitt. Stefan Scougall, however, restored United's three-goal advantage in the 67th minute with a neat finish from inside the area. And on 74 minutes things truly turned farcical when Notts gifted their opponents a third penalty, with Hollis receiving his marching orders for his foul on Adams in the box, and the man brought down opted to do the honours himself, putting his side 5-1 up – and so the game would finish.

Sheffield United’s first match against Notts took place on the 17th January 1891 in the FA Cup - and we won 9-1! Since then, however, the Blades have undisputedly held the upper hand in head-to-head statistics. They have won 49 games against the Magpies. We’ve beaten then just 26 times, and there have been 14 draws. Our last game was back in February, which ended in a 2-1 defeat at Meadow Lane in League One. Their ground, Bramall Lane, is the oldest major stadium in the world still to be hosting professional football matches. Bramall Lane opened in April 1855 – Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin were still alive back then! Jessica Ennis-Hill, the darling of the 2012 London Olympics, has a stand named after her at United’s ground, following her gold medal in heptathlon two and a half years ago. A game between Sheffield United and Oldham in February 1984 had to be postponed when a wartime bomb was found near Bramall Lane! A number of films and television programmes have included references to Sheffield United over the past few decades: The 1996 film When Saturday Comes stars Sean Bean as a part-time Hallam FC player who is scouted by Sheffield United, who then goes on to play in a FA Cup semi-final. The character 'Gaz' in British comedy The Full Monty is seen wearing a replica United shirt at one part of the film, and promises his son a ticket for a game at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United & Manchester United. Even Hollywood has got in on the act: a scene in Batman Begins features a child wearing a 1990s Blades shirt. United have a decent cup pedigree - they won the FA Cup in 1899, 1902, 1915 and 1925. They were also beaten finalists in the FA Cup in 1901 and 1936, and reached the semi-finals in 1961, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2014 - and reached the semi-finals of the League Cup in 2003 and 2015. Notable Blades fans include Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean, former Sports Minister Richard Caborn MP, singer Paul Heaton, musicians Joe Elliott, Antony Genn and Toddla T, athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, boxer Kell Brook, cricketer Joe Root and Monty Python member and presenter Michael Palin. --- Sheffield United will be without injured pair Ryan Flynn and David Edgar for their Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie against Notts at Bramall Lane. Both players were withdrawn at half-time in Saturday's defeat at Port Vale, midfielder Flynn struggling with a groin injury and defender David Edgar sustaining a hamstring problem. Boss Nigel Adkins will also be without defender Chris Basham, who sits out a one-game ban after reaching five yellow cards. George Long is expected to be handed a start in goal in place of Mark Howard, with Adkins likely to make several other changes. Alan Sheehan is an injury doubt for Notts County after coming off shortly before half-time against Leyton Orient on Saturday. Stanley Aborah missed that 3-1 league loss at Brisbane Road and Magpies manager Ricardo Moniz is preparing to be without the midfielder for some time. Moniz surprised everyone at the weekend by making nine changes, with only full-back Sheehan and central midfielder Alan Smith retaining their places in the starting line-up following the 1-1 draw at Dagenham. Roy Carroll, one of the big names dropped against the O's, is unavailable as he is away on international duty with Northern Ireland.

Notts County’s travel sickness continues to take hold of the boys in black and white as Leyton Orient claimed their first win in six games as they beat the beleaguered visitors 3-1 at Brisbane Road. The Magpie faithful were astounded by the news that Ricardo Moniz had made nine changes to his seemingly functional line-up prior to the game, the kind of move only carried out following heavy defeats or change of competition level (say league to cup or friendly). Midfielder Sammy Moore opened the scoring just after the quarter-hour mark when he sprung the offside trap to rifle the ball past Magpies goalkeeper Scott Loach from close range. This would be his first goal in an Orient shirt since his summer move from AFC Wimbledon. Having dominated the first half, the hosts were then rocked when Notts equalised mere seconds into the second period, with Jon Stead finding himself unmarked at the far post following some neat play from Alan Smith and Adam Campbell and drilling home. Orient, however, regained the advantage in the 79th minute after substitute Blair Turgott found Sean Clohessy, whose shot was parried by Loach straight to the feet of Jay Simpson for his seventh league goal of the campaign. The hosts went on to kill the game off seven minutes from time with a wonderful strike from Moore, who smashed the ball into the top-right corner from around 30 yards out for their third goal and all three points.

