Joe Jones

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.

Notts County Ladies remain top of the FA Women's Super League table after a 0-0 draw against current champions Liverpool. The Lady Pies were on top for most of the game in terms of possession and chances and, were it for a little more incisiveness in front of goal, could have found themselves two or three goals to the good. Chances were at a premium in the opening stages with the game largely dominated by skirmishes in midfield, although Jess Clarke produced a long-range effort that just cleared the crossbar at the quarter-hour mark. It was not until well beyond the half-hour point that a goalkeeper was tested, Clarke showing great technique from a tight angle and unleashed a long range strike that forced Libby Stout into a smart save. Liverpool struggled to find a cutting edge throughout the first half, although they did hit the bar through a header from Natasha Dowie, niece of former Crystal Palace manager Iain. The second half was also a cagey affair with few concrete chances, the consequence of two very evenly matched sides. In the 65th minute, Dunia Susi had a great chance when she ran clean through after Gemma Bonner was forced into a mistake by Desiree Scott. Susi powered into the box, but with just Stout to beat, dragged her shot just past the upright. Clarke then marauded into the box midway through the second half, but her shot was deflected away by Bonner. Susi then did her best once again to draw first blood when she powered her way into the box after chasing a long ball, but her shot cleared the bar. The final whistle eventually blew with both sides sharing the spoils - Notts will perhaps feel aggrieved at not being able to take more from the game, but will be happy that they're still in pole position at the top of the WSL table.

Notts County Ladies have risen to the top of Group Three in the FA WSL Continental Cup after seeing off a spirited Oxford United Women side 4-0 this evening at Abingdon United's ground. The home outfit, currently bottom of the WSL2, matched the high-flying Lady Pies for certain spells of the game, but ultimately succumbed to goals by Caitlin Friend, Jess Clarke and Aileen Whelan. Notts were quick off the starting blocks right from the start, marauding forward at every opportunity - Friend and Clarke both fired just wide in the first three minutes. However, the home side could have got themselves on the scoresheet in the 13th minute when Laura Low dispossessed Dunia Susi before squaring to Lauren Allison, but the latter scuffed the ball wide of the post. The Lady Pies took the lead in the 24th minute as the Oxford defence, caught out by a dangerous free-kick, allowed Friend to get inside the box and steer the ball past goalkeeper Hannah Cox. United almost responded straight away when Jemma Connor-Iommi's free-kick cannoned back off the post, but Dunia Susi countered with an effort that soared over following a set piece of their own just minutes later. Shortly after the restart, Notts scored a second goal, and it came courtesy of a hashed clearance - a free-kick taken by the visitors caused havoc in the box, and Sahara Osborne-Ricketts sent her clearance rebounding off Clarke and into the net. Rachel Colsie appeared to have headed in a third for the visitors when she was first to the rebound after Cox had kept out another effort, but was denied by the offside flag. However, the Lady Pies didn't have to wait long for the third goal, as just moments later Clarke rose high to head home from yet another dangerous Notts set piece. The floodgates were well and truly open at this stage, and substitute Whelan, assisted by the talismanic Clarke, arrived late to power a volley into the net at the back post for goal number four. Oxford could have scored a consolation goal in injury time, but Lauren Allison's speculative effort was not given as the referee played on, and so the final whistle blew on a 4-0 victory to the visitors, who now top their group with two wins and a draw, a point ahead of Birmingham City Ladies.

It had to come to an end at some point. After Notts County Ladies’ excellent start to the season, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Everton sees the Lady Pies fall at the FA Cup semi-final stage and record their first loss of the new campaign. The home side – kind of – began the game on the front foot, Dunia Susi weaving through a series of Everton tackles, but her tame shot was collected by Toffees goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis. The visitors took the lead in the 13th minute against the run of play, as Nikita Parris latched onto a corner kick to head past Carly Telford. Shocked by the early goal concession, Notts strove for an equaliser straight away, and came close to striking back through Jess Clarke and Rachel Corsie. Things were to get worse for the Lady Pies, sadly. Just before the half-hour mark, Telford’s mistake allowed Parris to poke home for the second goal of the game, both individually and for her team. It didn’t take long for Notts to have the ball in the back of the net, but Brown-Finnis was pardoned by the referee, who cited “unlawful pressure” for the fact that she dropped a clanger by spilling the sphere into her net. The Toffees keeper, to her credit, did make a good save at the end of the first half to deny Amy Turner a goal. The second half saw Notts pull a goal back through Katie Hoyle, who latched onto Katie Holtham’s flick-on just before the hour mark to send the ball into the Everton net. Clarke, whose scoring record so this season has been outstanding, attempted a long-range effort midway through the second period, but sadly was denied by the post. The resolute Toffees defence wasn’t to be breached again, and at the final whistle, it was the Merseyside outfit that would find themselves into the FA Cup final at the expense of the beleaguered Notts Ladies.

