Joe Jones

Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town four times in their history. The first ever fixture between the two was just under two years ago, on November 10 2012. This milestone first meeting between the two, played at Meadow Lane, finished 1-1. Meanwhile the return fixture, played away on the 9th March 2013, ended as a goalless draw. Last season, at the turn of last year, we lost 1-0 to the Red Devils, a result that saw us drop to the foot of League One, but a 1-0 win on April 21 gave us hope in staying up. Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history – 11 years 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 unlikable manager (Steve Evans), they were known as “the Manchester United of non-league football”. Crawley have the smallest stadium in League One; the Broadfield Stadium holds a meagre 5,996 people. You could fit just over three and a half Broadfields inside Meadow Lane! 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). --- Notts County have midfielder Liam Noble available after suspension, while winger Michael Petrasso could make his debut after joining on loan from QPR. Mustapha Dumbuya is away with Sierra Leone and injured fellow defender Hayden Mullins is also absent. Crawley have defender Joe Walsh and winger Gwion Edwards available again after international duty with Wales. Midfielder Josh Simpson and striker Izale McLeod will be assessed by manager John Gregory. Left-back Ryan Dickson remains sidelined, so the Reds have extended Mat Sadler's loan deal until November 11.

When I found out that Basford United Football Club would be hosting an exhibition clash between some of the greatest names to have played for Nottingham Forest and Notts County in recent years, in order to raise money for Cancer Research UK, I cleared all my plans on Sunday October 12 and made a date for Greenwich Avenue. The chance to see some classic players, the chance to renew a local rivalry that is becoming staler by the day, and best of all, raise some money for a good cause? Sign me up for Destination Basford! Come the day, I thought to myself that if I left at around 12:15pm I could get there in about half an hour, and because the route appeared pretty straightforward on Google Maps, I decided against bringing a satnav or even a map. So, it’s 1:30pm, and after having driven into Bulwell, Aspley and possibly Arnold, and of course having had Notts Joe be the Kit to my David Hasselhoff and guide me by phone – with mixed results – I parked up by this pub called The Mill, which happened to be close enough to BUFC’s ground that NJ could come and pick me up! Note to self – make sure you know in future how to actually get to a destination instead of somewhere in the vicinity before hoping for the best! So anyway, once parked up at the ground, a quick chip cob to replenish the hunger built up by over an hour of useless driving, and we were on our way. We spent the following half hour or so taking pictures of the ground, the pitch, the fans and the players, who were warming up on the pitch. It mattered little that I arrived with little time to spare, because kickoff ended up being delayed by about 25 minutes. The honest assessment of the announcer: “We’re still waiting for some players to show up!” Clearly I’m not the only one who failed to pack a satnav. Eventually, it was time for business, and once both teams were fully on the pitch, including the likes of Jason Lee, Mark Stallard and Nigel Jemson, the referee kicked off the game. The match began in a somewhat cagey manner, with the Magpies on the front foot, getting several chances in early on against Forest Legends keeper Darren Heyes, which is just as well because his Notts counterpart didn’t have any gloves at this stage. Attempts were made to lend him a pair of gardening gloves and some marigolds, before eventually deciding on a pair of motorcycle gloves. It wasn’t long before the Magpies broke the deadlock, but Forest countered in spectacular fashion, a 30-yard howitzer bursting the Notts net just a minute later. Little matter, because Chris Freestone struck midway through the first half to give us the lead again, with another goal being added before half time. At the break, it was Forest 1 – 3 Notts. The second half then became a bit of a free-for-all, as goals kept flying in every which way, to the point that Notts were leading 6-2. When I say a free-for-all, I’m not referring just to goals, but also to the amount of players on the pitch, as Notts saw two men sent off, while the Reds had 12 men on the pitch at one point! With the odds ever so slightly weighed in Forest’s favour, they were able to come back to within a goal of Notts, but some stout defending by the Black and Whites right at the death proved enough to end the match with an impressive 6-5 win! Once the match was over - and bragging rights were secured - the PoN Squad then proceeded to interview a myriad of people at the ground, including ex-players Jason Lee and Mark Stallard, cricketer Luke Fletcher, the match co-commentator, and Basford United owner Chris Munroe. All those interviewed had great things to say about the event, the planning, the turnout, the game itself, and of course, the charitable element, with a view to more similar events taking place in the future at Greenwich Avenue. All in all, a fantastic day, and before I forget, I'd like to give a shoutout to the Curry Lounge, who donated vast amounts of curry, rice and naan breads, and made for a marvellous slap-up post-match (and post-press duties) meal! Thank you to all involved for such a brilliant occasion, and long may it continue - looking forward to more events in the future!

Once again, Notts County rode their luck, but once again, the result went their way, as Shaun Derry's side eked out a 2-1 win away at Scunthorpe United in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Paddy Madden scored the opening goal following a defensive slip-up by Blair Adams, but Stephen McLaughlin and Ronan Murray pulled the match back in their favour, the Magpies doing enough to hang onto the win. After a scrappy opening period, Hawkridge was responsible for the first chance in the ninth minute, but his effort after marauding on goal was tame and easily saved by Fabian Spiess. On the quarter-hour mark, however, Notts suffered a setback when Adams slipped and allowed Madden to take control of the ball, bear down on goal and slot past the German stopper to give his side the lead. The advantage lasted all of nine minutes, as a loose ball in the Iron box following a free kick was met by on-loan man McLaughlin, who fired home to level proceedings. Things would get better for the Magpies just after the half-hour mark, young Drissa Traore sending a wonderful ball the way of Murray, before the Irishman sent a classy finish past Robert Olejnik to turn the match around on its head. Scunthorpe set about trying to pull themselves back into the game, and nearly scored with five minutes to go in the first half through former Notts skipper Neal Bishop, but the midfielder fired wide. The second half, as with several other second halves involving County this season, were a case of backs to the wall, as the opposition cranked it up a gear and launched forward at every opportunity. Notts had their chances, but the Iron managed to get the ball into the visitors' net not once but twice, both efforts being disallowed for offside and infringement respectively. Nevertheless, Derry's charges were able to see the game out and secure the win, ensuring that the Meadow Lane outfit remained eight games unbeaten.

