@super_ram I’ve just watched the highlights of the Derby game, they were very unlucky you must be gutted.

9 minutes ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

@super_ram I’ve just watched the highlights of the Derby game, they were very unlucky you must be gutted.

Yes I am @Fan of Big Tone.Didn't really get going till second half but I thought their pinball goal was a bit fortunate and offside.We were virtually camped in their half the second half  but there seemed to be an invisible force keeping the ball out of their net.Luton did defend very well but were also very lucky.I felt really low at the end of the game. It seemed that everything was against us.What with the neverending injuries and questionable officials ,but not all bad news with later results.For neutrals a very exciting end to seaon coming up but not what I was hoping for today,Rams and Notts fight on.

Credit where credit is due, that was a big improvement last night. We probably deserved the 3 points. The only negative was a lack of composure in front of goal. Automatic promotion is unlikely at this stage but you never know in League 2. It's one of the most unpredictable leagues in the world. 4 points should be enough to secure a playoff place. 

Not going to lie I had pretty low expectations for the match so I was pleasantly surprised at how well we performed in the end.

I think a draw was a fair result, neither team was really able to open up the other team’s defence but there was no lack of effort or endeavour from anyone.

I think we looked slightly more assured at the back then them, midfield was solid but the attack just lacked a touch of cutting edge at times. Jatta has looked like a different player these past few games though, he’s seemingly lost all his physicality and balance. Have we just exhausted him or did someone switch places with him when he was on international duty with Gambia?

Need to win at home on Monday now, otherwise that point will have been in vein.

#waffle1183 4/5

streak: 78
#wafflediamondteam
wafflegame.net

#waffle1183 2/5

streak: 45
#wafflesilverteam
wafflegame.net

#waffle1184 5/5

streak: 373
#wafflewizard
wafflegame.net

Wordle 1,399 4/6

Wordle 1,399 4/6

Wordle 1,400 4/6

Connections
Puzzle #677



I'm Showing off @Fan of Big Tone

23 minutes ago, super_ram said:

Connections
Puzzle #677



I'm Showing off @Fan of Big Tone

Well done @super_ram I honestly didn’t have a clue and couldn’t imagine anyone getting it. No wonder they call you SUPERram. 

10 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

Well done @super_ram I honestly didn’t have a clue and couldn’t imagine anyone getting it. No wonder they call you SUPERram. 

 @Fan of Big Tone ,the green horror movie line came to me almost immediately.The yellow interjection line took a bit longer.With half the words eliminated the purple,personal property line became easier.The blue,pick line was silly.Sometimes I get lucky, I often run out of patience ,very occasionally I am SUPER.

No game has been easy in league 2 this season. There are at least 16 teams that have had a genuine chance of being promoted. It has been an extraordinary season one way or another.

Stuart should select the same team that started against Bradford. If the team show the same commitment and energy that they showed against Bradford, Notts should win through, but it won't be easy.

This one feels definitive, don't it? Win and depending on results, maybe a bit of final day magic is on the cards for the Automatics. Lose and depending on results, there is going to be a bit of final day panic.

League Two has been carnage this season, almost feels like no one has wanted to win the league at times although Port Vale have picked up the pace at the right time.

Don't think I'll be going on Monday but would be remiss to let that final day go by.

I’m half wondering whether Didzy from the bench might help both him and us. Give him the last 35 minutes against a tiring Cheltenham defence? I’d also be tempted to give Jatta a break too, I feel Traore might actually do better if he starts and plays upfront. Controversial but I’d start Jarvis over Jodi right now, I’m still not convinced playing at wing-back suits him but I really like him when he’s on the ball and going forward. I guess if the team is released on Monday and Jatta, Didzy & Jodi aren’t in it everyone will be panicking!

My guess is that none of my thoughts will happen though, maybe just one/two changes from Thursday. Whatever the team I just hope we go for it a bit more from the off. We need to get out this rut of poor home form, I really don’t like these non-event first halves we have succumb to at the minute. When was the last time we scored a goal in the first half at home? Feels like it was months ago…

I can't remember a season like this in league 2 when every week many of the top teams are losing or drawing in such high numbers.

Walsall just avoided another defeat by a few minutes at the end. Port Vale lost, Wimbledon drew 

Just one team from the top eleven winning

The team currently in 13 th place, Bromley, are still mathematically in with a chance of making the last playoff space with 3 games to go.

It'll be exciting up to the final day. From our point of view, one more win will almost certainly see us in the playoffs - Colchester and Grimsby would then both need a minimum of 7 points to overtake us, which I don't see happening with their remaining fixtures. As for the top three, we're outsiders now but all we can do is win our games and see what happens. 

