Late Rally Provides Notts Win

Walsall 1-2 Notts County (07.03.2026) EFL League Two

Martin Paterson’s Notts County side continue to push for automatic promotion from EFL League Two following Saturday’s late, come-from-behind victory, away to mid-table Walsall.

The hosts took the lead in first half stoppage time, with County finally finding the breakthrough as the game headed towards the final ten minutes, winning it in second half stoppage time to keep themselves in the mix at the top.

Both Walsall and County had first half chances prior to the opener, the Saddlers seeing a headed effort from ex-Mansfield Town centre-half, Aden Flint, ruled offside just after the half hour mark.

Home shot-stopper, Myles Roberts, tipped a 20-yard effort from Jodi Jones over the bar, whilst Charles Lakin fired over from fifteen at the other end, the two pushing for an opener which eventually arrived at the end of the half.

Two other Saddlers summer signings, Daniel Kanu and Aaron Pressley linked up for the opener; Kanu charged at the Magpies defence before releasing Pressley, who lifted the resultant ball over James Belshaw in the visiting goal.

Paterson rang the changes early in the second half, bringing on Rod McDonald, Harald Tangen and Keanan Bennetts just before the hour mark, then Maziar Kouhyar with twenty remaining, with Matthew Dennis and Harald Tangen seeing efforts thwarted in quick succession in between those changes.

Then, with the game ticking towards its final ten, Paterson’s side found a leveller after a corner from Jodi Jones is only partially cleared, Oliver Norburn controls said clearance on the chest, and fires a 20-yearder into Roberts’ top corner.

Matthew Platt saw his effort pushed clear minutes later by Roberts before officials showed six minutes of added time, from within which the winner arrived; after Tom Iorpenda had curled an effort high and wide, second half substitute, Maziar Kouhyar, put a lovely ball into the home box and Jones rose highest at the back post to head home the winner.

It was just reward for County’s attacking threat, and dominance across the field throughout the game, and it was to be three points that keeps them in the mix at the top of the table, a point behind the joint-second pairing of MK Dons and Cambridge United, and six off leaders Bromley, whom County have a game in hand over.

NOTTS COUNTY – James Belshaw, Lewis Macari (Rod McDonald, 58), Matthew Platt, Jacob Bedeau (capt), Oliver Norburn, Nick Tsaroulla (Maziar Kouhyar, 71), Tom Iorpenda, Conor Grant (Harald Tangen, 58), Jodi Jones, Tyrese Hall (Keanan Bennetts, 58), Matthew Dennis

Elsewhere in League Two, leaders Bromley opened a five-point advantage at the top following a 1-1 draw at Grimsby Town, MK Dons moved into second place with a 4-1 home

win over Harrogate Town, whilst there were draws for both Cambridge United (1-1 with Accrington Stanley), and Swindon Town (2-2 at Crawley Town).

MK Dons play their game in hand on the leaders in midweek when they travel to Gillingham, before everyone sees action on Saturday afternoon; County face a lunchtime kick-off at home to ninth place Chesterfield, whilst Bromley host Bristol Rovers, MK Dons and Swindon collide at the latter, and Cambridge host Gillingham, as the top five continue to battle it out with each other ahead of the run-in.