Joe Jones

Arguably Notts County's worst game this season, the Magpies lost this crucial game against Preston 1-0, the Lilywhites bad-tempered and the home team just bad, in a performance which disheartened, frustrated and enraged fans. Chris Kiwomya began the game in a 4-5-1 formation. The team was again somewhat depleted, given the absence of Dean Leacock and Alan Judge. Notts threatened first, as Francois Zoko won the team a corner in the second minute, which however didn't come to much. A decent signal of intent, however. Just two minutes later, Chris Beavon was denied by Manny Smith as Preston won their first corner of the game, and six minutes later, Beavon broke through and took a shot which deflected out for another corner. The action in the first quarter of an hour, save for the corners, was largely scrappy and dour, until the fourteenth minute when Joe Garner fed through the lively Beavon, whose powerful shot was again blocked by Smith. Four minutes later, Notts were once again under the cosh, as a headed clearance by Haydn Hollis was met on the volley by Lee Holmes, which flew just wide of the post. Jamal Campbell-Ryce was then subbed off as an early injury called time to his game, the winger being replaced by youngster Curtis Thompson. Notts' display was uninspiring and two-dimensional, and the fans in the Kop were genuinely heartened when Notts won a free kick midway through the first half, but before anything could happen after Sheehan's delivery, the whistle blew and the free kick was then given the other way. Cue groans from the Magpies faithful. To make matters worse, Preston then took the lead through an own goal from the young Hollis. William Hayhurst was given room, too much room, to cross the ball into the Notts six yard box, and the young defender saw the ball ricochet off his thigh into the net. A farcical own goal befitting a farcical display. More sloppy play from Notts very nearly saw the Lilywhites make it two, as Nicky Wroe's free kick met Holmes, who got two chances to cross, but first Gary Liddle cleared, then for the latter attempt, Bailey Wright couldn't get his header on target. As the half drew to a close, Holmes and Beavon continued to harass and torment the Notts defence, and the home team, amazingly, nearly found themselves drawing level as sub Thompson was played through by Jeff Hughes, but Declan Rudd saved. Hughes followed the save up with a volley which bounced off the crossbar, before Zoko brought the whole affair to an anticlimactic end by firing the effort high into the Kop. There was still time for Preston to nearly score one final time before the half-time whistle, as Beavon latched onto a clearance and, were it not for imperfect control and Bartosz Bialkowski's skill, would have made it 2-0. As it is, Notts were extremely fortunate to go in only a goal down. The second half began with intent, the young Thompson proving a handful on the wing with some dangerous crosses. Bishop and Showunmi caused havoc courtesy of his assists and very nearly pulled a goal back. More tedium followed before a classic route one hoof out of the Preston defence saw Beavon beat Smith before smashing the ball towards goal. Bialkowski proved once again the difference between a bad scoreline and a terrible one. Chris Kiwomya shifted his formation to 4-4-2 as Arquin replaced the lukewarm Zoko. The Frenchman got an early contribution in as he tested Rudd with a powerful volley. The rest of the game proved testing viewing for the Notts fans to say the least, as the home side couldn't penetrate the Preston defence and ended up playing what some have dubbed the "crab", that is playing the ball side to side. There was one final chance for Preston to rub salt into the Notts wound as Bialkowski joined the melee that was an injury time corner. Wroe claimed back the ball and attempted a long-range chip, but missed. The whistle blew to the sounds of boos and the atmosphere of displeasure and bemusement. This abject display of football, combined with the scoreline, means that the play-offs are all but gone. The season can't end soon enough now for the Magpies, given we have eight games left and nine points to make up. The sole positives to be taken from the game, aside from Bialkowski once again proving to be far too good for this division, is Curtis Thompson's promising, committed debut.

In the lower reaches of the Football League, the turnaround of players at football clubs is generally quite high. Contracts tend to be one or two year deals, and players who fail to make the grade are shipped out or let go before long, while better players are more inclined to make the step up to bigger clubs in higher divisions who can offer better wages and challenge for honours. Mike Edwards, however, bucks that trend. Over two spells, the combative defender has been on the books of Notts County for a combined total of over ten years, becoming club captain and playing over 300 games for the Magpies in the process. Born in Hessle, a town near Hull, on 25 April 1980, the Yorkshireman began his career at Hull City, joining the club as a trainee. He made his debut in December 1997 away at Rotherham United and turned professional at the end of the season. Edwards is loved by the Hull fans because, aside from making over 200 appearances for the club, he was the last East Riding protege to be raised and discovered locally and to work through the schoolboy and apprentice ranks to become a fully-fledged first team player. He was part of the famous Great Escape team of 1998/9, which survived relegation from the Football League after being rooted at the bottom of the table for much of the season, and continued to thrive under managers Brian Little and Jan Molby before suffering a cruciate injury. Peter Taylor arrived and, sadly for Edwards, decided to release him just as he was restoring his fitness. A short spell at Colchester United in 2003 was followed by a season at Grimsby Town, and in the 03/04 close season, he was signed by then Notts manager Gary Mills on a free transfer. He quickly established himself in the heart of defence for the Magpies, relegated from the Second Division the season before, but just ten games into the season, a cruciate ligament injury suffered against West Ham in the League Cup ruled him out for six months. As Mills was replaced by Gudjon Thordarson, the defender recovered and was back in the first team by the time the 2005/06 campaign began. A versatile and committed player, Edwards played all 50 league and cup games during the troubled season, both in central defence and central midfield, and did enough to earn a new two-year deal. The following season, his consistency, talent and commitment to the cause saw Notts finish the season comfortably in mid-table, a massive improvement on the year before, as well as embarking on a great League Cup run which saw them defeat Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Southampton (against whom he scored). His reward was the Player of the Season award and the club captaincy. In a cruel turn of events, Edwards then suffered another long-term injury in the 07/08 pre-season. A dislocated right ankle, fractures to both bones in his lower leg and ligament damage meant he was ruled out until the end of January. Notts missed him terribly, only surviving relegation by the skin of their teeth in the last two games of the season, and the club recognised his importance by offering him a new deal, the player more than happy to repay the faith showed to him by the club in the face of his injury problems. "Steady Eddy" was ever-present in 08/09, playing 43 league games as Notts, aided by points deductions to several teams in the league, survived another season in the Football League. http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01992/eljero-elia-mike-e_1992927i.jpg Then came the oddity that was the 09/10 season and everything that came with it, as Notts were taken over by the enigmatic entity that was Munto. A season that began on a high, with promises of investment and marquee players and staff coming to Meadow