Dare We Dream?

Maidenhead United 0-4 Notts County (National League) 11.05.21

In a not so funny way, are we going to remember the ‘Maurice Ross Moment’ as the one that finally ‘galvanised’ this Notts County squad into doing something special? Whilst not supporting or condoning what the recently sacked Magpies Assistant said, allegedly, towards Enzio Boldewijn during the draw against Altrincham, one thing is for sure, that ever since, the football team have been brilliant.

Ian Burchnall’s ballers made the trip south to Berkshire off the back of two impressive wins and hoping to make it a hat-trick of victories as they aimed to push themselves well and truly into playoff placings in the National League. The turn of Maidenhead, also known as the Magpies, them that beat a Neal Ardley scratch XI back in October at Meadow Lane, a side then ravished with covid, the game should not have gone ahead, Notts played that day, lost, and that ended a run of three wins in a row for County, the best run of the season, until now.

An unlikely hero would be the man who stole the show, enter Jim O’Brien on ten minutes who had two bites of the cherry to put County one up.

Notts impressed and pressed in a first half where chances were created, Miller firing over before Rodrigues forced two saves from Lovett in the Maidenhead goal.

An injury to the home team goalkeeper shortly after half time meant that midfielder James Comley would have to go in goal and from that moment Notts advantage grew, on 65 O’Brien grabbed his second of the night finishing coolly after good work by Calvin Miller.

Ten minutes later it was three, a hat-trick for Super Jim, who smashed a penalty home after Wootton went down.

Still time to mention another star of recent weeks, it wasn’t too late for Ruben Rodrigues to get in on the act. His 83^rd minute goal was his fifth in four matches was one that rounded off yet another perfect performance, a third win on the bounce, 11 goals scored in those three games too, Notts under Burchnall, starting to find their feet.

The win takes Notts to fifth in the table, an outside chance now lies for Notts to try and get into one of the higher play off positions but just being in the mix is positive in itself, especially after the scrutiny Burchnall has come under for a tricky start in charge of his County career.

Positivity is well and truly in the camp, teams will be looking at the one to avoid playing right now, that one team coming into form, this is Notts County, who play Bromley at the weekend, at the Lane, on Saturday, where another win will for the first time see the Magpies do four on the bounce, that hasn’t been done since pre-covid times.

Maidenhead United: Lovett (Kelly 50), Ince, Coley, Comley, Massey, Ofori-Twumasi, Orsi-Dadomo, Wiltshire (Egan 46), Wells, Sparkes (Smith 78), Parry.

Notts County: Slocombe, Chicksen, Doyle (Sam 83), Rawlinson, Ellis, Kelly-Evans, Reeves, Miller (Brindley 85), O’Brien, Rodrigues (Griffiths 83), Wootton.

Venue: York Road