The first time that Notts County faced Leyton Orient was 102 years ago, when the Magpies travel to Millfields Road for a Division Two fixture. The East London outfit won 1-0. A total of 75 fixtures have taken place between the two, with the Nottingham outfit holding the upper hand historically, as 30 games have been won by the Magpies, with 26 O's wins and 19 draws. Leyton Orient were founded in 1881, and have had several name changes throughout the years, including Eagle Cricket Club, Orient FC and Clapton Orient FC. The O's, who play in Waltham Forest, are the second-oldest league club in London behind Fulham. The club's unusual name is alleged to come from one of the club's early players (Jack R Dearing) who was an employee of the Orient Shipping Company. During the First World War. 41 members of the Clapton Orient team and staff joined up into the 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (the Footballers' Battalion), the highest of any football team in the country and the first to join up en masse. During the Battle of the Somme, three players gave their lives for King and Country: Richard McFadden, George Scott and William Jonas. Prior to the First World War, O's striker Richard McFadden had saved the life of a boy who was drowning in the River Lea as well as rescuing a man from a burning building. History was made on Saturday 30th April 1921 when the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII, visited Millfields Road to see the O's play Notts County. The Orient won 3-0 and this was the first time a member of royalty had attended a Football League match. Leyton Orient were involved in a dispute with the Premier League over its decision to allow West Ham to use the Olympic Stadium in London, with the O's expressing an interest in the 2012 Olympics venue, but this has now been settled with a "confidential agreement". Arguably the most famous fans of the club are Andrew and Julian Lloyd Webber. The album Variations, used as the theme tune for London Weekend Television's South Bank Show, was written by Andrew as the result of his losing a bet to his brother on the result of a Leyton Orient match. Julian later presented a gold disc of Variations to the club chairman at half time during a game with Leicester City. In addition, David Beckham and Alfred Hitchcock were born in the borough. -- Orient will be without striker Paul McCallum for Saturday's League Two match at home to Notts County. The 22-year-old is expected to be out for at least six months after scans confirmed cruciate ligament damage to his right knee. O's boss Ian Hendon otherwise has a fully fit squad to choose from for the clash at Brisbane Road, in which his side are looking to end a five-match winless run which has seen them slip from the top of the table to fifth. Ricardo Moniz, meanwhile, has hinted at changes to the team which, at Dagenham in midweek, surrendered a winning position for the third away league game this season. The Dutchman has a squad of 35 players to choose from so he is not short of options and he could hand on-loan Leicester midfielder Jack Barmby his full debut. The likes of Curtis Thompson, Julian Jenner, Gill Swerts, Jon Stead and Civard Sprockel are also options. Midfielder Rob Milsom has resumed training after a knee injury but the summer signing will have to wait at least another week for his first appearance for the club, while Ronan Murray is also making inroads in his recovery from a pelvis injury.

