As Nigel Clough’s Mansfield Town side were slipping to third straight defeat in EFL League One, Martin Paterson’s Notts County returned to winning ways in League Two with their first win in three, and third in five outings to continue their promotion challenge.

County’s victory, one which keeps them fourth in League Two, came at a cost when striker, Tyrese Hall, saw red with ten minutes of a scoreless first half away to Bristol Rovers.

The hosts did come close, on a couple of occasions, to taking the lead prior to Hall’s dismissal, but visiting shot-stopper. Kelle Roos, saw efforts from both Joel Cotterill and Jack Sparkes, strike his upright, ten minutes apart of each other.

Shortly after Sparkes had hit the post for Rovers, County found themselves down to ten men when Hall was dismissed following a reckless challenge on home defender, Macauley Southam-Hales; the same player needed replacing minutes later, unable to continue, Freddie Issaka took his place.

Both sides continued to create chances either side of the break with Cotterill dragging an effort wide early in the second, whilst Roos prevented Harrison from opening the scoring minutes later.

County struggled to find any momentum and it would take until the hour mark had passed before a first, clear-cut was made, Tom Iorpenda seeing his effort deflected wide of Luke Southwood’s goal following great work from Keanan Bennetts.

Paterson made a triple change as the game headed into the final twenty minutes as he looked to stem the Rovers’ attacking threat, Roos being called into action to prevent first Ellis Harrison, then Luke Thomas, from scoring.

Harrison also struck Roos’ crossbar as the game headed into the final five minutes, before the deadlock, and with it the winner, was finally broken with minutes of normal time remaining.

Two of County’s changes in the latter stages, Maziar Kouhyar and Kellan Gordon, combined for Matthew Dennis to strike on goal, a deflection helping it past Southwood and into the net, the visitors holding on for a valuable, three points.

NOTTS COUNTY – Kelle Roos, Lewis Macari, Matthew Platt, Jacob Bedeau, Nick Tsaroulla (Lucas Ness, 68), Scott Robertson, Tom Iorpenda (Oliver Norburn, 68), Keanan Bennetts (Kellan Gordon, 86), Conor Grant (Maziar Kouhyar, 86), Tyrese Hall, Alassana Jatta (Matthew Dennis, 68)

Meanwhile, the Stags slipped to a third straight defeat in League One when away to high-flying Cardiff City; Will Fish had the hosts one-up at the interval, before second half goals from Yousef Salech and Cian Ashford, in the closing twenty minutes, consigned Clough’s charges to defeat.

Not quite the warm-up the Stags expected ahead of their FA Cup Second Round clash at Accrington Stanley this coming Saturday (6 December), the defeat saw them slip to fifteenth place – their next league game, home to sixth place Bolton Wanderers a week on Tuesday (9 December).

County on the other-hand, they sit in fourth place in League Two, four points off leaders Walsall, as ten points separate first to fourteenth; Paterson’s charges welcome third place MK Dons on their next outing, also a week on Tuesday (9 December) in a top-of-the-table clash.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @Official_NCFC Martin Paterson enjoyed County’s away performance.