Notts County against Scunthorpe United is a relatively new fixture in English football - the first time these two faced off was on the 4th January 1969 in the old Division Four. On that day, goals by George Kerr and Nigel Cassidy gave the Iron a 2-1 victory (Richie Barker netted the consolation for the Magpies). Since then, the two sides have played 24 games, Notts winning 16, losing five and drawing three. Tomorrow's fixture between Notts and Scunny will be the fourth time that the two have met in the Football League Trophy competition in 17 years - the first clash was back in January 1997, when the competition was known as the Auto Windscreens Shield, and it ended in a 4-2 penalty shootout win for the Iron. More recently, the Humber outfit won 2-1 in the (by now known as) Johnstone's Paint Trophy back in 2008, but the Magpies got some redemption when they won 2-1 just over two years ago. Interestingly, these three fixtures have taken place at Glanford Park, as will tomorrow's game. Scunthorpe United was formed in 1899. In 1910 they merged with local rivals Lindsey United to become Scunthorpe & Lindsey United, and joined the Midland Football League in 1912. In 1950 was accepted into the Football League, ahead of Workington and Wigan Athletic when the league structure was expanded, with the "Lindsey" part of the name being dropped shortly after. Ever since the club entered the league their nickname has been ‘The Iron’, a metal which has long played a role in the team’s nomenclature. Before 1950s Scunthorpe United were known as the Knuts. The origin is uncertain but it is generally accepted as being when they won one of the local charity cups. The vicar of Frodingham, the Rev Cryspant Rust, said “that indeed Scunthorpe and Lindsey United were a tough (k)nut to beat”. For a small club, the Iron have an impressive roll call of former players and managers. The most notable is Kevin Keegan, one of England's greatest ever footballers, who played for Scunny between 1966 and 1971. Other alumni, either in a playing or managing capacity, include Ray Clemence, cricketer Ian Botham, Ian Storey-Moore, Neil Warnock, Jermaine Beckford, Billy Sharp, Andy Keogh, and current Leicester City manager Nigel Adkins, who used to be the club's physiotherapist. --- Scunny manager Russ Wilcox has limited options due to on-going injuries and will still be without striker Lyle Taylor, who has missed the last two matches due to a groin strain. Defender Miguel Llera is pushing for a recall after a recent suspension, but goalkeeper Sam Slocombe, midfielder David Syers, defender David Mirfin and striker Deon Burton remain sidelined. There is also a chance former Notts skipper Neal Bishop could turn out against the Magpies after his summer move to Glanford Park from Blackpool. County will be without Liam Noble when they make the trip to Glanford Park, the midfielder picking up his fifth yellow card of the season during Saturday's 1-0 home win against Gillingham. Goalkeeper Roy Carroll could make way for Fabian Speiss in goal while the likes of Zeli Ismail, Ronan Murray and Taylor McKenzie will all be hoping for recalls to the starting XI should Shaun Derry want to rotate his squad as he did against Mansfield Town in the previous round.

Well, the good times just keep rolling. Another game, another win, another clean sheet, another set of feel-good stories as the Magpies keep marching on. Shaun Harrad, in his second spell at Notts County, scored an emotional first ever goal at Meadow Lane, while the impervious Roy Carroll pulled off a sublime save from a penalty kick to seal a 1-0 win at home to Gillingham. Doug Loft, captain for the visitors, caused trouble from the off when he blasted a shot from the edge of the area, but the effort flew over the bar, while in the seventh minute, Stephen McLaughlin forced a stop from Gills keeper Stephen Bywater following a stern strike. Both sides exchanges parrying shots in an open-ended contest, but the breakthrough came ten minutes from the break as McLoughlin's cross was headed on by Jake Cassidy before falling to the waiting Harrad, who nodded the ball in from close range to send the home crowd into a frenzy. Loft, however, almost equalised on the stroke of half-time with a stinging 25-yard strike that cannoned off the crossbar. Peter Taylor’s side were invigorated after the break and came forward time and time again, with Cody McDonald poking the ball underneath Carroll in the 54th minute but being denied by a spectacular goal-line clearance by Louis Laing. Garry Thompson came close to scoring at the back post midway through the first half, but Gillingham pushed forward at every opportunity, and had the perfect chance to equalise when Bradley Dack was brought down by Louis Laing with ten minutes left. Luke Norris struck a seemingly perfect low and hard ball into the bottom left corner, but Carroll guessed the right way and pulled off a tremendous save, getting his body behind the shot and keeping hold of it. There were seven minutes of injury time for Notts to see out and Gillingham threw everything forward in a bid to claim an equaliser, but couldn't find a way through a resolute Magpies defence which kept their second clean sheet in a week.

Notts County's head-to-head record against Gillingham is historically pretty poor, winning 9 games, drawing 7 and losing 15 since our first fixture on 25th October 1930. Fixtures between the two tend to come thick and fast for a certain period of time before ceasing to be for years on end; between 1985 and 1989 we played each other nine times, then no meeting for seven years, squaring up again in October 1996. Since that league meeting (lost 1-0), another five games took place until March 2000, and then, nothing for eight years! For over 50 years, the record for the fastest hat-trick in the Football League belonged to Jimmy Scarth, who scored three goals in two minutes and 30 seconds against Leyton Orient, on the 1st November 1952. Sadly in 2004, James Hayter of Bournemouth dispossessed Scarth of said record; he came on as an 84th minute substitute in their game against Wrexham, and scored three times in two minutes and 20 seconds! Gillingham do however retain one record; having conceded the fewest goals in a 46-match season, when the team conceded only 20 goals during 1995–96. The Gills could have radically changed the face of English football had they not lost against Manchester City in the 1998/99 Second Division play-off final. Had they won, City may have never recovered from a second year on the bounce in the third tier, by their own admission. And let's not forget Gillingham were leading 2-0 will less than two minutes left on the clock! Instead, as things went, City were back up in the top tier within a few years, just in time to catch the eyes of some very wealthy people casually window shopping in the Premiership. --- Shaun Derry has no new injury concerns, but has to decide if Alan Smith, Curtis Thompson, Blair Adams and Zeli Ismail will return ahead of the fixture against the Gills. Mustapha Dumbuya, Garry Thompson, Shaun Harrad and Stephen McLaughlin all came in for the 3-0 midweek win over Crewe. For Gillingham, Aaron Morris s fit to return after missing the defeat at Sheffield United. Striker Danny Kedwell is still sidelined, while ex-Magpie goalkeeper Stuart Nelson is closing in on a return. The 33-year-old is progressing well in his recovery from the ligament injury he picked up on the opening day of the season, but will not feature at Meadow Lane. --- Shaun Derry's thoughts on signing a new contract. http://www.prideofnottingham.co.uk/community/public/media/ShaunDerry(NewContract).mp3

