Joe Jones

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.

Tomorrow is the first ever time that Notts County have played Fleetwood Town in the league! Let that sink in, folks. 152 years and the Magpies will be facing a new club in the league – including any past incarnations – for the first time in a while! Not quite as spectacular, but those two teams have played before… just once, mind. And it wasn’t that long ago. Just a year ago, in fact, as Notts beat the Fishermen 3-2 at Meadow Lane in the League Cup. You might remember it as the game that preceded THAT epic clash against Liverpool at Anfield. In its current guise, Fleetwood Town has only been around since 1997, but the club has had predecessors in the form of Fleetwood FC, formed in 1908, and the original Fleetwood Town FC created in 1977. The original Fleetwood FC were champions of the Lancashire Combination in 1923–24, and registered a hat-trick of Lancashire Combination Cup wins in 1932, 1933 and 1934. Manchester City legend Frank Swift used to play for them at the time. This incarnation of the club folded in 1976 due to financial difficulties, before being reborn as Fleetwood Town FC. After some moderate success in the non-league, including a final appearance at the FA Vase in 1985, this guise also folded, in 1996. Re-formed in 1997 as Fleetwood Wanderers, the club was placed back in Division One of the North West Counties Football League (now the tenth tier of the English League system) and a sponsorship deal saw the club's name immediately changed to Fleetwood Freeport F.C. The club was promoted to the Premier Division of the North West Counties League in 1999 and subsequently renamed Fleetwood Town F.C, a name that remains today. Their meteoric rise to the third tier of English football began just ten years ago, as the Fishermen went from playing in the North West Counties League in 2004 to the Conference in 2010, before making it to the Football League in 2012 and eventually being promoted from League Two at the end of last season. Just to give you an idea how quickly they have developed in the last decade – the average Fleetwood Town attendance ten years ago was 134. Now it’s over 20 times that amount at 2819. The Fishermen currently hold the record for a non-league player sale, as Jamie Vardy left the then-Conference club for Leicester City, who paid £1m for his services (potentially rising to £1.7m). Meadow Lane may be graced by one of its former players tomorrow – Jeff Hughes played for the Magpies between 2011 and 2013 before moving to Fleetwood. For the Magpies, Zeli Ismail has a hamstring injury and Mustapha Dumbuya has a knock he sustained against Preston last week. Midfielder Garry Thompson and striker Danny Haynes are also out. Fleetwood could be without on-loan striker Stephen Dobbie, who suffered an ankle injury in their opening-day win against Crewe Alexandra last Saturday. Jamie Proctor, who scored in that game, is set for a starting spot.

Notts County suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, the Championship side easing into the second round of the League Cup following a 3-0 win at Hillsborough. The Owls, buoyed after their away win at Brighton & Hove Albion, came out of the starting blocks in spectacular fashion, opening the scoring within the first 90 seconds of the match. Jacques Maghoma, on the edge of the Notts area, cut inside onto his right foot and fired a powerful curling shot which looped into the top corner beyond Roy Carroll. Not quite the start that the Magpies would have wanted by any stretch of the imagination, Shaun Derry's boys set about trying to get back into the game. Notts won a corner through Jake Cassidy just a few minutes later, but it came to nothing. In the 10th minute, more good wing play from Wednesday, combined with lax County defending, let to the home side doubling their lead. Chris Maguire sent a cross the way of Gary Madine, who snuck in at the back post to volley a simple finish beyond Carroll in the Magpies net and send the HIllsborough crowd into raptures. By this point, Notts knew they were in for a long night, and set about trying to blockade their goal and stop Wednesday from scoring any more. After holding back the Owls, some good play between Alan Smith and Nicky Wroe on the half-hour mark led to Liam Noble breaking free and firing a 25-yard shot just beyond the post. In the second half, Derry made a triple substitution, Adam Dawson, Jeremy Balmy and Jones all coming on for Elliott Whitehouse, Smith and Wroe. Despite some promising action in the opening stages of the second period, Wednesday nevertheless proved problematic, with Maghoma setting up Giles Coke who fired into the side netting. The knockout third goal came just after the hour mark, as Adthe Nuhiu latched onto a Joe Mattock cross to head past the beleaguered Carroll and crush County's remaining spirits. Notts did eventually find themselves breaching the Owls clean sheet, courtesy of Haydn Hollis, but this was ruled out for offside, and the game eventually came to an end, as did County's run in the League Cup.