Though Notts County have improved at home no end, it remains a different story on the road, with another game in which the Magpies relinquished the lead – though at least this time we were able to hang onto a point at Dagenham & Redbridge, the final result a 1-1 draw. In a game of few chances, Adam Campbell went on to open the scoring just after the half-hour mark after receiving possession on the left, weaving into the box and coolly slotting the ball into the far corner for his first goal of the season. Ayo Obileye went close with a half-volley just before the hour after his initial free-kick from 30 yards hit the wall. Campbell then nearly doubled his side's lead in the 71st minute, only for O'Brien to brilliantly deny him a second from close range, He would rue that failed opportunity because, only moments later, the impressive Jodi Jones marauded forward, cut inside onto his left foot and curled a wonderful effort into the top corner from 25 yards. Notts had a great chance to edge back in front when Jack Barmby was fouled in the Daggers box, prompting the referee to award the visitors a penalty. Izale McLeod stepped up, but his spot-kick was saved by O'Brien before being cleared out for a throw-in, the chance subsequently disappearing. Jon Stead came on McLeod soon after and the former Huddersfield striker almost clinched a winner when a powerful 20-yard drive hit the inside of the post, but ultimately the Magpies had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Notts County and Dagenham & Redbridge have met just eight times, and all the meetings have come in the last eight years. The first clash was back on 15 September 2007, when the Magpies beat the Daggers 1-0 at Meadow Lane in League Two. Last time round, on 9 April 2011, the East London side beat Notts 3-1 at Victoria Road in League One. Notts are slightly ahead in terms of head-to-head, with four wins to their opponents’ three, plus one draw. Based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, the club was formed in 1992 through a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham. The club can trace back its ancestry to 1881 as Redbridge Forest was an amalgamation of three of the amateur game's most famous clubs, Ilford, Leytonstone and Walthamstow Avenue. Between the clubs they won the FA Trophy once, FA Amateur Cup seven times, Isthmian League 20 times, Athenian League six times, Essex Senior Cup 26 times and London Senior Cup 23 times. Tony Roberts, the club’s record appearance holder with 507 games over 10 years, is the only goalkeeper in the history of the FA Cup to have scored a goal from open play. He netted against Basingstoke Town in October 2001, it was a fourth qualifying round. The highest ever scoreline in the first leg of a play off game is now held by Dagenham & Redbridge, who defeated Morecambe 6–0 on 16 May 2010, although they could not build on this afterwards with a 2–1 defeat in the second leg. The Daggers also hold the record for highest scoring penalty shootout in professional football history, defeating Leyton Orient in the second round of the Football League Trophy 14–13, 27 penalties in total, on 8 September 2011. This was later equalled, but not bettered, by Liverpool who beat Middlesbrough in a League Cup penalty shoot out by the same score in September 2014. In addition, they hold the joint highest aggregate score in a League Cup match, with 12 – On 12 August 2014, Dagenham & Redbridge drew 6–6 after extra time at home with Brentford in the first round of the League Cup. They went on to lose 4–2 on penalties. - Dagenham have no new injury worries, though manager Wayne Burnett may decide to change his personnel following last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Barnet which left them in the drop zone. Burnett took off Ashley Hemmings and Nicholas Hamalainen at half-time at The Hive as Zavon Hines and Jodi Jones were brought on. Hines is yet to complete 90 minutes since a serious knee injury in February 2014 and will be pushing for a start, as well as Jones, who scored Dagenham's consolation goal at Barnet with a well-struck free-kick. Meanwhile Notts travel south after back-to-back home wins and manager Ricardo Moniz has players returning from injury. Summer signing Rob Milsom is back in training after injuring a knee during pre-season while fellow midfielder Kyle De Silva and defender Taylor McKenzie are also working their way back to full fitness.

All of a sudden, the outlook at Notts County is much rosier – four wins on the spin at home, a climb up to 13th place in League Two, and best of all, just one point off the playoffs! A good, if frustrating, day at the office saw the Magpies register possibly the lowest-scoring thrashing in recent years as, despite a dominant display, they sealed a 1-0 win against York City. Ricardo Moniz’s charges started brilliantly, with Izale McLeod showing his quality by weighing in with a number of dangerous efforts in the first ten minutes alone. He didn’t have to wait much longer to break the deadlock, however, finally getting onto the scoresheet in the 12th minute when opposition goalkeeper Scott Flinders completely misjudged a seemingly routine Liam Noble punt to leave the ex-Crawley man with an open goal, in which he nonchalantly slotted the ball. Notts continued to dominate proceedings on the pitch but a second strike evaded them, which nearly saw them pegged back when James Berrett’s drive forced Roy Carroll into a great save. The hosts continued from where they had left off in the second half but again failed to get the ball into the back of the net for a second time, with Mike Edwards connecting with the post and Adam Campbell forcing Flinders into a low save. Gauging the home side’s increasing tension, York piled forward and could have struck back through David Tutonda and Anthony Straker, but unlike their game against Wimbledon, they managed to see this game out and claim their second three points of the week.

Notts County and York City have met a total of 37 times over their history. The first meeting came on 12th March 1955, with the Minstermen winning 1-0 at Meadow Lane in the FA Cup. The Magpies have 19 wins and 10 draws, only losing 8 times. Our recent record is also very good – in the last 27 clashes, Notts have only lost twice! Our last meeting was all the way back in October 2001, when Notts welcomed York to Meadow Lane in the LDV Vans Trophy and beat them 2-0. Founded in 1922, York joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their time in the lower divisions. The club briefly rose as high as the second tier of English football, spending two seasons in the Second Division in the 1970s. At the end of the 2003–04 season the club lost its League status when it was relegated from the Third Division. York remained in the Conference Premier until the end of the 2011–12 season, when they were promoted back into the League via the play-offs. York have enjoyed more success in cup competitions than in the league; highlights include an FA Cup semi-final appearance in 1955. In the 1995–96 League Cup, York beat Manchester United 3–0 at Old Trafford; Manchester United went on to win the FA Premier League and FA Cup double that season. Also, in the FA Cup, York beat Arsenal in 1985, and held Liverpool to a draw in two consecutive seasons in the mid-1980s. York made an appearance at Wembley Stadium in 1993, beating Crewe Alexandra in the Third Division play-off Final. After defeats in the 2009 FA Trophy Final and the 2010 Conference Premier play-off Final, York finally recorded a victory at the new Wembley against Newport County in the 2012 FA Trophy Final. - Jack Barmby and Alan Sheehan are expected to go straight into the Notts squad for Saturday’s home clash against York. Barmby, a former Manchester United trainee, joined the Magpies on Thursday on loan from Leicester, while Sheehan is back at Meadow Lane on loan from Bradford. Mike Edwards and Alan Smith are almost certain to retain their places in the team following the 4-1 midweek win over Crawley. Rob Milsom and Kyle De Silva are nearing returns from injury and should be back in first-team contention in around a fortnight. York striker Vadaine Oliver will begin his three-match suspension after the club failed in their appeal against his red card in the 2-2 draw against Carlisle last weekend. The Minstermen may opt to hand a starting place to Josh Carson, who came off the bench to score a second-half equaliser against the Cumbrians, or to Emile Sinclair. Jake Hyde remains on the club's long-term injury list while Michael Coulson has resumed training following a groin operation but is at least a fortnight away from a return.