In hindsight, it wasn't the most taxing of pursuits. Crewe Alexandra have been nothing short of shambolic this season, mired at the bottom of League One with the most goals conceded in the English professional leagues. Nevertheless, Notts County's 3-0 win at Gresty Road against the beleaguered Railwaymen was a very welcome result, one that goes a long way to confirm that the Magpies are a different proposition to last season. Shaun Harrad, the local boy who started his career at Meadow Lane, proved a nuisance to the Alex back line in the early stages, helping to set up Noble and force a save from Ben Garratt. Crewe responded through another Notts alumnus, Marcus Haber, who saw his header flash across goal and spook the Magpies defence following a corner from Jamie Ness. Harrad then went on to maraud into the box midway through the first half, but proceeded to blast his effort over the bar, but the intent was there. Notts kept on pressing, new loan signing Stephen McLaughlin playing the ball to Jake Cassidy, whose subsequent effort ended up being spilled by Garratt. Haber continued to prove a thorn in County's side with a dangerous header, but moments before half time, the visitors took the lead. Garry Thompson charged forward and whipped a low cross towards Cassidy, beating the Crewe defence in the process and requiring nothing more than a tap-in at the back post from the on-loan Wolves man. Just seven minutes into the second half, Notts doubled their lead, courtesy of Harrad's drive forward and shot past Garrat after being set up by McLaughlin. And just after the hour, the third goal came for the Magpies to put the result beyond all doubt, as the scintillating McLaughlin received the ball out wide and played a low cross in to the centre of the Alex six-yard box. Cassidy charged forward to poke the ball beyond Garratt into the home side's net and secure three crucial points for Notts that sees them climb to 10th in the table.

Notts County’s head-to-head history with Crewe Alexandra dates back to September 1893, when the Magpies faced the Railwaymen at the Alexandra Recreation Ground. The result was a 2-0 win for Notts. After several further meetings in the late 1890s, the fixture would experience a hiatus of 63 years; between 1896 and 1959, the two teams didn't play each other. Despite our shared history going back so far, there have only been 39 meetings between the two sides. Notts have the upper hand with 19 wins to 13 defeats, and just seven draws have taken place. The Alex have been on the receiving end of several thumpings at the hands of the Magpies – in 1894, we beat them 9-1 and 5-1, in 1896 we won 6-0, in 1959 we recorded a 4-1 victory, 1970 brought a 5-1 victory, while last season, a 4-0 scoreline at Meadow Lane brought some light to a gloomy first half of the campaign. The origins of the “Alexandra” moniker in the club name aren’t fully known. Whether they took the name from a hotel, patronised by those connected with the railway works and where they held their meetings, or whether it was after Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who married Queen Victoria’s eldest son, later King Edward VII, is open to speculation. Crewe is synonymous with arguably one of the greatest and most longevous managers in the English game: Dario Gradi. He is the Alex’s very own Sir Alex Ferguson, having managed the club between 1983 and 2011, with the exception of a hiatus between 2007 and 2009 where he nevertheless took the reins on a caretaker basis for a period. He currently manages the Academy. Speaking of which… Crewe Alexandra’s academy is one of the best and most renowned in the English lower leagues. The Academy is known to stress technical excellence, which accords with the aim to have the first team play attractive, passing football. Most of the club's achievements in youth development have come from none other than Gradi, and alumni include Geoff Thomas, David Platt, Robbie Savage, Neil Lennon, Steve Jones, Rob Jones, Danny Murphy, Seth Johnson and Dean Ashton and David Vaughan. Impressively, Crewe’s final fixture of the 2012-13 season, a 2-0 win against Walsall, involved a starting XI made up entirely of Academy players. In 2013, the club won its first-ever major silverware after beating Southend United 2-0 in the Johnstones Paint Trophy final at Wembley. Crewe are known as the Railwaymen because of the town’s links to the British train network. Crewe station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Nowadays, as well as serving the town of Crewe that has grown near it, it still operates as a major junction on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). It also serves as a major station on the WCML and as a major rail gateway for the North West. The town of Crewe has an interesting roll call of local legends, including rugby player Mark Cueto, professional BMX racer Shanaze Reade, 1990s heartthrob Adam Rickitt (ask a female friend or relative between the ages of 25 and 30), Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle, and Jimmy MacDonald, also known as the voice of Mickey Mouse. --- Febian Brandy, the former Notts striker with a not-too-shoddy record of scoring against the Magpies, may be fit to return to his loan club's starting XI after a calf injury. Aside from the Rotherham United man, Alex manager Steve Davis pretty much has a clean bill of health as the Railwaymen look to bounce back from Saturday's 3-0 home loss to Colchester and a 6-1 drubbing at MK Dons. Likewise, Notts manager Shaun Derry has no new injury, illness or suspension problems regarding his charges. Despite a defiant performance away at Chesterfield, the gaffer can call upon the likes of Ronan Murray, Garry Thompson, Taylor McKenzie, Danny Haynes, Drissa Traore and Shaun Harrad should he wish to make any changes to his line-up.

Another game, another backs-to-the-wall job, another point. Notts County took on local rivals this afternoon and were lucky to come away with a 1-1 draw after a lethargic first-half Chesterfield team were a completely different beast in the second half. The Magpies made a bright start when Curtis Thompson's long throw fell to Haydn Hollis, who flicked the ball to an advancing Zeli Ismail. However, the 20-year-old's header was well saved by Spireites goalkeeper Tommy Lee. The pressure continued as Nicky Wroe's drive following a poor clearance was deflected behind for a corner. With just 15 minutes on the clock, the visitors broke the deadlock when another bad clearance fell to Adams just outside the box. The defender, deployed on the wing for this game, blasted the ball low and hard past Lee to put his side a goal up. Just seven minutes later, the same player struck the post, the ball rebounding and ending wide. With 38 minutes gone, the beleaguered Spireites registered chances courtesy of Arman Gnanduillet and Eoin Doyle, but neither striker was able to hit the target. The second half saw Chesterfield a different proposition, as the home side powered forward at every opportunity. Jordan Cranston had to be at his best to thwart a goalmouth scramble in the 55th minute, while moments later, Daniel Johnson curled a ball just wide. Despite an impervious performance by the Notts back line and goalkeeper, the equaliser duly came on the hour, when Georg Margreitter thumped a towering header home past Roy Carroll. Just over ten minutes later, Doyle was put clean through on goal, but the Northern Ireland stopper did enough to thwart the chance, while Johnson's rebound was blocked by Cranston. The visitors were under siege in the latter stages of the match, but ultimately held on for a draw.