Lane, soon became a confusing and anxious mess as the takeover turned out to be fraudulent, but luckily there was a happy ending as the club finished top of the league and the ownership and financial issues were resolved. Despite all the uncertainty, Edwards played 40 league games and scored 5 goals as Notts were promoted with 93 points, and for his efforts was awarded another new two-year deal. Back in League One, Edwards initially lost his first-team place to the pairing of Graeme Lee and Krystian Pearce, but soon, unsurprisingly perhaps, won his place back, and played a total of 39 league games as Notts consolidated their position in the third tier. He also captained his side, and played his 500th professional game, in the fixtures against eventual FA Cup winners and future champions of England, Manchester City. The 2011/12 season saw Steady Eddy become one of a select few to play 300 games for the Magpies, reaching the milestone against Scunthorpe United in March, and also played against Juventus in the historic first game at the Juventus Stadium. When Edwards was only offered a one-year deal at the end of the season, he decided to up sticks for a more secure contract, joining Carlisle United, and it looked like the love affair between Notts and him would be consigned to history. Like all good love stories, however, this also came with a happy ending because, two years later, he returned to Meadow Lane as a coach, and also registered as a player to help the team out in times of need. As it turned out, Edwards played a total of 21 games in his first season back in black and white, scoring three goals in the process, and in 2015/16 he upped his game considerably, bagging FIVE goals in just 17 games - the kind of rate you could expect from an attacking midfielder - including TWO braces. In 2016/17 he was used much more sparingly, but still appeared twice from the bench against Cambridge United and Barnet in November, and this season, with the club under a new lease of life under Alan Hardy, he has been able to get on properly with his coaching role at last, although he is also registered as a player and can be called upon if need be. Mike Edwards' statistics speak for themselves. He has played or otherwise worked under TWENTY-FOUR different managers or caretakers at Notts - Gary Mills, Ian Richardson, Gudjon Thordarson, Steve Thompson, Ian McParland, Michael Johnson, Hans Backe, Dave Kevan, Steve Cotterill, Craig Short, Paul Ince, Carl Heggs, Martin Allen, Keith Curle, Shaun Derry, Paul Hart, Mick Halsall, Ricardo Moniz, Richard Dryden, Jamie Fullarton, Mark Cooper, John Sheridan, Alan Smith and now Kevin Nolan (hopefully the list stops there for at least a couple of years). He was a figure of stability, professionalism and consistency over one of the most turbulent eras at the club and is still giving his all for Notts now that stability is back. For all this and more, Steady Eddy will forever be remembered as one of Notts County Football Club's all-time greats. Share your thoughts and stories on Mike Edwards by signing up, visiting the Pride of Nottingham forum and joining the conversation. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County were lucky today against Crawley. Very very lucky. The amount of times they got out of jail today, you could write another series of Prison Break. Both teams were very attack-minded and got plenty of shots in, but some instances of slack defending by Notts would have surely seen Crawley pick up maximum points as they edged the Magpies on the attacking front. The referee, however, was very lenient, and you cannot blame the Crawley players and fans for feeling aggrieved when no penalty was given for Manny Smith handling the ball in the Notts box in injury time. The Notts team sheet was surprising to say the least. With Dean Leacock suspended and Alan Judge picking up a knock against Orient, the replacements came in the form of Smith and Hamza Bencherif. However, Francois Zoko, Yoann Arquin and John Cofie were all benched, with the untested Jacob Blyth the lone frontman in a 4-5-1 formation. The game began in a lively manner, Haydn Hollis facing up against Jamie Proctor early on and coming off best. Within five minutes, Neal Bishop released Jamal Campbell-Ryce early on and the winger won a corner, taken by Sheehan but easily cleared. Although Blyth was officially the lone forward, he was supported up front by JCR and Bencherif, the youngster serving a kind of support role for the others by knocking on headers thanks to his strong aerial presence. First proper chance of the game came to Proctor, whose strong effort from outside the box was tipped round the post by Bartosz Bialkowski. JCR, criticised in recent weeks for below-par displays, was on great form again today, the winger threatening down the wing with his swerving runs and decent crosses, and on ten minutes, even attemped to chip the keeper like Judge did against Carlisle, but Paul Jones wasn't beaten. Unlike the grittier displays of the last few games, Notts were very cohesive and played a strong passing possession game, to the point that the travelling fans began chanting "Ole!". However, Crawley also threatened, Matt Sparrow coming very close several times, but Bialkowski was in top form again. Half an hour in, a good run by JCR saw him find Boucaud, who then set up Hughes for a good effort which was tipped wide. The first half soon became very physical, as Hughes found himself both giving and receiving fouls, before Gary Liddle upended Nicky Adams for a yellow card. He also received a retaliatory foul later on for his troubles. The first half finished 0-0, both sides putting in a strong display and having several good chances on goal. After the food/drink/toilet/cigarette break, the 458 travelling Notts fans saw their team shoot towards their end, and the Magpies came at Crawley straight away, Bishop getting a shot in on goal, but the ref had already blown as Bencherif, ineffective in the first half, had fouled Jones. Ten minutes into the second half, Blyth's ball penetrated the Crawley defence on the counter-attack, but JCR couldn't connect. Just a few minutes later, Bishop went for a very ambitious effort from over 30 years out. The attack-minded Magpies were at times exposed in defence, and Adams was given way too much space outside the Notts box on 62 minutes, though he couldn't convert. Five minutes later, Adams was just a tap-in away from giving Crawley the lead, but Liddle did just enough to knock it out of play. Predictably, the first substitution of the day for Notts saw Bencherif replaced by Zoko. More get-out-of-jail antics ensued on 70 minutes as Hollis hit the ball against his own bar, Notts fans' hearts in mouths. Blyth was the next to go, Showunmi replacing the on-loan Leicester player, and his impact was immediate, testing Jones with two good attempts on goal. The final quarter of an hour was frantic, with both sides going all out for the win. Hollis made up for his earlier mistake with some sturdy defending, bailing out Boucaud and making some great tackles in the box to deny Crawley. JCR was the last player to make way for a benched team-mate, coming off for John Cofie. The loanee made a mistake soon after coming on, losing the ball and allowing Crawley to break, but luckily that came to nothing. The home team kept threatening, but they seemed to be suffering from the same problems as Notts up front, ie plenty of chances but nobody to convert into goals. Proctor flashed a header past the Notts goal but Liddle cleared. The last few minutes saw both teams huff and puff, but the whistle finally blew on a 0-0 draw which, in all fairness, seemed about right, but not before the controversial penalty appeal. In the grand scheme of things, another draw isn't the ideal result if we're to push for the play-offs, but the travelling Notts fans can be pleased with the boys' performance as a whole, especially Hollis, who surely seems to have made a first-team place his, and really, we were very lucky to survive the waves of Crawley attacks and escape with a point.

