Notts County 1 v Newport County 4 - EFL League 2

Tuesday 19th February 2019

SkyBet EFL League Two

at Meadow Lane

Notts County (1) 1
Kane Hemmings 10

Newport County (3) 4
Fraser Franks 9
Jamille Matt 15, 33
Padraig Amond 47
Attendance: 6,253 (inc. 116 away fans)

During his pre-match press call, the Notts manager, Neal Ardley said that tonight's encounter would provide his side with a more difficult challenge, than their three previous games did, against promotion contenders: Lincoln City, Forest Green Rovers and Mansfield Town.
And, in the event, that prophecy came true, as the 'Exiles', well and truly ruled the roost tonight, as the home side suffered a massive hangover following their triumphant afternoon against the Stags at the weekend.

But it's the pelvic thrust, that really drives you insane.

Having emerged from that aforementioned run of three games against top four sides sides, with an impressive seven point haul, expectations were rocketing sky-high among the 'Pies faithful, in the build up to tonight's game. Because a victory over Newport, would've seen the host side lifting themselves out of the relegation places, albeit with just a slender one point cushion.

Momentum and an accompanying feel good factor are a powerful combination, that speeds up the healing process, when you've been having an absolute nightmare of a season. And to that end, recent results would suggest that Ardley might not be too far away from discovering the remedy to cure this current campaign's ills and tribulations. 

Only time will tell I guess... however Notts don't have a lot of that left, to prove that the recent purple patch in their three 'Cup final' sized fixtures, wasn't just a temporary respite from the grim realities of the prospect of having to non-league football next season (and for lord knows how long thereafter).
But complacency is the poison in any given system, that will destabilise many a buoyant side and cause them to drop their guard, take their foot off the gas, and leave themselves open to copping for a really hard, painful and costly reality slap.

So while Ardley attempted to do the right thing, by keeping his players feet firmly on the ground and trying to damp down all of the hype and euphoria... the light at the end of the tunnel is (potentially/possibly) in sight, but it is still a long way off just yet, going on tonight's evidence... but there is still a hell of a lot of football left to be played, and points to be won (or lost) this term.
This Magpies team must take an 'each game as it comes' approach and remain resolutely focused, while implementing the high tempo that they aspired to at the weekend... in truth, only they themselves will know if they had underestimated the size of the task in hand tonight, and not shown enough respect to a very useful looking 'Exiles' side.

To be continued?

The 'Pies manager responded to his team suffering an overwhelming defeat against a very good Newport side tonight, with an ultra pragmatic, realistic and thoughtful radio interview, just moments after the final whistle, where he endeavoured to keep things on an even keel, sans any hysteria, knee jerk reaction, OTT pressure or pressing of the panic button (not just yet anyway).
Possibly, but not probably, Notts have given themselves a fighting chance of preserving their league status, with their recent purple patch in form, but they've got to keep their guard up and apply themselves much better than they did tonight, if they are to claw their way towards a points total that will see them survive the drop.

Because, when all is said and done, they're still in 92nd position, at the bottom of the league, with some awkward fixtures looming on the horizon, starting with a trip to in-form Tranmere Rovers this coming weekend, who won away at Port Vale tonight, with the top scorer in League Two, James Norwood, finding the net twice.
Even the most optimistic 'Pies follower, having had their hopes raised over these last couple of weeks, must've been acutely aware that 'sh*t just got real' tonight, long before the final whistle sounded, as they were swept away by Michael Flynn's side.

Newport, for their part, were excellent tonight, playing a 4-3-3 formation that completely over-ran the hosts, who were a shadow of the side that they looked capable of being on Saturday
The Exiles gave Notts a bit of a lesson in pressing high, getting to grips with the midfield and ramming home territorial a territorial advantage.
Jamille Matt, the visitors striker, was virtually unplayable at times and claimed two goals for himself, on a night when he could probably have had more.
Jon Stead and Craig Mackail-Smith started the night on the bench with Kane Hemmings and Lewis Alessandra drafted in to replace them. Subsequently, Virgil Gomis didn't look half as effective as he did with his playmates besides him at the weekend and was, ironically, one of the players who made way when the duo entered the fray in the fifty third minute, in what waas a last throw of the dice in a game that was already all over bar the shouting.

Newport had made their intentions clear early on, inasmuch as: they had arrived at Meadow Lane looking for a win.
Matt smashed the ball over the crossbar inside the first minute and Dan Butler flashed a free kick just past the upright. But in the ninth minute, Notts bubble of hope was burst, when Robbie Willmott pounced on an error by Mitch Rose and played the ball across the hosts area, Sam Stubbs failed to clear the ball and it ended up in the path of Fraser Franks, who was never going to miss from there.
But, despite having started the night under the cosh, the 'Pies were level some fifty seconds later, when Joe Day did well to turn Jim O'Brien's long range strike away, only to see Hemmings nip in and direct a looping header over him.
"Thank God for that, I thought we'd gone crap again after Saturday", said a nearby hopeful Notts fan.
Hmm, prophetic words or what!?

Padraig Amond, almost restored the visitors lead almost straight away,  forcing Ryan Schofield into turning the ball around the upright
Willmott received a throw in out on the flank and crossed towards Amond, who headed the ball back across the goal for Matt to add the finishing touch. With the greatest of respect to some of my pals who play in non league circles, you see teams in the NCEL defending against those sort of basic tactics every other weekend, but the Notts defence were unresponsive to the point of being AWOL.
Gomis then fluffed an effort to snatch a second equaliser, by shooting so badly off target, that I was concerned for the safety of my car windows on Iremonger Road.
Nothing much else happened in the first half, save for a spectacular overhead strike by Matt, that must be a contender for the League Two goal of the season as Newport took a 1-3 lead... and Schofield denied Amond again.
HT: NCFC 1 v NCFC 3

If the game wasn't already over as a contest by half time, it certainly was when Amond nodded home from Matt's knock to increase the visitors lead less than two minutes after the restart... Notts were spared the abject humiliation of conceding a fifth goal, at home, when Joss Labadie pinged a crashing shot against the upright from well over thirty yards out.
The double substitution seemingly boosted any attacking ambitions that Ardley's side still had in them, albeit briefly, but there was way too much for them do, to make any difference whatsoever, as to where the points were heading tonight now.

Jon Stead bulged the side-netting, and O’Brien, limited for any other sort of option available to him, saw Day tip over his long range effort at full stretch. While Mackail-Smith couldn't keep his shot down from the resulting flag kick.
Newport were happy to run the clock down from thereon-in, which they did with the same sort of consummate ease that had seen them build up such a comfortable lead.
Game over!
In conclusion: the best team (by miles) won tonight... and Notts were completely dominated by their visitors from South Wales.

FT: Notts County 1 v Newport County 4