Notts v Shrewsbury... BIG match preview

Well at least they tried against Peterborough. Next step, winning a football match.

Team News

MacKenzie... Recall?

Notts - Myles Weston and Andy Parkinson may hand Charlie McParland a welcome boost but the Scotsman is likely to stick with makeshift widemen Austin McCann and Lawrie Dudfield on the wings. Jay Smith, Mike Edwards and Micheal Byron are out. Neil MacKenzie may return tot he starting eleven.

Shrewsbury - Danger man Ben Davies is continuing to get sharper with eachgame and should start after a lengthy layoff. Alleged summer transfer target for Notts Andy Cooke remains on the treatment table. Winger Marc Pugh is out but targeting a Christmas comeback. Loanee Shane Tudor has returned to Port Vale without playing a game through injury.

Form guide

Notts - The Magpies have lost their last four games and go into the game knowing a win is vital. That bad run of form saw them exit the FA Cup and slip to 19th in the table, now twelve points from the playoff target expected, and worryingly just four above the relegation zone. At Meadow Lane it is won three, drew two and lost four in the league.

Shrewsbury - An inconsistent time for Gary Peter's men at the moment. They have won three and lost three of their last six games, keeping all clean sheets when winning, and never scoring when losing in that time. Away from gome this season the Shrews have won two, drew three and lost four. They are currently eleventh in the table, five points from the playoffs.

The view

McCann... Taking positives

Notts - Defender Austin McCann: "It is important that we take the positives out of the defeat on Tuesday, and I think the performance was really encouraging and we can take that into Saturday for sure. Saturday is really important and the manager came into the dressing room after Tuesday and he was really upbeat and positive - so it is important that we adopt that attitude too."

Shrewsbury - Manager Peters on the return of plamaker Davies: "Ben did very well and we wanted him to have a free role where he didn't have too much responsibility. He is that clever that he knows when to go and make the extra forward and when to fill into midfield and it certainly helped us pass the ball over. But it also worked because we had other players on the pitch working very hard. You couldn't tell that Ben had been out for six months but I think he will go from strength to strength over the next few weeks with the more time he spends on the pitch."

Key men

Notts - It is becoming ever difficult to pick a key man given the results at the moment and the obvious lack of quality in these times. However, Saturday is a must win affair and therefore one of Notts' misfiring strikers has to come good. Spencer Weir-Daley has been touted as Notts' possble 20 goal a season man and he now needs to start showing what potential he has. Weir-Daley looked poor against Peterborough but against high flying Rotherham earlier in the season he was unplayable. He has it in him, and if anyone can get it out of him it is former striking hero McParland - and Tommy Johnson too. Time to step forward Spencer.

Shrewsbury - Davies' return is bad news for Notts. The former Chester ace has scored winners against the Magpies in the past and always seems to do well at Meadow Lane. His return has fired up Peters' men who will know that getting the first goal against Notts at Meadow Lane will be halfway to victory. Davies can get them that either by scoring himself or a brilliant move to set one up. He has to be stopped.

Big battle

Krystian Pearce v Dave Hibbert

Pearce managed to tame Peterborough's Aaron McLean on Tuesday and he will need to do the same against another of the divisions sharp shooters Hibbert. He rarely misses when given half a chance, anf the fans favourite needs to be kept quiet. Pearce is confident and good enough to take the task. If he succeeds, Notts may keep a clean sheet. Then one goal is all that is required!

Possible line-ups

Notts - (4-4-2): Kevin Pilkington; Gary Silk, Adam Tann, Krystian Pearce, Stephen Hunt; Lawrie Dudfield, Richard Butcher, Neil MacKenzie, Austin McCann; Jason Lee, SPencer Weir-Daley

Shrewsbury - (5-3-2): Glyn Garner; Darren Moss, Ben Herd, Colin Murdock, Mark Tierney, Kevin Langmead; Stewart Drummond, David Hunt, Ben Davies; Dave Hibbert, Micheal Symes.

Prediction

I've a good feeling Notts will win. We are due one. 1-0 - Jason Lee.