Notts County Ladies have extended their unbeaten run to six games, although they couldn't climb to the top of Group Three in the Continental Cup after drawing 1-1 with Bristol Academy. The Vixens, who trounced Oxford United Women 9-2 in midweek to seize top spot in the group despite the Lady Pies' 5-0 defeat of Aston Villa, were a goal down at the break, thanks to an amazing 25-yard volley by the prodigal Jess Clarke, but Nikki Watts bundled the ball in from close range ten minutes after the restart to level proceedings. The away side were responsible for the first attack of the game after winning a corner, but the Lady Pies imposed themselves shortly thereafter, pressing and threatening the Vixens goal through Dunia Susi. Bristol weathered their opposition bravely, thwarting continued ventures forward and chances from Katie Holtham and Clarke, but only until the 28th minute – and frankly, Mary Earps had absolutely no chance against Clarke’s long range volley, fashioned out of nothing. The last five minutes of the first half saw several dramatic moments for the home side, as Rachel Corsie was forced to clear from under her bar as Natalia Sanchon was lurking, while just two minutes later, the referee waved away a penalty appeal as Laura Del Rio appeared to be bundled in the box. After the restart, both sides kept on sparring, with Clarke’s cross being cleared away before Susi could make anything of it, while Del Rio weaved her way through three challenges before attempting a shot that was denied by Amy Turner. Eventually, the Vixens managed to breach the Notts defence and register the equalising goal. In the 54th minute Del Rio, proving to be an ever-present thorn in the Lady Pies’ side, whipped a dangerous cross across the box, and Nikki Watts duly sent the ball into the net from close range. Taken aback from the Bristol goal, the home side strove to pull themselves back in front. In the space of two minutes, Susi fashioned two chances, first beating Jasmine Matthews and sending a dangerous cross into the Vixens box, before weaving past Corinne Yorston and whipping a ball to Courtney Sweetman-Kirk. The steadfast away defence thwarted both attempts, however. Midway through the second half, the Lady Pies caused havoc in the Bristol box, as Earps spilled Clarke’s shot after marauding into the box. Susi’s subsequent effort was then blocked, and eventually Grace McCatty scrambled the ball behind for a corner. An injury to opposition player Jemma Rose saw the game halted for a few minutes, before Yorston and Lauren Dykes combined to set up Angharad James in front of goal. Her effort was comfortably saved, however. The game then petered out in the final stages, save for several players accruing yellow cards, a Notts free kick that flew well over, and a half-chance from Sophie Bradley from a difficult angle. The final whistle eventually blew on the game, as both sides shared the spoils in the 1-1 draw, and Notts remain unbeaten so far this season, even though the Vixens remain at the top of Group Three in the Continental Cup.

Well folks, I am absolutely thrilled to be able to tell you, in case you've been hiding under a rock this afternoon, that NOTTS COUNTY ARE STAYING UP!! It was a bumpy ride, and at one point, it really seemed like everything that could have gone wrong was going wrong, but things eventually worked out and the end result is that, despite being dead and buried as far back as six weeks ago, we will now spend another season in League One. Oldham Athletic were the team that stood between us and finding out our fate, between us and the Great Escape. The final result stood at 1-1, but with the home side taking the lead midway through the second half and our relegation rivals Crewe Alexandra and Tranmere Rovers leading in their respective games, we were staring into the abyss. We were relegated. But then, we were given a chance. A penalty. And Alan Sheehan, arguably the team's best performer this season, did what he had to do with calm and precision. He put away the penalty for the equalising goal, which saw us come out of the drop zone. Tranmere ended up ultimately losing 2-1 to Bradford City, thus giving us a three-point safety cushion, and when the final whistle went, the scenes of jubilation from the Black And White Army - all 3361 of them - were cathartic, intense and joyous. With everything that took place today, it almost makes the actual match action seem irrelevant, but nevertheless, it wouldn't be a match report otherwise! Hayden Mullins recall by Birmingham City meant that Gary Liddle dropped back into defence, partnering young Haydn Hollis. On-loan midfielder Josh Vela lined up in the centre alongside Curtis Thompson. The first shot of the game fell to the Magpies, as Jimmy Spencer had an effort following an assist from Ronan Murray. The former Huddersfield man, however, was off target. Jamal Campbell-Ryce was a constant threat on the flanks, and in the eighth minute, set up Murray, who sadly fired wide. The two combined again in the 37th minute, and Murray's resulting half-volley did better this time, having to be deflected out for a corner. By this point, both Crewe and Tranmere were leading in their games, and as it was, Notts would only stay up on goal difference. Skin of their teeth would have been an understatement. Towards the end of the half, Oldham were in the ascendancy, with Bartosz Bialkowski having to be at his best to thwart a dangerous chance from Jonson Clarke-Harris. Hollis then had to produced a stunning goal-line clearance following another effort by the same man moments later. The half-time whistle offered little solace to the away fans, because things were still too tight with the other results being taken into consideration. Shaun Derry must have thought so too, and he must have delivered a rousing team talk, as the Magpies were invigorated come the start of the second period. Spencer's header into Murray's path just after the restart set up a tantalising one-on-one situation between the Irishman and Paul Rachubka, but the goalkeeper came off best, his instinctive save keeping the scoreline goalless. Moments later, a JCR cross curled over the Latics goalkeeper, but right-back Connor Brown was at hand to make a last-gasp clearance. In the 68th minute, Notts were staring into the abyss. They had a foot in League Two. They slipped back into the relegation zone when Adam Lockwood connected with a Gary Harkins free kick, his header looping past Bart to put the home side a goal up. The Crewe and Tranmere results, meanwhile, remained the same. It could have been even worse moments later, because James Dayton was able to latch onto a ball from Clarke-Harris, but Bart made another spectacular save to keep the hosts' goal tally down to just the one. And then, the lifeline. JCR's cross was handled by Jonathan Grounds, a penalty was awarded, and Alan Sheehan duly stepped up. Rarely had a single penalty kick been so important in the history of Notts County Football Club, but the Irishman kept his cool and smash the ball into the top-right corner, much to the delight of the 3361 Notts supporters. Things would get even better for the visitors, as Lockwood was sent off following a desperate tackle on Spencer and Bradford turned the scoreline around against Tranmere. Eventually, the final whistle went, to signal the end of the game and the end of the season. And crucially, Notts County ended the 2013-14 season in 20th place, when just as far back as six weeks ago, we were all but relegated. Well, what a season. What an utterly insane odyssey of a season. More ups and downs than a rollercoaster. But all's well that ends well, and next season, we will be in League One once again! I would like to wish all Pride of Nottingham fans and followers a very enjoyable summer, safe in the knowledge that we've survived the unsurvivable! Thank you for reading our match reports and enjoying the site content! One more time... COME ON YOU PIES!!!