Well, what a relief. When Notts fell behind at home to Crawley Town, it looked like it was going to be a long evening. Instead, it turned out to be a very pleasant one, as the Magpies came from behind to rattle four goals past the visitors and clinch an emphatic, if not completely straightforward, 4-1 win at Meadow Lane. Mark Yates’s side weathered the early storm and countered through Lewis Young, who was left with just Gill Swerts and Roy Carroll en route to goal, but the Belgian did enough to dispossess him. Luke Rooney then picked up the ball outside the area and drifted into dangerous territory, but his near-post strike was brilliantly saved by the Northern Irish stopper. Crawley kept on coming and eventually took the lead through Rhys Murphy, who seized on a miscued clearance which cannoned off Bobson Bawling and into the debutant’s path, before slotting the ball into the empty net. Just after the half-hour mark Ricardo Moniz’s charges were level when a long throw ghosted through the Red Devils defence and into the path of Mike Edwards, who glanced a header into the far corner. And just moments after the restart, Liam Noble latched on to Adam Campbell’s pass and curled a rocket into the top corner to put the hosts in the lead, much to the relief of the home faithful. It would get even better just after the restart when Izale McLeod was fouled in the Crawley box, prompting the referee to award the Magpies a penalty, which Noble duly rifled past goalkeeper Freddie Woodman for a third home goal. Notts were dominant by this stage and piled on the pressure time and time again, getting their just reward late on through Steady Eddie, who raced to the near post to thump in a header from Noble's corner. Crawley were down and out at this stage, and despite a few audacious forays into Notts’s final third, they were unable to get any more goals as the final whistle blew on an emphatic Notts victory.

New Notts County striker Izale McLeod has made an immediate mark at Meadow Lane since his arrival a month ago, nabbing two goals in three league games plus another in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy to give the Notts faithful a hint of hope for the season ahead. Prior to his arrival in the East Midlands, however, the 30-year-old was involved in a long and protracted transfer saga with former club Crawley Town – who the Magpies face tonight. A number of transfer bids came and went, and his stock with the Red Devils fans appeared to fall as stories about how he was allegedly handling his departure began to surface. It was no surprise that, given tonight’s fixture at the Lane, he would be asked about his take on the whole debacle. He said: "I knew from the end of the season there was interest from other clubs. It was left to my agent and for the club to try to sort out. "Listen… I've been around the block. I know what transfers are all about. I just kept my head down and worked on my fitness. "But I know what football clubs are like. Everybody talks about individual players and they say players are doing this and they are doing that. "But what people outside of football don't realise is how clubs manipulate situations to make the players look bad. "However, I've got nothing bad to say about Crawley, I made a lot of friends there and I wish them all the best." To discuss Izale McLeod's views on his former club, there's a forum thread up on the site. To check out the build-up to tonight's game, visit the Pride of Nottingham match thread and join the conversation.

Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town six times in their history, and all six games took part in the last three years. The first ever fixture between the two was on 10th November 2012. The League One game, played at Meadow Lane, finished 1-1, while the away fixture was a goalless draw. The head-to-head record is evenly poised with two wins, two draws and two defeats. The last game was a 2-0 win for the Red Devils, a League One tie on 18th April 2015 at the Broadfield. Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history – around a decade ago, while Notts were struggling to survive in the old Second Division, Crawley had just been promoted from the Southern Football League! Crawley have won plenty of silverware in their history, though the majority of it is amateur-based. This changed when they won the Conference National title in 2011 and the League Two title just a year later. 2010-11 was a record-breaking season not just for Crawley, but also for the Conference. The West Sussex club broke the points total in one season (105) and tie with other teams for most wins in one season (31), fewest defeats (3), and highest goal difference (+63). Because of this season, alongside the funds they had to buy players and an unlikeable manager (Steve Evans), they were known as “the Manchester United of non-league football”. The town of Crawley is known for being close - just three miles in fact - to Gatwick Airport, the world's busiest single-runway international airport. Famous people who have links to Crawley include Australian footballer Kevin Muscat (born in Crawley), Gareth Southgate (attended the town's Hazelwick School), English rock band The Cure (formed in Crawley, several of its members attended St Wilfrid's RC School) and Gorillaz lead singer 2D (a fictional character, his back story claims he grew up in the town). --- Ricardo Moniz said on Saturday that he was "ashamed" by the way his team conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 at Wimbledon and he vowed to freshen things up for the visit of Crawley. The Dutchman has options at the back with Mike Edwards, Rhys Sharpe and Scott Bennett pushing for recalls while Elliott Hewitt and Civard Sprockel are nearing returns from injury. Curtis Thompson, Liam Noble and Julian Jenner are options elsewhere for Moniz while striker Izale McLeod will hope to keep his place in the starting line up against the club he left last month to join the Magpies. Crawley boss Mark Yates, meanwhile, was only able to name four substitutes for Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Yeovil due to a lengthy list of injuries and suspensions. Gwion Edwards is still banned while new signing Rhys Murphy is a doubt after missing Saturday's loss due to tonsillitis. Fellow new boy Ross Jenkins could make his first start after coming off the bench on Saturday while Lewis Young and Bobson Bawling will be pushing for a return to the starting XI.

It feels surprisingly familiar what happened today at Kingsmeadow, with Notts County leading until the latter stages of the game against Wimbledon yet succumbing to a 2-1 defeat by the time the final whistle was blown. The Magpies started brightly and saw Genaro Snijders volley wide of the post before Stanley Aborah fired a low effort just wide. Adam Campbell was next to try his luck as he cut inside and forced a save from James Shea through a deflected shot. Eventually Ricardo Moniz’s side took the lead just after the quarter-hour mark when a free kick from Graham Burke was nodded home by defender Haydn Hollis. The visitors then made a bright start to the second half as Adam Campbell’s cross for Izale McLeod was glanced just over, while Liam Noble’s long-range strike forced a good save from Shea. Wimbledon, however, grew into the game after the restart and were soon dominating proceedings on the pitch, getting their just rewards five minutes from time when George Francomb's cross was converted by Bulman at the back post. And then, almost predictably, Notts threw the game away right at the death as Adebayo Akinfenwa nodded in a cross from the right wing to loot the win.

Victory for Notts County against Wimbledon on Saturday would be history in the making – the Magpies have never beaten them. Granted, they have only ever met six times, and they’ve drawn twice, but nevertheless it is a statistic that they will want to rectify. The first meeting was Boxing Day 1984, where the Dons beat Notts 3-2 at Plough Lane. Meanwhile the last meeting was in an FA Cup replay back in January 2001, where Trond Andersen scored a goal a minute from penalties in extra time to clinch it for the London side. Notts will be without several first-team players for Saturday's trip, with midfielder Rob Milsom still some weeks away from fitness after a serious knee injury which was sustained in training. Also missing for Ricardo Moniz is right-back Elliott Hewitt, who sustained a hamstring injury in the League Cup defeat at Aston Villa and is expected to be out for a few more weeks alongside Kyle De Silva and Civard Sprockel. There are also long-term absentees to contend with as Taylor McKenzie and Ronan Murray are out. For Wimbledon, Jake Reeves is set to keep his place, but Lyle Taylor will not feature, as he serves the second of a three-match suspension following his dismissal at Mansfield. Forwards Ade Azeez and Sean Rigg will be hoping for starts in Taylor's absence, after recent substitute appearances.