We're in the final lap now for the promotion places, and the sprint is on. The reward for those who finish in the podium positions is the opportunity to win a place in the Championship. Notts are one of those teams that are lagging behind the leading pack, but just as it seemed like they were building momentum and maybe, just maybe, would be able to edge into contention, they stumbled against Leyton Orient and the gap may now prove too wide to finish into the play-offs. Chris Kiwomya once against tinkered with his formation and began the game in 4-4-2, as Haydn Hollis partnered Dean Leacock in centre-back, Gary Liddle moved to right-back and Jeff Hughes was dropped to the bench. The O's started the game as the brighter side, and within ten minutes had the ball in the back of the net, but Charlie MacDonald was ruled offside. They continued pressuring Notts, who were barely able to even venture out of their own half and were guilty of losing and giving away possession a number of times. However, Orient weren't able to muster anything more meaningful than long range shots. A good break from Notts saw Francois Zoko find Jamal Campbell-Ryce, but O's keeper Jamie Jones claimed the ball from the cross. On 32 minutes, Notts took the lead in impressive fashion. Boucaud, Bishop, Zoko and Judge combined to split open the Orient defence before the skipper curled a great finish past Jones. 1-0 to the Magpies. Rattled, the O's came back all guns blazing, Jimmy Smith smashing the crossbar shortly after the restart. John Cofie, the Man Utd loanee, had to be withdrawn on 40 minutes as he suffered a facial injury, suspected to be a fractured cheekbone. Yoann Arquin came on for the youngster. Dean Leacock came close to doubling the Notts lead, while winger Moses Odubajo fired wide in injury time for Orient. Zoko was replaced by Jeff Hughes at half time, and the Northern Irishman's pace was instrumental in setting up Arquin early on in the second half, but the forward fired straight at Jones. After a few half-decent attempts by the home side, Notts then proceeded to undo all their good work so far as Leacock cynically fouled MacDonald in the box. Kevin Lisbie kept his composure in front of the loudly booing Notts fans and fired a cool, calm shot past Bartosz Bialkowski to draw the game level. The game opened up as both teams desperately chased a winner. Sadly for Notts, some of the issues of old resurfaced, as the forwards struggled to really test the away keeper, either firing wide or directly at him. Andre Boucaud attempted a powerful long-range shot but it whistled past the right-hand post, while in the final minute, JCR was denied after connecting with a defence-splitting chip by Alan Judge. At the other end, Hollis, having been superb all game, denied Romain Vincelot with a last-ditch block to keep the scoreline at 1-1. The final whistle finally blew on a frustrating performance which promised so much but delivered only a draw, which leaves Notts in tenth place. There are ten more games to go and Notts are seven points adrift of the play-offs, so you never know what could happen, but there is no more room for slip-ups now if Notts are to better last season's finish and squeeze into the coveted top six.

The sun was shining, the weather was mild, the sky was cloudless today at Meadow Lane. By contrast, the display on the pitch, save for a few bright spells, was overcast and grey, but crucially, Notts County finished the game with three very important points which ensured beaming smiles on the supporters' faces and left the club with a much better outlook for the rest of the season. Chris Kiwomya, forced to take Julian Kelly's absence into consideration - the full-back is recovering from a calf injury - switched the Notts formation to 3-5-2, slotting Jeff Hughes into the left wing position and shifting Alan Judge to central attacking midfield. The game began slowly, with a couple of half-chances by Carlisle in the opening exchanges, before Notts threatened in the eleventh minute, but John Cofie lost possession when close to goal. Francois Zoko, the former Carlisle player involved in the previous move, then set up Judge after beating Frank Simek on the left wing, but the Irishman's chip was caught by keeper Mark Gillespie. Carlisle had a good chance afterwards, when Gary Liddle blocked Liam Noble's goalbound effort, but afterwards, for a good twenty minutes, both teams were bogged down in midfield and not much happened. This changed all of a sudden when Cofie picked out Judge, who marauded into the Carlisle penalty box and, catching Gillespie off his line, majestically chipped the ball over the keeper. 1-0, 35 minutes played, the crowd delighted at what they'd just seen. Neal Bishop threatened five minutes later with a quick breakaway, but couldn't find a player to feed the ball through to. Shortly afterwards, a scramble in the Notts box very nearly led to a Carlisle goal were it not for another great goal-line clearance, this time by Alan Sheehan. In injury time, Notts nearly doubled their lead, but Zoko couldn't finish a move started by Sheehan, who crossed into the area. One player who stood out for Carlisle was Lee Miller. Although the majority of the time it was for bad behaviour and baiting the Notts players, he did get a good shot on goal in the 57th minute when a great Bartosz Bialkowski save denied him from six yards out. Just a few minutes later, Sean O'Hanlon was a dead cert to equalise, but again Bart managed to miraculously keep the shot out, so much so both sets of fans applauded him for his save. Later on in the game, Notts were under the cosh and needed Bart to bail them out again, James Berrett's fine hit parried behind by the Pole. The skilled Andre Boucaud, towards the end of the game, unleashed a thunderbolt from 30 yards which smashed against the crossbar and into the crowd, before a fingertip save by Joe Jones and a catch by Notts Joe ensured the ball was back in the keeper's hands promptly. Good honest ball work, no time-wasting and ball-spooning akin to ball boys working for trophy-winning Welsh sides. The much-maligned Miller finally received his marching orders in the last few minutes, as a headbutt on sub Joss Labadie earnt him a straight red card. His ignominious trudge back to the dressing room was accompanied by the very satisfying chanting of "cheerio, cheerio, cheerio" by the Notts crowd. Despite some last-ditch Carlisle pressure, Notts were well organised and kept the waves of attacks at bay, and when the final whistle went, it was a cause for celebration as the Magpies earned three desperately needed points, courtesy of the Irish Messi's solitary goal, and managed to keep a clean sheet. Notts remain tenth on 52 points with a game in hand, eight points off the playoffs, and unbeaten in five with three draws and two wins.