Notts County first played Oldham Athletic all the way back in 1910. To put it into perspective, Mark Twain and Florence Nightingale were still alive at the start of that year! 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 just 19 draws have taken place. 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. Now, time for the permutations. After 45 games, 15 wins, four draws and 26 defeats, it is the outcome of one final 90 minutes which will decide Notts County's fate in League One. Notts will avoid relegation by winning at Boundary Park, while a draw should be enough to secure our third tier status because of our superior goal difference. Out of a possible 27 permutations involving relegation rivals Crewe Alexandra and Tranmere Rovers, one can send the club back to League Two - Notts would need to lose while both Crewe and Tranmere would have to win their games against Preston North End and Bradford City respectively. In terms of players, the Magpies are without Hayden Mullins, after he returned to injury-hit parent club Birmingham City as they try and avoid relegation from the Championship. Alan Sheehan and Gary Liddle are the most likely to move into the centre of defence for Notts. Oldham extended their unbeaten run to nine matches with a draw against Sheffield United in midweek. Midfielder James Wesolowski and defender Jonathan Grounds may return after missing that game with knocks. Stay tuned to Pride of Nottingham for all the day's developments, as Notts try and secure the Great Escape. It's do or die now! COME ON YOU PIES!!!

So, while the men's league season is coming to an end, the women's season has only just begun, and needless to say, Notts County's ladies have gone off to a flying start. Unbeaten in five, having won four games and drawn against Arsenal, today's result was a fantastic 5-0 win against Aston Villa Ladies in the FA WSL Continental Cup (essentially, the Women' League Cup - Continental is the sponsor). The first goal came after just three minutes, as the Lady Pies broke the deadlock against their WSL2 opponents. Following some good work from Emily Roberts, the ball was threaded through to Jess Clarke, who whizzed down the right-hand flank and sent a cross into the Villa box. The ball was met by Dunia Susi, who subsequently headed home. Clarke, who in the last few games has been virtually unplayable, continued to threaten immediately after the goal, as she marauded into the box and sent dangerous crosses from the wing on several occasions. In the 20th minute came goal number two, and the scorer? None other than our 24-year-old starlet Jess Clarke. Katie Hoyle began the move, as she beat her marker and slid the ball through to Emily Roberts. The defender then burst into the area and cut back to Clarke, who found the net from close range. Just four minutes later came the third goal, much to the joy of the home crowd, who needless to say haven't witnessed many displays of dominance at Meadow Lane this season. Following a corner that was only half cleared, Sophie Walton kept the move alive and sent a cross the way of Caitlin Friend, whose side-footed volley once again beat the beleaguered Villa goalkeeper, Caitlin Leach. The away side then seemed to experience a small revival, as skipper Chloe Jones fired narrowly wide just before the half-hour, in went goal number four for the Lady Pies, just four minutes before the break. Once again it was Susi to get on the scoresheet and secure a brace, as she drew Leach off her line and rounded her on the left-hand side to fire into the goal, past Jade Richards on the goal-line. More torment came the way of the Villans, as Notts turned the screw even more in the second half. Susi fired straight at Leach's legs in the 50th minute, while Clarke came off second best when up against the away goalkeeper just six minutes later. Susi had yet more chances to secure a hat-trick midway through the second half, but her header from eight yards, following a great cross from Clarke on the right flank, flew just wide in the 63rd, while just three minutes later, the flag denied the England star after pouncing on Clarke's rebounded shot. Eventually, the fifth goal came, with the talismanic Clarke also securing a brace against Villa. Rachel Corsie set the ball rolling after bombing down the right wing and setting up the 24-year-old. As the final whistle blew on a very satisfying game for the home side, the Black and White Army couldn't hide their delight and being able to call such a wonderful footballing team their own. Even Aston Villa acknowledged County's might, as they wrote on Twitter: "Credit to @Official_NCLFC - Villa won't play many better teams than them this season." Onwards and upwards for the Lady Pies!

