Review of the season... DECEMBER

Last updated : 15 May 2008 By Gary Moss and Paul Smith
Notts

This month will always be remembered for one thing, and one thing only, as Notts were unceremoniously dumped from the FA Cup by non-league part-timers Havant & Waterlooville, in the shock of the second round.

Dustbin man Tony Taggart prodded home a last minute winner at Meadow
Havant celebrate shock Lane win
Lane, to send the 200 travelling fans wild, and the home followers completely the opposite. Abuse reigned on the Notts players as they left the pitch, an horrific defeat that paved the way for a terrible month.

Waterlooville went on to bigger and better things, also knocking out League One champions elect Swansea City before stunning Anfield by twice taking the lead against Premiership big dogs Liverpool.

But that would not make it any easier for Notts to take, as the minnows became the first non-league side to defeat Notts at home in the FA Cup for 48 years.

It wasn't what McParland's men needed to start a month that would see them face the leagues big boys MK Dons, Peterborough and a Rotherham side looking like real promotion contenders.

Needless to say, the busy festive period was a poor one for Notts.

McParland realised the season would be difficult
Immediately after the Havant debacle Posh were 1-0 victors through Craig MacKail-Smith, before a brief respite as the Magpies showed resistance to see off Shrewsbury 2-1 at the Lane after falling behind.

By this point loan defender Krystian Pearce had started to earn rave reviews and he hit his first ever professional goal to haul Notts level before Neil MacKenzie hit a stunning free-kick to seal a pivotal three points against the faltering Shrews.

Hopes of another run were high after a point at Dagenham courtesy of a Richard Butcher goal that had Notts in the lead, but the Daggers pegged County back, with Pearce dismissed late on.

The unbeaten run came to an abrupt end as the Dons and the Millers picked up three points each at Meadow Lane to end the month as sourly as it had begun. Butcher added another goal to his tally to put Notts ahead against MK,
Pearce earned rave reviews
but an injury time Jemal Johnson strike swung it in their favour.

Just before the New Year ticked in, Notts made a positive move, swooping for out of contract defender Guy Branston.

He said: McParland on the prospect of Branston arriving. "I think Guy is a leader. We'll have a chat about things over the weekend and I will also talk to Guy. He has been about, and perhaps he will do a job for us. He is a man."

Player of the Month: There was only one candidate throughout this torrid month, despite his dismissal at Victoria Park. Krystian Pearce had impressed many with his talents at the back, showing plenty of spirit and skill on the ball, in troubled times for the Magpies.

Verdict: A shameful period for the club. Those who witnessed Havant's win will realise that it was not a smash and grab raid but a truly deserved triumph for the non-leaguers. It set the tone for a dismal month, with fans becoming more and more realistic about Notts' chances.

League position: 20th.

League Two

Just like clock work, December served up its usual sacking, and this time it was inevitable as Brentford chief Terry Butcher was given the axe days after defeat against fellow struggling Grimsby Town.

Butcher lost his job
Gary Jones struck the only goal of the game to land the final nail in Butcher's coffin and arguably save his own boss Alan Buckley in the process.

The defeat extended the Bees' winless streak to seven games and saw them in the mire in 19th spot.

At the time, caretaker manager Andy Scott brought instant points taking seven from the next four games with wins over Wrexham and Chester as well as a hard fought draw against leaders MK Dons, thanks to an Allan Connell opener.

December continued to see Wycombe Wanderers go about their business, as they began to up the pressure, ending the month with four straight wins after an early 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Stockport County.

Adam Proudlock grabbed a glorious hat-trick but it proved just the tonic for Paul Lambert's men to win four on the bounce and rise to seventh.

Four goals in as many games for Chairboys striker Scott McGleish had established himself as one of the top poachers in the league.

The Hatters proved the only real dent in the Wanderers month, but Stockport were still themselves being plagued by indifferent form.

Jim Gannon's men were struggling to build a string of results and as a result sat in 13th spot but still not out of the play-off picture.

Eighth-placed Morecambe had seen promising start transform into a tidy first half of the season, as they sat just three points shy of the play-offs come the turn of the year.

The Shrimpers ended 2007 with a 3-2 victory over Posh and 5-3 winners against Chester. Three in two games for Carl Baker was seeing his reputation go through the roof.

A winless month for Macclesfield was increasing the critics of Ian Brightwell
Brightwell was starting to feel the heat
ever so rapidly. The sinking Silkmen just seven poinst ahead of the dreaded drop, as a result of failing to convert draws into wins, with a record 11 draws so far at this stage of the season.

Back to the top, and Darlington were showing real signs of fading ending the calendar year with a tight 1-0 loss at MK Dons and 1-1 draw with Rotherham after back-to-back 4-0 thumpings of Grimsby and Lincoln.

The Quakers moved down to fourth as Jemal Johnson left it late to make the Dons the first team to win at the Darlington Arena this term. MK remained top with another unbeaten month, topped by a 5-0 crushing of Accrington Stanley.

Paul Ince's troops raced six points clear of nearest rivals Hereford and a further two above the third-placed Millers.

Wrexham and Mansfield remained in the bottom two with Lincoln, Notts County, Dagenham and Macclesfield just above although Bury were being dragged into trouble without a single point gained in December, and in fact only one goal scored.

Duo Chris Casper and Keith Alexander were under threat.