With Glynn Hurst’s hat-trick shooting down any chance of the Magpies’ already prolonged winless streak from extending to an eleventh game, County go into tomorrow’s FA Cup First Round proper tie with the Robins having eased the burden of their fruitless September-October run.
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With Gudjon Thordarson currently out of the country as he attends his father’s funeral, right-hand man Ross McClaren has been placed in charge of first team affairs, with the former Southend youth team coach having secured the services of defender Adam Tann on non-contract forms.
The 23-year old Tann comes complete with an excellent pedigree for his tender years, having represented England at under-18 level, as well as having made close to 150 appearances for Cambridge United.
The highly-rated defender has been brought in to deputise for the Magpies’ numerous absentees, with County’s defensive ranks very much depleted with Kelvin Wilson (suspended), Emmet Friars (cup-tied) and Dan Martin (injured) all set to miss out.
Tann has been training with the Magpies all week following his release from recently-relegated Cambridge, who held – until only recently – the player’s league registration in hope that compensation would be due should someone make a move for the player.
Cambridge’s optimism was never quite fulfilled, with the player having become a free-agent following his release in late October.
Elsewhere, Chibuzor Chilaka and Matty Williams have both been named in the eighteen-man squad who travel to Ashton Gate tomorrow in search of an unlikely victory against a City side who continue to struggle, even despite the appointment of former Yeovil man, Gary Johnson as manager.
Squad: Pilkington, Pipe, Edwards, O'Callghan, Gill, Baudet, Hurst, Palmer, Williams, Scoffham, Ullathorne, Tann, Chilaka, Long, McMahon, White, Sheridan and Marshall.