Every Notts fan, young and old, will know about, or at least have heard of, Jimmy Sirrel. The Glaswegian is undisputably the greatest manager in the history of Notts County. Once asked who was the best player in his legendary team of the early 1980s, he nominated his goalkeeper, giving the following reason: "In my opinion, the goalkeeper is the number one man in your team. You start with a point, and if he doesn't lose a goal, you get that. So if you score one, you've won." The goalkeeper he had in mind was a player he cared about deeply, spending a great deal of money on to bring him to England, as well as investing a lot of time and effort into making him feel welcome and appreciated, in turn becoming one of the top players in that great team. That player was Radojko "Raddy" Avramovic. Born in Sjenica, a small town in southwestern Serbia (then Yugoslavia), on the 29th November 1949, he began his career at FK Borac Čačak in 1969, before moving to NK Rijeka in 1974, where he established himself, playing 162 games in five years for the club. Meanwhile, in England, a decades-old rule about restricting the number of foreigners playing in the English league was about to come to an end. Previously, the FA had a rule in place whereby foreigners couldn't play professionally in England, with a couple of notable exceptions such as Bert Trautmann, who served time as a prisoner of war in England before playing for Manchester City. In 1978, the FA had to remove this rule, when the European Community deemed it contrary to the principles of free movement enshrined in the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Able to sign foreign players for the first time in 47 years, English clubs began scouting overseas, which saw the likes of Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa come to England. In Nottingham, Jimmy Sirrel, Notts' manager at the time, toured Europe for two weeks, and in that time spotted Avramovic playing for Rijeka. He reported back to then chairman Jack Dunnet saying he'd found "a goalie who would keep them in the Second Division", and persuaded Notts to part with £200,000 for the Yugoslav, a then record club fee. Sirrel would put a lot of faith and care into the keeper when he came over to England, aware of the potential issues such as homesickness and acclimatising that may have arisen. Raddy and his family stayed at Jimmy’s house at first until they bought a home of their own. At the beginning of the goalie’s career at Notts there was a social function at which Raddy bought all his new teammates a drink as a friendly gesture. A local Evening Post reporter who covered Notts saw this and wrote a piece about Raddy being a ‘boozer’ and a ‘big-time-Charlie’. The next time that reporter went to Meadow Lane, Jimmy physically got hold of him and had him thrown off the premises and banned from the ground. Avramovic made his competitive debut for Notts on Saturday 4th August 1979 in the Anglo-Scottish Cup qualifier against local rivals Mansfield, while his first league game was the 4-1 win against Cardiff City on the 18th August. In his first season, Notts' form was erratic and the club finished in 17th, but the following season was a completely different story, as the club exceeded all expectations to finish second in the league, behind a very strong West Ham side, to gain promotion to the First Division, the top echelon of English football. Avramovic was a key player, taking part in 38 out of 42 league fixtures and keeping sixteen clean sheets. Rather than finding himself out of his depth in the top flight, Avramovic excelled during the 81/82 season, playing all 42 league games as the club finished clear of relegation in the First Division and registered some impressive results, such as a 2-1 win against Arsenal in October and a 1-0 defeat of reigning champions Aston Villa. Such was his quality that Liverpool legend Ian Rush described how good he was in his autobiography when talking about their game against Notts in January '82. After maintaining his high standards of goalkeeping once again during the following season, helping Notts survive in the top flight for another year, Raddy left for Canada vith a view to play for Inter Montreal, but then-manager of Coventry Bobby Gould persuaded him to sign up for the Sky Blues, making his debut in a 2-1 home win over Leicester. He played a total of 24 games - 18 league games and a further six in cup competitions - in his brief spell for the West Midlands club, which saw him lose his first-team place after mistakes against Watford and Stoke, before he returned to Yugoslavia to finish his playing career with OFK Belgrade and to study law. Avramovic spent some time in Oman before becoming manager of Kuwait, leading The Blue to the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and winning the West Asian Games in 2002. He then became manager of Singapore, where he enjoyed his most successful spell at the helm, winning the ASEAN Football Championship three times - becoming the most successful coach in the history of the competition - and overseeing the nation's progress to the group stages of the AFC Zone World Cup 2014 qualifiers, a first for the team. After departing from that role, Avramovic continued his adventure in international management by taking the helm of Myanmar, where he stayed until October 2015. Whatever his future may hold now, Notts County has always been close to his heart, and likewise, the Magpies fans and hierarchy will always remember him for being a cult hero during one of the club's brightest times led by the club's greatest manager. Share your thoughts and memories of Raddy Avramovic on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Another match day, another bad first half, another good second half, another decent result. Notts' trip to Tranmere saw the Magpies a goal down at half-time, despite a decent performance, but once again turned it on in the second half, inspirational firebrand captain Neal Bishop with the equaliser which led to a frantic finish as both teams desperately tried to win it. Notts started the game with a 4-4-2 formation, Francois Zoko starting up front alongside John Cofie and Alan Judge on the left. The first chance of the game came on two minutes, as the frankly amazingly named Max Power fired wide for Rovers. Just three minutes later, Michael O'Halloran troubled Bartosz Bialkowski for the first time, the Notts keeper saving from the forward one on one, and another few minutes later, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro had a chance of his own. Tranmere were definitely the brighter side in the first ten or so minutes, although the Birkenhead club suffered an early setback as skipper Andy Robinson fell without any provocation and had to be subbed off. Jamal Campbell Ryce had a few bad moments in the opening instances, losing possession near the touchline, but he did power a very good