Notts County 3-2 Chesterfield (National League Play-Offs Round One) 05.06.21

If Carlsberg did football it would probably end in 4-0 perfect wins for our teams most weeks, but in many cases, if Carlsberg did football, Saturday should be the perfect product to showcase the beautiful game. Every emotions from excitement to tension, fear and delight, Notts County verses Chesterfield in the good old fashioned English play offs had everything to enjoy.

It started with the sun coming out, not a cloud in the sky, heat well into the twenties, the drive over Trent Bridge to see the pubs packed again with fans sitting outside pre-match, dressed in black and white beneath bright blue skies. The Stadium slowly filling, evenly spread fans throughout the County Ground making a right old racket ahead of the game.

As the atmosphere built up you could feel today was going to be special. The fantastic green lush surface of Meadow Lane was about to play carpet to a memorable match indeed.

Notts went behind when Danny Rowe smashed home a stunning free kick after 27 minutes but Kyle Wootton levelled three minutes later when Rodrigues charged down a clearance to round the keeper with the ball falling to the Notts striker to finish off before Liam Mandeville put the Spirites ahead at the break. An entertaining first half which didn’t go Notts way.

Fans nervous, irritated that their side were behind but optimistic that things could turn around, a second half onslaught would see the Magpies lay siege on the Chesterfield goal.

Pivotal to the applied pressure was an injury to the visitors goalkeeper James Montgomery who could hardly move, Chesterfield hadn’t bothered with a sub goalkeeper, Notts put balls in to the box to test the shot stopper who hobbled throughout the half, then finally, on 71 minutes Wootton levelled for a second time,  prodding home from an Ellis flick, the crowd went mad, County in the box seat. Finally.

Chesterfield looked dangerous on the break, but Notts kept chucking balls into the box. I lost count on how many corners, time was ticking, 88, 89, then Mark Ellis, who else, stepped up.

Ellis rose like a salmon to head home a perfect Rodrigues delivery, as he always seems to do, the big defender on loan from Tranmere with his sixth Notts goal in fifteen games, strikers form, he hadn’t scored for a few, a drought of five since the one at Barnet. Meadow Lane shook, the noise you could hear across the Trent.

As the wheelbarrow song was sang by all, County endured nervous moments too, as injury time went deeper than it should, delayed by the Notts goal celebrations, Chesterfield threw a last ditch kitchen sink.

Slocombe made a fine save, diving to his left in front of the kop to deny a 20 yard fizzer from flying into the top corner. The resulting corner-kick caused panic, Slocombe dropped, the ball bobbled, legs were poking and prodding the ball towards goal as Brinkley cleared from beneath his crossbar, hearts in mouths, suddenly the Referee blew for full time, the biggest uproar of joy seen in these parts at a live football match for well over a year!

Players celebrating together with staff jumping up and down, fans celebrating together in the packed stands, kids aged five to elders nearer ninety-five all as one, Ian Burchnall fisting the air as his stars of the day hugged whilst the County crowd sung.

A game that had everything, including the perfect outcome.

Notts know there’s still a lot to do. Torquay United away in the semi-finals on Saturday will provide an even stiffer test to come, but for now, let’s enjoy the moment and enjoy the best game of the season in the National League for what it was, because if Carlsberg did football, that would be it.

Notts County: Slocombe, Brindley, Ellis, Rawlinson (Knowles 46), Chicksen, Miller, Doyle, Reeves (Kelly-Evans 90), Boldewijn, Rodrigues, Wootton.

Chesterfield: Montgomery, Carline, Clarke, Evans, Whittle (Taylor 78), Weston, Maguire, Gunning, Mandeville, Oyeleke (McCourt 58), Rowe (Tyson 66).

Venue: Meadow Lane (5,000)

*Main image @Official_NCFC Mark Ellis scores to send Meadow Lane wild.