Mad that Walsall have dropped out of the top three. After 23 games they were 12 points clear at the top, but since then they've picked up just 24 points in their last 20 games. That's virtually relegation form for nearly half the season. 

Considering we’ve only won 3 games since March it's nuts that we could still possibly finish in the top 3! I'm still looking the other way so I’m just glad that none of the play-off chasers won. Today’s results were almost perfect for us.

I think I'd have Abbott, Didzy and Bedeau as my top 3. Not much between them, except one did something extraordinary  

Come on folks, in the words of Hughie Green (who remembers him?)

VOTE VOTE VOTE BECAUSE YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

Poll has closed.

David McGoldrick has been voted the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match against Bradford.

The Captains have tossed the coin and Notts won the toss and will bowl first.

Notts team has been named

Early lunch taken due to persistent rain.

Warwickshire are 34 for 2.

Only 40 minutes of play was possible today due to persistent rain.

Warwickshire are 34 for 2.

Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Millwall

Coventry City 1-0 West Bromwich Albion

Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers

Stevenage 2-1 Blackpool

AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Chesterfield (Joker)

Fleetwood Town 1-2 Barrow

Altrincham 2-2 Rochdale

Boston United 1-1 Wealdstone

Blackburn Rovers v Millwall 2-1JOKER

Coventry City v West Bromwich Albion 2-2

Bolton Wanderers v Wycombe Wanderers 2-1

Stevenage v Blackpool 0-2

AFC Wimbledon v Chesterfield  2-0

Fleetwood Town v Barrow 3-1

Altrincham v Rochdale 0-1

Boston United v Wealdstone 2-0

I can't believe I forgot. If only the person running this had sent me a reminder. 

Didn't want to post the current scores because it's just a bit unfair and dodgy. I know it's tongue-in-cheek  

Not sure I can really count scores from the second half @ARLukomski. But if there's an outcry I might give you your one point back

I'll post the scores tomorrow if I get the time. The next round is coming in the next few minutes...

The results:

Cardiff City 0-1 Stoke City
Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Oxford United
Barnsley 4-1 Bolton Wanderers
Bristol Rovers 1-2 Exeter City
Accrington Stanley 3-3 Tranmere Rovers
Morecambe 0-2 Carlisle United
Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1 Hartlepool United
Tamworth 4-2 Braintree Town

---

This round's glorious winner is @4everapie! But points were at a premium for most...

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That doesn't change the table much, with @super_ram staying top for now.

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Tomorrow (Good Friday) we've got another round on, and the fixtures are online already. So if you're not at Valley Parade right now (and why not?), have a go! Good luck  

Prepare for windy weather on Wednesday 

Your Weather Forecast for Thursday 

Your Weather 4cast for Good Friday 

Final League table for this season.

Nottingham Panthers finish third. 

The end of season playoffs awaits.

Nottingham Panthers are in the end of season playoff semi finals.

They will play Sheffield Steelers in the semi final.

What a season it has been for Nottingham Panthers. Third in the league, & now a place in the playoff finals weekend with an opportunity of becoming playoff Champions.

I wasn't aware he was in management or coaching to the level he could be appointed as one, so it's pleasing to see. Rotherham United have had a disappointing campaign, and I don't know the ins and outs, but at one point I thought all their good work in recent years might be undone.

Am I the only one who wouldn't recognise him now, though? He looks very different.

@Chris No, you are not the only one who didn't recognise him. I actually assumed that article was bad journalism as the picture appeared to show a man in his late 50s! I genuinely couldn’t believe it until I googled Matt Hamshaw - he's only 43! He's younger than Stuart Maynard! 

Apologies, I did scroll down the forum and couldnt see it had already been posted. Off to Specsavers for me now

Match report

Let's hear from the Manager, Adam Dunleavy, on the Sunday afternoon win.

Well done ladies. 

He's head and shoulders above anyone else for his age. Hope he wins it.

Ah, I haven't really kept in the loop recently, and I remember him missing the last game I attended. My mind, for some reason, jumped ahead of itself, and I thought this was going to be about him being injured and ultimately recalled by Spurs. Thank God, it's not this.

He does deserve to be nominated as one of the runners for the award, he's been brilliant.

George Abbott is up against Nathan Lowe and Bobby Pointon of Bradford... I'd make him the favourite, I think Nathan Lowe only having played 22 matches in League 2 is a bit unfair against the other two.