Notts County have played local rivals Chesterfield a total of 64 times over the years, with the first meeting coming on the 29th November 1930 in the FA Cup. The game took place at the Spireites' old ground, Saltergate, and finished 2-1 to the Magpies. The head-to-head record favours Notts, with 27 victories, 19 defeats and 18 draws. The highest amount of goals scores in this fixture is six: on the 26th September 1964, the Magpies beat Chesterfield 5-1 in the old Division Four, while on the 15th November 1987, the two teams played out a 3-3 draw in the FA Cup. Nobody knows the date when the first incarnation of Chesterfield Football Club was formed. A Derbyshire Times newspaper report from the 2nd January 1864 noted a scheduled game between "Chesterfield and Norton football clubs", suggesting that a club in the town was active from at least 1863. By contrast, club historian Stuart Basson had placed a formally constituted Chesterfield F.C. as being established as an offshoot of Chesterfield Cricket Club in October 1867. The early history of the club is dotted with tumult and instability - the club lost the right to play at Saltergate following worsening relations with Chesterfield Cricket Club, while in 1915 the subsequent incarnation of the club, Chesterfield Town, was put into voluntary liquidation. To fill the footballing gap left in the town, Chesterfield Borough Council reformed the club on 24 April 1919, giving it the name Chesterfield Municipal F.C. After the Football Association and Football League made it clear that they were against a council-run club, the entity became independent, reflected in the name change to Chesterfield F.C. in December 1920. The club have been successful in terms of minor silverware, winning the Fourth Division (and its subsequent reincarnations) a record four times, while also claimin the Anglo-Scottish Cup in 1982 and the Football League Trophy in 2012 (and finishing runners-up in 2014). The 1996–97 season saw Chesterfield beat six clubs including Nottingham Forest to reach the semi-final of the FA Cup for the first time. The semi-final match against Middlesbrough was drawn 3–3 after extra time; Chesterfield lost the replay 3–0. The club's nickname, The Spireites, comes from the Church of St Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield, famous for its crooked spire. Legend goes that a virgin once married in the church, and the church was so surprised that the spire turned around to look at the bride. It is said that if another virgin marries in the church, the spire will return to true again. The more realistic explanation is more of a scientific nature, however. It is now believed that the twisting of the spire was caused by the lead that covers the spire. The lead causes this twisting phenomenon, because when the sun shines during the day the south side of the tower heats up, causing the lead there to expand at a greater rate than that of the north side of the tower, resulting in unequal expansion and contraction. This was compounded by the weight of the lead (around 33 tons) which the spire's bracing was not originally designed to bear. Famous Chesterfield players include Ernie Moss, Kevin Davies, Gary Stone, Jason Lee, Walter McMillen, Sam Hardy, Gordon Banks, Herbert Munday, Steve Ogrizovic, Barry Sunday, Freeman Hardy and Willis Edwards . Famous fans include glamour model Jo Guest, presenter Robert Primrose Wilson, and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper John Lukic. --- Chesterfield midfielder Sam Morsy is doubtful after picking up a knock in the defeat at Doncaster last Saturday. Boss Paul Cook is hopeful that winger Gary Roberts could come back into contention after recovering from a hamstring injury. Notts defenders Blair Adams and Hayden Mullins could both be involved after injury. Kyle Dixon is nearing fitness after suffering an ankle sprain but fellow midfielder Reece Brown has returned to parent club Birmingham City to receive treatment for after getting himself injured.

Well, this afternoon's game will not go down in the annals any time soon, that's for sure. Notts County scraped yet another draw in League One, a third successive draw in fact, against an Oldham Athletic team that threatened virtually all afternoon. Granted, we are in a better position this year than at the same stage last season, but there's only so many times we can scrape lucky draws against teams we should be beating before something gives. The game started with the Magpies threatening first, as Ronan Murray was flagged offside after setting off too early on a run. However, the pendulum swung Oldham's way thereafter, Dominic Poleon back-heeling the ball towards goal in the second minute, but Roy Carroll was able to save with ease. On the quarter-hour mark, a good block by Louis Laing thwarted a powerful shot from Jonathan Forte after the ex-Magpie marauded into the box. The game went through the motions in the first half, with the away side dominating proceedings, but failing to do much in the final third. Likewise, the best effort by Notts was a speculative shot by Liam Noble from 25 yards midway through the first half, which fell kindly to Oldham goalkeeper Paul Rachubka. Oldham ended the half on a high, captain Liam Kelly and Jones hitting shots wide in the closing minutes. The second half picked up from where the first ended, Forte threatening to break the deadlock early on until he was stopped inside the penalty area by stand-in captain Haydn Hollis. On 55 minutes, Mustapha Dumbuya sent a dangerous ball the way of Murray, but Rachubka was able to catch it out of the air just above the youngster's head. Substitute Shaun Harrad almost made an immediate impact after coming on just after the hour, first lashing an overhead kick over the crossbar, then heading a ball towards goal that was saved by the Latics keeper. Controversy reigned in the 78th minute when Harrad fell in the Oldham box, but the referee deemed it to be a dive and booked the comeback striker. The game sparked into life somewhat in the late stages when Jake Cassidy almost put Ismail through on goal seven minutes later, but the visitors were able to clear. Oldham then threatened to score right at the end, sub Danny Philliskirk heading over the bar from three yards. Arguably the most agonising moment for Notts came in the third minute of injury time when Carroll had to tip a low shot from Connor Wilkinson past his left-hand post.

Notts County first played Oldham Athletic all the way back in 1910. During the Division One fixture, played at the Oldham Athletic Ground (now known as Boundary Park), the home side ran out 2-1 winners against the Magpies. The Latics hold the upper edge against Notts in the head-to-head, having won 36 games to our 34, while 20 draws have taken place. Of those draws, arguably one of the most important in recent years was a mere four months ago, when Notts travelled to Boundary Park at the end of the 2013-14 season with their League One status in the balance. I'm sure I don't need to remind people of events on that day - just thinking about that day gives me the willies - but needless to say, Notts got the job done with a 1-1 draw and completed the Great Escape. The club was formed in 1895 as Pine Villa F.C. When local rivals Oldham County F.C. folded in 1899, Pine Villa moved into their stadium, the Oldham Athletic Ground, and changed their name to Oldham Athletic. The Latics' most successful season came in 1914-15, when they finished runners-up in the First Division by a single point. They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, after making the semis just a year earlier. Boundary Park is less than 9 miles from the nearby stadiums of Bury, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Rochdale. Oldham's mascot, Chaddy the Owl, has famously been flagged for offside in a game against Peterborough United in 2000, while in 2003, in a game versus Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, Chaddy was involved in a scuffle with Bloomfield Bear after throwing his foam boots into the crowd. Chaddy defended himself, stating that Bloomfield Bear was attempting to break his beak. Near the end of the 2005–06 football season, Chaddy was ejected from Belle Vue in a game versus Doncaster Rovers. Chaddy was escorted off of the premises after inciting a riot and making obscene gestures. Notable Oldham Athletic fans include comedy duo Cannon and Ball, professor Brian Cox, ex-Manchester United footballer Paul Scholes, glamour model Michelle Marsh and Hollyoaks star Alex Carter. --- Notts County will check on loanee midfielder Reece Brown, who came off at half-time in the midweek draw with Leyton Orient because of illness. Hayden Mullins, Mike Edwards, Blair Adams and Kyle Dixon are all still injured. Oldham striker and former Magpie Jonathan Forte could return after missing the last two games with a thigh injury. Winger James Dayton is expected to recover from an ankle knock picked up in the midweek draw at Swindon Town.