Notts County Ladies have reached the semi-finals of the FA Women’s Cup after seeing off Portsmouth FC Ladies 2-0 at Privett Park, thanks to second-half strikes from Sophie Bradley and Jess Clarke. The home side, currently plying their trade in the FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division, were on the back foot from the off, and within five minutes, Dunia Susi set up Clarke who powered forward towards goal and forced Portsmouth goalkeeper Sadie Blakely to make a good save. Just two minutes later, the in-form Clarke sent a cross towards Caitlin Friend who unleashed a powerful half volley on target and forced another stop from Blakely. Then, Susi was next to test Pompey after Friend squared to the 26-year-old, but with the ball bouncing awkwardly, her subsequent effort flew over. The home side’s first foray on goal was in the 12th minute when Notts conceded a free kick in a dangerous position, but Lucy Quinn’s effort was well cleared by Bradley, while just three minutes later, Notts goalkeeper Carly Telford accidentally cleared the ball to Pompey striker Charley Wilson, but her subsequent effort flew wide of the mark. On the half-hour mark, the visitors were nearly gifted a goal when a Sophie Walton free kick connected with a Pompey defender and bobbled just past her own post. The Notts dominance showed no signs of abating in the latter stages of the first half, with Katie Holtham being set up by Susi and blasting the ball just wide of the Pompey post, while in injury time, Susi managed to prod the ball into the net from a woodwork rebound, but the referee flagged her as offside. Despite the Lady Pies showing their superiority against their smaller opponents, the first half would end (officially) goalless. It was a case of as you were in the second half, as the Lady Pies continued to exert constant pressure against Portsmouth, save for a chance in the 64th minute that had to be blocked by Amy Turner. Eventually, Notts managed to break the deadlock, having to wait until the 72nd minute to do so. Following a corner kick, the ball flew to Bradley, and her thumping header soared into the top corner past the hapless Blakely. Much like buses, when you wait ages for one then two come at once, the second bus… I mean, the second goal, came just three minutes later, as Clarke finally got herself on the score sheet thanks to a calm finish past the onrushing Blakely. Credits go to Friend for setting up the 24-year-old with a well-calculated headed through-pass. The second goal virtually meant game over, as the beleaguered Pompey Ladies were down and out by this point, and as the final whistle went, the Lady Pies could celebrate their passage to the FA Women’s Cup semi-finals - they will go on to face Everton Ladies, venue to be confirmed. The tie is due to be played on the weekend of 10/11th May.

Could any Notts County fan honestly believe that, just a few weeks ago, with the Magpies at the bottom of the table and needing nothing short of a miracle to stay in League One, would find themselves going into the final game with their fate in their own hands and needing just one point from the last match to guarantee survival? No, I couldn’t either. There’s optimism and there’s delusion, and anyone claiming that Notts would stay up when we were down and out, particularly after that 6-0 defeat away at Rotherham, was dismissed as living in cloud cuckoo land. But as things are going, Notts now stand a real chance of surviving, because today, we secured another three points after seeing off Swindon Town 2-0 at Meadow Lane. Shaun Derry lined the home side up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Mustapha Dumbuya returning to the starting XI in place of Callum, and Curtis Thompson lining up alongside Gary Liddle in midfield. Notts began the game on the front foot, with both Jimmy Spencer and Haydn Hollis heading wide within the first few minutes. Not even ten minutes had elapsed when the Magpies were in front, and the goal came from arguably this season’s hero, Alan Sheehan. Following a tee-up from Jack Grealish, the left-back rifled a terrific low shot past Wes Foderingham and into the bottom corner to send the Meadow Lane faithful into raptures and, crucially, ease some much-frayed nerves. The Robins, however, nearly struck back immediately when Nathan Thompson found Alex Pritchard, who carved out some space for himself on the edge of the box and curled a dangerous effort just wide. In the 26th minute, Michael Smith came close for the visitors, but his close-range volley was off target, before Troy Archibald-Henville nodded the ball wide just eight minutes later. Towards the end of the first half, Spencer set up Ronan Murray, whose first-touch effort curled just wide. Following the break, Murray had another opportunity to score, but his effort was deflected by Foderingham’s leg and out for a corner. The ensuing set piece led to controversy when Liddle was felled in the box, but no penalty was given. The Robins then sent the Magpies fans into a panic when Massimo Luongo marauded into the box, but the Australian fired into the side netting. Towards the end of the game, Swindon fell down to nine men when Archibald-Henville was shown a straight red card for an off the ball incident, which led to a fracas in which Nathan Thompson was given a second booking. After the frankly shocking announcement of nine minutes of injury time, Notts soon eased the nerves of everyone in the ground (including the Robins fans who were finally put out of their misery) when Jamal Campbell-Ryce broke following a counterattack from a Swindon corner, and set up Callum McGregor who, following Foderingham's last-minute foray into the Magpies box, had to do nothing more than roll the ball into an empty net. So there we have it. Our fate is back in our hands, but as good as today was, it’s not over yet. The final game of the season will be very tense, but who knows, we will have to wait and see! Watch this space, fellow Pies fans!