Finally, a positive result that restores some positivity at Meadow Lane – Izale McLeod’s double and Liam Noble’s stunning last-minute free kick have given Notts County a 3-2 victory against Luton Town, in a game where the visitors pegged the Magpies back from two goals up. Ricardo Moniz’s charges started brightly and had a goal chalked off for offside when Mawouna Amevor headed in a free kick, before Stephen O’Donnell felled McLeod in the box, only for the striker’s penalty appeal to be waved away. Roy Carroll was then called into action to save from Olly Lee after his shot was deflected off Graham Burke, who himself countered through a shot that cleared the bar 26 minutes in. Notts took the lead shortly after the half-hour mark when a Burke cross found an unmarked McLeod, who duly rose and nodded home. Genaro Snijders could have then doubled the home side’s advantage shortly before the break, but his shot drifted wide. Neither side made any changes at half time as the Magpies got the game back underway, and just three minutes after the restart, they succeeded in doubling their lead when Thierry Audel’s cutback was rifled home by McLeod, who secured his brace and was on a hat-trick. With just under twenty minutes to go, Luton clawed a goal back through Cameron McGeehan, who finished off a team move that included touches by Scott Griffiths, Josh McQuiod and Craig Mackail-Smith. The Hatters then drew level in the 76th minute, much to the chagrin of the Notts faithful, when Jonathan Smith equalised to wipe out the hosts’ two-goal lead completely. It set up a chaotic final 20 minutes as both sides went for the winner and, after Scott Cuthbert saw red for a professional foul on McLeod, Noble stepped up to blast an unstoppable free kick from 20 yards out into the net to send the home fans barmy. The result means that Notts climb to 18th and build some distance between themselves and the bottom three. To discuss the game, come onto the relevant Pride of Nottingham forum thread and join the conversation. Credit to Dan Westwell for the image.

Notts and Luton have faced off 66 times, with the first meeting coming in January 1912 when the Magpies secured a 4-2 away win in the FA Cup. The record is heavily slanted towards the Hatters, who have 34 wins to Notts’s 13, 19 draws completing the head-to-head. Out of the eight matches between the two that have taken place since the turn of the century, Notts have won two, drawn three and lost three, including the last fixture – a 2-0 defeat in League Two back in Match 2009. Luton Town Football Club was formed on 11 April 1885, the product of a merger of the two leading local teams, Luton Town Wanderers and Excelsior. The club was the first in southern England to turn professional, making payments to players as early as 1890 and turning fully professional a year later. It joined the Football League before the 1897–98 season, left in 1900 because of financial problems, and rejoined in 1920. Luton reached the First Division in 1955–56 and contested a major final for the first time when playing Nottingham Forest in the 1959 FA Cup Final. The team was then relegated from the top division in 1959–60, and demoted twice more in the following five years, playing in the Fourth Division from the 1965–66 season. However, it was promoted back to the top level by1974–75. Luton Town's most recent successful period began in 1981–82, when the club won the Second Division, and thereby gained promotion to the First. Luton defeated Arsenal 3–2 in the 1988 Football League Cup Final and remained in the First Division until relegation at the end of the 1991–92 season. Between 2007 and 2009, financial difficulties caused the club to fall from the second tier of English football to the fifth in successive seasons. The last of these relegations came during the 2008–09 season, when 30 points were docked from Luton's record for various financial irregularities. Luton then spent five seasons in non-League football before winning the Conference Premier in 2013–14, securing promotion back into the Football League. The club's nickname, "the Hatters", reflects Luton's historical connection with the hat making trade, which has been prominent there since the 1600s. The nickname was originally a variant on the now rarely seen straw-plaiters. Supporters of the club are also called Hatters. Luton is associated with two very different colour schemes—white and black (first permanently adopted in 1920), and orange, navy and white (first used in 1973, and worn by the team as of the 2015–16 season). During the 2014–15 season, Luton Town had an average home league attendance of 8,702 – the second highest in League Two behind only Portsmouth. In the 2013–14 season, when the club were in the Conference Premier, the club had significantly higher support than the other clubs in its league, with an average home attendance of 7,387; more than twice compared to the second highest of 3,568. The record for the most appearances for Luton is held by Bob Morton, who turned out for the club 562 times in all competitions between 1946 and 1964. Morton also holds the record for the most Football League appearances for the club, with 495. Fred Hawkes holds the record for the most league appearances for Luton, having played in 509 league matches. Six players, Gordon Turner, Andy Rennie, Brian Stein, Ernie Simms, Herbert Moody and Steve Howard, have scored more than 100 goals for Luton. --- Liam Noble is available again after a three-match ban for Notts, while Roy Carroll, Mawouna Amevor and Rhys Sharpe are all back in contention following their return from international duty with their respective countries. Gill Swerts, Haydn Hollis, and Stanley Aborah, all had to be substituted during Notts' last match against Mansfield in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, and Swerts' fitness is still in doubt. Civard Sprockel, Blair Adams, Elliott Hewitt, Curtis Thompson, Rob Milsom and Kyle De Silva missed out against the Stags through injury. Luton have midfielders Cameron McGeehan and Paddy McCourt available again, the former having been on international duty with the Northern Ireland senior team, while the latter was suspended after rejecting an opportunity to play for Northern Ireland Under-21s. The suspended Jack Marriott is serving the second game of his two-match ban, and Paul Benson is considered doubtful because of a neck injury. Full-back Dan Potts and midfielder Nathan Doyle are also both expected to miss out as both are carrying hamstring injuries.