Sheffield Wednesday have faced Notts County a total of 71 times throughout their history, going back as far as 1883, when the two faced off in the FA Cup. The result? A resounding 4-1 win for the Magpies. Since then, however, the Owls have had the better of things. They have won 32 of the games to County’s 22 victories, while 17 games were drawn. Recent form against Wednesday is not so good. The last eight fixtures between the two teams have resulted in six wins for the Owls, with one draw and one defeat. Wednesday are the fifth oldest club in the country, their conception taking place in 1867. The Wednesday Cricket Club was founded in 1820 and soon became one of the pre-eminent cricket clubs in the Sheffield area. The Wednesday club was the direct forerunner of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.The founders of the Wednesday Cricket Club were local craftsmen whose weekly half day off was Wednesday. At a general meeting held on, yes, Wednesday 4 September 1867, at the Adelphi Hotel, it was decided to form a football club from the membership of the Wednesday Cricket Club with the object of keeping together during the winter season the members of this cricket club. Wednesday Cricket Club was subsequently disbanded in September 1924. The Club was simply known as "Wednesday" or "The Wednesday" until in June 1929 when the name was officially changed to Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday were originally known as “The Blades”, the name originally being a tribute to Sheffield’s cutlery industry in the 19th century, but this soon changed to The Owls. There are two different accounts of Wednesday’s procurement of their current, longstanding nickname: the first suggests that, because they moved to the suburb of Owlerton, it made sense to be called “The Owls”, while the second hints at a Wednesday player, George Robertson, presenting the club with an owl mascot in 1912, and going on to win their next four games with the owl having been under the roof of the North stand in October Their stadium was originally named Owlerton Stadium but in 1914 Owlerton became part of the parliamentary constituency of Hillsborough and the ground took on its current name. Wednesday’s trophy haul over the years isn’t too shabby – they are four-time winners of the top-tier, three-time winners of the FA Cup, and last won a trophy back in 1991, when they claimed the League Cup. The fastest shot ever recorded in the Premier League was hit by David Hirst against Arsenal at Highbury in September 1996 – Hirst hit the bar with a shot clocked at 114mph. Famous fans include the Arctic Monkeys lads, Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, politician David Blunkett, Lord Sebastian Coe, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker, ex-England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, and Monty Python’s Michael Palin. Wednesday's new striker Stevie May could be involved after completing his move from St Johnstone on Saturday for an undisclosed fee. Jeremy Helan, Lewis Buxton and Caolan Lavery are unlikely to play because of injury, but fit-again Kamil Zayatte and Slovenian Dejan Kelhar hope to feature. Notts County will be without Garry Thompson, who injured his knee on his debut against Preston on Saturday. He joins midfielder pair Danny Haynes and Zeli Ismail on the sidelines.

As fixtures go, today's opening League One clash between Notts and Preston North End was about as difficult as they come. The Lilywhites are among the favourites for promotion, not to mention the Magpies' poor recent record against them. Oh, and we were away. However, we played well, and in the end, were unlucky not to come away with all three points, as none other than a former Forest player, Joe Garner, scored right at the death to make it 1-1. Both teams started slowly and tentatively, but soon Preston came into their own and began asserting themselves, with several corners coming the way of the home side. In the 18th minute, Andrew Little dragged a shot just wide of the far post from inside the box, while just six minutes later, new Notts goalkeeper Roy Carroll had to be at his best to palm away a Paul Gallagher effort. Preston continued to turn on the screw, as Josh Brownhill and Neil Kilkenny were next to test the ex-Manchester United stopper. The Magpies countered through Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Jake Cassidy, whose shot was saved, before defender Haydn Hollis headed the rebound over from just three yards. Preston were arguably unlucky to end the half without registering a goal, Alan Browne smashing an effort against the Notts bar. Just as he was about to crash the rebound into the net, Hayden Mullins went in with a great tackle to deny the North End man. Notts, however, could have broken the deadlock right at the end of the first half, as they broke away through Nicky Wroe, but he drilled into the side netting from a tight angle . Just six minutes after the restart, Cassidy sent the away fans into a frenzy as he received the ball in the box and smashed a shot from a very tight angle into the net to open the scoring. Preston, stunned as they were, composed themselves quickly, and almost pulled themselves back level when Joe Garner’s 50-yard effort forced Carroll into a save, with a corner kick conceded. With the home side continually coming forward, it ultimately wasn't to be for Shaun Derry's side. Magpie hearts were broken as, with just one minute left of the game, Garner struck to level the scores and ensure that both sides would split the points at the final whistle.