Notts County have met Swindon Town on 61 occasions, the first time being 103 years ago in the FA Cup. On that day in January 1911, the Robins beat the Magpies 2-0 at the County Ground. Of the 61 clashes, 23 have been won by Notts, 25 by Swindon, and 13 have been drawn. The club was founded in 1879 by Reverend William Baker Pitt. Yes, you read that right! Whilst curate of Christ Church, the high church of Swindon, Pitt formed Swindon Association Football Club to provide recreation for young men in his parish. Swindon won the Southern League championship in 1910-11, earning themselves a Charity Shield clash with Football League champions Manchester United. This, the highest-scoring Charity Shield game to date, was played on 25 September 1911 at Stamford Bridge with Manchester United winning 8–4! Some of the proceeds of this game were later donated to the survivors of the Titanic. During World War II, The War Department – the government body responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces in the UK – took over the County Ground in 1940, where for a while prisoners of war were housed in huts placed on the pitch. For this, the club received compensation of £4,570 at war’s end. Swindon Town were the first League club to use floodlights, having had them installed in 1951. The County Ground is also the only football stadium in the world with a Rolex watch acting as its timekeeper –the clock on the Stratton Bank stand featuring its name was erected to celebrate promotion in 1963. Swindon have spent one season in the top flight, in 1992-93, during which Glenn Hoddle managed them. Sadly, they didn't do too well, being relegated at the end of the season after conceding 100 goals. The most notable silverware in the Robins’ possession is undoubtedly the League Cup, won in 1969 after beating Arsenal in the final at Wembley. Royle Family and Two Pints Of Lager actor Ralf Little was rumoured to be on trial at Swindon back in 2002, though the funnyman later claimed that he was just training with the squad. Pint-sized jazz singer Jamie Cullum is also a fan of the Robins. On-loan midfielder Josh Vela is set to return to the County squad after recovering from a knock. Notts are currently in 21st place, but are just a single point behind Crewe, Tranmere and Colchester. With just two games to go, it is do or die now for the Magpies. Meanwhile, Swindon Town will need a win on Saturday to maintain their slim chances of reaching the play-offs. Alex Pritchard will play the final game of his loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur, while Lee Cox is hoping to keep his starting spot after scoring the winner against Bradford City last Saturday.

The rollercoaster ride, the saga, the odyssey has experienced yet another twist, because Notts County, down and out more times than we care to remember this season, have secured yet another three points,and yet another opportunity to survive relegation, with a frantic, dramatic 1-0 win against Crawley Town. A solitary header from Jimmy Spencer in the 34th minute secured the ever-so-crucial spoils for the Magpies, but the Red Devils made it difficult by coming at County time and time again, chance after chance being thwarted by the home side. After a scrappy first three minutes of the match, Notts were first to threaten when Jack Grealish and Alan Sheehan combined in the final third, but the Irish left-back’s cross was cleared. Just a minute later, Bartosz Bialkowski had to be alert to thwart headers by Joe Walsh and Jamie Proctor. Despite Crawley dominating possession in the early stages, neither side was particularly strong in the final third, with Notts sending too many overhit balls into the Red Devils box. In the 18th minute, however, Spencer had a great chance to put Notts in front, but his header, following a JCR cross, flew just wide. Gwion Edwards replied almost immediately for the away side with a powerful long-range shot, but Bart was equal to it. Just before the half-hour mark, Jack Grealish was fouled in the Crawley box, but with the referee deciding to play advantage, Ronan Murray and Callum McGregor were in line to register efforts on goal, which were saved and off target respectively. Eventually, the breakthrough came just six minutes later, and luckily, it fell to the Magpies. Sheehan’s free kick on the far side of the box was met by the head of Spencer, the ball thumped downwards into the bottom left corner from close range. Cue wild celebration from the Meadow Lane faithful. The home side could have scored again immediately after their goal, but Sheehan’s low 35-yard effort was flagged offside after Murray nearly turned the ball in. The remainder of the half saw the Red Devils push forward in a bid to pull a goal back, but failed to register any concrete chances on goal, and so the half finished with Notts a goal to the good. The second half would prove an exercise in extreme backs-to-the-wall defending and lucky escapes. In the opening stages of the second period, Mike Jones whipped the ball across the Notts goal, but nobody could get on the end of it, before not one, not two, but three consecutive corners tested the home side’s defensive mettle. In the 52nd minute, Notts should have been a goal down, as Bart made a mistake before rectifying it with a wonderful save. The action ended with Haydn Hollis clearing the ball off the line. The whole Magpies back line was imperious on this day, with tackles and clearances aplenty, and despite Bart’s earlier mistake, he more than made amends for it with another stunning save in the 67th minute from Gary Dicker. Everything but the kitchen sink continued to be thrown at Notts, but Crawley just couldn’t get that all-important goal back, and when the final whistle went, Notts had secured all three points and a renewed opportunity to maybe, just maybe, survive relegation to the bottom tier of English football.

Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town three times in their history. The first ever fixture between the two was a year and a half ago, on the 10th November 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. This 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. Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history – ten 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 – nearly 800 fewer than the next smallest, Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium. 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). Shaun Derry has a fully fit squad to choose from for tomorrow's crucial fixture. Defenders Mustapha Dumbuya and Gareth Roberts, midfielders Callum McGregor and Andre Boucaud, and forwards Tyrell Waite and Nathan Tyson are options for the manager. Meanwhile, Crawley Town will be without Paul Connolly and Billy Clarke. The former is serving a five-match ban following his recent altercation with a Brentford fan, while the latter has a broken hand. John Gregory has no other injury or suspension worries. Jamie Proctor, Gary Dicker and Sergio Torres will be among the players pushing to return to the starting line up. Put simply - we need to win tomorrow, otherwise we are as good as relegated.