In terms of Player of the Season for League 2 Cheek, Molyneux and Lowe (again) are the candidates. I am slightly surprised Didzy didn't get a nomination.

No idea why only 3 players have been nominated in these categories, almost makes it look like there's no-one in League 2 worthy, especially when one of the candidates only played in the League for half the season!

Just the result Notts needed.

I watched the last 20 minutes of this match, neither team looked that good for the portion I saw, N’Mai the Salford player that tormented Notts wasn’t playing, I learned later he’d been substituted on 50 minutes and their centre back Tilt who had a superb game against Notts keeping Jatta quiet was sent off in the dying minutes so he’ll miss the next game.

I would feel happier if Salford City missed out completely with the playoffs. I think they would be a real threat to us - even if they do waste time. They have us sussed to the point we look useless against them. A draw is about the right result, although despite my nerves about Salford, I think even if they had won it would be a stretch to compete with Colchester United, Chesterfield, plus us and those in the playoffs already.

Winning Bradford City would be a big boost for us, but looking at the form of all 24 teams this season has been very hit and miss for all involved with promotion hopes.

@Piethagoram I merged your topic with @Robbie's which he'd posted earlier. 

How embarrassing is the MK Don's social media post, that's not what you write when you have had two managers already this season and sacked the replacement. Yes, Carlisle United wanted Mike Williamson, but even that was an embarrassing appointment (even though I hoped it would work out for Carlisle). Paul Warne, I think will start to turn things around, and I can see MK Dons being better, but I do wonder if "better" will be good enough for a plastic club like Franchise FC?

Imagine if their media team used "We've got our man" every time they hire a new manager, or sign a player from a club more successful than them.

I can't express how silly it is in words.

I'd love to see Jodi swinging his shirt around his head on the last day of the season as he scores the goal that secures Notts promotion to League One. 

I am sure it will be a big boost when Jodi is back to full fitness, and whilst I love his drive, Notts does need to be careful (as does Jodi). He's a great player, and I would hope any frustration from not playing or feeling like he could have changed our season, doesn't push him too far or too quickly. It's not that I want to see him doing the talking on the pitch, I think Jodi's drive can be infectious, but I do feel there's a risk since he's suffered setbacks twice this season.

The emphasis on pursuing automatic promotions reveals an underlying push within our ranks, which I do wonder if some players have doubts or feel they could have done better at times. The pressure needs to be forgotten at the end of the day, as does the frustration. If the players focus and work as a team, they will be just fine regardless.

I agree @Chris that Notts need to be careful with Jodi. Of course there will be pressure to play Jodi, but I don't think that it is feasible that he will be fully match fit this season.

Notts can still use him from the bench half way through the second half if they need inputus or need to change things.

But I do think it's important to ensure that Jodi doesn't break down again. A fully match fit Jodi at the start of next season needs to be the goal.

Carlisle are owned by a very wealthy American family too they have assembled (badly) a massive squad.

Salford having the 23rd worst attendance with an average of 2,800 fans each match but the 4th biggest payroll means it’s a very expensive vanity project for the Class of 92! I'm probably bitter after the two losses against them but I really don't want them to finish in the play-offs!

If anything, that table shows spending big isn’t really working, only Bradford are really bucking that trend. The rest of the top 7 all have a lower-table budget.

I'm not sure where these figures are from, but they seem a bit on the high side. The season we were relegated to the Bananarama Premier, we were League Two's top spenders on 3 million for the year while two or three clubs didn't evenmake seven figures. In League One a few years before, about 2.5 million was enough to place us in mid table in terms of budget.

I find it hard to believe wages have grown that much, unless these are for overall club expenditure and not just playing staff?

I don't find it surprising that we're not near the top though. Most of the teams are about where I expected, with the exception of Colchester. 

It would be interesting to be able to compare clubs finances more equally, as this doesn't really factor in if owners/clubs are overspending or are making smart decisions not to overspend on the payroll. I also assume this only takes into consideration the players wages rather than staff.

What is interesting is seeing how much each team is spending on the player positions. Notts seem to have focused on attack and midfield, with the defence not all that far behind. If I could access the previous seasons, it would probably paint a picture of why we weren't as strong defensively as we are now. As for Notts being placed where they are, I don't think it means much in the grand scheme of things.

It does highlight and reflect well on our recruitment because on paper I believe we do have a squad very capable of winning promotion.

Also, some teams have purchased players and thrown wages on them in a bid to succeed. It really goes to show just how important the right balance is, having a squad that's together and a club focus on moving forward. We are making good progress; we need to remember this.