Notts County survived a second-half blitz to secure a point at home against Leyton Orient in a 1-1 draw marred by a contentious penalty decision for the visitors' equaliser. After an initial few minutes of tentative, cautious football, the game sprung into life as David Mooney's effort deflected off Curtis Thompson for a corner, from which Scott Cuthbert threatened with a header. Shortly afterwards, Jake Cassidy set up Zeli Ismail, whose shot whistled past the back post, while Mooney, Jobi McAnuff and Reece Brown also registered efforts on goal for their respective sides, all within the first 10 minutes. Things slowed down somewhat after the frantic opener, but both sides kept foraying into each other's areas in a bid to break the deadlock. Eventually, the opening goal came, and it fell to the home side, courtesy of the referee awarding a penalty for a tackle on Haydn Hollis in the box. Ismail stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards to put the Magpies in the lead. After conceding, the away side duly stepped up their game and pushed forward, troubling Notts on various opportunities, but were unable to breach their defenses, the half-time scoreline proving advantage Magpies. Russell Slade was allegedly told that he had one game to save his job: this one. He must have given his team quite a stirring half-time speech, as Orient came out with serious intent after the break. In the first few seconds of the second period, Michael Petrasso pounced on a loose Gary Jones ball before firing and nearly scoring. He wouldn't have to wait long to put his side level, because just five minutes later, Curtis Thompson was judged to have brought down Mooney inside the area, and despite the protests, Chris Dagnall duly stepped up and struck the ball past Roy Carroll. Notts were arguably lucky not to concede again, given the renewed efforts by the O's to seal the win and save their manager, but despite coming under siege, Shaun Derry's boys managed to contain their opposition and end the game with a draw and a valuable point.

The first time that Notts County faced Leyton Orient was 101 years ago, when the Magpies travel to Millfields Road for a Division Two fixture. The East London outfit won 1-0. A total of 74 fixtures have taken place between the two, with the Nottingham outfit holding the upper hand historically - but only just, as 29 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. --- Notts County defenders Hayden Mullins and Mike Edwards are unlikely to feature, having been injured for Saturday's draw at Peterborough. Midfielder Garry Thompson is pushing for a recall, but Kyle Dixon is yet to regain full fitness. Leyton Orient will check on wingers Dean Cox and Jobi McAnuff, but defender Gary Sawyer and midfielder Lloyd James are doubts. Midfielder Romain Vincelot is set to return after his one-match ban, while striker Kevin Lisbie remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Notts County have secured a valuable point away from home against arguably one of the toughest teams to play so far this season, Peterborough United. The Magpies made four changes to the side that beaten Mansfield Town in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy last week, with Roy Carroll returning in goal, new loan signing Louis Laing coming in for the injured Hayden Mullins, and Alan Smith and Zeli Ismail returning in place of Mike Edwards and Ronan Murray. The first few minutes of the game were fairly even, but the Posh turned on the screw soon enough, with stand-in captain Alan Smith having to make a timely intervention to thwart what could have been a dangerous attack. The first concrete chance of the game came in the ninth minute, when Marcus Maddison's shot rumbled the side netting, while on the quarter-hour mark, the same man fell in the Notts box, but was given a yellow card for his troubles. Zeli Ismail showed flashes of intent when he rounded the keeper in the 18th minute, only for the move to be called offside, while just a minute later beat off two men before firing his shot wide. On the half-hour mark, the Magpies enjoyed a lively spell when Liam Noble blasted an effort just wide, before setting up Jake Cassidy on two occasions. The Wolves man was just off target with his chances. Controversy ensued a few minutes later when Reece Brown's shot appeared to be handled in the box, but nothing was given. Both sides kept plugging away at each other right into first-half injury time and until the whistle, with a draw at the break a fair enough assessment of their respective performances. The second half saw more of the same, albeit with fewer clear-cut chances. Peterborough were appealing for a penalty against Haydn Hollis in the 77th minute when Kyle Vassell went to ground, but nothing was given by the referee. The Posh had arguably the best chance of the game right in the final few seconds when a slip by Gary Jones allowed Maddison to maraud in on goal, but the former Gateshead man couldn't capitalise with the last kick of the game, and so the spoils were shared.

Notts County and Peterborough have met a grand total of 44 times over the years, dating back to the 1960s. The first meeting between the two, a Third Division fixture on the 7th September 1961, ended in a 2-2 draw. Our record win over the Posh is a 6-0 drubbing at Meadow Lane in the 1970-71 season, while our record defeat to them is a 5-1 loss in 1963. Last time the two sides played each other, at London Road in January this year, it proved one of the most frustrating afternoons of last season for the Magpies. We surged into a two-goal lead within the ten minutes, only for Ronan Murray to be sent off a few minutes later for an off-the-ball incident with Joe Swanson, with the Posh going on to pull it back and win 4-3 thanks in part to a Nicky Ajose hat-trick. Peterborough United are nicknamed "The Posh" because Pat Tirrel, then manager of Fletton United - the current club’s previous incarnation - was reported to say he was "looking for posh players for a posh new team". Fletton, previously known as the 'Brickies', re-formed as Peterborough and Fletton United in 1923, and both nicknames were in use through the 1920s, although supporters complained that 'Posh' references were sometimes used by newspapers in a derisory manner. Peterborough and Fletton United folded in 1932, the present club was formed two years later and a Midland League debut against Gainsborough Trinity on 1st September 1934 was greeted with cries of 'Up The Posh' from the crowd. 14 years ago, Peterborough United clashed with Victoria Beckham, aka “Posh Spice”, over the use of the “Posh” nickname. She had apparently objected to Peterborough's plans to register "Posh" and "The Posh" as registered trademarks, but eventually backed down after realising the club had been using that nickname some 50 years before she was born. Notts and Peterborough also played a blinder of a game back on the 28th September 2010 at London Road, the Magpies surging into a two-goal lead courtesy of Ben Davies, before Gabriel Zakuani’s header halved the deficit. Craig Westcarr restored the away side’s two-goal lead, before Craig Mackail-Smith made things tense for the last half hour thanks to his angled shot. The game is also known for a 22-man brawl at the final whistle, which resulted in an FA charge for both teams and a £15,000 fine. --- Peterborough duo Joe Newell and Kgosi Ntlhe are ready to return after overcoming groin injuries. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Erhun Oztumer, and Michael Bostwick are out, while Zakuani is back from international duty. Notts County defender Blair Adams, midfielder Garry Thomson and striker Danny Haynes are all available after injury. Midfielder Kyle Dixon is back in training, but is still a few weeks away from fitness after an ankle problem.

