Notts Into Promotion Places

Notts County hit the EFL League Two automatic promotion places following an entertaining, 2-1 victory away to Cheltenham Town on Monday night.

After a first half performance that excited County boss, Martin Paterson, the Magpies’ start to the season continues to go from strength-to-strength, he saying afterwards that:

“When you come to Cheltenham, historically it’s a tough place to come and people forget that sometimes when you look at the league positions it’s far too early to be looking at those.

“….the first half was one of the best we’ve played so I’m pleased with the lads.

“Second half, because of their (Cheltenham’s) improvement, we struggled a little bit and they shaded it a little.”

It would see a first defeat for Cheltenham since a return to the club for manager Steve Cotterill, but this County side, they’re looking to go one better than last season’s final outcome.

County had the majority of the opening quarters play, their front-line of Conor Grant, Tyrese Hall and Alassana Jatta getting into all sorts of positions, the opening goal finally arriving for the visitors after 21 minutes,

A corner on the left is deflected into the mix off Tom Iorpenda and Jatta is on-hand to slam the ball past Joe Day from close-range to open the scoring; it was his sixth goal in six games as County looked to continue their charge towards promotion.

One quickly became two for the visitors as their dominant, first half pressure, paid dividends when Nick Tsaroulla found Hall on the edge of the box, the Tottenham Hotspur loanee took a touch before firing a low shot into the corner of Day’s goal.

Two could just as easily have been three for the visitors less than ten minutes later when Tsaroulla’s header hit the upright as the chances continued to flow; the hosting Robins did see a penalty appeal waved away just before the break but was waved away.

Two goals to the good at the break, you’d have been forgiven if you’d thought the visitors were going to run away with it in the second half but home manager, Cotterill, changed his sides’ shape, and it helped them massively.

The hosts’ best opportunity arrived ten minutes into the second period when Ethon Archer broke on the right, cross for Isaac Hutchinson, but he came up just short in getting to the ball; Jordan Thomas was now proving tiresome for the County defence before they finally got one back.

Heading towards the final twenty and a lovely ball from Ryan Broom is met by the head of Hutchinson; the first effort is cleared off the line but the same player was there to put the rebound past Kelle Roos in the visiting goal.

It was the spark the hosts needed, despite the constant pressure of the County attacking threat’ Ben Stevenson saw an effort go wide of Roos’ goal as the game moved into the final ten minutes.

Ryan Broom then prevented County further extending their lead with a goal-line clearance from Lewis Macari in the closing minutes, whilst at the other end Roos cleared up following a threatening ball from Thomas.

County though claimed all three points, and moved into third place in League Two, two points behind leaders Walsall, ahead of what is promising to be an exciting second half of the season for Paterson’s charges.

Notts County – Kelle Roos, Lewis Macari, Lucas Ness, Jacob Bedeau, Nick Tsaroulla, Tom Iorpenda (Oliver Norburn, 88), Scott Robertson, Keanan Bennetts (Maziar Kouhyar, 83), Conor Grant (Matthew Dennis, 73), Tyrese Hall, Alassana Jatta

The weekend gone meanwhile, in EFL League One, would see Mansfield Town slip to a 2-1 defeat away to Northampton Town, Rhys Oates’ opener for the Stags cancelled out by second half goals from Jack Perkins, and a penalty from Tom Eaves with sixteen minutes remaining.

Mansfield next game comes on Saturday 22 November, when they welcome tenth place Huddersfield Town to the One Call Stadium; Notts County meanwhile are back at their Meadow Lane home this coming Saturday (15 November) when they entertain Harrogate Town.