With only four wins in their last ten outings, Stuart Maynard and his EFL League Two promotion hopefuls, Notts County, are slowly seeing wobbly wheels at the top end of the division of late.

A 2-0 win in midweek, away to Grimsby Town, coincided with the return to the starting line-up of David McGoldrick, both he, and fellow strike partner, Alassana Jatta, finding the back of the net.

However, on Saturday afternoon, against visiting Chesterfield, County found themselves on the end of another defeat, going down 2-1, with all three goals coming in the final twenty minutes of a tight contest.

That, coupled with results elsewhere in the push for promotion, sees the Magpies in fifth place, level with Port Vale, and amongst a plethora of sides which, at present, sees ten points separating second to ninth – even the gap to leaders Walsall has been closed in recent weeks.

Against visiting Chesterfield, it would be they who’d take the lead, after seventy minutes, Aribim Pepple with the goal, heading home a Lewis Gordon cross.

Jarvis was on-hand to equalise as the game moved into the final ten minutes, netting his first County goal since moving from Hull City, following loan spells at York City, Scarborough Athletic, and League of Ireland side, Shelbourne, over the past few years, netting after a deflected cross into the box by Kellan Gordon.

The visitors however snatched the winning goal in the dying minutes when, following a skirmish in the home box, Tom Naylor was there to fire past Sam Slocombe, and give the visitors the points.

Notts County – Sam Slocombe, Lewis Macari, Matty Platt, Jacob Bedeau, Matthew Palmer, Kellan Gordon, George Abbott, Conor Grant (Charlie Whitaker, 71), Nick Tsaroulla (Will Jarvis, 71), Alassana Jatta, David McGoldrick

Slocombe, he returned to County’s on-field eleven during the midweek win over Grimsby, Alex Bass going off injured, falling awkwardly when gathering a free-kick, after just ten minutes of that game.

Defeat on Saturday, again proved costly for the Magpies and, coupled with victory for Vale, they’re now more in danger of slipping out of the playoffs, than moving into the automatic promotion places.

League One leaders were held to a 2-2 draw away to Bromley on Thursday night, whilst on Saturday, in-and-around County in the table, it was defeat for second place Bradford City, going down 1-0 to visiting Tranmere Rovers, with AFC Wimbledon moving back into third place, on goal-difference from Doncaster Rovers, after their 2-1 win at Carlisle United (Callum Maycock and Alistair Smith netting early in each half for the Dons), Doncaster being held to a 1-1 draw away to eighth place Crewe.

Port Vale brushed aside visiting MK Dons to move level with County, goals from Lorent Tolaj, Jayden Stockley and Ben Garrity giving them a comfortable, 3-0 win, whilst Colchester United also bagged three, in a 3-0 win, at home to Fleetwood Town, to move seventh, their second half goals coming via Lyle Taylor, Owura Edwards, and Jack Payne.

Grimsby Town meanwhile remain on the fringes of the playoffs despite a 1-0 defeat at home to Salford, ahead of the next round of matches, with all but Doncaster in action, playing on Saturday 22 March; County have the lunchtime kick-off when they play host to Crewe, with leaders Walsall travelling to Gillingham later in the day.

Also that Saturday there’s AFC Wimbledon vs. Barrow, Bradford vs. Colchester, Port Vale vs. Morecambe, and Grimsby vs. Newport County.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @ChesterfieldFC action from Saturday’s defeat at Chesterfield.