cross to Zoko who sadly wasn't able to get a shot in, while Judge's ensuing effort was then wide. Another Rovers played then took a knock and had to be subbed off, Ian Goodison coming off for Donervon Daniels. After a fairly even opening 28 minutes, Notts were once again stunned in the first-half, as Abdulai Bell-Baggie fired from deep inside the penalty box low into the middle of the goal to gift his side the lead. Bialkowski came out very early, and Bell-Baggie took advantage of this to slide home. Notts, bemoaning the early loss of the clean sheet once again, nearly equalised from the off, as a cross by Judge was headed on by Neal Bishop and nearly converted by Zoko, while Julian Kelly, who equalised against Bury in the previous game, had another very good chance which was straight at Owain Fon Williams. The first half ended with the Magpies down on the scoresheet but certainly on the ascendency in terms of pressure and attacking, Tranmere lucky not to have conceded by half time. The first ten minutes of the second half saw both teams mostly bogged in midfield and creating a couple of half-chances comfortably cleared by the likes of Ash Taylor for the home side and Dean Leacock and Gary Liddle for Notts. Soon, both teams would spring into life, as Cole Stockton wasted a chance by trying to go solo, resulting in a block and clearance, while a few minutes later, Taylor's effort was bravely saved by Bart. In response, Jeff Hughes came close with a header in the 65th minute, saved by Fon Williams, while soon after Tranmere caused a scare with their first corner of the game, but Stockton's effort was just over. Eventually, Notts managed to come from behind once again, as has been the norm over the last couple of games, with a Judge free kick headed into the corner of the Tranmere net by skipper Bishop in the 73rd minute. Zoko very nearly proved to be the man to put his team in front again a few minutes later, neatly rounding the keeper when through on goal, but wasn't able to finish. On 83 minutes, a delivery by Judge was smashed against the post by Hughes, and buoyed by this action, the game became even more frantic, both sets of fans screaming for their teams to find that all-important winning goal and several players clashing - Power pushed to the Max of his patience and earning a yellow card for his challenge on Zoko - but despite both teams pushing for a goal, the defences were just as driven, and the game finished 1-1. An away point against a team challenging for promotion may sound like a fair enough result, but judging by the performance and Chris Kiwomya's reaction, Notts definitely had enough quality to win the game, so it may seem like two points wasted. Notts slide to tenth, nine points off the play-offs, but there is definitely a lot to build on, bearing in mind we gave one of the top teams in the division a difficult game, and the new manager has got the team playing good, exciting, promising football again.

The way Notts's games have panned out recently, the club may consider selling tickets for just the second half. Joking aside, another game of two halves, this time on a Friday evening in front of the Sky Sports cameras, saw Notts play disappointingly and concede in the first 45, before a scintillating second-half display, aided by some lacklustre defending, saw Notts tear Bury apart and score four goals to give the Magpies faithful a great start to the weekend. Chris Kiwomya played a 4-4-2 formation against the Shakers. Replacing Jeff Hughes and Jacob Blyth with Julian Kelly and Yoann Arquin, a tame opening period saw Notts play cautiously and in their own half, before Jamal Campbell Ryce, on fourteen minutes, threaded a ball to Kelly, whose cross was just too high for Arquin. The following ten minutes saw Notts assert themselves over Bury, but on 24 minutes, Notts found themselves behind after some hesitant defending was seized upon by Steven Schumacher. The midfielder intercepted Kelly's poor pass and fired a fine shot inside the right hand post past Bartosz Bialkowski. Not long after, Arquin's attempt was nervously spilled behind by Bury keeper Trevor Carson for a corner, but on the whole, Notts struggled to trouble him much more than that in the first half. There were many instances where the ball would be practically gifted to the opposition with a pass or cross to nobody in particular. The Notts fans soon voiced their bemusement, and by the half time whistle, after Bury had several more dangerous chances, the boos rang out. Notts were haphazard and shapeless. Nevertheless, the Notts fans had a quiet sense of confidence that the second half would bring a dramatic change in performance and possibly result. However, no fan would have foreseen just what was to come. Kimowya made one change, Francois Zoko coming on for Arquin. Bury started the second half as they finished the first half, confidently and dangerously. David Worrall and Nicky Ajose testing Bialkowski. However, Notts looked to be playing with more awareness and confidence, and just before the hour, the dangerous John Cofie threaded a pass through to Kelly, who cut inside Ajose and fired into the net, aided by a Joe Skarz deflection. Buoyed and ecstatic at having pulled one back, the Notts fans celebrated raucously, although the cheers turned to boos as Kelly was booked for his celebration. Meadow Lane only had to wait about more three minutes before Notts took the lead, as Andre Boucaud's chipped pass was misjudged by Ashley Eastham and Francois Zoko seized on the loose ball to fire into the bottom corner. The shellshocked Shakers tried desperately to retake a foothold back into the game, but a hopeful attempt by Schumacher was thwarted by Bialkowski. Now dominant, Notts soon added a third, as another great ball from Boucaud was poorly headed by former loanee Eastham, and Zoko, the substitute, beat Carson and tapped the ball into an empty net. The fans were truly loving it, and empowered by the increasing volume of the crowd, the Notts players took it upon themselves to attempt a couple of ambitious efforts, Gary Liddle nearly scoring from a 30-yard volley. Eastham was once again the culprit as he felled Judge inside the box, and JCR fired a confident penalty in front of the Kop crowd to take the scoreline to 4-1. The frustration soon got to the Bury players, Tom Soares' snarling challenge enraging the crowd and earning him a yellow card. As the Kop chanted "It's just like watching Juve!", Notts took their foot off the pedal and, despite Bury's forays into the opposition penalty box, they couldn't trouble the Notts defence further, and the game finished 4-1. This absolutely exhilarating second half display was the perfect start to the weekend for the Notts faithful, and also convinced Ray Trew to give Chris Kiwomya the manager's job on a permanent basis until the end of the season. Notts rise up to ninth, eight points off a play-off place.