League leaders Leyton Orient were thrashed 4-0 by Exeter City at St. James Park, as Tom Nichols scored twice from the penalty spot and Alex Nicholls and David Wheeler rounded off the scoring. The East London outfit remains first but Wycombe Wanderers are hot on their heels, having moved up to second in the table after they beat Hartlepool United 2-1, with the result being Pools's third defeat on the bounce. Teddy Sheringham picked up another victory as Stevenage manager as his side beat Plymouth Argyle, with first-half goals from Connor Ogilvie and Chris Whelpdale giving the former England star the victory and causing the Pilgrims to slip to third. Oxford United, who played on Sunday, registered a 1-0 win at Bristol Rovers that saw the visitors climb to fourth. Portsmouth couldn’t capitalise on their South Coast rivals’ defeat as they could only claim a goalless home draw against Accrington Stanley, a result that sees Pompey drop to fifth. Morecambe came back from two goals down to grab all three points against 10-man Yeovil Town, after Shaun Jeffers saw a first-half red card in their 4-2 loss – the Shrimpers climb to sixth with 10 points, the same as seventh-placed Exeter, while the Glovers slip into the relegation zone. Carlisle United came out on top in their five-goal thriller against Barnet, as Derek Asamoah netted a brace to give the home side all three points and climb to 11th. Matt McClure bagged a first-half brace for Dagenham & Redbridge in their 2-1 away win at Northampton Town. Luton Town comfortably overcame 10-man Cambridge United, as Luke Guttridge, Luke Wilkinson and Danny Green scored the goals for the away side. Mansfield Town and AFC Wimbledon shared the spoils in their match, as Chris Clements cancelled out Tom Elliott's opener. York City condemned Newport County to their fifth defeat of the season, leaving them bottom of League Two after goals from James Berrett, Reece Thompson and Vadaine Oliver won it comfortably for the away side. Notts County and Crawley Town didn’t play following international call-ups, so the Magpies slip to 22nd and the Red Devils to 18th, albeit with a game in hand. Results in full (half-time scores in brackets): Cambridge United 1-3 Luton Town Carlisle United 3-2 Barnet Exeter City 4-0 Leyton Orient Mansfield Town 1-1 AFC Wimbledon Newport County 0-3 York City Northampton Town 1-2 Dagenham & Redbridge Portsmouth 0-0 Accrington Stanley Stevenage 2-1 Plymouth Argyle Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Hartlepool United Yeovil Town 2-4 Morecambe Notts P-P Crawley Here's how the table looks like after matchday 6: Leyton Orient remain at the top of the league but by a whisker, with Wycombe hot on their heels. Plymouth, Oxford and Portsmouth sit just behind, while Morecambe and Exeter round off the promotion places. Down at the bottom, Newport's dreadful start to the season continues, while Yeovil's fall from grace shows no sign of stopping. Notts are just above the drop zone, but they have a game in hand.

