Notts County 2 v Nottingham Forest 2 - PSF - Derek Pavis Trophy

Tuesday 26th July 2022

Pre Season Friendly - The Derek Pavis Trophy

Notts County (0) 2

Macaulay Langstaff 47 Sam Austin 59

Nottingham Forest (1) 2

Sam Surridge 43, Cafú 53

Attendance: 14,041 (inc. 5,929)

Notts County:

Sam Slocombe, Kyle Cameron, Aden Baldwin, Richard Brindley, Adam Chicksen (Joel Taylor 82), Aaron Nemane (Tobi Adebayo-Rowling 82), Ed Francis (Geraldo Bajrami 64), Jim O'Brien (Cedwyn Scott 64), Ruben Rodrigues (Frank Vincent 82), Sam Austin, Macauley Langstaff (Kairo Mitchell 82)

Unused sub -Tiernan  Brooks (GK)

Nottingham Forest: 

Jordan Smith, Loïc Mbe Soh, Giulian Biancone (Justin Hanks 82), Richie Laryea (Julian Larsson 75), Aaron Donnelly; Cafú (Dale Taylor 71), Braian Ojeda (Billy Fewster HT), Ryan Yates (Oliver Hammond HT), Alex Mighten (Ateef Konaté 75), Sam Surridge (Zach Abbott HT), Lyle Taylor

Approximately four hours before tonight's game, Forest posted their line-up on t'internet, listing what was effectively a second-string, with a few bells attached... and then also advertised the fact that they would be streaming the game live on their website, for nowt. All of which cheered some of their fan-base up no end (I'm being ironic) as they took to social-media to bemoan the injustice of it all, given that the whole allocation of away tickets was sold out in anticipation of Steve Cooper's side having more of a first-team look to it, while possibly showcasing the Reds new signings. 

Judging by the response in the home sections of the ground to Sam Surridge's opening goal just before half-time, there were plenty of visiting supporters swelling tonight's attendance by sitting in amongst the County faithful too.

Kick off was delayed by fifteen minutes, because there were still queues of people waiting to get in at 7.45PM. At approximately 8.20PM a stroppy individual demanded that I should move because I was in his seat and went on to tell me that if I didn't comply he would fetch a steward to have me removed. "Look! Seat 49. I'm assuming that you can read". Had he been polite about the situation, I would've explained that every single row in this block had a seat 49 at the end of it and pointed out that he should double check what which letter he needed to look for, but he was swearing, being aggressive and getting personal... so I didn't. But responded in kind, suggesting that he had better go and find a steward because I was going nowhere.

He returned with two of them, one of whom asked to see my ticket so he could advise me where I was moving to, "Err, you are in the right seat, S 49" I was informed. Not that I didn't already know, of course. 

Mr Stroppy then showed them his brief. "Oh, there's y'problem you're sat right down there, this isn't your row number". Well, I never! I glared intensely at the back of the annoying individuals head as he made his way down the stairs, hoping that I'd inherited some my Grandma's psychic powers, so that I could cause him to fall and hurt himself, really badly, while checking out every single seat 49 in Block B as he rolled by, picking up speed, before meeting his demise in a crumpled heap right at the bottom.

Alas, my Gran might've been a medium, but I'm more of an XXL myself, so that didn't work.  

The Pies could consider themselves unfortunate to go in a goal behind at the interval, because with just a fraction more sharpness and a bit more luck in front of Jordan Smith's goal, they might've been two, or even three goals in front before Sam Surridge bent the ball just inside the right-hand upright, beyond the reach of Sam Slocombe, in the forty-third minute.

Ruben Rodrigues in particular had been unplayable, ragging the visitors defence all over the place with Jim O'Brien and Ed Francis making sure that Smith was being kept busy too.

Macauley Langstaff, County's recent acquisition from Gateshead, endeared himself to his new home ground just two minutes after the interval, when he was picked out inside the Forest area by Rodrigues and thumped the ball emphatically past Smith, with a peach of a left-footed finish to level things up.

Any fears that Notts might have been knocked out of their stride by Surridge's sucker punch just before half-time were soon dispelled as the hosts continued to take the game to their illustrious neighbours.

But in the fifty-third minute, Forest scored against the run of play again, when Cafu beat Slocombe with a sweetly struck long-range free-kick. You don't stop those.

Langstaff was denied by Smith, while Slocombe kept out Alex Mighten at the other end.

But Nottinghamshire's senior non-league side equalised again just before the hour, through Sam Austin, another new addition to County's ranks who has signed from Kidderminster Harriers.

Kyle Cameron played the ball inside to Austin who controlled it before lashing a shot past Smith, despite a number of defending players being in close attendance.

Rodrigues and Austin were both thwarted by Smith as the home side kept up their impressive tempo up for the remainder of the game. While second-half substitutes: Cedwyn Scott and Aaron Nemane, both went close too.

Right at the death, Rodrigues nearly claimed the local bragging rights for the team from the north of the Trent, but he clipped a great chance narrowly wide of the upright.

FT: Notts County 2 v Nottingham Forest 2

Watching Lyle Taylor going through the motions for ninety minutes, on the periphery of tonight's game, was a sad sight. The local press gave him a mark of four out of ten for his endeavours. Surely, taking into account his exploits in a struggling Birmingham City side last season, he can still do a job for somebody, somewhere. I hope he gets sorted out soon.

On the short walk back to where I'd parked my car, some young County fans were singing: "Premier League, you're having a laugh!", a Forest fan responded: "Don't get carried away County, it was only our reserves out there tonight". 

New LED floodlights. Very posh.

But, all told, there had been plenty of first team experience featured in Steve Cooper's line-up, and facts are facts; the visitors had just got lucky and had effectively been outplayed by their National League neighbours and would've lost tonight had it not been for the prowess of Jordan Smith between the sticks.

Kyle Wooton and Cal Roberts might well be gone, ditto two managers: Neil Ardley and Ian Burchnall, in quick succession, but in Longstaff and Austin, the Pies recently recruited head-coach Luke Williams. might just be finding the right ingredients towards concocting a successful formula to help Notts regain the Football League status that they lost in 2019.