The relationship between a great player and the football clubs he plays for is one of the most diverse aspects of football. Some players spend most or all of their career at one club - Jamie Carragher, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville come to mind. Some players will transfer between clubs multiple times, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Nicolas Anelka. And some are in between, who have played for just a few clubs but made enough of an impact at each of them to be loved by each set of fans. Michael Johnson is one such player. Born in Nottingham in 1973, Johnson played for the well-known Clifton All-Whites, a regional youth team whose alumni include Jermaine Jenas and Garry Birtles. In 1991, he made his debut for Notts County, away at Arsenal. It proved a baptism of fire for the then 18-year old, as a tough Gunners team containing stars such as Ian Wright and Tony Adams triumphed 2-0. Johnson also played against Coventry, Norwich, Sheffield United and Manchester City that season. Sadly, it was to be his only season with Notts in the top flight, as the Magpies were relegated that year. The 92/93 season, in the newly rebranded Division One, saw Johnson becoming a first-team regular, playing 37 league games as the Magpies finished 17th in a very tight league, just three points above the relegation zone. Despite being only nineteen, Johnson played with maturity and composure beyond his years, and never gave less than 100%. 93/94 saw Notts perform admirably and finish in seventh, just three points shy of the playoffs. Johnson was once again a permanent fixture in defence, playing 33 league games. The Magpies also made it all the way to the final of the Anglo-Italian Cup, where Johnson faced up to the mighty Gheorghe Hagi, the Romanian who would go on to lead his team to the quarter finals of the World Cup just a few months later. Sadly, the 17,185 inside Wembley saw Brescia lift the Cup after outplaying Notts and winning 1-0. 94/95 was a devastating season for Notts, as Mick Walker was sacked early on, and a succession of managers and unsettling off-pitch turmoil led to poor results on the pitch. Johnson played 27 league games but couldn't stop the team finishing rock bottom, though he did at least get his hands on some silverware by helping Notts win the Anglo-Italian Cup against Ascoli in March. http://i2.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article9991665.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/BP1197988.jpg The summer saw Johnson move to newly promoted Birmingham City for around £300,000, and his powerful, swift and committed defending saw the Blues consolidate their position in the First Division. From that first season, the team went from strength to strength each year, finishing higher and higher, as Johnson developed more as a player and added goalscoring to his repertoire. By 98/99, he was indispensable, having played in every league game that season and scoring five times as they made the playoffs, where they lost to eventual winners Watford. This year would also see Johnson earn the first of his twelve caps for Jamaica, coming on as a sub against Sweden in a friendly played in Stockholm on the 27th May. Johnson would experience play-off heartache twice more in successive years, before his team finally nailed it at the fourth time of asking by beating Norwich to finally reach the Premier League. Throughout that long, arduous and often deflating journey, Johnson was always a first team regular. Heartache of a different kind came as the second-tier team made it all the way to the League Cup final, playing in Cardiff against Liverpool. They took the Reds, who would finish the season with three trophies, all the way to penalties, where they sadly lost out in the most erratic and agonising of ways. In a bid to survive their first season back in the top flight, a spate of signings were made at Birmingham, which saw Johnson lose his first-team place. After playing just six games all season, he was allowed to leave, and, remaining local, he signed for Derby County. It didn't take long for him to win a place in the Rams' first team and the fans' hearts, as he played 39 games and scored once, helping Derby survive a tumultous season where they narrowly avoided relegation. http://www.city-of-football.uk/media/1223/johnson500.jpg?width=500&height=342 Unlike his time at Birmingham, where each season was consistently good and saw the team finish in the top six, Derby were challenging for the play-offs one year and fighting relegation the next. Nevertheless, Johnson was consistently solid and reliable, becoming club captain in 2005/06. The following season, under new ownership and under the tutelage of Billy Davies, Derby cemented themselves into the promotion positions, leading for most of the season before a late drop in form saw them fall into the play-off zone. Johnson was in the first-team picture playing 29 times, although injury problems saw him miss the end of the season, including the winning play-off games which confirmed Derby's place into the Premier League. Another promotion, another set of hearts won over. Because of a change of management and new signings being made in the close season, Johnson found himself out of the first team. Anxious to find the right club at this late stage in his career, the then 34-year old opted for Sheffield Wednesday, joining the club on an initial one month loan in September. He instantly made an impact as he helped the Owls pick up the first points of the season against Hull on 22nd September. Such was his professionalism, class and commitment that his stay was extended to three months, the maximum possible term for emergency loans. Back at Derby, Johnson, in a bit of a limbo, nevertheless showed immense professionalism to do his best for the club, and when he came on for the Rams in a cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday, that rarest of occurrences took place: both teams cheered his appearance and were chanting his name and praising him, a testament to a great professional and great man. Sadly, despite improving the squad and winning the fans' hearts in just thirteen games, a permanent contract at Sheffield Wednesday wasn't to be, as the Owls opted to sign a young Mark Beevers instead. The Owls' loss was the Magpies' gain, and on 29th February 2008, Notts saw the prodigal son return to Meadow Lane. Initially on loan, Johnson slotted straight into the back four and played twelve times, scoring the winner against Rochdale and helping the team narrowly avoid relegation. His final season as a player was with his hometown club, as Notts signed the player on a permanent one year deal. Another tricky season for the club saw Johnson play 29 times, his experience helping the club survive another year in the Football League. His final game came against Dagenham and Redbridge on 25th April 2009. Earlier on in the year, he was offered the chance to become youth team manager the following season, which he duly took up. During the enigma that was the 09/10 season, he temporarily took over the first team reins with Dave Kevan, and during his two matches in charge, he won one and drew one. Sadly - and how many times have I found myself saying the word in this article - things didn't work out at Notts, he was dismissed when Paul Ince was relieved of his duties and replaced by Under 12s coach Brett Adams. Not one to be affected by setbacks, Johnson carried on studying for his coaching qualifications, and in June 2012, he qualified for the prestigious UEFA Pro Licence. In October, he rejoined Birmingham, taking charge of the Under-16s squad in the academy. A campaigner for equality in sport, he demonstrated his