Leyton Orient maintained their winning start to the League Two season, remaining top of the table with five wins from five matches after beating Bristol Rovers 2-0 at Brisbane Road. Plymouth Argyle beat Newport County 1-0 as Graham Carey's 43rd-minute strike, his fourth of the season, saw the Pilgrims remain in second place. Morecambe took the lead against Notts County through Alan Goodall, but were pegged back soon before half time by Genaro Snijders’s wonderful long-range strike. Substitute Paul Mullin gave Morecambe the lead for a second time, striking past Roy Carroll into the top corner. Another sub in the form of Alex Kenyon made it 3-1 in the 88th minute, before Jamie Devitt sealed a 4-1 win minutes later. Portsmouth left it late against Luton Town to claim a 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road, with Gareth Evans putting the hosts ahead. Pompey’s Craig Mackail-Smith then equalised from the spot, before Matt Tubbs struck at the death for the Hatters. Carlisle United came from behind twice to record a 3-2 victory at Hartlepool United as Scott Harrison put the hosts in front six minutes in. Jabo Ibehre's eighth goal in seven games then made it 1-1 in the second half, before Billy Paynter dispatched a penalty to make it 2-1 to Pool. Tom Miller again levelled the scoreline, but Ibehre's second five minutes from time gave Carlisle all three points. Oxford United claimed a 2-0 win against Yeovil Town through Danny Hylton and Callum O'Dowda. Mansfield Town ran out 2-1 winners at York City as Reece Thompson opened the scoring for the hosts, but Matt Green’s subsequent brace ensured that the Stags left Bootham Crescent with all three points. AFC Wimbledon won by the same scoreline against Exeter City, George Francomb putting the hosts ahead, Ryan Harley levelling the scores minutes later, and Ade Azeez firing the winner for the 1988 FA Cup holders. Northampton Town and Accrington Stanley shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, with Marc Richards's third strike of the season putting the Cobblers into the lead. A Josh Windass penalty early in the second half then brought the scores level, with no further goals settling the result. Dagenham & Redbridge and Stevenage also shared a 1-1 draw as the hosts – without a league win this season – took an early advantage courtesy of an Ashley Hemmings goal. Stevenage then drew level through Tom Hitchcock, finishing from Brett Williams' knockdown after Tom Conlon's crossfield pass. Elsewhere, there were goalless draws between both Crawley Town and Wycombe Wanderers, and Barnet and Cambridge United. Results in full: Accrington 1-1 Northampton AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Exeter Barnet 0-0 Cambridge Crawley 0-0 Wycombe Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Stevenage Hartlepool 2-3 Carlisle Leyton Orient 2-0 Bristol Rovers Luton 1-2 Portsmouth Morecambe 4-1 Notts Oxford 2-0 Yeovil Plymouth 1-0 Newport York 1-2 Mansfield Here's how the League Table looks like after Matchday 5: Leyton Orient and Plymouth are the early pacesetters, with Wycombe remaining in automatic promotion contention despite dropping two points, but with Portsmouth snapping at their heels in fourth. Oxford, Hartlepool and Bristol Rovers occupy the remaining playoff slots. It's still early days as just four points separate eighth from 20th - ironically, Mansfield and Notts - but Newport will be worried after claiming just one point from their opening five matches. To discuss all the happenings in League Two and across the other leagues in the country, visit the Pride of Nottingham English Leagues section and join the conversation.

Notts County gave their fans something to cheer about in the form of a much-needed good performance, capped off with a comprehensive win over a local rival to whom they'd lost badly a few weeks prior, and finished off with cup progress and positive hopes for the next few games. Sure, it was "just", as some say, the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, but nevertheless Notts claimed a solid 3-1 win over Mansfield Town - the opposition goal only scored from the spot in the 95th minute - which has gone some way towards changing the fans' outlook from glum to something brighter. Notts started well, with opposition goalkeeper Brian Jensen having to pluck two crosses from the air and winning a race to the ball in the opening stages, while Graham Burke saw a shot blocked in the eighth minute. The Magpies came close to opening the scoring just after the quarter-hour mark when Adam Campbell cut into the box from the left and rifled an effort against the post. Jensen was once again involved when Jon Stead breached the Stags defence in the 25th minute, frantically getting down to claim the ball. Ten minutes before the break, however, the visitors had a sterling chance of their own when McGuire sent Yussuf through one-on-one with Loach, only to see the keeper turn the ball behind for a corner. An extended period of pressure from Mansfield followed, but Notts ended the first half strongly as Wes Atkinson fired across the face of goal and Haydn Hollis headed just wide of target. Gill Swerts picked up an injury at the break, prompting veteran Mike Edwards to take his place on the pitch, but this didn’t affect Notts as they picked up from where they left off. On 47 minutes, the impressive Campbell played a one-two with Stead to carve the Stags back line open, but Jensen palmed the ball out for a corner, which Edwards subsequently nodded over. The breakthrough finally arrived on 52 minutes and, much to the relief of the increasingly nervous Notts fans, it fell their way as Izale McLeod was played through on goal before the move was finished off with a cute chip over Jensen and into the net. Mansfield upped gear and pressed forward in a bid to force an equaliser, but with 11 minutes to go the hosts doubled their lead, courtesy of Steady Eddy himself, who got onto a loose ball following a scramble in the box and slotted between Jensen’s legs. A cathartic, redemptive evening was confirmed in the 90th minute as Stead’s 20-yard free kick took a heavy deflection and wrongfooted the Stags stopper en route to the back of the net. Mansfield did manage a late consolation as Edwards brought down Craig Westcarr in the last of five added minutes for a penalty, which the ex-Notts man converted, but it was too little too late as the final whistle blew on a solid victory which made amends for the league defeat just weeks ago.