Notts Climbing After Cambridge Win

Notts County moved into the EFL League Two play-off places on Saturday afternoon as Alassana Jatta’s brace fired them to a 2-0 win at home to Cambridge United, a fifth on the spin at Meadow Lane.

The victory for Martin Paterson’s side saw them move into fifth place, level on points with that of MK Dons and Grimsby Town, and just two off the current leaders, Walsall.

It’s tight at the top in League Two as well, with the top seven separated by three points, and the top ten by four points, as side jostle for position heading into the winter foray.

In hosting Cambridge, the Magpies would go in go in goalless at the break as both sides struggled to create any serious, goal-threatening opportunities, Kelle Roos (County) and Jake Eastwood (United) pretty much by-standers for the most part.

County boss, Paterson, was forced into making a change midway through the first half when defender Rod McDonald was replaced by Lucas Ness due to injury, whilst the visiting U’s had probably the best chance of the half when James Gibbons headed wide of Roos’ upright.

The hosts did put the ball in the back of the net early in the second period following a free-kick, but Jatta’s effort was ruled offside, before both he, and Lewis Macari, saw further chances go begging.

County did however make the breakthrough as the contest ticked into the final twenty minutes when a floated cross from Jodi Jones was headed over the line by Jatta at the back post.

With the lead in their sails, County finally wrapped up the points as the game headed towards stoppage time, and again it would be Jatta netting, firing home from the edge of the box having caused chaos in the visiting box.

NOTTS COUNTY – Kelle Roos, Lewis Macari, Rod McDonald (Lucas Ness, 22), Jacob Bedeau, Nick Tsaroulla (Keanan Bennetts, 62), Scott Robertson (Tom Iorpenda, 62), Matthew Palmer (capt), Jodi Jones (Maziar Kouhyar, 78), Conor Grant (Matthew Dennis, 62), Tyrese Hall, Alassana Jatta

Meanwhile, in League One, Mansfield Town were held to a 1-1 draw when home to Wigan Athletic in the lunch-time kick-off.

Nathan Moriah-Welsh’s right-wing cross was fired home from fifteen yards out by Will Evans just after the half hour mark to give the Stags an interval lead, only for Ollie Cooper to earn the Latics a share of the spoils just before the hour mark.

The point for Nigel Clough’s charges sees them sitting in eighth place in the table, five points behind Lincoln in the last play-off spot, and seven off the joint-top trio of Cardiff City, Stevenage, and Bradford City.

Next up for the two Notts clubs, Mansfield welcome third bottom Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday (28 October) night, before Harrogate Town visit on Saturday (1 November) afternoon in the FA Cup First Round; as for County, they travel to Brackley in their next outing, on Saturday (1 November), also in the FA Cup First Round.