Yes, you could argue it was a game against lower league opposition, in a second-rate competition. But nevertheless, it was the perfect response to Sunday's last-gasp defeat at Bristol City, it was a good runout for some of our fringe players, and crucially, it gives us bragging rights over a local rival. Notts County put in a good performance against Mansfield Town, two players getting themselves on the scoresheet to beat the Stags 2-0 in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy this evening. The away side arguably began the game more eagerly, in a bid to give a good opening account of themselves away against higher-ranked opposition, but it didn't take long for Notts to gain a foothold into the game, going on to dominate possession and pushing forward. Just before the quarter-hour mark, Ronan Murray blasted a powerful low shot towards goal, which was skilfully deflected by Dimitar Evtimov and out for the first of two consecutive corners. A few minutes later, Reece Brown was next to threaten the Stags fort with a long-range effort that flew wide, while Murray saw two efforts desperately blocked in the 19th minute. It wasn't until midway through the first half that Mansfield were able to trouble the Magpies net, a Simon Heslop free kick curling just wide. County, or more accurately Murray, kept plugging away, and eventually, on the half-hour mark, got their just desserts. The Irish boy wonder received the ball following some great link-up play on the left-hand side before firing home for the first goal of the match. By this point, it was all Notts. Jake Cassidy went on to blast into the side netting just a few minutes after the goal, while Brown thumped a header just slightly off target in the 34th minute. Mansfield were more fired up at the start of the second half, and could have scored ten minutes after the restart when Matt Rhead headed wide, shortly followed by an Alex Fisher shot that had to be saved by stand-in stopper Fabian Spiess. Chris Clements was next to sully the German youngster's fists, courtesy of a corner in the 57th minute. For their improvements, however, Mansfield would not be able to reap any benefits in the latter stages of the game, because in the 65th minute, Cassidy was able to latch onto a low free-kick, beat his marker and thump home from close range for that all-important second goal. Mansfield, to their credit, weren't quite down and out just yet - Ollie Palmer gave Spiess a fright in the 74th minute, the young keeper having to pull off a smart save from the Stags man. However, the away side weren't able to mount a comeback, and with the game petering out towards the late, late stages, Notts fans could sit comfortably and not have to bite any fingernails - a rare occurrence even at this early point in the season - before the final whistle blew on a solid 2-0 win and progress to the second round of this cup competition.

Notts County and Mansfield Town have faced each other a total of 14 times over the years, with the first fixture taking place in October 1937. This game, which took place in Division Three South, finished 2-0 to the Magpies. Since then, the fixture has been on a knife-edge, with Notts winning 16 and Mansfield 14 (13 games have been drawn). In recent times, the Stags have had the better of things, winning four of the last ten games. During this run, which stretches back to 2002, the Magpies have only won once, a thrilling 3-2 victory on the 29th August 2005. The club was formed under the name of Mansfield Wesleyans in 1897, the name of the club coming from the local Wesleyan church. In the summer of 1910, the team changed its name to Mansfield Town. In March 2008, it was reported that John Batchelor, a bidder for the club, planned to rename the club to Harchester United after the fictional squad from the TV series Dream Team to make the club "more promotable" if his bid were a success. This plan never came to fruition. In September 2011, the Stags appointed Carolyn Still as the club's chief executive, the youngest in English football at the age of 29. Two weeks later, it was confirmed that she was to marry club owner John Radford. Mansfield and Notts share a rivalry due to geographical proximity and similar standings in the league pyramid. Most of the Stags' footballing hostility, however, goes the way of Chesterfield, given their respective towns' differing stances during the miners' strike of 1984-85. --- For Notts, Blair Adams is a doubt after suffering a groin injury, while Jimmy Spencer, Kyle Dixon and Garry Thompson remain sidelined. Mansfield have Liam Hearn out with a long-term knee injury, while John Dempster and Luke Jones are doubts for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy first round clash.

Well, today we were hard done by. After taking an early lead against Bristol City, it was a case of backs to the wall for the Magpies, as the opposition plugged away. Even though the Robins' efforts were ultimately rewarded with a goal on the hour, we were certainly capable of finishing the game with something. That is, until the referee's late intervention gifted City an ill-deserved penalty right at the death, and then, that was it. We had lost the game, cruelly robbed of a point. The game began with the visitors quickest off the starting blocks, as debutant Kieran Agard headed wide from Mark Little's cross on the right flank after just a minute. Three minutes later, Robins goalkeeper Frank Fielding had to be alert to punch away a Liam Noble cross, the ball falling to Gary Jones, who blasted over. Just before the quarter-hour mark, however, the breakthrough came the way of the home side. A Haydn Hollis punt upfield was misjudged by the City defence, with Zeli Ismail claiming possession of the ball. After beating one defender and holding off another, he slotted the ball past Fielding to send the Kop wild. The visitors responded positively and could have equalised when Luke Freeman's free-kick clipped the outside of the post on the half-hour mark. Two minutes later, Noble skipped past two Bristol players, but his subsequent shot flew just wide. The two teams exchanged sparring blows after the break, but with City growing into the game, it came as little surprise when, on the hour, Little's cross caused havoc in the home defence, and despite Agard failing to connect, Aaron Wilbraham was at hand to tap the ball into an empty net for the equalising goal. Now brimming with confidence, Steve Cotterill's side stepped it up a gear and found themselves troubling Notts time and time again, although they were let off in the 82nd minute when, following a counterattack, Fielding had to be at his best to save a low Ismail drive. For all their efforts, however, Notts were on course to settle for a well-earned point, but then disaster struck in injury time. Luke Freeman forayed into the area when Curtis Thompson went into a challenge, with the Bristol man convincingly drawing a foul, some might say even dived to the ground. The referee blew for a penalty, much to the shock and anger of everyone linked with Notts, on the pitch, on the sidelines and in the stands. Nevertheless, Jay Emanuel-Thomas placed the ball on the penalty spot, composed himself, and sent Roy Carroll the wrong way to steal the victory away from the Magpies.