Notts County and Preston North End are two of the oldest football clubs in the country (and by extension, the world), whose history goes back over 125 years. The first fixture between the two took place in November 1888, when North End defeated the Magpies 7-0 in the first ever season of the Football League. The 1888-89 season saw Preston remain unbeaten throughout, and would go on to become English football's first "Invincibles", a feat which remained unbroken until 2003-04 when Arsenal also went a whole top-flight season without losing. So really, Notts being thumped so heartily wasn't quite as bad a result as it seems! Aside from Preston going the whole season unbeaten, they were also the first EVER winners of the Football League. Oh, and they won the FA Cup that year too! The two clubs have met a total of 87 times, and sadly (for us Notts fans) the Lilywhites have the upper hand by quite a significant margin. They're won 41 times, while the Magpies have won 23 games. 23 draws have taken place. The two teams that have played the most games overall in the Football League are, in fact, Notts County and Preston North End! Meanwhile, Preston are ranked as the fourth most-successful English football club of all time domestically. Over the years, there have been some varied scorelines. We've talked about the 7-0 back in 1888, but we've also had 6-2, 6-1, 6-0, 4-3 and 4-2. Recently, meetings have been tamer (from a goal-scoring perspective). Since the turn of the millennium, only seven goals have been scored in the eight games we’ve played. Notts County scored only one of those, back in March 2000 when we last beat them (1-0). Notts’s recent record against Preston is, sorry to say, pretty dire. We’ve lost the last three encounters against them, and worse still, have only beaten them once in the last FOURTEEN clashes. Oh, and we haven’t even scored against them in seven games. Suffice to say, they are a bit of a bogey team for us. The National Football Museum was originally situated in Deepdale, Preston, but was moved to Manchester in 2012. Deepdale was used as the venue for the England U21s when they played Iceland in March 2011. Deepdale was used again at the end of the 2011-2012 season to host three U19s Elite Round matches with England, Slovenia and Switzerland all taking to the famous pitch. The three games were held at the end of May over six days. Preston have made the play-offs in a record eight seasons, spanning all three league divisions, but have not yet been promoted via this route. Preston will be without new signing Kyel Reid and Lee Holmes after they were ruled out with knee and chest injuries respectively. Defender Bailey Wright has declared himself fit following his call-up to Australia's World Cup squad. Notts are without long-term injury victim Jimmy Spencer and fellow striker Danny Haynes, while there will be debuts for virtually everyone in the starting XI.

Notts County Ladies have secured a point away at Chelsea Ladies to elevate them to second in the Women's Super League Table, having previously fallen to fourth place after results in midweek, but could have easily won the game were it not for a good display between the sticks from Blues goalkeeper and Chilean international Christiane Endler. As has often been the case, the Lady Pies were quickest off the starting blocks, Jess Clarke and Dunia Susi linking up well and causing trouble against the opposition. The duo helped set up Katie Hoyle in the second minute of the game, but the midfielder blasted wide. On the quarter-hour mark, Clarke controlled the ball with her chest, but her shot flew just wide, and two minutes later, she managed to force a corner with another dangerous effort. From the ensuing corner, Rachel Corsie twisted and sent a volley goalwards, but Endler was able to parry the ball away before smothering at the second attempt. Just a minute later, Caitlin Friend was felled in the Blue box, but the referee only awarded a free kick, which was ultimately cleared away. Notts continued to have the better of the chances, Clarke continuing to plug away, and towards the end of the half, a mistake by Endler nearly set up Katie Holtham, but the German-born stopper was able to rectify her mistakes and keep her clean sheet unsullied. After the interval, Endler came out of the box to clear the ball, and Clarke was able to dispossess her and cross into the danger zone, but Chelsea managed to clear away the danger. Just a few minutes later, Desiree Scott was next to try her luck with a volley, but the Chelsea keeper produced a fine save, backpedaling and tipping the sphere onto the post and out for a corner. The Blues seldom threatened Carly Telford's goal, the sole real attempts coming from a stray inswinging corner and from Yuki Ogimi's overhit free kick, but as it was, Endler's erratic yet effective display ensured that the spoils would be shared among the two sides. The WSL is bisected by a mid-season break, which will see no action take place until the 29th June, with the exception of the FA Cup final between Arsenal and Everton on the 1st June.