Notts County Ladies have secured their first ever win in the Women’s Super League, and rose to the top of the FAWSL1 table, after seeing off Everton 2-0 in today’s game at the Halton Stadium in Widnes. The game saw early pressure from the Lady Pies, who found themselves dispossessing their opponents within the first minute and launching a speculative cross into the area, which was cleared. Just three minutes later, Jess Clarke forced a corner, and from the subsequent set piece, broke the deadlock to give the away side the lead, courtesy of a header from Katie Holtham. The Toffees goalkeeper, Rachel Brown-Finnis, got a touch, but only succeeded in deflecting the ball onto the post and into the back of the net. The versatile Dunia Susi was a constant thorn in Everton’s side, marauding into the opposition box on several occasions and sending dangerous passes which had to be frantically cleared. The home side didn’t threaten Notts until the 14th minute, when Nikita Parris broke through the Magpies backline, but goalkeeper Carly Telford did enough to put off the marauding forward, whose lob soared over the crossbar and out of play. Midway through the first half, Susi managed to beat three Everton players but was thwarted by Gabrielle George in the box before she could cause more havoc. The Lady Pies then doubled their lead just before half time, much to the disappointment of the home crowd (but to the delight of the visiting fans) when Clarke, arguably one of County’s best players in the Arsenal draw four days ago, applied the finish to a ricocheting corner. The second half saw Notts threaten within four minutes of the restart, when Clarke broke into the Toffees box and launched a dangerous that was poorly cleared into the path of Laura Jane-O'Neill. The youngster set up the ever-dangerous Susi, but she was unable to keep the ball down. After a somewhat quiet spell, Clarke was able to break from the halfway line in the 71st minute, powering forward into the box and firing just wide. Beleaguered Everton, second best throughout most of the game, were able to fashion a dangerous change when Kelly Jones was clean through on goal having beaten Telford, but O’Neill conjured up a great Liddle-esque headed clearance off the line to bail out her teammate. The rest of the game was all Notts, who could have run away with the game through dangerous chances from Rachel Corsie, Susi and Clarke, but as the final whistle blew on a 2-0 away win, the Lady Pies could not be happier with the display and the scoreline nonetheless. The result means that the Lady Pies climb to the top of the eight-team FAWSL1 on four points, the same as Chelsea and Liverpool but with a superior goal difference. You heard it first on Pride of Nottingham – Notts County on top of the league, above Chelsea and Liverpool! COYLP!!

Notts County’s survival hopes were seriously dented after losing 2-1 away at Bristol City this afternoon, thanks to a brace from Sam Baldock. The Magpies were dominant throughout the game but conspired to concede twice against the run of play, despite Haydn Hollis’s response on the half-hour mark, to leave Ashton Gate empty-handed. Following Hollis’s one-game ban, the defender returned to the starting XI to partner Hayden Mullins at the heart of the back four. Alan Sheehan returned to left-hand side of defence, while Gareth Roberts dropped to the bench. The away side, one place above the relegation zone and out of the bottom four on goal difference, were quickest out of the starting blocks and exerted the most pressure in the early stages, even if the best chance fell to Bristol, with Baldock beating Hollis and threading the ball through to Martin Paterson, who fired over from 10 yards. Notts responded by earning themselves four corners in quick succession, but against the run of play, City took the lead in the 13th minute when Paterson picked out Baldock at the far post, the 25-year-old opening up his body to side-foot home from close-range and net his 24th goal of the season. The away side responded in positive fashion, Jack Grealish arriving just a little too late to finish off a Ronan Murray cross, while Sheehan produced two long-range efforts and forced a block from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and a save from Simon Moore. Eventually, the breakthrough for the Magpies came just before the half-hour mark, when a Sheehan corner was met by a powerful close-range Hollis header to make the scoreline 1-1. City went close to regaining the lead shortly before half time, Marlon Pack picking out Baldock with a brilliant cross-field pass. The team’s leading scorer surged past Sheehan, only to be foiled by Bartosz Bialkowski, who rushed from his line to make a crucial save with his feet. In the early stages of the second half, County would continue to have the better of the game, with Karleigh Osborne having to be alert to deny Hollis another header on goal from a Sheehan set-piece delivery. City almost fell behind when keeper Moore fumbled an innocuous shot from Jimmy Spencer, but recovered in the nick of time to push the ball away from the marauding Murray. County continued to create the more clear-cut openings and Spencer was inches off target with a fiercely struck shot that flew inches over the bar, while Moore had to make a save low to his left to push away an effort from Callum McGregor. Grealish then went agonisingly close to giving them the lead, curling his shot inches wide of the post from the edge of the penalty area. Just when it seemed that City would have been lucky to settle for a point, they were gifted a dramatic winning goal against the run of play. Bialkowski should have dealt with a long ball played straight down the middle of the pitch, but he flapped at it and allowed Baldock to steal in and fire into an empty net from 10 yards out. The result means that Bristol City are all but safe, while Notts County slip back into the relegation zone in 22nd place and three points from safety. Monday will be absolutely crucial now. Is the Great Escape still on.

Notts County and Bristol City have faced each other a gargantuan 104 times over their history. This is because both clubs have been regularly playing each other since the 1900s. Bristol City only just hold the upper edge, having won 41 games to Notts's 39. 24 matches have been drawn. The first clash between the two took place on the 22nd December 1906 in Division One, Bristol City winning 3-2. The city of Bristol is the largest metro area in England never to have won the English top tier championship. 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, and is so far the only football ground in the UK which has “safe standing” rail seats. 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. 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. In 1497, John Cabot set sail in his ship, the Matthew, on a journey of discovery in which he reached mainland America. King Henry VI had ordered the then Sheriff of Bristol, Richard Ameryck, who some believe America was named after, to find the funds for Cabot’s journey. Ribena was invented at the National Fruit & Cider Institute in Long Ashton. As sources of vitamin C dwindled during World War II, Bristol researchers found blackcurrants were the best alternative to oranges and Ribena was born. Famous people who originate from Bristol include actors Cary Grant and Dave Prowse (aka Darth Vader), comedians Lee Evans, Bill Bailey, Matt Lucas, David Walliams and John Cleese, musicians Massive Attack, Roni Size, Portishead, Bananarama and Neneh Cherry, and graffiti artist Banksy. Former Rams goalkeeper Frank Fielding is understood to be resting, after the narrow 1-0 win at Walsall with a bicep injury, instead Simon Moore will retain his starting position. Winger Joe Bryan is also doubtful with a knee injury. Midfielder Josh Vela is available for Notts County after he signed a month-long loan extension which keeps him with the Magpies until the end of the season. Whilst defender Haydn Hollis is set to return from a one-match ban. Notts County just outside of the relegation zone by goal difference, while City are seven points clear with four matches remaining. Bristol City are offering to refund tickets purchased for the game up until kick-off following the club's decision to move the fixture with only a week's notice.