Notts County and Bristol City have faced each other a gargantuan 105 times over their history. This is because both clubs have been regularly playing each other since the 1900s. Tomorrow will however be just the third league encounter between the two in ten years - and all of these have taken place in the last year. Bristol City only just hold the upper edge, having won 42 games to Notts's 39. 24 matches have been drawn. The city of Bristol is the largest metro area in England never to have won the English top tier championship. In 1907 they finished runners-up in Football League Division One, which is their highest ever final position. City won the Welsh Cup – despite being an English club – in 1934. In 1982, Bristol City became the first English club to suffer three consecutive relegations. Ashton Gate is the only ground in the English football league not to accommodate executive boxes. Despite their underachievements, Bristol City is supported by some notable celebrities, including John Cleese of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame, Formula 1 great Jenson Button, and actor Russell Crowe. Bristol City shares the English football league record for consecutive wins, notching up 14 wins in a row during the 1905-06 season. This record is shared with Arsenal, Manchester United, and Preston North End. Bristol was home to Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry, created in Bristol in 1796, and J S Fry, who produced the world’s first bar of chocolate in Bristol in 1847. Bristol has been voted one of the most popular places to live in Britain and one of the top three most popular cities. The Plimsoll line, Ribena and Tarmac were all invented in Bristol. Famous Bristolians include: Banksy, Blackbeard, Julie Burchill, Sebastian Cabot, Justin Lee Collins, Russ Conway, Robin Cousins, Adge Cutler, Dynamite MC, The Fry Family (Chocolate), WG Grace, Cary Grant, James May, Stephen Merchant, Michael Redgrave, Tom Stoppard, Lee Evans, Damian Hurst, Josie Gibson, Carol Vorderman, Sophie Anderton, Arthur Milton, The Wursels, Ben Collins aka White Stig, Cathy Barry, Dave Prowse, Fred Wedlock, folk singer best known for his UK hit single "The Oldest Swinger In Town" Gareth Chilcott, Gary Mabbutt, Ian Holloway, John Ateo, Johnny Ball, Judd Trump, Massive Attack, Robin Cousins, Roni Size (founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective), Wallace and Gromit (& creator Nick Park) --- Notts have defender Cieron Keane and midfielder Nicky Wroe available after both missed the 2-0 win at Port Vale through suspension. Teenage midfielder Reece Brown could make his debut after signing on loan from Birmingham City. Bristol City could give a debut to striker Kieran Agard following his arrival from Rotherham United. Agard was an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw at Rochdale, but could replace Sam Baldock, who has joined Brighton.

Today's victory is brought to you by the Rocky Balboa school of "Not Going Down Despite Being Completely Pummeled from Start to Finish". Notts County travelled to Port Vale and were under the cosh for most of the game, the opposition clocking up 24 shots and 18 corners, but nevertheless scored two unanswered goals to record the unlikeliest of wins in Staffordshire. The away side actually started the brighter, Vale goalkeeper Sam Johnson having to claim from two Notts attacks within the first two minutes. In the 10th minute, Mustapha Dumbuya was forced to clear a shot off his line, Vale clearly in the ascendency, but just a minute later came the first Magpie sucker punch. Veteran Gary Jones, his side breaking from a Vale attack, connected beautifully onto the ball from about 25 yards out, sending a stunning volley past Johnson into the net to send the travelling support into raptures. Bad news came the Magpies' way midway through the first half as Blair Adams, declared fit before the game, had to be subbed off as early as the 28th minute. Curtis Thompson came on in his place. Just after the half-hour mark, Haydn Hollis nearly doubled his side's lead, but the young defender wasn't able to connect with Jones's free kick. The two sides proceeded to exchange several more half-chances, but no more goals were to be scored before the break. The best Notts chance of the game came in the 50th minute when Liam Noble was sent through one-on-one against Johnson, but the Vale keeper deflected the ball over with his leg. After the hour mark, the home side burst into life, Colin Daniel mistiming a volley in the 65th minute and Tom Pope firing wide from a tight angle just moments later. By the 70th minute, it was backs to the wall for Notts, as Shaun Derry's side had to thwart several chances in quick succession. Pope, Daniel and Mark Marshall all plugged away with efforts which seemed to suggest that a Vale goal was imminent. However, with just four minutes to go of the game, came yet another Notts sucker punch (and how good does it feel to be on the right side of these this season!), courtesy of Noble's deflected free kick. Game over. After huffing and puffing for the last half hour, Vale were left disconsolate as their efforts ultimately led to nothing. Save for another half-chance by Marshall in injury time, there was little more action, and the final whistle ultimately blew on a topsy-turvy and nail-biting game that, fortunately, went the right way.

Notts County have met Port Vale a grand total of 92 times over the years, with the first two fixtures coming within a week of each other back in February 1921. The Magpies won the first game 2-1, but lost 1-0 at Meadow Lane. Notts have won 38 games, lost 34, and drawn 20 against the Valiants, with the highest scoring matches coming in February 1927 (a 6-2 defeat) and April 1935 (a 5-3 defeat). Last time these two played, in April this year at Meadow Lane, the Magpies won by a convincing 4-2 scoreline. Port Vale is one of the few English league clubs not to be named after a geographical location. The name Port Vale exists on maps pre–dating the formation of the club, which probably occurred in 1879, and is a reference to a valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal, associated with the city's pottery industry. The club itself is actually based in Burslem, one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. Port Vale have never been in the top tier of English football, and the last time they were in the second tier was back in 1999-2000. In terms of silverware, the Valiants have won the Staffordshire Senior Cup twice, in 1920 and 2001, whilst being runners-up in 1900 and 2010, as well as several other regional cups like the Birmingham Senior Cup, one of the oldest county football competitions still active. The club, despite being fairly small, enjoys the support of some world-famous celebrities. Robbie Williams is a huge fan, to the point that he held £240,000 worth of shares in the club and has a restaurant at Vale Park named after him. For the videogame FIFA 2000, he provided an original theme song called It's Only Us, on the condition that Port Vale should be included in the game, which they were, located in the Rest of World section! Also, in 2005, Williams founded Los Angeles Vale F.C., a Super Metro League team in the United States, named after Port Vale and based at his Los Angeles home. Darts star Phil “The Power” Taylor is also a big fan, while Blue (that Noughties boy-band) singer Simon Webbe was part of their youth setup until a ligament injury hampered any prospect of a career in football. Notts County are missing Cieron Keane and Nicky Wroe after both were sent off in the win over Colchester United. New signing Shaun Harrad may play but Garry Thompson is a doubt, as are Kyle Dixon, Blair Adams and Alan Smith. For Port Vale, Colin Daniel is fit after ankle trouble while Adam Yates, Michael Brown, Steven Jennings and Louis Dodds are available.