coaching techniques in a FA-funded scheme aimed at promoting coaches and managers from minority ethnic backgrounds in August 2012, and in November, he spoke to the BBC about the lack of opportunities for black and Asian coaches, drawing from his own experiences in the field. Johnson has also involved himself in several ambassadorial roles, which include Help Harry Help Others, a charity raising awareness of brain cancer, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Real United Football Club, a Nottingham-based team set up to reduce substance misuse and related criminal activity amongst young people in Nottingham. In the last two years, Johnson has been an ambassador at Derby, where he carries out a wide variety of roles including coaching, mentoring, assisting corporate clients and media for in-house station Rams TV, as well as a board member at the League Managers Association and a founder member of On Board and Sports People's Think Tank, and his latest role - manager of Guyana. A tireless, inspirational man throughout his whole career in every venture he's been involved in, few players are as cherished and revered by so many different clubs, fans and people as Michael Johnson. What did you think of Michael Johnson when he was at Notts? Do you have any stand-out memories of him? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Walsall started the game brightly, and Bartosz Bialkowski, reinstated to the team after his injury spell, was forced into a save early on, a Jamie Paterson shot defused by Gary Liddle before being picked up by the keeper. Shortly after, Grigg rounded the Pole and could have scored if not for Alan Judge who heroically cleared the shot off the line. Neal Bishop, back in the team, attempted a wayward shot, but thirteen minutes in, the game appeared to have settled into a bit of a lull on the bumpy Bescot Stadium pitch. Fabien Brandy, who had a spell at Notts in 2011, was fouled by Alan Sheehan on twenty minutes, but the ensuing free-kick came to nothing. Half an hour in, Bialkowski rushed out to try and deny Paterson, but in the process fouled the striker and earned Walsall a penalty, which Grigg converted to give the Saddlers the lead. Buoyed by the goal, Walsall began threatening the Notts goal further. Brandy cut inside and fired, but Bialkowski came out on top. Just four minutes later, he powered a header towards goal which again was saved. As is often the case, former players are the most dangerous to play against, and Notts alumni Brandy and Craig Westcarr combined to breach the Notts defence, before Grigg's effort was skied. The half petered out uneventfully, save for a firework being set off from one of the stands which halted the game for a number of seconds, and 1-0 was the half time scoreline. The second half began brightly for Notts, who replaced Blythe with Yoann Arquin. Jamal Campbell Ryce cut inside in the Walsall area and fired towards the goal. His shot saved, the ensuing corner saw Jeff Hughes power a header against the keeper and scrambled clear. Shortly afterwards, Arquin and Judge weighed in with good efforts of their own, before a Sheehan free-kick saw Hughes and Judge again come very close to scoring. But 1-0 it remained at this stage. Liddle, having a great game, was the hero on the hour as a Westcarr chance was blocked by the defender. The Notts pressure in the second half finally paid off as Arquin, from a JCR cross, fired low into the corner, sending the travelling fans into ecstasy. 1-1, 66 minutes played, game on. On 78, a penalty appeal was turned down as Brandy was felled in the area, luckily for Notts. The ensuing counter attack however came to nothing. Just four minutes later, JCR bombed down the flank after Bishop won the ball back, before cutting inside and curling an effort towards goal, but this was saved. Just two minutes before full time, a Sheehan free kick was so nearly converted by Arquin, who completely changed the game after coming on, but the header was just wide. The closing stages of the game saw Gavin Mahon replace Hughes, and the game, lacking a climactic finish, ended 1-1, a precious away point against a dangerous side.

It's one of the most overused cliches in football. "It was a game of two halves". However, it perfectly describes today's game against Crewe, as the Railwaymen outplayed a lacklustre Notts in the first half, before the Pies' dynamic second half display ensured a share of the spoils. Playing in their first home game since January 22nd, Notts, in a 4-2-3-1 formation, started out well, debutant John Cofie earning a corner early with some good pressuring. Jamal Campbell-Ryce, arguably our best outfield player over the last few weeks, continued to impress, and managed to set up Cofie who, but for some bad footing, could have caused Crewe some trouble. Fabian Speiss has been nothing short of sensational since coming on for Bialkowski against Leyton Orient, and was called into action once again, as Ajay Leitch-Smith was fouled by Dean Leacock. The Notts defender was lucky to escape a booking, and the resulting free kick connected with Mark Ellis, but the young goalkeeper produced a stunning save to keep it out. Eight minutes in, Speiss once again showed his talent by tipping a Bradden Inman shot onto the post after the forward was given too much space, and not long after, Chuks Aneke was the next player to be denied, his long-range curler stopped by the young German. Cofie should have had a debut goal, but the referee disallowed the effort after Hughes was judged to have fouled Steve Philips. Jeff Hughes came close with a header from an Alan Sheehan cross, but on the whole, it was Crewe's half, and they got their reward when Gavin Mahon fouled Leitch-Smith in the Notts penalty area, and Luke Murphy converted to give his side a 1-0 lead on the stroke of half time. Chris Kiwomya must have given his players some very interesting words in the dressing room, because the second half brought an altogether different display form the Magpies. Cofie had the first shot of the half, before Notts, who reverted to 4-4-2 and replaced Mahon with Yoann Arquin, very nearly scored what would have been one of the goals of the season, an Alan Judge shot from 35 yards smashing against the underside of the bar but bouncing outwards. Eventually, the home team managed to get back on even terms, as the young Cofie, on loan from Manchester United, struck a low shot past Philips to make it 1-1. From the kick-off, Crewe pressed forward, and Murphy very nearly restored their lead, his powerful shot going just wide, but the momentum was clearly with Notts now. Another long range shot by Notts troubled the opposition goal, as Arquin fired from 30 yards, the effort just skimming past the post. A four-man defence, reinstated after some shaky performances, proved to be the right call, with the defensive performance much better than what the three-man formation displayed and the reinstated Julian Kelly supporting the front-line infantry with some great runs and crosses. The ever-dangerous Murphy more than met his match in the form of Speiss, who once again denied the forward, a stunning free kick saved by the truly fantastic keeper in the final ten minutes. Sheehan, another stand-out player, was agonisingly close to scoring a stunning winner, but his effort was just wide, and Notts, under pressure in injury time as the away side desperately pushed for a winner, rode out the storm and finished the game with a point. Truly a game of two halves, Notts' display in the second 45 made up for the poor first half, and will have provided Chris Kiwomya with plenty of food for thought, as the puzzle, though not finished, has definitely seen a couple more pieces slot finely together.