Notts County's first ever game in the FA Women's Super League finished 1-1, as over 1500 fans at Meadow Lane saw the Lady Pies take on Arsenal, one of the most decorated women's teams ever, and secure a draw and a point after taking them all the way. The game went through the motions in the opening stages, but in the 10th minute, Jess Clarke was able to weave her way through the Arsenal defence before firing just wide. Clarke would continue to cause havoc in the Gunners back line, curling an effort wide just past the quarter-hour mark before attempting a shot from distance five minutes later. It wasn’t just the 24-year-old winger who proved a handful for the away side – Emma Mitchell had to be at her best to thwart the marauding Dunia Susi in the 25th minute. Then came the breakthrough, and much to the delight of the home fans, it fell to Notts, as the ever-dangerous Clarke beat her marker and curled an effort past Emma Byrne for the first goal of the match and the first ever Notts County WSL goal. Arsenal, one of the league’s strongest teams, were determined to overhaul the deficit, and just after the half-hour mark could have pulled one back, but Kelly Smith’s effort, following good work from Shinobu Ono, soared over the bar. Towards the end of the first half, Clarke’s free kick fell to the head of Sophie Bradley, but unfortunately the effort flew wide. Nevertheless, the Lady Pies were leading 1-0 at the break. The Arsenal half time team talk must have invigorated the players, because they were more menacing in the second period. Leah Williamson saw her header tipped away by Notts keeper Carly Telford just four minutes into the half, but worse was to come. In the 54th minute, Ono’s effort was blocked, but the ball fell to Alex Scott, who then unleashed a fierce volley past Telford to make it 1-1. From then on it was virtually all Arsenal, as Danielle Carter, Rachel Yankey and Kelly Smith all had chances to score around the hour mark, while in the 72nd minute, Smith’s pinpoint free kick smashed against the underside of the bar before being cleared off the line. Notts, with their backs to the wall, survived an effort that had goal written all over it with just five minutes to go in the game – Freda Ayisi’s shot was cleared off the line by Bradley, with the rebound falling to Scott whose improvised effort was then deflected onto the bar and subsequently cleared in a flurry of franticness. That proved to be the last significant action of the game, and as the final whistle blew on a pulsating encounter, the home side surely would have been happy to secure a draw against such tough starting opposition. As it stands, only four of the eight teams comprising the FA Women's Super League have played their first fixture, and alongside Notts County and Arsenal, Birmingham City and Everton also drew 1-1.

Wow. That is today's game summed up in one word, though there are plenty of superlatives that would also be used, such as "exhilarating", "thrilling", "epic"... Notts fans today went through the whole gambit of emotions, from hope, to deflation, to despair, back to hope, then through to joy, then nail-biting tension, and finally the thrilling climax of exhilaration, and all in front of our faithful brothers and sisters from Turin, the Italian Magpies. Port Vale came to Meadow Lane and struck twice in the opening 25 minutes, threatening to derail County's Great Escape, but Jimmy Spencer struck just two minutes later to give the home side a glimmer of hope, before getting his second midway through the first half to pull things level. Jamal Campbell-Ryce then scored just after the restart to send Meadow Lane into raptures, but the Valiants then stepped up their game and threatened to pull a goal back, before JCR's second goal, in the 85th minute, proved a cathartic explosion of relief and joy as it confirmed that Notts would finish the game with all three points and drag themselves out of the relegation zone once again. Haydn Hollis’s suspension meant that Shaun Derry had to rejig things in the home defence. Regular left-back Alan Sheehan moved inside to partner Hayden Mullins at the heart of the back four, Gareth Roberts made his comeback to the squad at left-back to deputise Sheehan and right-back Curtis Thompson replaced Mustapha Dumbuya, who dropped to the bench. After a minute's silence for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, the game kicked off at 3:07pm, and after some opening exchanges by both teams, the first chance of the match fell in the eighth minute when Gary Liddle sent a header towards the back post, which was caught by away keeper Sam Johnson. Referees haven't exactly been the most reliable while officiating Notts games this season, and this game looked like being along the same lines, with Thompson being penalised for a foul despite it appearing clean, and a foul on Spencer being waved away. Eventually, these inconsistencies cost Notts, as a challenge on the right wing prompted the referee to award Vale a free kick. From the resulting set piece by Jennison Myrie-Williams, Thompson then cruelly deflected the ball into his own net. Moments after the goal, a horrendous Richard Duffy tackle on Jack Grealish was only punished with a yellow card, despite warranting a red. Vale then doubled their lead in more controversial circumstances in the 24th minute, as Thompson’s clearance appeared to be handled by Myrie-Williams. The opposition forward then dropped the young defender to the ground before his subsequent low cross saw Gavin Tomlin prod home, Sheehan’s desperate clearance being judged to have come after the ball crossed the line. Campbell-Ryce, who was sensational for most of the game, was responsible for orchestrating the home side's comeback; after beating a number of players on the flank, he sent a cross towards Spencer, who found the top corner with a thumping header. Shortly afterwards, the referee once again showed his credentials when he failed to award Spencer a penalty, despite being felled in the box. However, the youngster found himself on the scoresheet again midway through the first half when, following more great work from JCR, he sent a shot into the bottom-right corner to restore parity. Port Vale stepped it up a gear and could have scored again through Tomlin and Myrie-Williams in the ensuing stages, but early in the second half, Notts then struck again to move in front after being 2-0 down, to the emphatic roars of the Meadow Lane faithful. Grealish marauded into the box following a counter-attack, before sending the ball across the face of goal where Campbell-Ryce sent a shot into the back of the net. After the third goal, Vale became a side possessed, outraged that Notts had dared to turn a seemingly imminent defeat into a potential narrow victory, and the home side had to weather a series of attacks, though the defence and Bartosz Bialkowski worked miracles to keep the opposition's goal tally to just two. One such effort that stood out was a frankly heart-stopping sequence where, from the left flank, Tomlin cut inside and sent a shot goalwards that struck the post, with the ball then rebounding off Bart's back and falling to Tom Pope, who sensationally missed when it would have been easier to score. Eventually, came the strike that would guarantee a comfortable final few minutes for the Meadow Lane faithful, when the frankly unplayable JCR was supplied by Grealish before lashing an effort into the far corner, past Johnson, and lift the roof off Meadow Lane, fuelled by thousands of truly ecstatic Notts fans. And so the game would finish 4-2 to the Black and White Army, in front of the Italian Magpies, who will travel back to Turin having witnessed one of the great Meadow Lane games of the last few years, while for the club, it means that we are once again out of the drop zone, by the skin of our teeth, on 43 points. Carlisle United have a game in hand, so things are still going to be tense, but it's set up an absolutely enthralling finale to the season. I'm seriously going to need a holiday once this season's over to recover from this saga! Don't suppose anybody wishes to contribute to the "Send Joe Jones to Benidorm for a week" fund?

