Notts County 4
(Rawlinson 27′, Rodrigues 34′ pen, Castro 88′, Bajrami 90′)
United 0
United were condemned to defeat at Meadow Lane on Saturday afternoon, as Notts County ran out 4-0 winners at Meadow Lane.
Two goals in each half saw the home side come out on top. Connell Rawlinson opened the scoring in the 27th minute, before Ruben Rodrigues converted a penalty on 34 minutes. However it was two goals in quick succession in the final stages of the game from Quevin Castro and Geraldo Bejrami that rounded off the afternoon for the hosts.
United Manager Gary Johnson named three changes in the starting line up that slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Eastleigh earlier in the week, with Tom Lapslie, Mark Ellis and Lucas Ness going into the starting eleven in place of Dylan Crowe, Chin Okoli and the suspended Aaron Jarvis.
With a lot of end-to-end play inside the opening few minutes, the first real chance of the game came in the 8th minute when the hosts worked their way down the right flank before a Matt Palmer cross found Adam Chicksen just beyond the far-post, who was unable to direct his rising header goalward.
In the 24th minute United responded with an opportunity of their own. Will Goodwin held the ball up well in the centre circle before switching the ball out to his left where Dillon De Silva drove before a low-dangerous cross was just gathered by Sam Slocombe, ahead of the onrushing Tom Lapslie.
Moments later Notts County went close, as Mark Halstead was forced into action twice in quick succession. Macaulay Langstaff cut inside the box before his shot was denied, but the ball was quick to find Aaron Nemane by the right-hand post, with a great save by Halstead denying the former United man from point-blank range.
On 27 minutes however, the home side found a way through. Following a succession of passes the ball eventually fell to Rawlinson on the edge of the box, who fired his effort into the bottom-right corner, to make it 1-0.
Things got worse six minutes later.
Nemane broke into the box from the right before going down under a challenge, with the referee signalling the foul and pointing to the penalty spot. Rodrigues stepped up, sent Halstead to the right, before placing the ball into the left-side of goal to double the advantage.
On 42 minutes, it was nearly 3-0.
County pushed forward again before Chicksen had an effort denied by the woodwork, as his shot bounced down off the underside of the bar, Langstaff was ready to pounce, but was denied by Halstead at close range.
The second half saw The Gulls having to withstand more pressure.
Five minutes into the restart, a long ball forward down the left was chased by Chicksen before he linked-up with Palmer, with the latter firing a shot low and just wide of the left-hand post.
In the 57th minute United created a chance of their own.
After the ball was held up by Goodwin, he played it out to his right for Brett McGavin who curled a cross beyond the far-post for an advancing Hall, who was just intercepted by Slocombe who was just able to come off his line to palm the ball away.
As the game edged past the 3/4 mark, County struck the woodwork again, as substitute Sam Austin was denied by the crossbar. The ball was played to County’s number 8 just inside the box before his strike rattled the underside of the bar, and United were able to clear.
United went close to reducing arrears in the 79th minute after substitute Cameron Thompson controlled the ball onto his right foot before driving a low effort wide of the left-hand post.
Unfortunately the margin of defeat was doubled in the dying stages.
With two minutes left on the clock, Castro found himself in some space before driving forward and firing into the bottom-left corner from 20 yards.
Moments later, Notts made it four, as a loose ball dropped for Geraldo Bajrami on the edge of the box who fired home toeven round off things at 4-0.
A big week ahead, with Tuesday night’s home clash against Aldershot now the priority.
Notts County: 1. Sam Slocombe, 4. Kyle Cameron, 5. Connell Rawlinson, 9. Macaulay Langstaff, 11. Aaron Nemane (10. Quevin Castro 75′), 15. Aden Baldwin, 16. Geraldo Bajrami, 19. Cedwyn Scott (8. Sam Austin 65′), 20. Ruben Rodrigues (21. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling 75′), 23. Adam Chicksen.
SUBS NOT USED: 7. Kairo Mitchell, 14. Ed Francis.
United: 1. Mark Halstead, 4. Tom Lapslie (30. Cameron Thompson 77′), 8. Asa Hall (c), 14. Brett McGavin, 16. Shaun Donnellan, 19. Will Goodwin, 21. Dean Moxey (5. Ali Omar 87′), 26. Lucas Ness, 27. Dillon De Silva, 35. Mark Ellis (23. Ollie Tomlinson 80′), 36. Scott Smith.
SUBS NOT USED: 5. Ali Omar, 22. Rhys Lovett.
Yellow Cards: Hall 26′
Attendance: 7,563 (330 away)