Whilst some players are able to drag a team to the next level, others are able to stop a team from falling into the previous one, inspiring their team mates and excelling where others are failing. A rare shining light during two of Notts County's darkest seasons, Glynn Hurst's goals helped keep the Magpies safe when they were at their lowest ebb, when "previous level" meant "non-league" and possibly "extinction". The Barnsley-born player, much like a lower-league Dimitar Berbatov, delighted and frustrated in equal measure, but will always be remembered fondly by the Notts fans. Born on the 17th January 1976, Hurst grew up in South Africa before returning to England, where he joined Tottenham Hotspur as an apprentice. In 1994, he joined his birthtown club, where, given his young age and the club challenging for a place in the Premier League, he spent time on loan at clubs like Swansea and Mansfield. Hurst played eight games for the Tykes in total before signing for Emley AFC (now known as Wakefield FC) in the Northern Premier League, where his impressive goal rate of twelve in fifteen appearances saw him snapped up by Ayr United, then in the Scottish First Division. It was during his three years with the "Honest Men" that Hurst established himself as a class striker; his two full seasons, in 98/99 and 99/00, he was the club's top goalscorer, with twenty and fourteen goals respectively, and by the time he left, First Division Stockport County paying £200,000 for his services, he'd netted 49 goals in 78 league appearances. Things didn't quite work out with the Hatters, his 27 appearances between February and December 2001 yielding just four goals, and he moved to Chesterfield before the year's end. With the Spireites, he had more success, scoring 29 goals during his time there over two and a half years in Derbyshire, but it is perhaps his final goal for the club which is the most remembered, his last-minute winner against Luton Town in the final game of the season ensuring Chesterfield, bottom at Christmas, survived the drop. Signed by Gary Mills with a view to rebuilding the squad following relegation and near-liquidation, Hurst rejected a new deal with the Spireites to sign for the Magpies, the striker debuting against Chester City in the first game of the League 2 season, and opened his account against Bristol Rovers a week later, his goal not enough to prevent a 2-1 away defeat. He put in a brilliant performance in the Pies' League Cup tie against West Ham on 21st September, before hitting a devastating hat-trick away at Rochdale four days later, prompting Mills to call him "...the best player at West Ham, and the best player here today." A natural goalscorer by trade, Hurst had great potential, and on form was a brilliant asset to the team, causing no end of problems with his bustling presence and talent in front of goal. However, Hurst was very much what you'd call a "confidence player", and although he was able to put in great performances, like he did against West Ham, Rochdale and Macclesfield in the first half of the season, his form, and as a result his confidence, dipped towards the second half, going eight weeks without a goal during one dry spell. Furthermore, there were many occasions where, sadly, his goals weren't enough to prevent Notts losing. However, despite this, he still finished the campaign with fifteen goals, a good achievement considering the team ended the season in 19th place. The beginning of the 2005/06 season saw Hurst back on form, scoring five in the first eight league games as the team propelled into the promotion places, before a fall-out with then manager Gudjon Thordarson saw the player dropped after a discussion between the two "became out of order". A month later, the striker bagged a hat-trick against Bury to give Notts the win, and two weeks later scored the first in a 2-1 win against Boston United, but despite being the team's top scorer, the combination of differences between player and manager and the club needing to cut costs saw Hurst released by mutual consent on the 29th December. Joining Shrewsbury a few days later, the striker scored on his debut against Wrexham, but he never quite regained his Magpies form, scoring just twice more in fifteen more matches. Back and achilles problems saw him lose his place in the Shrews first-team the following season, and to regain his form, was loaned to Bury. There, he burst into form, scoring five in five, impressing the Shakers hierarchy so much they decided to first extend his loan, then sign him outright. At Bury, it was a similar story to Notts - sporadic flashes of brilliance, followed by dry patches, with the occasional falling out with the coaching and management. He initially forged a fruitful partnership with Andy Bishop, but in 2007/08, his form once again dropped. He was nonetheless offered a new contract ahead of the 08/09 season, manager Alan Knill considering him to be a key squad player. In the summer of 2009, Hurst was released from his contract, and after playing a few pre-season friendlies with Chester City, spent time on the books of non-league Gainsborough Trinity, Hyde United and finally, FC United of Manchester. In 2011, Glynn Hurst officially retired from playing football, and after studying to become a teacher, he now teaches Religious Education at Sacred Heart Catholic College in Crosby, Liverpool. A good servant to the club during a tumultuous time, the Barnsley-born player will always be remembered fondly at Meadow Lane. Share your thoughts about Glynn Hurst on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

It's amazing how quickly things change. Just ten days ago, Notts County travelled down to London seeking their 23rd unbeaten game on the road against Leyton Orient, the one still shining light of an otherwise darkening season. Now, a four-match spell away from Meadow Lane has gifted us just one win, a laboured effort against abyss-destined Portsmouth, and three defeats. The latest one, against Stevenage Borough tonight, was the most disappointing, purely because of its predictability. Conceding an early goal? Check. Great build-up play but inability to convert chances? Check. The third box, which is conceding from set-pieces, stays unticked, at least tonight, but all three need to be addressed by the coaching team and players if we're to stop freefalling towards the lower echelons of the league, with a team that, on paper, should be challenging for promotion. Caretaker boss Chris Kiwomya made one change to the team that played Hartlepool at the weekend, Gavin Mahon replacing Joss Labadie in centre-midfield, while teenagers Greg Tempest and Tyrell Waite were on the bench. Stevenage, so often our bogey team, took only 21 seconds to go in front, and although it was quite freakish, Filipe Morais' shot deflecting off his team-mate into the path of Sam Hoskins, who converted leaving Fabian Speiss with no chance, you couldn't help but feel our three-man defence has not been so solid lately. Notts had the ball in the back of the net soon after the kick-off, but unfortunately Jeff Hughes' effort was disallowed for offside. The game settled before long, both teams having fair shares of possession, JCR being Notts' standout player, as per the last few games. He delivered some good crosses into the Boro box, but those weren't converted. Aside from an attempt from Stevenage to score another on the half hour mark, which Lucas Atkins failed to convert, it was all Notts from then on. The Magpies had six corners by half time, all in the last ten minutes, but none of these came to fruition and the half finished 1-0 to the home side, who had two players booked for bad tackles. David Gray's on Yoann Arquin was particularly horrific, and could have easily been a red. The second half started with Stevenage threatening, decent efforts from Gray and Greg Tansey being blocked by Dean Leacock, but Notts rallied to produce the best chance of the game so far, Arquin playing Zoko through but the Ivorian's shot just wide of the top-right corner. JCR then burst into the Stevenage box and saw his effort deflected, the rebound falling to Alan Judge whose shot was saved by Boro keeper Steve Arnold. The remainder of the game saw Notts and Boro trade chances, the former going through another spell of racking up corner kicks, before the home side, in a cruel twist of fate, then scored the second, despite all of Notts' efforts, as Gray's cross found Marcus Haber's head to beat Speiss and seal the victory. So at the end of the game, Notts remain five points off the play-offs, but considering we've lost our talismanic striker, are without a manager, and suffer from the same old problems resurfacing time after time - the brittle three-man defence, conceding early or from set pieces, and the toothlessness in attack - it's time to realise that this season is at risk of unravelling before our very eyes, and we must address these issues as soon as possible.