Much better. After a truly insipid performance shown on Saturday against Fleetwood, Notts County have given a stronger (though not quite the full product yet) account of themselves tonight against Colchester United, and despite riding their luck for large parts of the game, went on to seal a 2-1 win against their opposition at Meadow Lane. The Magpies started well, Liam Noble firing a shot on goal after just two minutes, but Sam Walker in the U's goal was able to save with ease. However, just four minutes later, the home side were already on the scoresheet. Nicky Wroe played in Ronan Murray, who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0 to Notts, much to the delight of the home crowd. And just two minutes later, Gary Jones sent in a dangerous free kick, but this time there was no connection and the U's got away scot-free. Colchester did, however, up their tempo thereafter, and Roy Carroll had to be at his best to thwart chances from Jabo Ibehre and Dominic Vose, particularly in the 35th minute when the ex-Manchester United keeper pulled off a spectacular save with his leg from the former. The half-time whistle came as a relief, as Notts found themselves with their backs to the wall towards the latter stages of the opening 45. Early the second half, Tom Eastman came close to slicing the ball into his own net following some early Notts pressure, but the resulting corner from Jones was cleared away. The U's subsequently cranked up the pressure again, and Freddie Sears was sent clear through on goal on the hour, but Carroll pulled off another great save to deny the ex-West Ham striker. Ten minutes later, however, Sears succeeded in breaching the Notts clean sheet, having been given a second chance one-on-one with the Magpies goalkeeper. This time, the 24-year-old slotting the ball underneath Carroll. And then the drama began. First, Shaun Derry was sent to the stands for arguing with the match officials. Just as it looked like it was all going to unravel, Liam Noble then struck what could be described, among many other superlatives, as an early contender for League One goal of the season, trying his luck from around 30 yards and curling the ball past Walker into the net. Then young Cieron Keane, just four days past his 18th birthday, found himself sent off after accruing a second yellow card. Mustapha Dumbuya had a wonderful chance to bury the game in the 83rd minute after controlling a rebounded shot, but he blasted wide. And then, yet more drama, Wroe was then sent off right at the end of regulation time, leaving Notts with NINE men on the pitch and six minutes of injury time left to play. Sears very nearly bagged his brace during this period, but luckily he blasted wide, and luckily, the final whistle would blow without any more significant actions taking place, with Notts claiming all three points. Derry will, however, have to realise what a pyrrhic victory this was, as his already depleted squad now finds itself two further men down for the next game, courtesy of suspensions.

Notts County have met Colchester United a modest 40 times over the years, all league encounters except for one Sherpa Vans Trophy tie in 1988. Notts hold the marginal upper edge, having won 18 games to Colchester's 14, with 8 draws. All league encounters between the two have never taken place higher than the third tier. The recent history between those two sides is very positive for the Magpies - we have won the last five games against the Essex side, by an aggregate score of 15-2! Colchester United Football Club is a baby in English football club terms, having been born in 1937. However, Colchester Town Football Club, the club's predecessor, was around since 1873. Despite dwindling crowds in the mid-1930s, though, they refused to follow its neighbours Ipswich Town in turning professional, much to the disapproval of its fans and players. As a result, Colchester United was formed, with the intention of playing professionally, and went on from strength to strength while its stubborn neighbour fell into decline and eventually folded. Colchester United are responsible for one of the FA Cup's greatest ever upsets, when, in February 1971, they defeated the infamous Don Revie's Leeds United, an established top flight side who would finish second that season, by three goals to two. The U's were in the fourth division at the time. The U's won the Football League Trophy (now the Johnstone's Paint Trophy) in 1996-97. and also compete in a competition called the Essex Senior Cup, a tournament contested by mostly non-league clubs within the region (Colchester usually field a youth/reserve team for this), winning this trophy back in 2009-10. Micky Cook holds the all time club record for appearances with Colchester United, having played nearly 700 games between 1969 and 1984! Talk about loyalty! Notable former players include Titus Bramble, Alec Chamberlain, Mark Kinsella, Kevin Lisbie and Newcastle cult hero Lomana LuaLua. The town of Colchester is said to be the oldest recorded town in Britain on the grounds that it was mentioned by Pliny the Elder, who died in AD 79. It was for a time the capital of Roman Britain, and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network. Since 2006, Colchester has been one of 12 places in the UK where Royal Salutes are fired to mark Royal anniversaries and visits by foreign heads of state. For more facts about Colchester, check out https://twitter.com/colchesterfacts * Notts County boss Shaun Derry may feature in tomorrow's League One encounter with the U's, with several Magpies players doubtful. Blair Adams, Haydn Hollis and Liam Noble all have knocks and Alan Smith remains an injury doubt, so former captain Mike Edwards could be involved after returning to the club. * Not necessarily true

After a positive start away at Preston North End, Notts were brought back down to earth with a 1-0 defeat at home to Fleetwood Town. It wasn't so much the scoreline that was the issue, rather the inept display from the men in black and white on the pitch. It was hoped that the 3-0 pounding at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek was a one-off against a team in a higher league in a cup competition, but today, the Magpies put in a shambolic performance which saw the Fishermen win thanks to Jamie Proctor's first half goal. The first chance of the game fell to the home side, as a cutback from Haydn Hollis fell to Ronan Murray, who blasted over. Just a few minutes later, Proctor threatened the Notts goal with a curling shot from the edge of the area, but this too sailed wide. For the rest of the first half, the Magpies were restricted to ambitious half-chances which failed to trouble the Fishermen keeper, while the opposition plugged away with dangerous efforts. Roy Carroll had to be at his best to thwart chances from Gareth Evans, Stephen Jordan, Jamie Morris and Proctor in the first half. Just as it seemed that a goalless scoreline loomed at half time, Proctor converted a Morris cross from close range to put the away side a goal up and send the Magpies into the dressing room to a chorus of boos. Notts were better in the second half, with Liam Noble firing just wide a few minutes after the restart, while Hayden Mullins's perfectly-timed long-range pass found Adam Dawson, who forced a good save from the opposition keeper. Substitutes Jeremy Balmy and Zeli Ismail injected some flair and intent into the team, the former setting up Gary Jones, whose subsequent shot was tipped over, while the latter forced a fumbled save with a chipped shot. Nevertheless, the Magpies couldn't quite breach the Fleetwood clean sheet, and after some further exchanges, the final whistle blew to another chorus of boos from the Meadow Lane faithful.