Notts County have met Staffordshire club Port Vale a grand total of 91 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 37 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). 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 without suspended centre-half Haydn Hollis, who serves a one-match ban for his sending off in last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Brentford. Notts look likely to choose from Dean Leacock and Manny Smith to replace him. Meanwhile, Port Vale are without skipper Doug Loft, who suffered an injury in training on Friday. Assistant manager Mark Grew says that some of their fringe players may get a chance at Meadow Lane, with striker Jordan Hugill looking a strong contender. Vale, who beat Notts 2-1 on Boxing Day, start the day seven points adrift of the League One play-offs. (On the plus side, however, at least we don't have to face Lee Hughes again - he's now at Forest Green Rovers)

Despite all the euphoria generated by Notts County's great three-match winning run against Carlisle, Crewe and Colchester, and all the positivity around the Great Escape campaign, the truth is that today's game away at Brentford was an incredibly tall order. The Bees are on fine form this season and are expected to earn promotion to the Championship, not to mention the fact that they've managed to get none other than Alan Judge on their books, and we all know what happens when former players face up against their old clubs. As a result, it should really come as no surprise that Brentford beat us 3-1 today, but there were sore points in that the home side raced into a three-goal lead before we got a consolation, not to mention the sending off of Haydn Hollis which will have repercussions in the remaining few games. And of course, though Judge owes Notts nothing and is a fine player able to make things happen, seeing him score twice against us is a bitter pill to swallow. Manager Shaun Derry made just one change to his starting XI from the team that won against Colchester, as Nathan Tyson was picked ahead of Jack Grealish. The Irish Messi caused trouble early on as he broke through on goal after a mistake by Hayden Mullins, but Hollis cleared the ball before any damage could be done, but the on-loan veteran made amends by denying Stuart Dallas not long after. The Bees were on the front foot during this period, with Dallas and Judge causing no end of trouble for the Notts backline, and things got worse for the away side when Hollis was shown a straight red for a lunge on Clayton Donaldson just after the half-hour mark and gave away a penalty. The nine outfield Notts men had to stand and watch as Adam Forshaw sent Bartosz Bialkowski the wrong way to put the Bees a goal ahead. Just before the break came the heartbreaking blow, as Judge, who left Notts for greener pastures at Blackburn Rovers, only to be sent on loan back to League One, made it 2-0 just before the break. The talismanic midfielder collected Alan McCormack's pass and fired home at the near post following a mistake by substitute Dean Leacock. Judge's second, his fifth goal since joining on loan from Blackburn in January, came after Bialkowski had twice denied Toumani Diagouraga from close range, the Irish prodigy hammering the ball into the net just after the restart to make the scoreline 3-0. Notts fans were in despair at this grotesque scenario playing itself out - Judge should never have found himself playing against us in the league, he should have been either playing for us or for a higher tier club! On the plus side, Jimmy Spencer's dry spell came to an end when he scored County's consolation with just seven minutes to go, when Mullins's ball found the youngster who then sent a lob over the away keeper to make the scoreline 3-1. This victory is Brentford's first in four matches, and moves them six points clear of third place. Wins for Tranmere, Carlisle and Crewe mean that we now slip back into the League One relegation zone, three points from safety and missing one of our form players for several games after yet another Magpies sending-off.